Previously known as National Energy Awareness Month, President Obama changed the name in 2012 at the request of the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of an effort to encourage proactive approaches to energy efficiency and security. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is proud to support National Energy Action Month and national energy efficiency efforts through its work on a number of related initiatives.
ANSI serves as the Secretariat in partnership with ABNT, the Brazilian national standards body, for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Project Committee (PC) 242, Energy management. The committee's chief work product, ISO 50001:2011, Energy management systems - Requirements with guidance for use, provides energy management guidelines for industrial plants, commercial facilities, and entire organizations, with the goal of assisting these groups to integrate energy efficiency into their management practices. ANSI also accredits certification bodies through the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board Superior Energy Performance (SEP) program, which provides facilities that are ISO 50001:2011 certified with a roadmap for achieving ongoing energy performance gains without sacrificing financial competitiveness.
In May 2013, the ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) released its Standardization Roadmap for Electric Vehicles - Version 2.0 (May 2013), an update to the original roadmap published in April 2012. The document - which was developed by representatives of the automotive, utilities, and electrotechnical industries, standards developing organizations (SDOs), and government - assesses the standards, conformance programs, regulations, and training needed to facilitate the safe, effective mass deployment of electric vehicles and charging stations throughout the U.S. Both the original version of the roadmap and the May 2013 update are available for free download online. For more information on the work of the EVSP, visit www.ansi.org/evsp.
ANSI's Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC) has been hard at work assessing the landscape of energy efficiency standardization in the built environment and developing a standardization roadmap and compendium to advance energy efficiency in the United States. The EESCC is a cross-sector, neutral forum for broad-based coordination among energy efficiency activities involving or impacted by standardization and regulations. The Collaborative is currently in the process of drafting the first version of its roadmap, ahead of a planned public comment period. For more information about the EESCC, send an email to [email protected] or visit the EESCC web site at www.ansi.org/eescc.
As part on its ongoing efforts to support innovation in connection with energy and water use, smart grid technology, waste management, transportation, and other important subject areas, ANSI will convene a workshop on November 21, 2013, to explore the role that standards and conformance solutions can play in contributing to the development of smart, sustainable, and resilient cities. During the event, which will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, participants will discuss coordination among various recent smart cities initiatives, as well as priority areas for standards development in connection with in this important effort. To register for the ANSI Smart and Sustainable Cities Workshop, visit the workshop webpage; advance registration is required. For additional details regarding the agenda, as well as sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, visit www.ansi.org/events.
ANSI is proud to promote the importance of energy efficiency across the nation through these and other initiatives. To learn more about National Energy Action Month and to download free resources and outreach materials, visit the Federal Energy Management Program website.