Appliances and Equipment

Some examples of recent policy changes include: 

• In China, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) published in 2022 a new policy paper to encourage the efficiency improvement of appliances and equipment. The benchmark system of efficiency has been brought forward, with the aim of encouraging manufacturers to produce more efficient products. 
• In Ghana, MEPS and labels for 17 additional appliances will be in place from November 2023. Existing regulations for refrigerators are being revised to increase minimum efficiency standards, and prohibitions on the import of used electrical appliances will be introduced. In addition, the ratings on product efficiency labels are being re-categorised from five stars to seven stars, to provide more information on the efficiency of the product.  
  

In 2022, emissions from appliances and equipment increased by around 0.5% from the previous year. This increase was slightly lower than the annual average increase of the past decade, as improvements in the carbon intensity of electricity have counteracted the upward pressure from increasing appliance use and energy demand.  

To get on track with the NZE Scenario, much more rapid improvements in energy efficiency are required, along with continued reduction in the carbon intensity of electricity, in order to achieve a 65% decline in emissions by 2030. Prioritising the use of stronger MEPS and further decarbonisation of electricity production will be key to achieving this objective. 

In 2022, electricity consumption by appliances increased by about 2%, lower than the average growth in previous decade, with most growth taking place in Asia Pacific and Africa. Despite improvements in energy efficiency, increasing ownership of appliances drove up consumption, particularly in large emerging economies such as China.  

To get on track with the NZE Scenario, most appliances and equipment placed on the market and sold in 2035 would need to match today’s best available models, such that total energy consumption in 2030 is slightly lower than today’s level of approximately 5 700 TWh. An increase in the use and stringency of standards and labels will be needed to realise this goal. 

Household ownership of appliances has been steadily increasing over time, as household income increases, particularly in emerging market and developing economies, and energy-consuming devices become cheaper. As of today, most households own a refrigerator, averaging 0.9 units per household, and it has become increasingly common to own more than one television, with an average 1.3 units per household. 

The stock of appliances is also rising with the increasing number of households, which continues to grow as people increasingly live in smaller household units and as the global population continues to increase. All of these upward pressures are driving up energy consumption and emissions from appliances. 

The technology of many major appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, is now relatively mature. Even so, appliances with widely differing efficiency levels are available on the market. Moving sales towards the most efficient of the available products will realise significant energy savings. 

For example, tumble dryers sold in Europe increasingly use heat pump technologies, which consume around half as much energy as a conventional vented or condensing tumble dryer. Historically, the cost of these solutions was very high, but the cost has fallen as their production and sales volumes have risen. 

Over 110 countries now have MEPS in force for new appliances placed on the market. A similar number of countries employ mandatory energy efficiency labels for new appliances with the aim to improve the efficiency of appliances and equipment sold in their markets. Most of the major appliance types are now covered with such regulations. The growing number of policies also covers a larger proportion of global appliances energy consumption. With a global energy coverage of almost 90%, refrigerators are the best covered appliances. Televisions and dishwashers have seen strong growth rising from around 20% in 2010 to 70% and 50% in 2022. Energy coverage of labels show a similar trend. 

Demand-response requirements in appliances and equipment

Several countries have already begun introducing policies to promote demand-side flexibility, both for energy-using appliances and equipment. Countries that are at the forefront of exploring this issue include Australia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

The principal organisations and initiatives involved in facilitating international collaboration on energy-efficient electrical appliances include:  

• The Energy Efficient End-use Equipment Technology Collaboration Programme (4E TCP), part of the IEA's network of 39 TCPs, is dedicated to sharing information and transferring experience to support good policy development in the field of energy-efficient appliances and equipment. 
• The Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, is a collaboration of more than 20 governments, the IEA and other partners to accelerate and strengthen the design and implementation of energy efficiency policies for appliances and equipment. This includes the Product Efficiency Call to Action, launched at COP26, which aims to double the efficiency of key appliances sold globally.  
• CLASP, the “Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program”, has expanded its activity on appliances to include access to clean energy through off-grid appliance energy performance and quality. 
• United for Efficiency (U4E), is a global effort supporting developing countries and emerging economies to move their markets to energy-efficient appliances and equipment.  
  

• Mark Ellis, 4E TCP
• Hans-Paul Siderius, Netherlands Enterprise Agency