New services include a “Quick EPEAT Readiness” evaluation that will help identify where potential EPEAT subscribers are at risk in meeting the requirements of the IEEE 1680.1 standard for their products.  Schaffer Environmental has expanded it’s training and education offerings around EPEAT and has established relationships with several international labs to offer support services for environmental/EPEAT conformity assessments.

The update service sheet can be found here.

The class was taught by myself, Wayne Rifer and Erin Gately, both of GEC. We had several current QV’s and PVC members as well as new QV’s there for training and a few industry folks as well. As this was the first class, it was a great learning experience for all involved – the teachers and the students – and more classes will be forthcoming in the future.

First EPEAT Certificate Class, Portland, April 2010

Wayne Rifer at QV Training Class

The EPEAT 1680.2 Imaging standard has established a variety of subgroups to begin work on criteria and definitions for this standard.  Below is my initial summary of these groups and any issues they have uncovered.  Mostly, there is a call for additional stakeholders so I would ask that if you can, please join the discussions in these subgroups.

Indoor Air Quality – Preliminary discussion on scope of products, definition questions. Committed to gather information from similar programs that have IAQ requirements for future use.

Environmentally Sensitive Materials – Covered issues of common criteria using 4.1 section with most items as common criteria. Need to coordinate closely with definitions and consumables committee. Using energy star standard for definition of Imaging Devices at this time.

Materials Selection – Reviewed current standard; working on keeping meetings to a minimum. No substantial findings/conclusions at this time, mostly logistical discussion

Design for End of Life – Has not met. Meets April 3 to discuss org issues and common criteria. Think need some more information on the end-of-life system to help set what design for end-of-life should cover. Suggesting a presentation to the group on what definitions need to be considered – in terms of imaging devices and types. Wide variety of products could be covered.

Energy Conservation – Reviewed 1680.1. All criteria should be common. Group will look at more. Questions about what energy conservation and what corporate performance would cover – Embodied Energy came up. Seeking more NGO representation for the group.

EOL Management – Reviewed 1680.1 4.6 criteria. Take back and Audit should be common with modifications; battery take back doesn’t apply to imaging. Main question is around consumables – what subgroup will address EOL management for consumables, this group or the consumables group?

Corporate Performance –  First meeting had limited attendance.   Focus is on increasing attendance before launching into many discussions however initial requests to gather any information on corporate performance issues in EUP as well as what new issues like climate change and LCA’s might need to be looked at and by which subgroups were discussed.

Packaging – Reviewed 1680.1 and the eco-label matrix. Considering long list of criteria from these. Need to refer back to definitions that have already been developed – recovered content, recyclability etc.

Consumables – Need to define what the scope of this WG is supposed to be. Some agreement that imaging equipment needs to use Green consumables but not really defining what a green consumables would be. Need to define what consumables come from each of the covered imaging products as defined in 1680.2.

Definitions – No NGO or purchasers represented.  Will review e-star definitions, any issues/concerns there. Also includes marking technologies. Asking for folks to join the SG.

The subgroups for the EPEAT Imaging workgroup have formed and will be meeting over the next two weeks.  Subgroups have formed for each of the 8 existing EPEAT categories.  In addition, 2 additional potential categories have formed groups – consumables and emissions/air quality.  Also, a product definitions group has formed to define the different products that will be included in the scope of the standard.

The main task for the subgroups will initially be to identify possible criteria that are common across the existing and potential EPEAT standards – Computers, Imaging and Televisions.   From there, subgroups will focus on developing and/or modifying criteria and building consensus among the stakeholders prior to draft criteria being circulated to the full working group for voting.

Television Studygroup

The primary goal of the TV studygroup is to develop a Project Authorization Request (PAR) and then vote to accept or reject this PAR.  It has been decided that a 75% approval/acceptance will be required to approve the PAR and establish a TV Workgroup that would then be tasked with developing the EPEAT criteria.

The PAR is basically finalized though there are a few more questions that the study group chairs are investigating and will report back to the group at the next meeting.  It is anticipated that a vote on the PAR will occur at the next study group meeting in April.

Other Information

A face to face meeting will take play June 8 and 9 in Washington DC for both the Imaging and TV groups as part of the development of the criteria for each standard.

EPEAT Group on LinkedIn started last week.   Looking to have some good, open discussions about EPEAT and GEC.