With the release of the Standardization Roadmap: Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) joins U.S. industry, government, other standards developing organizations and other energy efficiency stakeholders who now have a national framework for action and coordination on future energy efficiency standardization.
Developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC) -- a cross-sector group chaired by representatives of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Schneider Electric -- the roadmap charts 125 recommendations to advance energy efficiency within the built environment. Jane Weissman, IREC president and CEO, co-chaired the EESCC expert workgroup on workforce credentialing, which made 16 overarching recommendations to advance workforce credentialing in the energy efficiency field.
"Industry, government and other stakeholders now have a coordinated national resource to help them work together toward achievable energy efficiency goals in the built environment, and that includes standards in workforce development," Weissman explained. "We're working diligently to bridge the gaps between education/training programs and the skills employees need for today's and tomorrow's clean energy workforce, including the critical component of energy efficiency."
More than 50 member organizations and four federal agencies took part in the development of the standardization roadmap. Participants included more than 160 experts from industry, standards and code-developing organizations, energy efficiency-focused organizations, educational institutions and other groups.
"Energy efficiency is a complex, cross-cutting issue that applies to all industry sectors, impacts multiple government agencies, and hits every stage in the life cycle of a building," said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. "I encourage stakeholder organizations from both the public and private sectors to review the roadmap's recommendations, identify where they may be able to help close the standardization gaps, and work with the EESCC to do so."
Need for greater efficiency
According to the DOE, America's buildings account for more than 70 per cent of total US electricity use and 40 per cent of the nation's total energy bill. This comes with a price tag of $400 billion per year. With 20 per cent or more of this energy wasted, comparable reductions in energy have the potential to save an estimated $80 billion annually.
To that end, Increased awareness and coordination among the public and private sectors on standards, codes, and conformity assessment can help quicken the pace of energy efficiency technology development and deployment. The standardization roadmap identifies many opportunities, detailing recommendations and timelines for action across several interrelated areas of focus.