DEC Interview with The Standards Council of Canada
Source: Rachael Gradeen · DEC · | January 26, 2021
What do standards mean in decentralised energy, and how do they impact the companies in this sector? Read on to find out more about the Standards Council of Canada, and how your decentralised energy business can benefit from their services.
Source: Standards Council of Canada LinkedIn
SCC in a nutshell
The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) was established in 1970 as a federal Crown corporation. It is Canada’s voice on standards and accreditation on the national and international stage. Nationally, it creates market confidence by facilitating the development of standards that support the health, safety, and well-being of Canadians, while ensuring businesses thrive. Abroad, SCC represents Canada as a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). “[SCC] connects thousands of people to global networks and resources, opening a world of possibilities for Canadians and businesses,” says Brendan Mc Manus, Manager – Innovation and IP at the Standards Council of Canada.
A ‘standard’ versus a ‘regulation’
“Standards are published specifications that ensure the reliability of materials, products, methods, and services people use,” explains Mc Manus, “Regulations are rules or directives made and maintained by an authority, such as government.” Nonetheless, standards play a big part in supporting regulations, and can be incorporated into them to help reach a policy objective. Incorporating standards into regulations is done through a ‘reference’, which makes following them mandatory. In 2020 alone, Canadian federal and provincial regulations contained about 6050 references to standards.
Long-term impacts
“The impacts and benefits of standards are everywhere. They are the invisible infrastructure that allows us to work and live safely and prosper,” says Mc Manus. Along with its vast network of partners, SCC promotes the development of standards, which contribute to the growth of GDP and labour productivity. Standards are also essential for trade. “Standards affect 93% of global trade, given that both regulatory and market acceptance are dependent on speaking the same technical language,” says Mc Manus. Having ‘standardized’ language reduces trade barriers and promotes compatibility of technologies. “We coordinate the participation of nearly 2600 Canadians on international committees,” he explains. Having these voices heard at key standards development tables means that Canada’s interests are preserved internationally.
Trends
Advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and clean technologies, among other new technologies, are surfacing as trending areas. This is seen by increased interest in standards technical committees, where people from different stakeholder groups have the opportunity to discuss and come to consensus on best practices for technology and services, which then become standards. Another trend since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is the increased interest in health care technologies and health services. Similarly, clean or low-carbon technologies, approaches that help respond to climate change, and the transition to a low-carbon or net-zero economy are areas where SCC is seeing growth in Canadian technical committee participation
SCC in the decentralised energy space
The trend towards clean or low-carbon energy suggests that there is interest in developing standards in this industry. “SCC works on multiple fronts to advance the development and use of standards and conformity assessment, including in the area of energy,” says Mc Manus. SCC engages with Canadian businesses to ensure that they understand and leverage standardization to help commercialize and sell their products and services to markets at home and abroad. Collaboration among stakeholders across sectors is encouraged, an example being the Data Governance Collaborative. Here, representatives from government, industry, and academia are consulted to support standardization of the protection and use of data. “By working from different angles and with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, we are able to help advance standardization in a way that addresses the needs of Canadian innovators,” concludes Mc Manus. Similarly, having a diverse representation of decentralised energy interests on standards committees is a path forward to shaping the industry in national and international arenas.
How can decentralised energy companies and the SCC work together going forward?
“Standardization can help innovators commercialize, scale-up their companies, reduce development costs, and increase revenue, particularly when it incorporates protected intellectual property,” states Mc Manus. SCC sector specialists works one-on-one with companies to develop an individual standardization strategy that supports their immediate and long-term growth. Mc Manus explains that SCC can further assist decentralised energy companies by “helping them to get a standard developed if there isn’t one that fits their needs, working through areas of regulatory concern, and supporting their participation in standards development committees that directly affect their markets today or in the future.”
Decentralised Energy Canada is working with SCC to explore opportunities for new standards development to benefit the growing decentralized energy industry. Having qualified voices to help shape standards in the decentralised energy space is beneficial in the short- and long-term. If your decentralised energy company is interested in learning more about SCC, visit their website, check out the SCC brochure, or view their interim report.