EESCC Plenary Meeting advances discussion on energy efficiency.

Press Release Summary:



Ninety technical experts took part in first plenary meeting of ANSI Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC) to lay groundwork for its standardization roadmap addressing energy efficiency in built environment. Structured to maximize open dialogue, plenary brought all 5 EESCC working groups (WGs) together to refine their respective scopes and structures as well as present overviews of their progress-to-date to full collaborative.



Original Press Release:



First EESCC Plenary Meeting Advances Discussion on Energy Efficiency within the Built Environment



Ninety technical experts recently took part in the first plenary meeting of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative to lay the groundwork for the EESCC’s standardization roadmap addressing energy efficiency in the built environment. The meeting marked the first in-person opportunity for all EESCC members and stakeholders to discuss Phase One of the EESCC standardization roadmap, which seeks to coordinate a national approach to energy efficiency in the United States. A full meeting report detailing the plenary’s discussions and breakout sessions is forthcoming.



The plenary, which was structured to maximize open dialogue, brought all five EESCC working groups (WGs) together to further refine their respective scopes and structures, and to present overviews of their progress-to-date to the full collaborative. The EESCC’s working groups have been meeting regularly via web conferences since December:



WG1: Building energy and water assessment standards

(including diagnostic test procedures and health and safety testing)

WG2: Systems integration and communications

(encompassing communications between building automation/operation systems, equipment, and the electric grid)

WG3: Building energy modeling, rating, and labeling

(includes whole building modeling from design to construction, as well as rating and labeling for energy performance)

WG4: Evaluation, measurement, and verification

(encompassing EM&V; energy performance metrics; and standardized and portable data collection and reporting)

WG5: Workforce credentialing

(including standards for workforce training and certification programs, and workforce skills standards)



Collaborative participants provided feedback on each of the WG’s presentations during open sessions on both days, allowing for fruitful strategic discussions relating to the work of the collaborative and each of its WGs.



The EESCC’s public and private sector co-chairs – Benjamin Goldstein of the U.S. Department of Energy and John Tuccillo of Schneider Electric – noted the exceptional work carried out thus far by each of the WGs. While the EESCC Framework document provides latitude to the WGs with regard to scope, the EESCC co-chairs agreed to review all input and questions from the WGs during the plenary and to provide additional clarification relating to the EESCC’s scope, as needed.



Participants also discussed the importance of effectively collecting input regarding relevant standards, codes, guidelines, and conformance programs that are available or under development, as well as what perceived gaps in energy efficiency standardization and conformance activities currently exist. This information, which is being collected in an EESCC inventory effort, is expected to play a major role in the first stage of the EESCC’s work. [See related news item]



As part of the inventory process, the EESCC has set up online forms to make it easy for stakeholders – including current EESCC members and organizations in the ANSI federation, as well as other individuals and groups in the larger standards and conformance community and beyond – to submit information about relevant standardization documents (standards, codes, guidelines, and regulations), conformance programs, and standardization gaps. Submissions should consider the following questions:



What standardization documents or conformance programs related to the built environment currently exist and what documents or programs are on the horizon?

What is the goal of the document or conformance program in question?

Who is the standardization document or conformance program intended to serve, and how is it being used in the market?

Is the document or conformance program being implemented at the state or federal level?

What building types does the document or conformance program apply to?



Submissions regarding major gaps, challenges, or untapped opportunities in the energy standardization landscape are also encouraged. Submitters are asked to explain why the gap is a priority, who the affected stakeholders are, and how the gap could be addressed by the public or private sector. The forms can be accessed below:



Online entry form for documents (standards, codes, guidelines, and regulations)

Online entry form for conformance programs

Online entry form for potential gaps in the standardization landscape



The EESCC hopes to obtain as much information as possible by Monday, April 1, 2013, and encourages all EESCC members, stakeholders, and interested parties to submit listings of any relevant documents, conformance programs, and gaps. The first formal review of the EESCC Inventory will be carried out by the EESCC steering committee later in April 2013.



About the EESCC

The ANSI Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC) is a cross-sector, neutral forum and focal point for broad-based coordination among energy efficiency activities involving or impacted by standardization (i.e., standards, codes, conformance activities) and regulations. The objective of the collaborative is to assess the standardization landscape, and carry out the development of a standardization roadmap for energy efficiency within the built environment.



The EESCC is led by two highly-esteemed co-chairs from the public and private sectors: Benjamin Goldstein, energy efficiency workforce development and standards coordinator in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and John Tuccillo, vice president of global industry and government alliances at Schneider Electric, and president and chairman of the board of The Green Grid.

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