The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pleased to continue offering resources to support ISO 50001 in the United States and to announce that the Superior Energy Performance® (SEP™) certification program has been updated to the 2017 version, and revised SEP program documents are now available. The 2017 update (SEP 2017) streamlines and simplifies SEP program documents and requirements based on input from stakeholders using the program. SEP 2017 modifications include an additional performance level for facilities with greater than 1% energy performance improvement, and flexible requirements for recertification that enable organizations to sustain multiple certification cycles.

Until June 2019, organizations pursuing SEP will have the option of certifying to the 2012 Superior Energy Performance program (SEP 2012) or the 2017 Superior Energy Performance program (SEP 2017) for initial certification or recertification. A forthcoming SEP Transition Plan will provide more detail about how stakeholders can transition to the SEP 2017 program. The document will be applicable to all relevant parties, including organizations certified to and/or implementing SEP, and auditors and verifiers supporting SEP.

Certification to ISO 50001 remains the central element of SEP. DOE will continue to recognize the third-party verification of the energy performance improvement—a market value added. With the expected 2018 revision to the ISO 50001 standard, DOE is planning on an update SEP to 2018 accordingly as well as incorporate additional improvements to program requirements. SEP 2018, anticipated for release in the summer of 2018, will build on the 2017 updates and will be applicable to all industrial, commercial, and public facilities. DOE is developing an SEP program review group to provide input into the SEP 2018 program. While transition to SEP 2017 is optional for currently certified facilities, transition to SEP 2018 will be required.

DOE will host a free one-hour webinar on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 3:00 PM EDT to describe the SEP 2017 program updates in more detail. This webinar will be recorded and available on the SEP website after the session. Register in advance at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7365365993436585218. 

The DOE-administered Superior Energy Performance® program provides guidance, tools, and protocols for facilities that want third-party verification and certification of the energy performance improvement from ISO 50001. Members of the U.S. Council for Energy Efficient Manufacturing, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) developed SEP as a transparent system for certifying sustained improvements in energy performance and management practices.