The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a funding opportunity that will provide up to $5 million in seed funding to hire a Program Administrator who will continue to develop and operate DOE’s nascent, market-based Superior Energy Performance certification program. The program, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), provides industrial facilities and commercial buildings with a framework for achieving continual improvement in energy efficiency while maintaining market competitiveness. Early-stage pilot projects are currently underway to develop key elements of the program before it is launched nationwide and made available to the general marketplace in October 2011.
One organization will be selected to serve as the administrator and technical assistance provider for the program over a five year period to begin in 2011. The ultimate goal of the Superior Energy Performance Program Administrator (SEP-PA) will be to position the program to provide a transparent, globally accepted system for validating energy performance improvement and management practices. Consistent with this goal, the program is already serving as the basis for the Global Superior Energy Performance (GSEP) initiative, a multi-country effort to create and harmonize nationally accredited energy performance certification programs. Together, these programs are expected to produce significant global energy and carbon savings.
In a strategic move to maximize the reach and value of the program, Superior Energy Performance certification is also designed to require conformance to the forthcoming International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 50001 international energy management standard as a foundational tool. Based on broad applicability across national economic sectors, the ISO 50001 standard alone could eventually influence up to 60 percent of the world’s energy demand.
Further details on this funding opportunity can be found on the Federal Grants.gov Web site under solicitation reference number DE-FOA-0000435.
Please visit the Superior Energy Performance certification program Web site for more information.