Standards & Compliance Briefing: Smart Grid Roadmap, Energy Star Objections, ISO 14001, LEED

by | Mar 1, 2012

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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finished incorporating public comments into the NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0, a plan for updating the nation’s electric power system into an interoperable smart grid. The final 2.0 framework adds 22 standards, specifications and guidelines to the 75 standards NIST recommended in its 1.0 version, published in January 2010.

TÜV Rheinland has validated Dow Chemical’s Enlight Polyolefin Encapsulant film technology for crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules. The panels were shown to perform to the requirements of IEC 61215 in all test protocols, Dow said.

The Consumer Electronics Association said that it is opposed to the EPA’s proposed inclusion of non-energy-related criteria in Energy Star, because it might undermine the influence of the label in the consumer market and abroad. The CEA also said in a statement that a mandate for third-party verification of Energy Star standards would be costly for manufacturers, and is a disincentive to the program.

CompuCycle announced that it is the first electronic recycling company in Houston to earn an ISO 14001 certification. CompuCycle has met the standard specifically as a provider of electronic recycling services, focused on refurbishing products for re-use and environmentally compliant disposal, the company said.

The new Oconaluftee Visitor Center north of Cherokee, N.C., at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has received LEED Gold certification. The $3.5 million, 6,300 square-foot building includes high-efficiency light fixtures, a cool roof, low-flow plumbing and a geothermal heating and cooling system, writes The One Feather.

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center’s new four-story, 138-bed expansion is the first LEED Silver hospital in Southern California. The building features energy saving roofing materials, bicycle stations and changing rooms, water bottle refilling stations, water efficient landscaping, a 75 percent diversion of construction waste, composting and the elimination of plastic foam products, Providence said.

Office Depot’s 600,000 square-foot distribution center in Newville, Pa., has been earned LEED CI certification. Features of the facility include FSC chain-of-custody verified wood products, low-flow urinals and lavatory faucets, a high-efficiency split HVAC system, carbon dioxide sensors and fresh air circulation, and zero- or low-VOC emitting interiors, Office Depot said.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL), a 24,350-square-foot research, education and administrative facility, is expected to achieve net-zero energy with solar photovoltaics, geothermal wells and a vertical axis wind turbine, as well as net-zero water by capturing and reusing all water on site. Phipps said that it is also the largest building in operation pursuing Living Building status, in addition to LEED Platinum and SITES certification for landscapes.

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