SGS Helps AUO To Become The World's First TFT-LCD Manufacturer To Be ISO/DIS 50001 Certified

Online, April 6, 2011 (Newswire.com) - SGS is pleased to announce that it has certified AU Optronics Corporation's ("AUO") 8.5G TFT-LCD facility located in Central Taiwan Science Park, Taichung, Taiwan against ISO/DIS 50001 Energy Management Standard in February 2011. AUO is the world's first TFT-LCD manufacturer to have obtained this certification. SGS also certified AUO's energy saving performance.

AUO has introduced ISO 50001, the latest international standard on energy management, to front-end TFT and back-end module facilities. The goal is to achieve 25% energy savings in 2015, with 2010 as the base year. The focus of the ISO 50001 certification is on production energy management. A total of sixty six energy-saving measures are raised in 2011, aiming at 10% energy conservation. An estimated 55 million kWh of electricity will be saved, and 35 thousand tons of carbon emissions reduced, the equivalent effect of the afforestation of nine times that of the New York City Central Park. In the future, AUO plans to expand the ISO 50001 energy management system to each of its production fabrication. Energy performance will also be taken into account in procurement to enhance value chain energy management.

"We are proud to bring our audit expertise to support customers in their efforts to improve their energy performance through their energy management systems" said Eric Huang, Global Product Manager, Energy and Sustainability at SGS.

SGS has already provided certification services to companies in Europe and in Asia against the European Energy Management Systems Standard BS EN 16001:2009 or against a national energy management standard. SGS Ireland Ltd. obtained accreditation against EN 16001:2009 issued by Irish National Accreditation Board. SGS (CSTC) China is one of the two international certification bodies in China approved by China Certification and Accreditation Administration to conduct a pilot certification project against China National Energy Management System Standards GB/T 2331:2009.

About ISO 50001
The ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems standard is developed by the ISO/PC 242 energy management project committee of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The International Standard (IS) is expected to be published in Q3 2011. ISO 50001 specifies requirements for an organization to establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system, which enables an organization to take a systematic approach to achieve continual improvement of energy performance, energy efficiency and energy conservation. It helps organizations to manage energy supply and energy uses and consumption, including measurement, documentation and reporting, design and procurement practices for energy using equipment, systems, processes, and personnel. Implementation of the standard should lead to reductions in energy cost, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts through systematic management of energy. ISO 50001 is anticipated to affect up to 60 percent of the world's energy consumption and has the potential to become a global trade catalyst for industrial energy efficiency in the same way that ISO 9001 has become for quality.

ISO 50001 will establish an international framework for industrial, commercial or institutional facilities, or entire companies, to manage their energy, including procurement and use. It is applicable to all types and sizes of organizations irrespective of geographical, cultural or social conditions.

Conformance with ISO 50001 will demonstrate that a plant or company has sustainable Energy Management System in place, has completed a baseline of energy use, and has committed to continuously improve energy intensity.

To learn more about the requirements of Energy Management Systems certificate, please download a complimentary white paper by SGS or sign up for a free webinar session 'ISO/FDIS 50001 - Energy Management Systems - Requirements and Benefits'.