In its role as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited standards developer and national leader in training credentials, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council has undertaken standards activities to develop IREC Standard 14732:201X General Requirements for the Accreditation of Clean Energy Certificate Programs.

The proliferation of workforce-related training and credentialing programs in the clean energy sector has led to confusion in the marketplace and inconsistency in workforce skills. IREC has identified a need to differentiate between certification and certificate programs, and to describe best practices and requirements that form the foundation for accrediting clean energy certificate programs.

The scope of the draft standard is as follows:

This standard forms the foundation for the accreditation of certificate-awarding entities that develop and administer credit or non-credit clean energy related programs offered in formal educational institutions and other legal entities. For the purposes of this standard, clean energy technologies and practices include renewable energy, energy efficiency, distributed renewable energy generation, and other sustainability practices.

Impacted or interested parties are encouraged to participate in development of the standard. You can help support quality certificate programs and growth of the clean energy workforce in one (or more) of three ways: 

  1. Review or comment on the Project Initiation Notice for IREC Standard 14732:201X in the January 3, 2014 edition of ANSI’s Standards Action.
  2. Provide a public comment on the content of the draft standard, to commence later in 2014.
  3. Submit an application to serve on IREC’s Standards Committee. The Standards Committee guides and oversees the development, revision, reaffirmation, and withdrawal of IREC standards. They approve the content of IREC standards and by their vote demonstrate evidence of consensus. Application furnished upon request to [email protected].