The VDE Institute has concluded a cooperation agreement with the US certification system EPEAT; from now on VDE Institute will test IT products as to their conformity with the EPEAT criteria. EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) is a rating system of the non-profit organization Green Electronic Council (GEC), which evaluates the energy efficiency of IT products according to the IEEE 1680 standard. Besides other specific requirements, this standard asks for a central product registration to be made, to provide consumers with an overview of eco-friendly products and a network of institutions, which affirm conformity to the EPEAT requirements.

For GEC, VDE Institute’s high quality chemistry laboratory was the main decisive factor for their cooperation request. VDE Institute’s lab is among the first in the world to have been awarded accreditation in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 with regard to the global RoHS test standard IEC 62321; VDE’s lab has been instrumental in the definition of standards for the IEC test procedure and routines. Manufacturers joining the EPEAT agreement undertake to manufacture their products in an environmentally friendly, low-pollutant process. Those products fulfilling the minimum requirements will be added to the EPEAT list; the products are awarded bronze, silver and gold ratings.