Initial phase of energy labeling rules to cover fridges, ACs
By Adam J. Ang – April 26, 2020 | 10:42 pm
from Business World
REFRIGERATORS and room air conditioners will be among the first batch of appliances to be subject to the new energy-consumption labelling rules, according to guidelines drafted by the Department of Energy (DoE).
In the guidelines issued to appliance manufacturers and importers, the DoE said the initial product categories covered by mandatory labelling also include televisions and lighting products.
The label must appear on or be included in product packaging and outline the appliance’s energy-consumption rating, as required by Republic Act No. 11285, or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act.
The guidelines advise appliance makers and importers how to comply with the Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP), which helps encourage energy conservation by informing buyers how efficient their appliances are.
The DoE regulates the information contained in an energy label. They include the DoE logo and the product’s energy performance ratings, and will contain control numbers issued by the DoE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Performance Regulation and Enforcement Division.
Retailers have been ordered to ensure that such products display energy labels.
“As applicable, they shall also exhibit the energy labels in all their publications including advertisements in newspapers, TVs or leaflets and in all online trading activities. At the minimum, the energy efficiency class of the product, as applicable, needs to be mentioned,” it added.
The list of products covered may be expanded upon the recommendation of the DoE’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB).
The DoE also outlined in a separate draft circular its guidelines for minimum energy performance for products (MEPP).
Minimum energy performance, as defined in the implementing rules and regulations of the EEC Act, is a standard performance level for energy-consuming products that “must be met or exceeded before they can be offered for sale or used for residential, commercial, transport, and industrial purposes.”
A PELP technical working group convened by the department’s Alternative Fuels and Energy Technology Division will review the MEPP within five years.
The DoE is currently seeking comment on these two draft circulars, along with its draft rules for the accreditation of energy service companies (ESCOs), until April 30. The EUMB will later finalize these guidelines during a public consultation via Skype on May 12.
