PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Environmental Technology Action Plan (ETAP) aims to improve the development and wider use of environmental technologies. There are many aspects to the ETAP but a key one is the development of improved testing, performance verification and standardisation of environmental technologies through defined processes. An effective verification system would accelerate market acceptance of innovative environmental technologies and reduce existing market barriers by providing users with accessible, credible and utilisable performance information. Within the EU, there is currently no standard method or approach to the verification of environmental technology.
OBJECTIVES
The overall aim of the TRITECH-ETV project was to develop and test methodologies for a new EU system of Environmental Technology Verification (ETV). Different approaches were established and tested within three thematic areas: soil remediation, waste water treatment and energy related technology. The project’s ultimate aim was to ensure that an EU-wide ETV scheme could be implemented.
RESULTS
Outcomes of the TRITECH-ETV project demonstrated that ETV schemes can provide independent and credible information about the performance of environmental technologies and could help improve European eco-industries to access global markets. An EU-ETV Business Plan was developed by the project’s international partnership. This incorporated views from a wide range of stakeholders and capitalised on existing experience of tests concerning 15 green technology products from the three target sectors.
The project’s review of best practice led to a verification mechanism being prepared which developed operation manuals and models for product verification tests and also defined the competence profiles for test centres. Case study products were then processed through the verification process. Verification of each product’s energy related data was carefully modelled.
Two different options for practical application of the project’s ETV approaches were established and compared. One option involved the vendor (manufacturer and seller of a product) being offered free testing through an accredited test centre and another option involved the vendor being asked to contribute 50% of the costs of testing.
Project staff recommended the second model as the basis of the EU-ETV scheme since co-financing opportunities exist, such as those from the EU, to support testing. Public support for ETV procedures is considered beneficial since it helps to boost the tests’ credibility with customers as reliable and trustworthy independent standards.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section). Outcomes of the TRITECH-ETV project demonstrated that ETV schemes can provide independent and credible information about the performance of environmental technologies and could help improve European eco-industries to access global markets. An EU-ETV Business Plan was developed by the project’s international partnership. This incorporated views from a wide range of stakeholders and capitalised on existing experience of tests concerning 15 green technology products from the three target sectors.The project’s review of best practice led to a verification mechanism being prepared which developed operation manuals and models for product verification tests and also defined the competence profiles for test centres. Case study products were then processed through the verification process. Verification of each product’s energy related data was carefully modelled.
Two different options for practical application of the project’s ETV approaches were established and compared. One option involved the vendor (manufacturer and seller of a product) being offered free testing through an accredited test centre and another option involved the vendor being asked to contribute 50% of the costs of testing.
Project staff recommended the second model as the basis of the EU-ETV scheme since co-financing opportunities exist, such as those from the EU, to support testing. Public support for ETV procedures is considered beneficial since it helps to boost the tests’ credibility with customers as reliable and trustworthy independent standards.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).