Revision of Japanese Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards, A New Top-Runner Approach

Panel: Panel 1: Policy (incentives, normative measures, policy mixes to achive CO_2 reduction)

Authors:
Chiharu Murakoshi, JYURI
Hidetoshi Nakagami, JYURI
Yutaka Nagata, CRIEPI
Yasuhiko Noguchi, MITI

Abstract

To help attain the 6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions agreed to at COP3, the Japanese Energy Efficiency Standard was revised in March, 1999. The points of the revision were (1) to strengthen efficiency standards for electrical appliances and automobiles using the top-runner approach, and (2) to strengthen efficiency standards in factories and buildings. The stronger standards for appliances and autos use the efficiency of the most efficient domestically shipped models in each performance class as the efficiency levels, and is therefore called the top-runner approach. The seven items targeted are passenger cars, air conditioners, refrigerator-freezers, fluorescent lights, televisions and VCRs, copiers, and computers. For example, efficiency gains of 16% for televisions and 59% for VCR standby power are expected.

In this paper we report on the content of the new electrical appliance standards. Efficiency of Japanese electrical appliances meets high levels even on a worldwide scale, but even higher standards have been set, and because the standards also apply to imported goods they should also be of interest in Europe. Japanese efficiency standards set a lower limit for the average efficiency of each maker's shipments, differing from European and US standards, which set a lower limit on individual appliance efficiencies. Furthermore, the new philosophy represented by the top-runner approach should be considered when preparing future European efficiency standards.