Standards & Compliance Briefing: WindMade Label, EV Harmonized Port, LEED Awards

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WindMade on Wednesday announced the criteria for a consumer label identifying companies that buy wind power and other renewable energy. To receive the certification companies must source at least 25 percent of their electricity from wind, either through a company-owned generation facility, a purchase agreement or approved renewable energy certificates. WindMade said the label is the first to be backed by the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Wind Energy Council.

Seven auto manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Ford and General Motors, announced that they have agreed to support a harmonized single-port fast charging system for electronic vehicles in Europe and the United States. The companies said the system features a combined charging port that integrates all charging scenarios into one vehicle inlet. The companies also announced that they agreed to use HomePlug Green Phy as the communication protocol.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment voted on Wednesday to place chlorinated Tris, a commonly used flame retardant, on the Proposition 65 list of carcinogens, The Los Angeles Times reported. The action does not ban Tris, but requires warning labels on all products containing the chemical. In other developments with Proposition 65, the office voted not to place fluoride on the list of carcinogens and not to require warning labels on toothpaste, K-ABC Los Angeles reported.

Several LEED awards were announced at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Conference & Expo held recently in Toronto, The Mother Nature Network reported. The Project of the Year Award went to The GO Home by GO LOGIC in Belfast, Maine (pictured left), the Outstanding Multifamily Project was awarded to Primera Terra by KB Home in Playa Vista, Calif., and the Outstanding Production Builder Award was given to ActiveWest Builders in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The Carbon Trust has announced the launch of Footprint Verification, a program to independently verify the carbon footprints of companies. The trust said the verification service will help companies meet the demand for accurate carbon emissions data in CSR and other annual reports, and is compliant with GHG Protocol and the Carbon Disclosure Project.

ICC Evaluation Service announced that it has been recognized by the EPA as a certification body for the seal & insulate with ENERGY STAR Program.  The program measures the efficiency of residential insulation for use in whole wall, ceiling, roof deck and floors.

The SunSpec Alliance, a coalition aiming to establish global interoperability among renewable energy system components and management systems, on Wednesday announced the results of the second annual SunSpec Plug Fest testing event. Nine companies, including Campbell Scientific, Digi International and Solar Edge, achieved SunSpec certification for their solar components.

Askar Sheibani, CEO of the IT firm Comtek, sharply criticized the European Union's proposed 5% reuse target for e-waste in the WEEE Directive's recast as "pathetic," saying that it will do little to "solve the growing problem of e-waste," edie Waste reported.

The 118-story International Commerce Centre announced that it has become the first building in Hong Kong to receive ISO 50001 certification from the Hong Kong Quality Assessment Authority.

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