Standards Development

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ACP is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Accredited Standards Development Organization for consensus renewable energy standards in the United States.

Standards play an important role in everyday life.

Developing consensus renewable energy standards in the United States.

ACP is an ANSI-Accredited Standards Development Organization for consensus renewable energy standards in the United States. Standards play an important role in everyday life. They may establish size or shape or capacity of a product, process or system. They can specify performance of products or personnel. They also can define terms so that there is no misunderstanding among those using the standard.

Standards Development Committees

As the Secretariat, ACP administers the ANSI standards process through ACP consensus bodies (committees) that develop and maintain voluntary national consensus standards for the renewable energy industry, ensures that the process for revision of standards is timely and in accordance with the ANSI Essential Requirements procedures, and publishes the final product of the consensus process.

On January 7, 2021, ACP notified and filed an application to ANSI for the transfer of the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) standards accreditation, with an expanded scope. On February 16, 2021, the ANSI Executive Standards Council (ExSC) approved ACP’s application. ANSI published the scope in their Standards Action publication on March 5, 2021, for a 30-day public comment. ACP’s Standards Development Procedures are effective April 28, 2021.

Under ACP’s Standards Development Procedures, three different types of standards may be developed:

  • Standards: documents with mandatory requirements
  • Recommended Practices: documents in which procedures and positions represent good practices
  • Technical Reports: documents in which alternative approaches to good practices are described and suggested but which make no clear-cut recommendations

Click here to learn more about the ANSI American National Standards (ANS) approval process.

Developing consensus renewable energy standards in the United States.

All committee work is done on a voluntary basis. Participation on committees and subcommittees is open to all parties who are directly and materially interested in the activity in question. The ACP Standards Committees are responsible for the creation, revision, and withdrawal of ACP standards.

Standards Committees

Wind Technical Standards Committee (WTSC) focuses on design and technical standards. ACP prepares standards documents to facilitate uniform practices in the technology of Wind Energy Conversion Systems. ACP also coordinates U.S. input and response to the international standards activities.  ACP will take a leadership role in the development and industry acceptance of US Wind Energy standards while resolving discrepancies between US Standards and Internationally accepted Standards, seeking to harmonize at the highest possible level. Email us to request the membership roster.

The ACP Workforce Standards Committee (WSC) prepares consensus standards documents to facilitate uniform workforce competencies. The ACP WSC is a leader in the development and industry acceptance of consensus standards related to workforce training and competencies. Email us to request the membership roster.

The Clean Power Environmental, Health, and Safety Standards Committee (EHSSC) prepares consensus standards, and related documents to facilitate EHS process and procedures relevant to worker safety, and environmental stewardship. The EHSSC is a leader in the development and industry acceptance of such standards.  Our focus is to provide new standards for specific United States clean power industries, with consideration to or adoption of relevant national or international standards, and to represent industry needs with other standards organizations that affect clean power. Email us to request the membership roster.

Standards Subcommittees

Participation on committees and subcommittees (subordinate groups) is open to all parties who are directly and materially interested in the activity in question. Email standards@cleanpower.org if you would like to participate.

Environmental, Health, and Safety Standards Committee (EHSSC)

The Clean Power Environmental, Health, and Safety Standards Committee (EHSSC) prepares consensus standards, and related documents to facilitate EHS process and procedures relevant to worker safety, and environmental stewardship. The EHSSC is a leader in the development and industry acceptance of such standards. Our focus is to provide new standards for specific United States clean power industries, with consideration to or adoption of relevant national or international standards, and to represent industry needs with other standards organizations that affect clean power.

The Clean Power EHSSC Subordinate Groups develop structures-related design standards, recommended practices, and technical reports as needed for the clean power industry.

EHSSC Subordinate Groups:

  • Offshore Safety Subcommittee: This group will identify and publish a standard of the adopted occupational health and safety practices and standards to be applied for offshore wind farms.
  • Offshore Safety Training Subcommittee: This group will focus on developing a standard to provide the offshore wind industry with an identified list of minimum and recommended safety training and medical requirements for persons performing work activities on offshore structures and vessels within the United States Outer Continental Shelf.
  • Repower Subcommittee: EHS Standard Committee’s subordinate group to address repowering from an EHS perspective.
  • Rescue & Self-Evacuation Subcommittee: This EHS Standard Committee’s Subcommittee will explore the development of a rescue and self-evacuation program for the wind industry.
  • Service Lift Task Force: To evaluate ANSI/ASME A17.8 (Standard for Wind Turbine Tower Elevators) and recommend appropriate next steps.
  • Wind Safety Standard Subcommittee: To nationally adopt European standards that impact wind energy (worker) safety and health standards (EN 50308 and others).

Workforce Standards Committee (WSC)
The ACP WSC prepares consensus standards documents to facilitate uniform workforce competencies. The ACP WSC is a leader in the development and industry acceptance of consensus standards related to workforce training and competencies.

WSC Subordinate Groups:

  • Micro-Credentialing Subcommittee
  • Wind Technician Entry-Level Minimum Standard Subcommittee: This group will develop the draft standard for minimum entry-level wind technicians – curriculum/learning objectives.
  • Workforce Definition Standards Subcommittee: To develop a document to standardize terms and definitions, which would incorporate other ANSI and known standards, for workforce purposes.

Wind Technical Standards Committee (WTSC)
ACP prepares standards documents to facilitate uniform practices in the technology of Wind Energy Conversion Systems. ACP also coordinates U.S. input and response to the international standards activities. ACP will take a leadership role in the development and industry acceptance of US Wind Energy standards while resolving discrepancies between US Standards and Internationally accepted Standards, seeking to harmonize at the highest possible level.

WTSC Subordinate Groups:

  • ACP-1 Subcommittee: This subcommittee will review IEC 61400-1 and adopt as an ACP US national standard, with a US specific Annex if needed.
  • ACP-24 Subcommittee: This subcommittee will review IEC 61400-24 and adopt as an ACP US national standard, with a US specific Annex if needed. The group will consider incorporation of applicable UL and NFPA standards into the US adoption of 61400-24 and review the comments from NFPA and ensure that this new standard does not duplicate or conflict with any information in NFPA 780.
  • Electrical Task Force: The task force will evaluate potential paths forward for electrical standards in the US given the known conflicts between various domestic and international standards.
  • Offshore Wind Subcommittee: The Offshore Wind Subcommittee is part of ACP’s Wind Standards Committee focusing on offshore wind turbine design standards. This subcommittee has the following working groups:
    • Floating Offshore Working Group
    • Geotech and Geophysical Offshore Working Group
    • Metocean Offshore Working Group
    • OCRP 2012 Maintenance Offshore Working Group
    • Submarine Cables Offshore Working Group
  • Sound Subcommittee: Develop a standard that will standardize modeling methods for the prediction of wind turbine sound levels at far field locations.
  • Structures Subcommittee: Develop structures-related design standards, recommended practices, and technical reports as needed for the wind energy industry. Incorporate national and international consensus standards, as needed. This subcommittee has the following working group:
    • TR-2 Working Group: Create a technical report on Cyclic Degradation in the Geotechnical Design of Wind Turbine Foundations
  • SWT-1 Subcommittee: The goal of this standard is to provide meaningful criteria upon which to assess the quality of the engineering that has gone into a small wind turbine and to provide consumers with performance data that will help them make informed purchasing decisions and an assurance that a turbine has been certified to a national standard.
  • TR-1 Subcommittee: Wind plant power performance

 

 

Standards in Development & Public Comment

ANSI procedures require that a draft standard be available for public review so that all parties who are directly and materially interested in the activity in question have an opportunity to provide comments. When drafts are ready for public review and comment they will be posted here on this page. Please note, public review commenters are required to submit all comments in electronic format using the template provided below, otherwise, public comments may not be considered. In addition, all required fields on the form must be completed or the associated comments may not be considered. Send comments to standards@cleanpower.org. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon written request to standards@cleanpower.org. Questions concerning this process should be directed to standards@cleanpower.org.

Public Comment Drafts

Public review commenters are required to submit all comments in electronic format using the template provided below, otherwise, public comments may not be considered. In addition, all required fields on the form must be completed or the associated comments may not be considered. Send comments to standards@cleanpower.org. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon written request to standards@cleanpower.org.

Closed Comment Period

BSR/ACP OCRP-5-202x, Recommended Practice for Design, Deployment, and Operation of Submarine Cable in the United States (new standard)
Public comment period: July 1 – August 15, 2022
The recommended practice spans the submarine cable life cycle from design, material selection, specification, manufacturing, transportation, storage, handling, installation, and commissioning, to operations, maintenance, integrity verification, and decommissioning of submarine cable systems.

ACP RP 1001-2-202x, Recommended Practice for Offshore Safety Training and Medical Requirements (new standard)
Public Comment Period: June 17 – August 1, 2022
It is the intent of this standard to provide the offshore wind industry with an identified list of minimum and recommended safety training and medical requirements for persons performing work activities on offshore structures and vessels within the United States Outer Continental Shelf.

ACP OCRP-1-202x, The American Clean Power Association Offshore Compliance Recommended Practices (OCRP) Edition 2
Comment period: March 18 – April 17, 2022
This public comment is specific to changes made during resolution of comments. This document applies to offshore wind farm assets that extract kinetic energy from wind, transmit electricity to shore-based grids, and/or store energy using facilities or devices located offshore or on land.

ACP TR-1-202x Wind Farm Power Performance Technical Report
Comment period: January 21 – March 7
The purpose of this technical report is to provide guidelines for the development and application of wind plant power models.

ACP 1000-2.1-202x Definitions and Nomenclatures
Comment period: January 28 – March 14
This standard identifies the set of definitions used within the American wind energy industry when defining training requirements for fall protection and rescue in wind turbines.

ACP 1000-2.2-202x Rescue Training Requirements
Comment period: January 28 – March 14
This standard identifies the recommended minimum training guidelines for persons rescuing in wind turbines and associated structures within the American wind energy industry.

ACP 1000-2.3-202x Fall Protection Training Requirements
Comment period: January 28 – March 14
This standard identifies the minimum training guidelines for persons climbing wind turbines and associated structures within the American wind energy industry.

ACP 111-1-202x Wind Turbine Sound Modeling
Comment period: December 3, 2021 – January 17, 2022
Modeling of wind turbine sound levels at far-field positions (e.g., residences) is conducted to support preconstruction permitting analysis as well as various research efforts. The purpose of this standard is to establish a uniform set of modeling parameters for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9613 propagation modeling procedures to ensure a uniform and comparable basis.

New Project Announcements

Meeting Schedule

ACP Standards Committee meetings are open to the public. Meetings are held to conduct business such as making assignments, receiving reports of work, considering draft standards, resolving differences among subordinate groups, and considering views and objections from any source.

Who should attend?
Clean power stakeholders, operators, owners, developers, OEMs, contractors, subcontractors, independent service providers, and all other impacted stakeholders

Contact standards@cleanpower.org for meeting login information.

2022 Schedule

Environmental, Health, and Safety Standards Committee (EHSSC)
Monday, March 7, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Pacific, Coronado, CA – during the OMS 2022 Conference* Click here for a draft agenda.
September 2022, specific date/time TBD*

Wind Technical Standards Committee (WTSC)
Monday, March 7, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Pacific, Coronado, CA – during the OMS 2022 Conference* Click here for a draft agenda.
Monday, May 16, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Central, San Antonio, TX – during the CLEANPOWER 2022 Conference*
Wednesday, August 10, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern: Conference Call
Tuesday, November 15, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern: Conference Call

Workforce Standards Committee (WSC)
Monday, March 7, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Pacific, Coronado, CA – during the OMS 2022 Conference* Click here for the draft agenda.
Thursday, June 23, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern: Conference Call
September 2022, specific date/time TBD*
Thursday, November 17, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern: Conference Call

*Conference call option will be available.

2021 Schedule

Wind Technical Standards Committee (WTSC)
March 23, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda & Minutes)
June 22, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda)
August 23, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda)
November 16, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda)

Workforce Standards Committee (WSC)
March 23, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda & Minutes)
June 24, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda & Minutes)
August 23, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda)
November 18, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda)

Environmental, Health, and Safety Standards Committee (EHSSC)
March 24, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda & Minutes)
August 23, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Eastern – Conference Call (Agenda)

Note: Meeting minutes are posted once they have been approved by the standards committee.

Standards Disclaimer

The American Clean Power Association (“ACP”) has provided its standards documents (“Documents”) for the use subject to important notices and legal disclaimers.  These Documents are proprietary and their use is subject to a legally binding license agreement and disclaimer (“Agreement”) described below, and may be updated from time to time. Do not use these Documents for any purpose unless and until you read the agreement. By viewing or otherwise using these Documents, you hereby warrant and represent that you have read and agree to be legally bound by the agreement and are authorized to bind not only yourself to the agreement, but the organization for which you are accessing these Documents.

Notice and Disclaimer Concerning ANSI Process

Certain ACP Documents (“ACP/ANSI Documents”) contained herein are developed through a voluntary consensus standards development process.  ACP administered the process in accordance with the procedures of the American National Standards Institute (“ANSI”) to promote fairness in the development of consensus. This process brings together volunteers and/or seeks out the views of persons who have an interest in the topic covered by those ACP/ANSI Documents. The information in those ACP/ANSI Documents was considered technically sound by the consensus of persons engaged in the development and approval of those ACP/ANSI Documents at the time they were developed. Consensus does not necessarily mean that there is unanimous agreement among every person participating in the development of those ACP/ANSI Documents.

Notice and Disclaimer Concerning Accuracy of Information and Liability Concerning the Use of ACP Documents

Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy and reliability of the data and information contained in these Document; however, ACP does not write these Documents and it does not independently test, evaluate or verify the accuracy or completeness of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its Documents. ACP disclaims and makes no guaranty or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.

Publications

ANSI/ACP 5000-2-2022 Wind Technician Entry-Level Minimum Standard, click here.

ANSI/ACP 5000-1-2022 Wind Workforce Definitions, click here.

AWEA Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard (AWEA 9.1 – 2009), click here.

ASCE/AWEA Recommended Practice for Large Land-based Wind Turbine Support Structures 2011, click here.

AWEA Offshore Compliance Recommended Practices (OCRP) 2012, click here.

ANSI/AWEA 61400-11 Acoustic Noise Measurement Techniques, click here.

ANSI/AWEA 61400-13 Measurement of Mechanical Loads, click here.

ANSI/AWEA 61400-12-1-2016 Power Performance Measurements of Electricity Producing Wind Turbines, click here.

ANSI/AWEA 61400-23 Full Scale Structural Testing of Rotor Blades, click here.

ANSI/AWEA 61400 Part 27-1 Electrical Simulation Models – Wind Turbines, click here.

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