Volvo Trucks' New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., is the first U.S. facility to be certified to the ISO 50001 standards under a pilot program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

NRV is also the first Superior-Energy-Performance-certified facility to use ISO 50001 as its energy management system standard.

ISO 50001 and SEP are, respectively, the top international standard and top U.S. certification program for driving continuous improvements in energy efficiency.

NRV is certified to ISO 50001 in the U.S. under the pilot American National Standards Institute -ASQ National Accreditation Board 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.

"SEP and ISO 50001 certifications are an honor and a direct reflection of the environmental commitment of our entire organization," says Lars Blomberg, Volvo Trucks vice president and general manager of the NRV assembly plant. "These certifications required a high degree of cooperation - a total plant effort. Employees at all levels have been actively engaged throughout our entire energy reduction journey."

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.

The certifications come less than a year after NRV became the first of 32 major companies participating in DOE's "Better Buildings, Better Plants" program, formerly the "Save Energy Now Leader Program," to fulfill its 10-year pledge to reduce the intensity of energy per unit by 25%. Volvo met the program's target in one year instead of 10. While technologies like building automation systems, solar hot water heaters and infrared heaters helped drive NRV's energy reductions, many of the energy-saving ideas have come from employees