ENERGY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR AIR CONDITIONERS COMPREHENSIVELY
UPGRADED IN INDIA
- Standards now at
8% higher efficiency for star-rating on split 1.5 ton ACs and higher
- Mobile-based application launched to help consumers calculate energy consumption
- Technological improvements driving higher energy efficiency in the HVAC industry
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory
body under the Union Ministry of Power, has upgraded the requirements for star
rating of split type room air-conditioners. This regulation, which came into
effect in January this year and raised the energy efficiency standards by about
8% for split air-conditioners for the same rating band, is intended to help
raise consumer awareness on saving energy and creating more energy efficient
appliances across the spectrum for this industry. This initiative, launched in
2010, is especially relevant in view of the upcoming freeze on
Hydro-chlorofloro-carbons (HCFC) under the Montreal Compact on Environment (Montreal Protocol) in 2013 and the effort of getting
prepared for future GWP (Global Warming Potential) legislation without any
energy penalty. For the Indian industry, this marks a substantive step forward
in not only averring to the rising awareness and readiness on the policy side
to taking control of the most pertinent energy efficiency issues, but also
marks a firm movement towards a healthy public-private partnership in the area
of energy reforms.
BEE recognizes that consumer awareness and
education have been instrumental in the success of energy efficiency movement
thus far. To further empower consumers, a mobile-phone based application called
“AC Power Saver” has been developed that enables consumers to calculate energy
consumption and savings right on their mobile devices. This application will be
available for Android, Blackberry and iPhone users free of charge. These tools
will help consumers calculate the expected annual electricity bills and the
potential savings. Users can get an idea about their savings on their
electricity bills if they buy higher star rating air conditioners. For a wider
reach, a dedicated web site – www.SaveEnergy.co.in – has been created with all
necessary information including the energy calculator.
The campaign to educate consumers comprises several
strategic initiatives. Air conditioner showroom salesmen are being trained and
oriented on the star labeling criterion so that they can explain to consumers
the tangible benefits of using energy efficient air conditioners. BEE has already
trained 1,544 salesmen in India across 6 cities and plans to continue with this
effort. These trained salesmen help consumers make an informed choice with
respect to energy efficiency while buying home air conditioners.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director
General, BEE said, “Energy is critical for India, and the demand for clean and
efficient energy devices is growing rapidly. We are happy that our initial
steps in introducing star labeling for air-conditioners has borne such good
results. It is our resolve to further augment this initiative by reaching out
to as wide a section of consumers as possible and to do this we have embarked
on a variety on new measures to educate and engage the public at large as well
as the manufacturers and retailers.”
Emerson Climate Technologies, an engineering
technology innovator, has been actively collaborating with BEE to build
awareness of the star rating program. According to Mr. Deepak Takkar, Sr. Vice
President – Sales & General Manager – Cold Chain, Emerson Climate
Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd., “Research shows that every watt of energy saved
at consumption results in four watts less energy produced, factoring in the
generation and T&D losses. The adoption of star rating in air-conditioners
significantly supports energy conservation and improvement of power
efficiencies in India”. He added, “The industry plays a key role in augmenting
the success of Government’s thrust on environmental protection. In the
air-conditioning industry, on the manufacturers’ side, we have introduced
Copeland Scroll™ compressors in the Indian residential AC market for the first
time to provide optimum energy savings and comply with the highest star rating.
Copeland Scroll™ technology has been extremely successful in the commercial and
residential segments around the world for many years. We believe that with the
focus on empowering consumers with efficient and reliable technologies like
Copeland Scroll™, and awareness tools like the ‘AC Power Saver’ mobile app,
India stands to greatly improve the energy situation and bridging the
supply-and-demand gap.”
According to Mr.
SanjeevRanjan, CEO, International Copper Promotion Council (India), “ICPCI has
been quite actively engaged since 2007 with the Air Conditioner Industry by
promoting the life cycle cost as the main attribute to drive consumer purchase
decisions. Copper’s better thermal and electrical properties do help in
improving energy efficiency performance of air conditioners, which in turn
helps achieve higher star rating more cost effectively. ICPCI as a part of
Copper Alliance, led by International Copper Association is working for
technology advancement by focusing on reducing the material cost of energy
efficient air conditioners through the introduction of smaller diameter copper
tubes for heat exchanger. Today, with the launch of the upgraded star-rating
labeling program, Indian consumers can now buy air conditioners that save
energy and money. We do appreciate the admirable work done by BEE and will
continue to support it in its endeavor to promote and implement the star
labeling program across the country.”
The star labeling program
for air-conditioners, frost free refrigerators, tubular florescent lights, and
distribution transformers began in May 2006 in a voluntary phase. In the air
conditioner segment, 70% of the organized players adopted it in the voluntary
stage, which prompted BEE to make it mandatory from 7th January 2010. Since
star labeling was a new concept for appliance showrooms and end users, BEE
partnered with Emerson Climate Technologies and International Copper Promotion
Council (India) in 2008 to start several initiatives to educate the market on
the benefits of star labeling. Training sessions were conducted for store
salesmen throughout India. After the education program, a survey was conducted
across 19 cities covering over 1,200 salesmen and 400 users to understand their
perception on star labeling. The survey results showed that end users cared
about energy efficiency, price and brand. The survey also indicated that
salesmen needed more education and sales tools to explain to the end user the
concept of payback period.
About
BEE:The Government of India set up Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE) on March 1, 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation
Act, 2001. The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in
developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market
principles, within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001
with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.
This will be achieved with active participation of all stakeholders, resulting
in accelerated and sustained adoption of energy efficiency in all sectors.
About Emerson Climate
Technologies: Emerson Climate Technologies, a business of
Emerson, is the world’s leading provider of heating, air conditioning and
refrigeration solutions for residential, industrial and commercial
applications. The group combines best-in-class technology with proven engineering,
design, distribution, educational and monitoring services to provide
customized, integrated climate-control solutions for customers worldwide.
Emerson Climate Technologies’ innovative solutions, which include
industry-leading brands such as Copeland Scroll and White-Rodgers, improve
human comfort, safeguard food and protect the environment. For more
information, visit EmersonClimate.com.
About International Copper Promotion Council (India): The International Copper Promotion Council
(India), member of Copper Alliance. It is the Indian arm of the International
Copper Association, the leading not-for-profit organization for the promotion
and defence of copper globally. ICPCI is driven by the same objective as that
of its parent organisation, which is to ‘defend and grow markets for copper
based on its superior technical performance and its contribution to a higher
quality of life worldwide’. ICPCI contributes mainly through its catalytic
role, accelerating changes and transforming the long-term markets for Copper in
a sustainable way through its major initiatives like Building Construction and
Sustainable Electrical Energy. ICPCI’s activities focus on helping end users to
better understand and appreciate the positive attributes of copper.
