No Images? Click here Welcome to Efficient Products News for updates on consultations, compliance and ENERGY STAR. Please forward this update to relevant colleagues - and let them know they can sign up for updates on the EECA website. Eddie Thompson, Efficient Products Manager Energy efficient products save millionsENERGY STAR and the E3 programme delivered savings of more than $21 million in the year to the end of March 2016. According to EECA’s latest sales data reporting and analysis, there were annual sales of more than six million energy efficient appliances, equipment and lighting products, providing expected savings to the country of $210 million over their lifetime. A continued increase in the energy efficiency of regulated products and a sharp increase (20%) in the sales of air conditioners/heat pumps and household fridges/freezers have contributed to the high levels of savings. Feedback from industry suggests the construction boom in both new homes and renovations were the main contributors to the higher than expected sales. Thank you to all the companies that provide sales data that allows EECA to track trends in the energy efficiency of products. Have your say - lightingEECA is holding a consultation meeting in Auckland on 8 February to discuss the proposal to introduce minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for LED lamps and commercial luminaires. Put in a submission before consultation ends on the 24 February. Meeting Venue: Great Barrier Room, Mercure Auckland, 8 Customs Street East Time: 10 am (will include a light lunch) RSVP: regs@eeca.govt.nz Read the proposal Regulation heads upElectric motors Following recent discussions between EECA, the E3 Australian regulator and the electric motors industry, a consultation document is planned proposing to amend and clarify requirements for minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for electric motors. The aim is to make it simpler for industry to comply and for regulators to enforce. Any changes will require amendments to legislation. Expect the consultation document before the end of April. LEDs To align with the proposed new lighting MEPS, EECA will launch a new ENERGY STAR specification for LEDs later in the year. Domestic fridge/freezers and industrial fans Proposals to update the test standard and MEPS levels for domestic fridge/freezers and introduce MEPS requirements for industrial fans are expected to be released in the next few months. Email regs@eeca.org.nz if you want to be kept up to date with these consultations. Meeting the standardsAfter working in compliance for about 30 years – in transport and policing - EECA’s Senior Compliance Officer Mike Small works with the products industry to help companies meet energy standards. Mike, along with team member Shaival Arora, carries out surveillance and investigations but mostly advises companies about how to comply and register products. This involves working closely with Australian regulators to ensure consistency between the countries on technical compliance issues. “Some complaints are low level and companies are keen to resolve them quickly - the companies concerned haven’t been aware they aren’t compliant.” EECA does have the authority to prosecute companies that won’t take action. However Mike says working through the issues with companies to resolve problems has been very effective in New Zealand. “Working with industry, rather than just waving the big stick, has meant companies are more open to discussing issues - but we have the power to prosecute when companies won’t comply,” Mike says. Brought to you by the Efficient Products Team at EECA. Contact us at regs@eeca.govt.nz or 0800 358 676 |