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Appliance standards and labelling highly effective at reducing energy use – global study
(eceee news, 21 Sep 2021) Standards and policy programmes save consumers billions of dollars and avoid hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, new analysis from IEA and 4E shows. The analysis is based on data from 100 countries.
Policies that introduce minimum efficiency performance standards and energy-consumption labelling on appliances and equipment have led to reduced power consumption, lower carbon emissions, and cost savings for consumers, according to analysis by the IEA and the 4E Technology Collaboration Programme (4E TCP), published on the 17th of September.
Findings in the study are drawn from nearly 400 evaluation studies covering 100 countries, including those with the longest running and strongest appliance policies, such as China, European Union, Japan and the United States.
“The findings from the study are important as they provide evidence that standards and labelling are highly effective policy instruments that bring benefits to consumers as well as lower emissions and lower energy demand,” said Brian Motherway, the Head of Energy Efficiency at the IEA.
The study shows the policies have had significant positive impacts, for example:
- In countries with long-running policies, appliances are now typically consuming 30% less energy than they would have done otherwise.
- The programmes that have been operating the longest, such as those in the United States and the European Union, are estimated to deliver annual reductions of around 15% of their current total national electricity consumption.
- These energy savings represent a significant financial boon for businesses and householders. In the United States alone, utility customers are now economising USD 60 billion each year, or USD 320 per customer.
- Well-designed policies encourage product innovation and lead to economies of scale, which reduces the cost of appliances even without accounting for the efficiency gains.
“The message is simple: expanding standards and energy efficiency labelling programmes makes the energy transition challenge easier, more affordable and become a reality,” said Jamie Hulan, the Chair of the 4E TCP.
Ahead of the COP26 Climate Change Conference, the IEA is working with the UK Government via the Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) initiative to coordinate and improve international action on product energy efficiency.
The United Kingdom is leading the COP26 Product Efficiency Call to Action, which aims to double the efficiency of key global products by 2030. The call initially focussed on four key energy-consuming products: air conditioners, refrigerators, lighting and industrial motors systems.
The IEA supports the implementation of this work and helps to expand the number of countries ready to make this commitment.
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