Energy efficiency standards and labels reduce the energy consumption of appliances, lighting, and equipment without compromising the services they provide to consumers.
Nations generally classify their energy use in three broad sectors – buildings, industry, and transportation. Buildings, both residential and commercial, account for approximately one-third of both global energy consumption and energy- and electricity-related CO2 emissions.
Energy consuming appliances, lighting, and equipment include items people interact with every day, such as refrigerators, clothes washers, computers, lamps, and copy machines, as well as appliances that are often out of sight, such as heating and cooling equipment.
CLASP responds to the needs of policymakers and technical experts on all aspects of energy efficiency S&L, providing technical assistance, research, and training, and capitalizing on opportunities to collaborate and disseminate best practice information.
Energy efficiency standards are regulations that specify the minimum allowable energy performance for appliances, lighting, and equipment, and usually prohibit manufacturers from selling products that are less efficient than that minimum level.
Energy efficiency labeling programs aim to shift markets for energy-using products toward improved energy efficiency.
Reliable energy performance test procedures and test facilities are the foundation of successful standards-setting and labeling initiatives.
Compliance with energy efficiency standards and labeling policies is facilitated through monitoring, verification and enforcement (MV&E) efforts.
Impacts modeling helps policy makers determine what products to regulate or label within energy efficiency S&L programs, while impacts assessments evaluate the effectiveness of established S&L policies.
Replicating successful appliance efficiency policies can save governments and consumers money.
CLASP worked with the Ghana Energy Foundation from 2000-2002 to assist the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) and Ministry of Mines and Energy to identify products and develop standards and labels.