Appliance Efficiency
Appliances are a big part of our lives—they provide connectivity, comfort, and light, and are crucial to our health and productivity. Making our appliances energy efficient is one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to cut carbon emissions and reduce energy demand and air pollution. CLASP works in top-emitting countries and regions to increase access to efficient appliances through policy interventions and market transformation.
Cutting Carbon
From 2018 to 2020, CLASP supported equipment and appliance policies that will avoid 596 megatons (MT) of carbon dioxide emissions cumulatively by 2030.
The chart to the right shows a breakdown of CLASP’s ongoing work by product type, along with opportunities for climate mitigation from the equipment and appliances sector. For the 2020-2022 period, CLASP is supporting policies projected to avoid 975 MT of carbon dioxide emissions cumulatively through 2030. Globally, efficiency policy in the appliances and equipment sector could avoid more than 12,800 MT of carbon dioxide emissions through 2030.
MEPS
Minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) are government policies that set requirements for how appliances, lighting, and equipment should perform. MEPS raise the average efficiency of products on the market and eliminate low-quality and obsolete technologies.
The chart models the potential impact of MEPS for air conditioners across Africa. The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario assumes no change in policy and a cumulative 250 MT of CO2e emitted through 2030. If countries in each region adopted policies equivalent to United 4 Efficiency’s model MEPS in 2022, carbon emissions would be cut by 40 MT of CO2e cumulatively through 2030.
Labels
Labels communicate important information regarding energy performance, operating costs, and other features of an appliance. The information helps consumers make informed purchases and enables utilities and businesses to offer rebates, encouraging uptake of high-quality, efficient appliances.
The graph illustrates the distribution of labeled refrigerators in Brazil. The orange line indicates the required threshold to be considered a top-performing, class “A” refrigerator. An overwhelming majority of refrigerators already meet or surpass the threshold, making it difficult for buyers to distinguish between highly efficient products and those that are more energy-intensive and costly to operate. A revised threshold, shown here in two different scenarios, more evenly redistributes the refrigerators along label levels and accurately distinguishes models based on efficiency.
Compliance
An effective policy compliance framework uses market monitoring, performance verification through testing, and enforcement to safeguard the expected benefits of appliance energy-efficiency policies. Policy compliance bolsters government credibility, protects consumers, and creates a fair environment for manufacturers selling energy-efficient and high-quality products.
The video depicts how policy compliance frameworks confirm that appliances meet performance standards, bear accurate labels, and correct instances of non-compliance to deter future mistakes.
Market Transformation
Market transformation uses voluntary measures to overcome market barriers and deploy efficient products more quickly. Research and development (R&D) and bulk procurement, rebate, and incentive programs are common market transformation strategies.
In a normal market, the different models of a particular product reflect a range of efficiencies, as illustrated by the gray curve in the accompanying figure. The blue curve illustrates how market transformation activities shift purchasing toward higher efficiency: R&D extends the curve to the right by spurring the introduction of new products, while bulk procurement, rebates, and incentives shift purchases from low-efficiency models to higher-efficiency alternatives.
