ICP Provider Credentialing System for Market Providers and Qualified Projects
The ICP Credential System combines the use of the ICP Protocols, existing industry certifications, and third party verification to create Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™(IREE) projects that provide investors and building owners with a new level of confidence in project performance and investment returns. IREE projects are akin to audited financials and other processes that have paved the way towards securitization and classification by ratings agencies. ICP expects that full deployment of the ICP System will be a critical component in developing a similar market infrastructure for the energy efficiency industry.
The system is comprised of four provider credentials and the Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ project designation. The system workflow leverages credentialed Project Developers who originate projects and proposals, credentialed Software Provider applications to automate the process (optional), and credentialed Quality Assurance Provider who will do a third party review utilizing ICP’s QA resources. Conforming projects will then receive the Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ designation.
The ICP Credential System is currently under development. Some of the credentials have been launched, while others are in draft form. For those that are in draft form, we will are soliciting feedback from the market so please contact us with any questions or ideas. Please refrain from using the logo or language of credentials still in draft form.
Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™
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Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ designation ensures that a specific project conforms to the ICP protocols. IREE projects must be developed by an ICP Credentialed Project Developer (or other qualified developer) and must contain a complete ICP Protocol documentation package that includes sign off by an engineer of record from the project development team. Furthermore, IREE project must have undergone quality assurance review by an independent and qualified ICP Quality Assurance Provider who certifies that the project meets the requirements set forth in the ICP Quality Assurance Checklist and ICP Project Development Specification.
Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ requirements include:
Developers must self-certify (with a PE stamp) that a project, as memorialized in a required set of design documents/files and any other relevant inputs, conforms to the ICP protocols; and
A third party that has the necessary skills/qualification/etc, and is a designated ICP QA Provider reviews the project documentation against the ICP QA protocol, and completes and signs the associated QA checklist.
Qualified Assurance providers attest that they do not have a conflict of interest nor are they part of the Project Development Team.
Measurement and verification authority for the project commits to providing non-PII project performance data to the ICP Open Energy Data Initiative (dataset TBD).
Use of Logo: ICP Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ logo, with protocol designation, may be affixed to project documents. Modifications to the documentation package require re-certification by a designated ICP Quality Assurance Provider. Digital assets using the credential will be required to link back to appropriate protocols on the ICP website.
Software Provider
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The Software Provider Credential is designed to assure that a provider's product (software/application either installed or web based) can support the requirements of the ICP Performance Protocols and ICP System. Specifically, qualifying products must enable managed and easy access to all of the required documentation as well as support the ICP workflow for creating ICP IREE Projects. It should be noted that ICP is seeking to create facilitated workflow that is streamlined and in general consistent with ICP methodology in a general sense, however, software providers will have significant flexibility to design the optimal technology, user interfaces, and formats to accomplish this.
The Current DRAFT ICP Software Provider Guidelines are:
Documentation Management: Software should provide a means to access a Virtual Documentation Package or VDP (user interface screen, tab, layout, folder structure, etc based on provider’s discretion) providing access to the documentation specified by the ICP Energy Performance Protocols. Access should be controlled so that various parties in the process (developers, owners, QA providers, lenders, underwriters) can access the documentation in a secure fashion that they are permissioned to view
Document Organization: The VDP should be organized in such a manner that users can easily locate necessary files according to the ICP Project Lifecycle (as depicted in http://www.eeperformance.org/project-framework.html)
Document Association: The documentation required by the ICP Energy Performance Protocols is summarized as documentation elements and viewable at (http://goo.gl/HRTep1). Conforming application’s must allow users to easily access each identified data element. How this is accomplished (Screen, UI widget, folders, checklists, tags, etc.) will be left to the software provider’s discretion.
Document Verification: Applications should enable a workflow allowing for QA Providers (or other authorized reviewer) to designate that a project conforms to the ICP specifications. Upon such designation the project data and documentation should be “locked” to prevent retroactive changes..
Financial Metrics Representation. Proposals and other documentation generated by software that includes financial calculations (such as cash flows, ROI, SIR, etc.) must accurately reference savings calculations based on the ICP protocols and be calculated accurately in accordance with industry standards.
Logo Use: Logo shall be hyperlinked to the Self Qualification form posted on the ICP website, when used in digital format.
Quality Assurance Provider
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The Quality Assurance Provider Credential designates that an organization has all necessary qualifications and certifications to provide Quality Assurance for a project developed according to the ICP Energy Performance Protocols leveraging the ICP Project Development Specification and QA Checklist. Furthermore, this credential would require that the third party attest on each project as part of the QA checklist, that they are third party to the transaction.
Providers meet technical expertise required (based on the ICP Protocol requirements) to conduct Quality Assurance for all ICP Protocols
Five years of energy modeling, measurement and verification, and energy efficiency project experience, documented in the form of a CV outlining relevant project experience.
Professional Engineering License
QA Providers shall have at least one (1) of the following certifications
AEE BESA certification plus fulfillment of the ASHRAE BEMP eligibility requirements in the ASHRAE BEMP Guidebook
Quality Assurance Providers attest that they do not have a conflict of interest nor are they part of the Project Development Team.
Quality Assurance Provider commits to providing non-PII project performance data to the ICP Open Energy Data Initiative (dataset TBD).
Use of Logo: Logo shall be hyperlinked to the Self Qualification form posted on the ICP website, when used in digital format.
Project Developer
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Project Developer Credential designates that a project developer (ESCO, Engineering firm, facility manager, building owner, etc.) is capable of meeting the requirements that are outlined in the ICP Energy Performance Protocols and that each firm has a licensed engineer either on staff or under contract, qualified to certify projects as complying with the requirements of the ICP Energy Performance Protocols.
ICP Project Developer credential requires that organization must have technical expertise and professional engineering license to develop a project to the ICP protocol being used per requirements of ICP Protocol.
Project Developers are responsible for ensuring that projects submitted either to a Qualified Assurance Provider or if not required, directly to an investor, meet all required elements of the ICP Protocols.
Project developer must demonstrate that either on staff or under contract, there is Professional Engineer able to certify that projects have been developed and documented in accordance with the requirements set forth in the ICP Energy Performance Protocol being used.
Project Developers must maintain qualifying information including the lead Professional Engineer of record.
Use of Logo: Logo shall be hyperlinked to the Self Qualification form posted on the ICP website, when used in digital format.
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