Minimum Energy Performance Standards Research Articles

Environmental assessment of used refrigerating appliances: Why does an import ban make sense and what could other countries learn from Ghana?

Ghana has been a pioneer in energy efficiency in the sub-Saharan region, becoming the first country to introduce minimum energy performance standards and energy labelling for lighting, air conditioners and refrigerating appliances in 2008. It also introduced an innovative and not yet widely adopted policy of banning the import of used air conditioners and refrigerating appliances, mostly from Europe. While the impact of this policy package has already been assessed in terms of energy savings in Ghana, it is still unclear whether the import ban on used products makes sense in terms of environmental impact. Ghana's ban may seem surprising given that current European product policies in the context of the Green Deal aim to extend the lifetime of products and encourage their reuse to make them more sustainable. In this paper, different scenarios covering new and used refrigerating appliances as well as different end-of-life management options were examined in a life cycle analysis. The results show that exporting used refrigerators from Europe to West Africa increases their environmental impact per functional unit in many categories, even if it extends the lifetime of the product. The informal end-of-life treatment of refrigerators by open burning has a massive impact on human toxicity. As energy consumption during the use phase is the main determinant of most environmental impacts, energy efficiency policies (minimum energy efficiency performance standards and labelling) combined with an import ban on used refrigerating appliances are the best approach to reduce these impacts. It is therefore recommended that the Ghanaian policy package be replicated in other countries in the region, but also that exporting countries take action, as the fight against environmental dumping is a shared responsibility.

Decarbonisation Policies in the Residential Sector and Energy Poverty: Mitigation Strategies and Impacts in Central and Southern Eastern Europe

The decarbonisation policies for the EU building stock can improve living conditions, including thermal comfort and lower energy bills. However, these measures may impose financial burdens on low-income households, reducing their disposable income and exacerbating their vulnerability. The current study investigates the impact of decarbonisation policies on the EU’s building stock, with a specific focus on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), the new Emissions Trading System (ETS2) for buildings, and the phase-out of fossil heating systems. By employing a linear, static latest version of Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365)-based model and analyzing Eurostat data, this study quantifies the effects of these policies on energy consumption, costs, and necessary investments. Moreover, the study emphasizes their implications for low-income groups using vulnerability indicators. The findings demonstrate that a combination of MEPs, ETS2, and phasing out fossil heating systems effectively reduces energy consumption and costs across most countries. However, implementing ETS2 alone may lead to energy reduction and discomfort for low-income groups without addressing underlying demand-side issues. To address this, this study recommends the implementation of more ambitious MEPs or the provision of additional funding alongside ETS2. The phase-out of fossil fuel boilers emerges as the most cost-effective measure in the medium to long term. While MEPS and the phase-out of fossil fuel boilers improve living conditions, they also impose upfront cost burdens and reduce disposable income for low-income households. Therefore, high subsidy rates and supportive policies are necessary to ensure equitable access to investments. The main recommendations include (a) shifting financing to renewable heating systems for low-income households by 2025, addressing cost issues and policies favouring gas boilers; (b) implementing high-funding rate subsidies for energy efficiency in low-income households before 2025, with technical guidance; (c) prioritising the Energy Efficiency First principle in planning to avoid additional emissions or higher costs for low-income households; and (d) considering the energy behaviour of low-income groups in regulations, employing a combination of policies to achieve desired outcomes and ensure thermal comfort.

On the adoption of stricter energy efficiency standards for residential air conditioners: Case study Guayaquil, Ecuador

Space cooling is the fastest-growing energy end-use in buildings worldwide, and Ecuador is no exception. Nevertheless, the last update of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners was in 2013 (EER 3.2W/W); since then, no new standards have been proposed in Ecuador. This study is the first assessment of stricter MEPS and estimation of benefits for the consumers and society of the residential sector in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The life cycle cost, payback time, net present value, electricity savings, and CO2 mitigation are the outputs from the Policy Analysis Modeling System (PAMS) methodology followed. The analysis considers future economic scenarios until 2035. Also, a new engineering approach based on linear optimization defines ACs designs in compliance with the proposed MEPS at the lowest cost. Therefore we can avoid setting less ambitious energy-efficiency targets when efficiency options are limited in the market (this is the Ecuadorian case). The analyzed MEPS are those proposed by UNEP and by the renewal program of inefficient equipment of the Ecuadorian Government. Our estimates show that AC demand can reach 17.3% of the total residential electricity demand in the business-as-usual scenario and 21.4% in the high economic growth scenario until 2035.Furthermore, the results show a significant gap between the proposed MEPS which can be progressively bridged. The best standard from the consumer perspective is EER 4.3W/W, while from the societal perspective, it is EER 5.5W/W. Stricter MEPS can reduce AC electricity demand and energy-related emissions between 5.7% and 31%, depending on the selected scenario. Therefore, stricter MEPS for AC represents a cost-effective option to reduce energy needs and emissions from air conditioners and a concrete action to support the national energy efficiency policies and nationally determined contributions for the residential sector.

Impact Assessment on Kenyan Minimum Energy Performance Standards and Energy Labels for Cold Chain Appliances

In addressing climate change and meeting countries National Determined Contribution (NDC) and national cooling action plan (NCAP) on energy ambitious targets in the year 2030, Kenya made several strides in drafting the appliances energy performance and labelling regulations of 2016. Energy efficiency enables distributed off-grid renewable energy systems, from solar home systems to renewable micro-grids, to deliver energy services that otherwise might be economically or technically infeasible in resource-constrained settings. This paper reviews specific multivariate econometric models over the period of 2016 to 2022 and summarizes the impact of minimum energy performance (MEPs) and the energy labels policies and regulations enacted. This paper assesses the energy efficiency label for cold chain appliances and identifies issues, potential improvements, and challenges for successfully nudging consumers towards highly energy efficiency cold chain appliances.

Energy Performance Certificate Classes Rating Methods Tested with Data: How Does the Application of Minimum Energy Performance Standards to Worst-Performing Buildings Affect Renovation Rates, Costs, Emissions, Energy Consumption?

Energy renovations of the building stock are a paramount objective of the European Union (EU) to combat climate change. A tool for renovation progress monitoring is energy performance certificate (EPC) labelling. The present study tested the effect of different EPC label classifications on a national database, which comprises ~25,000 EPC values from apartment buildings, detached houses, office buildings, and educational, commercial, and service buildings. Analysing the EPC classes labelling resulting from four different EU methods, we estimated the annual renovation rates, costs, energy savings, and CO2 emissions reduction that would affect the national building stock if each of them was adopted, to fulfil the European Climate Target Plan by the year 2033. The ISO 52003-1:2017 two-point and one-point methods determined a very uneven distribution of renovation rates, from 0.45% to ~9%. Conversely, the Directive 15% recently proposed in COM/2021/802 with uniform rates determined smaller differences and standard deviation, not pushing renovations above 3.70%, namely a rate that once fine-tuned can stimulate realistic, yet effective renovation campaigns. The major differences in renovation rates provided by the studied methods show the need for a harmonized strategy such as the Directive proposal to enable achievement of European targets.

Laboratory load-based testing and performance rating of residential heat pumps in heating mode

Improving the energy efficiency of air conditioners and heat pumps is crucial for reducing the effects of continuously rising energy demands for space conditioning. One of the effective and tested approaches for achieving this goal has been to set energy efficiency benchmarks based on minimum energy performance standards which drive technological innovation and implementation in the market. For heat pumps, a testing and rating procedure that estimates equipment seasonal performance from laboratory measurements forms the technical basis for these standards. However, with current residential heat pumps rating standards, significant differences have been observed between efficiency measured in the lab and actual operational performance in field applications. One of the reasons for this is that with current rating approaches, the test unit native controls are overridden when measuring performance in the laboratory. As an alternative, a load-based testing approach has been developed that captures dynamic interactions of the integrated controls, equipment and building with the goal of better-representing field application conditions. In this paper, a load-based testing approach previously developed for air-conditioners is extended for heat–pump heating-mode and demonstrated for a variable-speed system. Climate-specific heating seasonal performance ratings were determined by propagating the test results through a temperature-bin method.

Residential Refrigeration MEPS in Colombia: A Review and a Comparative Analysis

This paper addresses the energy efficiency issue in household appliances, which has led to the establishment of policies at a global level in favor of setting minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), which guarantee end users are able to select more efficient equipment. The countries of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and the Community of the European Union were taken as references to review their policies and implementation strategies, in order to be compared with the Colombian panorama (at the market, technical and political levels). This allows the establishment of common aspects and differences related to the determination of energy consumption, adjusted volume, and formalization of efficiency ranges, and in the specific case of domestic refrigeration. Managing to distinguish the most relevant aspects for the successful adoption of these policies in Colombia. It is evident that the implementation of these guidelines has a positive impact on the market of the countries and communities of reference. Similarly, the MEPS are shown as a mechanism to regulate energy consumption in the residential sector.

Energy conservation and climate change mitigation potential of improving efficiency of room air conditioners in Pakistan

The present study predicts the energy savings, carbon emissions reduction and economic benefits for Pakistan through energy efficiency improvements for room air conditioners under different policy scenarios. The simulation model assumes that room air conditioner stock will increase from 2.7 million for year 2020 to 4.9 million for year 2030. A market average energy efficiency ratio of 2.95 is assumed for year 2020. The impact of improvement in energy efficiency ratio is analyzed for business as usual and four other different scenarios: continuous improvement (5-years and 2-years cycles) and accelerated improvement (5-years and 2-years cycles). The model dynamically incorporates the retiring of old stock and addition of new stock every year. Our results show that annual national electricity consumption for this sector is projected to increase from 7.3 TWh in 2020 to 12.6 TWh in 2030 under the business as usual scenario. The cumulative energy consumption and carbon emissions are 103.5 TWh and 63.1 MtCO 2. However, implementing energy efficiency policies can result in electricity savings of 11.6 TWh over the ten years or savings nearly 7 million barrels of oil import. Policy recommendations aimed at promoting energy labeling, minimum energy performance standards, regulatory policies, and further country-specific studies for variety of appliances are provided.

MEPS for air conditioners in Brazil: Regulatory developments and future perspectives

In 2007 was settled the first minimum energy performance standards for air conditioners in Brazil. After more than 14 years since the first regulations and looking upon future perspectives, this paper presents a review of regulatory developments in the country and an assessment based on scenario simulation to verify potential impacts of new minimum energy performance standards for air conditioners. The methodology employed is a bottom-up approach designed to estimate the energy consumption of air conditioners. A spreadsheet-based computational tool was developed to perform sensitivity analysis of key parameters such as ownership rate, average temperature and cooling degree days. The results show a significant energy savings potential that could be captured through a minimum energy performance standards revision. For the scenarios simulated these savings potential would reach up to 417 TWh, with respective greenhouse gases emissions reduction that would be 249 million tons, over the period from 2023 to 2040. An economic analysis of minimum energy performance standards impact is also provided and indicate that even in conditions that involve higher costs and discount rates, new more restrictive minimum energy performance standards allow capturing significant benefits for the society as a whole and for consumers individually. Reviewing the minimum energy performance standards is a critical and urgent issue for Brazil and the methodology presented in this paper can be useful in the process of decision-making related to new regulatory developments.

A Performance Evaluation of Three-Phase Induction Electric Motors between 1945 and 2020

In the late 19th century, the three-phase induction motor was the central element of productivity increase in the second industrial revolution in Europe and the United States. Currently, it is the main load on electrical systems in global terms, reaching approximately 70% of electrical energy consumption in the industrial sector worldwide. During the 20th century, electric motors underwent intense technological innovations that enabled significant performance gains. Thus, this work analyses the performance changes in squirrel-cage rotor three-phase induction electric motors (SCIMs) with mechanical powers of 3.7 kW, 37 kW, and 150 kW and speed ranges corresponding to two poles and eight poles, connected to a low voltage at a frequency of 60 Hz and tested between 1945 and 2020. The study confirms accumulated performance gains of above 10% in some cases. Insulating materials for electrical conductors have gone through several generations (cotton, silk, and currently, varnish). Improvements to the housing for cooling, the bearings, the quality of active materials, and the design were the elements that enabled the high gains in performance. The first commercial two-pole SCIM with a shaft power of 4.4 kW was marketed in 1891, with a weight/power ratio of 86 kg/kW, and until the 2000s, this value gradually decreased, eventually reaching 4.8 kg/kW. Between 2000 and 2020, this ratio showed a reversed trend based on improvements in the performance of SCIMs. More active materials were used, causing the weight/power ratio to reach 8.6 kg/kW. The MEPS (minimum energy performance standards) of SCIMs had an essential role in the performance gain over the last three decades. Data collection was via tests at the Electrical Machines Laboratory of the Institute of Energy and Environment of the University of São Paulo. The laboratory has a history of tests on electrical equipment dating from 1911.

FORECASTING IMPACT OF DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT ON MALAYSIA’S POWER GENERATION USING SYSTEM DYNAMIC APPROACH

Rapid economic growth, increasing population, industrialization and high living standards have increased the electricity demand more than ever before. Efficient energy planning and management is always considered as the greatest challenge in all over the world. Among the other factors availability of electricity is the main bottleneck to the economic growth and industrial revolution. Considering this fact, it becomes necessary for academicians, government agencies and electricity companies to construct more efficient methodologies and procedures to predict long-term electricity demand. The objective of this article represents the initiative towards understanding and analyzing the importance of demand-side management (DSM) in forecasting electricity demand by using a system dynamics approach. This study examines the long term impact of demand-side management variables including HER (Home energy report), MEPS (Minimum Energy Performance Standards) and NEEAP (National Energy Efficiency Action Plan). The future installation capacity of Malaysia’s power generation is evaluated considering the factors of population, per capita electricity consumption, efficiency, capacity margin and DSM. The forecasting horizon of the simulation model is 15 years from 2016 to 2030. Keywords : Energy forecasting, System Dynamics, Energy efficiency, Energy Demand Side Management JEL Classifications: O18, Q21 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.9716

How effective are EU minimum energy performance standards and energy labels for cold appliances?

In most countries, minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labels are the key policies to accelerate the diffusion of energy-efficient appliances and to help meet energy efficiency and climate policy targets. This paper estimates country-specific multivariate econometric models for eight EU countries over the period of 2007–2017 to evaluate the combined effects of changes in the MEPS and the energy labels entering into force in the EU in 2010 and 2011. The findings suggest that these policies increased the market share of cold appliances (refrigerators and fridge-freezer combinations) with an energy label of A+ and better between about 15 and 38 percentage points. For these appliances, autonomous developments (captured through a time trend) are estimated to range between 5 and 10 percentage points per year. Thus, failure to account for autonomous developments would have resulted in substantially overestimating the combined effects of MEPS and energy label policies in the EU. The findings further imply that policy evaluations should allow for policy effectiveness and autonomous developments to differ across countries.

Examining impact factors of residential electricity consumption in Taiwan using index decomposition analysis based on end-use level data

The residential sector is the third largest electricity user in Taiwan. A clear understanding of the rapid growth in its electricity consumption is crucial to the formulation of policy. This study applied the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) to a decomposition of Taiwan’s residential electricity consumption based on eighteen electrical appliances. Data was obtained from questionnaire surveys conducted in 7677 households. Note that this study was conducted at various disaggregation levels in order to characterize the consumption of electricity in terms of the factors that contribute to specific end-uses.Climate was identified as the primary factor driving growth in the residential electricity consumption, accounting for an increase of 2.03 billion kWh between 2014 and 2017. In Taiwan, climatic effects manifest primarily as a substantial increase in the use of air-conditioners for cooling. Thus, efforts should be made to accelerate the replacement of low energy-efficiency air conditioners. The same methods could also be used to promote energy upgrades in existing buildings. Our analysis of specific end-uses revealed that the inefficiency of personal computers and dehumidifiers is an important factor in residential electricity consumption. Thus, minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) should be expanded to include these appliances.

Voltage Harmonic Impacts on Electric Motors: A Comparison between IE2, IE3 and IE4 Induction Motor Classes

Global energy systems are undergoing a transition process towards renewable energy and energy efficiency practices. Induction motors play an important role in this energy transformation process since they are widely used as industrial loads, representing more than 53% of global energy consumption. With more countries adopting minimum energy performance standards through more efficient induction motors, comparisons between these new technologies in the presence of electrical disturbances must be systematically evaluated before adopting a substitution policy in the industry. To this end, this work presents a comparative analysis of the impact of harmonic voltages on the performance and temperature rise of electric motors classes IE2, IE3 and IE4 in the same operational conditions in view of future substitutions. The results show that under ideal operating conditions the IE4 class permanent magnet motor has better performance in terms of consumption and temperature, however presenting non-linear characteristics. In the presence of voltage harmonics, this scenario changes completely according to the harmonic content. Finally, aiming to analyze the harmonics influence in the motor temperature rise a statistical analysis by means of Spearman correlation matrices is presented.

Chinese policy leadership would cool global air conditioning impacts: Looking East

The International Energy Agency expects the global stock of room air conditioners (RACs) to triple between today and 2050, with critical implications for energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Because China produces approximately 70% of the world's RACs, it is in a unique position to lead a global transition to higher-efficiency RACs with substantially lower environmental impact. To date, however, Chinese policies have targeted relatively modest RAC efficiency increases. We recommend that China target production of RACs that use low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and are at least as efficient as the most efficient RACs produced today in China or on the global market. Specifically, we recommend that China set minimum energy performance standards for RACs at China annual performance factor (APF) 5.4 in 2025 and China APF 6.9 in 2030. This leadership would provide a longer-term policy signal to RAC manufacturers in China, enabling them to meet the efficiency targets cost-effectively by providing adequate time for investment planning. We project that full implementation of our recommended policy could result in global electricity consumption savings of 74 petawatt-hours, CO2 reductions of 49 billion metric tons, and bill savings of 6 trillion U.S. dollars (cumulative benefits 2020–2050). The policy is viable in China because of its provision of long-term certainty for manufacturers and their demonstrated ability to produce low-GWP RACs with the required efficiencies. Exploiting the parallel transition away from high-GWP refrigerants under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol would provide manufacturing efficiencies and substantial savings opportunities.

DSM interactions: What is the impact of appliance energy efficiency measures on the demand response (peak load management)?

Abstract: To date, research has mostly focused on the impact of energy efficiency on the total electricity demand but not on the electricity demand profiles. To address this gap, we estimate the impact of energy efficiency measures and policies such as minimum energy performance standards on the peak load by developing a bottom-up model that generates Swiss household hourly electricity demand profiles per appliance based on time use data. The model estimates that evening appliance peak demand can be reduced by 38% when the appliances are replaced by the highest energy efficiency label available on market. We find that changing light bulbs to LED would have the same peak reduction as switching cooking or wet appliances to off-peak periods throughout the year. We also show that the evening appliance peak demand could reduce in 2035 by 24% thanks to the improvement of the energy performance of the stock. Cooking appliances, the least favourable appliances to be involved in demand response, is expected to be the highest contributors to the evening peak in 2035. Our findings show that policy makers should pay due attention to energy efficiency improvement not only for reducing electricity demand but also in order to reduce peak load.

Multiobjective Design Optimization of Generalized Multilayer Multiphase AC Winding

The need for higher efficiency motors is becoming more relevant due to recent policies adopted in most advanced economies, which are adopting new minimum energy performance standards. A great effort to optimize several parts of rotating electric machines is being done to fulfill that requirement. Recent studies focus on stator winding optimization, because of its high loss share. In this paper, a general multilayer winding configuration is proposed for winding design optimization for multiphase symmetrical machines, by combining multilayer integer-slot, fractional-slot, and fractional-slot concentrated windings. The constrained minimization of the airgap magnetomotive force harmonic distortion and winding resistance is solved by the hybridization of differential evolution with a non-dominating sorting algorithm. A framework is provided for replication purposes. An experimental application example of standard and optimized windings is included for performance assessment. The optimized winding leads to a significant motor efficiency gain, while reducing the amount of copper needed for manufacturing.

Transition pathways for North Africa to meet its (intended) nationally determined contributions ((I)NDCs) under the Paris Agreement: a model-based assessment

ABSTRACT This study applies a scenario-based analysis to assess the sustainability of energy transitions of the North African economies under the Paris Agreement, by evaluating the specific pace of the transition grounded in the reality of the actual regional constraints. The ‘Long-range Energy Alternative Planning’ modelling platform is used to simulate the impact of energy and climate policies set in the context of the global low-carbon transition on North Africa’s current energy system and economies. Two scenarios are developed: the reference and the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution scenarios. A cost–benefit analysis is performed to ensure this transition can be cost-effective and to suggest recommendations for an efficient and effective transition to a low carbon economy. Results show that decarbonization in North Africa can be achieved at the regional scale, at negative costs, but significant upfront capital investments and intensive energy policy reforms are needed. Key policy insights In order for North African countries to meet their Paris Agreement commitments, further steps need to be taken by the international community to accelerate low-carbon technology transfer and the provision of financial resources to them. Policies for energy efficiency and renewable energy development should include the establishment of a regional market to develop and harmonize policies and legal frameworks in North Africa. Regional energy market integration and network interconnections would allow economies of scale, cost savings and the development of regional expertise. Policies for energy efficiency should also include reforms to phase out or reduce fossil fuel subsidies, mandatory energy audits for the buildings sector, and minimum energy performance standards for appliances, such as air conditioners and refrigerators.

Improving the energy efficiency of room air conditioners in China: Costs and benefits

China is the world’s largest consumer of room air conditioners, and it contributes about a quarter of global space cooling CO2 emissions. We model the costs and benefits of recently proposed new room air conditioner minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in China. Our results suggest that newly proposed MEPS brings accumulative CO2 emissions reductions of 12.8% between 2019 and 2050, and accumulative bill saving of 2620 billion RMB to China's consumers. The benefits of the proposed MEPS decrease with longer MEPS revision intervals and increase with shorter intervals—indicating that the intervals should be balanced to maximize benefits while accommodating constraints due to air conditioner manufacturer design cycles. We also model potential nationwide benefits from higher MEPS. Across two increasingly aggressive MEPS scenarios, China’s room air conditioner electricity consumption and CO2 emissions in 2050 are both reduced by 15–53% compared to the proposed MEPS. The highest-efficiency scenario (reaching MEPS of annual performance factor 5.4 in 2025) provides the largest long-term national benefits. These results could inform development of a Chinese regulatory regime that effectively updates room air conditioner MEPS. Because China is the world’s largest manufacturer of room air conditioners, the economic, energy, and emissions benefits resulting from higher Chinese MEPS could also have a global reach.

New technology trends and policy needs in energy efficient motor systems - A major opportunity for energy and carbon savings

The electric motor market has witnessed a major change in the last decade in several aspects: in structure, with company mergers contributing to a more global market, in content with energy-efficiency policies, and in its economy due to increasing electricity prices, all aspects contributing to push the market towards more energy-efficient electric motors.Additionally, the growing market penetration of Variable Speed Drives (VSD), introducing large energy savings in systems with variable loads, was accompanied by a growing concern over their operating efficiency in full and especially in part-load, as well as in stand-by mode.A Motor Driven Unit (MDU) consists of the core components of a motor system: electric motor, variable speed drive (VSD), mechanical transmission and end-use application, like a pump or fan. Regulating the entire Motor Driven Unit (MDU) would translate into 1400 TWh of cost-effective electricity savings (7% of the World motor systems electricity consumption), with a corresponding reduction in emissions of 469 Mton of CO2eq by 2040. Even larger potential energy savings can be made available by the optimization of the entire motor systems, which translates into 3100 TWh of global electricity savings by 2040. Still to date, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) have been mostly targeted at individual components only. Difficulties arise in the standardization of measuring and classifying the entire MDU but the larger energy savings achievable by the motor system is leading to the launch a combined system standard by the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).MEPS and standardization at the component and MDU level must be carefully complemented to achieve the maximum energy savings and carbon emission reductions.This paper carries out novel technical, economic and environmental analyses of introducing new policy measures (standards and MEPS) for both individual components and MDUs.