Merloni TermoSanitari, leading players in water heater technology have introduced in India for the first time the concept of "Energy Efficiency Product Labelling" to identify energy efficient products and encourage consumers to use them.
A number of countries have adopted the route of "Energy Efficiency Standards and Labels" in order to set minimum standards for appliances.
These standards help inform consumers about the efficiency level of an appliance as well as indicate the extent of savings that consumers might benefit from if they purchase an energy efficient appliance.
These labels could be in the form of star ratings (one, two, three stars), in the form of grades (A, B, C) or in the form of numerical ranking (1,2,3,4, etc).
The labels could also be colour coded to discriminate the efficient and inefficient. The label would also carry sufficient additional information such as the assumptions made and reference numbers to testing practices and standards.
Besides mandating standards for identified items, the proposed legislation would also provide for a system of labeling to be introduced in the country, to enable the consumer to make an informed and considered choice while buying a product.
Such labelling around the world is either mandatory or voluntary. Countries where this became mandatory for products like refrigerators, air conditioners, dishwashers, washing machines, water heaters and other appliances are USA, Canada and Australia amongst others.
Many developed and developing countries, including USA, Canada, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, South Korea have already adopted the energy efficiency product-labeling programme.
These labels guide the consumer to procure more energy efficient products.
The information provided on the label includes energy consumption during a fixed time period (one day, one week, one month etc), estimated cost for usage during that period, actual energy efficiency information such as rate of cooling, amount of heat loss, possible savings that may accrue when compared to either the lowest or market average of the relevant standards.
"Energy conservation all over the world is no longer an option, but a necessity. Though the underlying focus for the movement was to protect the environment and conserve resources for future generations, the economic benefits alone now justify the need to conserve energy through the use of energy efficient products," V Fedeli, managing director, MTS group, SpA Italy, said.
