Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) consists of the
verification
Verify or verification may refer to:
General
* Verification and validation, in engineering or quality management systems, is the act of reviewing, inspecting or testing, in order to establish and document that a product, service or system meets ...
of the performance of
environmental technologies
Environmental technology (envirotech) or green technology (greentech), also known as '' clean technology'' (''cleantech''), is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devi ...
or, in other words, it is ''the establishment or validation of environmental technology performance by qualified third parties based on test data generated through testing using established protocols or specific requirements''.
Several ETV programs are running worldwide, organized through government initiatives, with the pioneer program being the one developed in the United States of America, followed by the Canadian ETV Programme. Other programs have run, or are running, in South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, Denmark, France, Europe, the Philippines, and China.
[European Commission, Joint Research Centre (2014]
"ETV Newsletter, April 2014"
Each program has its own definitions, structure and procedures and programs are not always inter-compatible.
[ETV International Working Group (2013]
"Guidance Document towards the Mutual Recognition of Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Programs"
/ref> In 2007, an ETV International Working Group was formed to work on the convergence of the different programs towards mutual recognition - under the motto ''Verified once, verified everywhere''.[IS]
retrieved 2014-07-16
The US ETV Program
The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
develops testing protocols and verifies the performance of innovative environmental technologies that can address problems that threaten human health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
or the natural environment
The natural environment or natural world encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally, meaning in this case not artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. This environment encompasses ...
.
ETV Website
Centers
ETV has five centers which are called verification organizations. These verification centers are run through a cooperative agreement:
* Advanced Monitoring Systems Center — The center verifies the performance of commercial-ready technologies that monitor contaminants and natural species in air, water, and soil. The center tests both field-portable and stationary monitors, as well as innovative technologies that can be used to describe the environment (site characterization).
* Air Pollution Control Technology Center — This center verifies commercial-ready technologies that control stationary and mobile air pollution sources, and mitigate the effects of indoor air pollutants.
* Drinking Water Systems Center — This center verifies the performance of commercial-ready drinking water treatment systems for use in small communities, or individual homes and businesses.
* Greenhouse Gas Technology Center — This center verifies the performance of commercial-ready technologies that produce, mitigate, monitor, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions.
* Water Quality Protection Center — This center verifies the performance of commercial-ready technologies that protect groundwater and surface waters from contamination.
Environmental and Sustainable Technology Technology Verifications (ESTE)
A component of ETV which was added in 2005 to address priority environmental technology categories for meeting the USEPA needs for credible performance information. Priority is given to technologies that can address high-risk environmental problems.
ETV Accomplishments, Impacts, and Outcomes
ETV has verified over 400 technologies and developed more than 90 protocols. A survey of participating vendors completed in 2001 showed overwhelming support for the ETV program. Responses indicated that 73 percent of the vendors were using ETV information in product marketing, and 92 percent of those surveyed responded that they would recommend ETV to other vendors.
In 2006, EPA published a two-volume set of case studies which document actual and projected outcomes from verifications of technologies in 15 technology categories
ETV Program Case Studies Vol 1 EPA/600/R-06/001
an
ETV Program Case Studies Vol II EPA/600/R-06/082
.
An Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) survey showed that 34 states recognize and use ETV reports. ASDWA and its members rely heavily on these evaluations to support the use of new technologies and products in the drinking water industry.
Designating a product or technology as ETV “verified” does not mean a given technology reduces every emission, has no drawbacks, or outperforms solutions ''not'' on the “verified” list.
Designating a product or technology as “verified” means that a given technology produced “X” outcome, when tested according to a specific protocol.
Verified diesel emission reduction technologies and their outcomes
*Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...
: Reduced inorganic (soot) carbon emissions, Increased NOx emissions - Increased organic carbon (SOF / VOC) emissions.
*Diesel Particulate Filter
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a device designed to remove diesel particulate matter or soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine.Tom Nash (May 2003) "Diesels: The Smoke is clearing", ''Motor '' Vol.199 No. 5, p. 54, Hearst Business Publ ...
(various manufacturers): Reduces TPM, Does Not Address NOx.
*Diesel Oxidation Catalyst
A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction. Catalytic converters are usually ...
(various manufacturers) : Reduces TPM, Does Not Address NOx.
*Clean Diesel Technologies fuel borne catalyst: potential fine metallic emissions & potential resulting health effects - need PM filter - minimal NOx reduction.
*Purinox - water / diesel fuel emulsion: PM/HC/CO emissions can increase as a result of tuning to compensate for decreased power- only summer blend verified
*Envirofuels Diesel Fuel Catalyzer: verified on tier 0 locomotive engine - verification report specifies an increase in total particulate (TPM) emissions on the treated fuel, as compared to the baseline fuel, even though the gaseous emissions and visible smoke opacity decreased significantly.
*Envirofuels diesel fuel catalyzer showed a verified fuel consumption reduction.
Composition of total diesel particulate matter and the relation to smoke opacity
The composition of TPM (total diesel particulate matter) is the sum of "dry" particulates, and "wet" particulates.
"Dry" Particulate emissions are also known as inorganic soot, black carbon, or elemental carbon.
"Wet" particulates are also known as organic carbon
Total organic carbon (TOC) is the amount of carbon found in an organic compound and is often used as a non-specific indicator of water quality or cleanliness of pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. TOC may also refer to the amount of organic c ...
, soluble organic fractions (SOFs) and volatile organic compounds
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature. High vapor pressure correlates with a low boiling point, which relates to the number of the sample's molecules in the surrounding air, a t ...
(VOCs).
The exact ratio of "wet to dry" diesel particulate matter will vary by engine load, duty cycle, fuel composition and specification, and engine tuning.
An opacity reading is a measurement of the level of ''visible'' inorganic carbon, also known as soot. Opacity measurements cannot detect organic carbon emissions, VOC / SOF emissions, or NOx emissions.
Specialized instrumentation is required to determine organic carbon levels, and to detect other unseen particulates. When used in conjunction with an opacity meter, the technician can detect (for example) an increase in TPM, and detect a decrease in visible smoke (opacity) emissions.
Function as a neutral clearinghouse
The ETV verification program (and other verification pathways) publish the verification reports, technology options charts, and technical summaries, once testing has been completed.
The ETV testing facility will issue press releases on behalf of the technology vendor, upon completion of testing.
The ETV verification program reports all outcomes, and leaves the ultimate decision regarding the suitability and applicability of a given technology to the discretion of the end user. Additional research may be necessary in order to adequately address specific situations.
ETV in Europe
ETV has been developed in different European countries as part of government initiatives and/or as part of funded research projects. Research projects included TESTNET, PROMOTE, AIR ETV, TRITECH ETV and ADVANCE ETV. Formal programs and initiatives took place in Denmark with the Danish Centre for Environmental Technology Verification (DANETV), the Nordic countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, with the Nordic Environmental Technology Verification (NOWATEC) project, in France with the French ETV program and in a partnership between Denmark, The Netherlands and Germany with the Verification of Environmental Technologies for Agricultural Production (VERA). The European Union launched in 2011 an ETV Pilot Programme[European Commission (201]
"Commission Staff Working Paper on ETV"
Accompanying COM (2011) 899 with the support from seven EU member states: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Poland and United Kingdom. This initiative was initially prepared under the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) from the European Commission[European Commission (2004]
"COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Stimulating Technologies for Sustainable Development: An Environmental Technologies Action Plan for the European Union"
COM/2004/0038 and was then followed under the Eco-Innovation Plan.
The European Commission has taken the decision to discontinue its work on the ETV programme as of November 2022, following an internal assessment.[{{Cite web , title=EU Environmental Technology Verification , url=https://green-business.ec.europa.eu/eu-environmental-technology-verification_en , access-date=2023-01-23 , website=green-business.ec.europa.eu , language=en]
The European Union ETV Pilot Program
Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) is a new tool to help innovative environmental technologies reach the market. Claims about the performance of innovative environmental technologies can be verified by qualified third parties called
Verification Bodies
. The
Statement of Verification
delivered at the end of the ETV process can be used as evidence that the claims made about the innovation are both credible and scientifically sound. With proof of performance credibly assured, innovations can expect an easier market access and/or a larger market share and the technological risk is reduced for technology purchasers.
ETV in the UK
Under the EU-ETV Pilot Programme, there are four Verification Bodies:
* The European Marine Energy Centre
EMEC-ETV
* BRE Global
* National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
* Water Research Centre (WRc)
References
External links
USEPA Environmental Technology Verification Program
ETV Program Policy Compendium
ETV Program website
ETV publications
European ETV Program : RESCOLL web site
French ETV website
Environmental technology
Pollution control technologies