Volvo NRV plant earns dual certifications

March 21, 2012
Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin VA is the first US facility to be certified to ISO 50001 standards under a pilot program supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE).

Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin VA is the first US facility to be certified to ISO 50001 standards under a pilot program supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE).

NRV is also the first Superior Energy Performance (SEP)-certified facility to use ISO 50001 as its energy management system standard. ISO 50001 and SEP are, respectively, the top international standard and top US certification program for driving continuous improvements in energy efficiency.

NRV is certified to ISO 50001 in the United States under the pilot American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accreditation and the first facility SEP-certified to use ISO 50001 under a new pilot ANSI-ANAB accreditation. NRV was SEP-certified at a platinum level—the highest available—for improving energy performance by more than 15% during the three-year period after establishing an energy baseline.

These certifications will help the NRV plant further reduce its energy intensity to ultimately become carbon neutral. ANAB and ANSI assess and accredit the certification bodies that audit for compliance with SEP and ISO 50001. Volvo, in conjunction with certification/verification body DEKRA, is the first organization to complete the joint ANSI/ANAB ISO 50001/SEP certification pilot program.

To earn SEP certification, facilities must also conform to the ISO 50001 energy management standard, the new international framework for organizations to implement an energy management system. NRV was previously certified to ISO 14001 environmental and ISO 9001 quality standards. Achieving the ISO 50001 and SEP standards mark the latest milestones on NRV’s path to carbon neutrality.