The Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project in East and Southern Africa is helping to transform the energy efficiency market in sub-Saharan Africa through Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS)
The Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project in East and Southern Africa is working to foster and accelerate the development of vibrant markets for energy-efficient, climate-friendly products, and appliances in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the project’s key policy options to achieve this objective is the development and implementation of regionally harmonized Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Energy Labels for appliances for the Member States in EAC and SADC regions.
The case for MEPS
MEPS set performance requirements for the maximum amount of energy that appliances can consume before they can be legally sold or used in a region. Regulators worldwide employ MEPS to drive efficiency improvements in lighting, cooling, and other energy-consuming appliances and equipment. Governments that adopt updated MEPS aligned with international targets and best practices can deliver energy and cost savings to consumers and take action to mitigate the impacts of climate change while accelerating the energy and climate transition. Commercially, the application of MEPS confers a competitive advantage to price over quality and encourages standardised production. This can in turn drive supply chain transformation and create economies of scale for energy efficient products.
The potential social and economic impact of MEPS is especially high in sub-Saharan Africa, where MEPS are a relatively recent development. Only a few countries have policies and regulations to control the entry and sale of products in their markets, and consumers with limited access to electricity often buy cheap, inefficient products that consume a lot of energy and have short lifespans, which makes them more expensive over the long run and contributes to environmental problems such as e-waste. By contrast, energy-efficient products have a significant role to play in reducing poverty by decreasing domestic and commercial energy costs, especially for low-income households and small businesses in rural areas. Energy efficiency also impacts positively on social and gender equality, freeing women from drudgery and empowering them to take up entrepreneurial activities.
Some of these opportunities will be unlocked by MEPS directly, as standards are key instruments in overcoming trade barriers and strengthening regional and inter-regional trade in energy-efficient products. This can generate substantial market volumes, attract investment in manufacturing and assembly, and foster the long-term development of dynamic markets for energy-efficient lighting and appliances in the two regions. At the same time, MEPS protect developing markets from becoming dumping grounds for sub-standard products.
Regionally harmonized MEPS
Regional energy markets are becoming increasingly integrated, making the development, adoption, and harmonization of MEPS even more important. Without harmonized standards for traded goods, for instance, porous national borders are especially problematic, as banned products can still enter markets. In addition, markets remain country-focused and small, with limited potential for economies of scale. This discourages the private sector from investing in the market. Another issue is a lack of systematic coordination between countries, which leads to ad hoc interventions such as replacing inefficient lighting on a once-off basis. When donated products eventually need replacing, consumers revert to buying cheap, inefficient light bulbs once again.
Adopting and implementing MEPS would go a long way towards solving such challenges, but countries wishing to do so face numerous internal barriers. These include insufficient financial resources, inadequate punitive measures, limited human capacity, inadequate testing infrastructure and equipment, unfit legal and regulatory frameworks, and poor coordination among agencies.
Accordingly, the EELA Project is driving the process of establishing a harmonized regulatory environment for MEPS in the 21 member states of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Working through the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) and the East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE), the Project identified suitable ministry personnel to act as national focal points and helped set up Regional Technical Committees under the auspices of SADC Cooperation in Standardization (SADCSTAN) and the East African Standards Committee (EASC). This in turn has led to the development of regional frameworks, strategies, and action plans, accompanied by training.
A significant milestone was achieved with the approval of regional Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for lighting by SADCSTAN in April 2021, followed by EASC in July 2022. In November 2023, SADCSTAN further advanced by approving MEPS for cooling appliances, encompassing residential refrigerators and room air conditioners. Meanwhile, the EAC's approval process for these standards is progressing. The harmonized MEPS for lighting have already been adopted by DRC, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa within the SADC region, and by Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan within the EAC region. Additionally, SADC members, Zimbabwe and Eswatini have adopted the MEPS for cooling appliances at the national level.
Strengthening testing capacity
The effective adoption of national and regional MEPS relies to a great extent on countries’ capacity to test whether products conform to the set standards. Since the EAC and SADC member states have limited testing facilities, the EELA project intervened to capacitate and equip two regional reference laboratories in Uganda in the EAC region and Mozambique in the SADC region with state-of-the-art testing equipment. These laboratories will meet the testing requirements of their regions and act as references for national laboratories in the member states. In parallel, the EELA Project has procured portable lighting test equipment for each of the 21 EAC and SADC member statesThis will enable national test laboratories to carry out market surveillance activities such as product screening and compliance verification.
“’Laboratory testing is relevant for market surveillance and will protect the market from sub-standard and low-quality energy products. To this end, the government and stakeholders were supported through the EELA project with funding for capacitating existing labs and starting new ones. Awareness and capacity building for laboratory testing should be conducted continuously, and countries should collaborate in testing and accept test results from other countries in the region based on mutual recognition agreements. To enhance capacity building, laboratories should obtain accreditation from reputable institutions and continually improve their processes to stay market-relevant. Manufacturers, importers, and retailers must engage in laboratory testing programs to eliminate substandard products. Additionally, more capacity-building programs and training on energy efficiency and laboratory testing should be established for stakeholders.” – Readlay Makaliki
Findings from these activities will be compiled in a report to inform data-driven policy decisions, and national standards bodies (NSBs) will accordingly share intelligence and work together on enforcement activities.
By fostering the adoption of regional MEPS and capacitating member states to enforce them, the EELA project has made a significant contribution towards establishing vibrant regional markets for energy-efficient appliances, strengthening regional trade, reducing air pollution and carbon emissions, alleviating poverty, and accelerating the energy and climate transition in the EAC and SADC regions.
