ANSI and IREC Launch Full Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Certificate Accreditation Program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standard Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) are pleased to announce that the ANSI-IREC program for the accreditation of renewable energy and energy efficiency certificate programs has completed its pilot phase and is now accepting general applications.

The program, which began in pilot form in January 2012, evaluates certificate-awarding schools, colleges and other institutions against requirements for equipment, curriculum, facilities, administration, and personnel set forth in the IREC Standard 14732: 2013, General Requirements for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Certificate Programs. Accreditation under the ANSI-IREC program demonstrates to students, policymakers, funders, and employers that programs have demonstrated meeting all requirements in the standard and provides third-party verification that certificate programs have demonstrated meeting the requirements for issuing a market-valued certificate. Students who have graduated from an ANSI-IREC accredited program will improve the quality of work in the marketplace and help to establish benchmarks for the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector.

Successful applicants will join three organizations currently accredited against the prestigious 14732 Standard:  CalCERTS, Midwest Renewable Energy Association, and National Solar Trainers.

Roy Swift, Ph.D., ANSI senior director for personnel credentialing accreditation programs, says, "This program combines the strength of ANSI and IREC to produce an accreditation program of the highest quality in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency, providing confidence to consumers that individuals have the knowledge and skills to provide quality services."

IREC's Executive Director Jane Weissman commented, "IREC's standards provide the quality framework of technical content, program structure and educational processes for a specialty accreditation that raises the bar for training the clean energy workforce.  The ANSI-IREC accreditation supports safeguards in the industry and promotes pathways for improvement."

The ANSI-IREC program follows the evaluation process outlined in the international standard ISO/IEC 17011, which represents the highest globally accepted practices for accreditation bodies. Under this process, trained assessors review documents submitted by applicants, conduct on-site assessments, and make recommendations to the accreditation committee.

Program staff will host a February 14 webinar to discuss the new Program. Register here to take part in the webinar.

For more information, visit the program website, or contact ANSI's Diana Singhavong ([email protected]) or IREC's Pat Fox ([email protected]).

About ANSI
The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee (USNC), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

About IREC
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) is a non-profit organization accelerating the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency since 1982.  Its programs and policies lead to easier, more affordable connection to the utility grid; fair credit for renewable energy produced; best practices for states, municipalities, utilities and industries. IREC is a respected resource and national leader in quality assessment, workforce development, consumer protection and stakeholder coordination. Since 2005, IREC has provided a foundation for the growing clean energy workforce through the credentialing of trainers and training programs and through the development of quality standards.   For more information, visit http://www.irecusa.org.

SOURCE American National Standards Institute