Khalil Issa

Energy efficiency regulators the world over continuously work to develop meaningful minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for their countries. This is particularly relevant to the HVACR industry in the GCC region, where air conditioning systems consume nearly 70% of energy in the built-environment.

GCC region regulators and HVACR manufacturers alike face challenging goals set by the various countries and emirates in the MENA region. From Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 to its Clean Energy Strategy 2050, and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Circular Carbon Economy Program (CCEP), under its Vision 2030, to Bahrain’s National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), under its Vision 2030, most MENA countries intend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve demand-side management.

These initiatives fall in line with their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), under COP21 – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Treaty, signed by over 197 participating countries.

All the more reason for good collaboration amongst all stakeholders for a successful implementation of energy efficiency programmes. This is paramount to ensure these goals are achieved in an open and competitive market while transitioning safely to new refrigerants. This guarantees that only highly energy efficient HVACR equipment that meet or exceed MEPS enter the market and are recognised as doing so by consumers.

Collaboration between regulators and the HVACR industry can ensure targets are met. This collaboration can also consider past GCC region experience, assessing what worked and what needs changing, and what successful energy efficiency strategies have regulators and the industry in Europe or North America implemented since the early 1990s.

KEY COMPONENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION

Global experience shows that successful HVACR MEPS programmes typically have three key related components: 1) Reference to proven testing and rating energy performance standards, 2) Use of rigorous certification testing programmes and processes, and 3) Compliance verification for market surveillance.

Key Component 1: Reference to proven testing and rating standards

To meet the countries’ desired energy savings, GCC region regulators are establishing their respective MEPS, and they reference proven international standards, such as AHRI and ISO standards. In their energy efficiency regulations, using proven international testing and rating standards that establish rating criteria and procedures to accurately determine the energy efficiency of industry equipment is the foundation of a robust and accurate energy efficiency programme.

Key Component 2: Use of rigorous certification testing programmes and processes

The second cornerstone of a successful energy efficiency programme is the adoption of a globally recognised, industry-respected certification programme to verify equipment energy efficiency ratings. This includes stringent qualifying performance and operational testing requirements with randomly selected test samples; conducting annual tests for verifying performance claims in qualified, accredited and approved laboratories and testing facilities; establishing protocols for failures in meeting performance claims; and challenging stated performances.

Key Component 3: Compliance verification for market surveillance

In addition to referring to recognised standards (Component 1), and relying on solid certification programmes (Component 2), the process of achieving these energy efficiency goals can further be assured when stakeholders, in the forms of regulators, consumers, consultants, contractors and manufacturers, can validate/verify performance through easy access to compliance data.

A meaningful market surveillance programme must rely on a digital platform that offers stakeholders accurate, instant, documented and objective evaluation of the claimed energy efficiency and facilitates the delivery of required compliance data from the manufacturer to the regulatory body.

In future articles, I will address the above components as well as other topics in more detail, as they relate to the GCC region and the MENA region at large.

The author may be contacted at KIssa@ahrinet.org