(March 10, 2011) Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley, Va., assembly plant is the first U.S. manufacturing facility to achieve two top energy certifications.

New River Valley is the largest Volvo Trucks manufacturing plant in the world, and has been certified by the ISO 50001 standard and the Superior Energy Performance (SEP). ISO 50001 and SEP are, respectively, the top international standard and top U.S. certification program for driving continuous improvements in energy efficiency.

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

New River Valley is certified to ISO 50001 in the U.S. under the pilot American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accreditation, as the first-ever U.S. manufacturer.

It is also 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 per cent 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. Established by the U.S. Department of Energy, the new SEP certification program provides a pathway for continuous energy efficiency improvements. The program is a transparent, nationally accepted system for verifying improvements in energy performance and management.