The Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project in East and Southern Africa is capacitating regional and national test-laboratories for energy-efficient products
The objective of the Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project in East and Southern Africa is to contribute to the increased production of sustainable energy and mitigate negative externalities of the energy system for all members of society in the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) regions. The project’s approach is to foster the creation of market and institutional conditions conducive to a transformation of the sector through the accelerated demand and uptake of EELA products.
In this regard, minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) play a vital role by setting a minimum quality standard for all markets. Regionally harmonised MEPS for lighting appliances have already been adopted by SADC and EAC. However, MEPS are ineffective as mandatory measures unless countries have the capacity for monitoring, verification, and enforcement (MVE). Since many developing countries lack the technical, administrative, scientific, and enforcement capacities to comply with emerging standards requirements, the EELA project is working to help them fill this gap.
Capacitating regional and national laboratories
Laboratory testing is a critically important enabler for MVE activities since it allows countries to obtain measurement data from energy products undergoing testing, compare the measured data with the data label on the packaging materials (as much of about up to 50% of tested equipment is inaccurately labelled), and establish whether the products conform to international, regional, and national standards. Substandard products can then be removed from the market and responsible parties penalized. This provides an incentive for manufacturers to comply, instils buyers with confidence, and levels the playing field for the industry.
In addition, testing provides consumers with impartial information to guide their purchasing decisions and can inspire companies to improve their products. This leads to lower operating costs for consumers and increased industry revenues. Environmental impact is reduced and circular economies are promoted, while energy security receives a boost, as there is less need to import energy from other countries.
However, a study conducted during the initial stages of the EELA project indicated limited testing capacity for energy-efficient lighting and appliances in the EAC and SADC regions, with most countries relying on third-party testing from the points of origin. Accordingly, it is deemed vital to facilitate the expansion and strengthening of test laboratory capacity throughout the region by capacitating and equipping laboratories in the EAC and SADC member states with state-of-the-art testing equipment.
At the regional level, the EELA project selected two regional reference laboratories to service the testing requirements in their respective regions – the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) for EAC, and Mozambique’s Instituto Nacional de Normalização e Qualidade (INNOQ) for SADC.
Staff from the two reference laboratories, together with representatives from the ministries of energy of the two countries and representatives from the SADC and EAC standards bodies, attended a training in Sweden in June 2022 to witness first-hand the best available technology for testing lighting products, to help finalise the technical specifications for laboratory equipment (to be procured by the EELA project) and to learn about best practices in a laboratory set up and operation.
In addition to servicing regional testing requirements, the reference laboratories provide technical staff from national test laboratories in the regions with on-the-job training on testing procedures as well as the procurement, set-up, and calibration of equipment.
The reference laboratories also play an integral role in the collaborative network of knowledge sharing among national test laboratories, furthering the establishment of regional benchmarks on quality standards, market regulations, and compliance measures for the sector to become resource-effective and united.
At the national level, the EELA project has provided the LightSpion Portable Lighting Test Equipment to each of the 21 EAC and SADC member states, to enable them to carry out MVE activities for lighting products within their borders.
The findings from member states' MVE activities are compiled into a report to inform data-driven policy decisions. Custodian organisations from different countries also are engaged in intelligence sharing and enforcement collaboration activities.
The road ahead
By capacitating testing laboratories, the EELA project has laid the groundwork for vibrant regional markets in energy-efficient appliances, but much remains to be done. Custom bodies, for example, will be key performers in controlling the market's compliance with regulations, since a grand part of lighting and electrical appliances are imported and traded goods. Accordingly, the project carries out training for custom bodies regarding the identification and authentication of imported lighting products.
In addition, the private sector – product manufacturers especially – will be incentivised to proactively budget for testing and quality control to comply with MEPS. However, a common set of procedures will have to be developed if testing is to be a fair and constructive measure for market development. To this end, the EELA project will seek to develop a culture of semi-commercial testing of EELA in the SADC and EAC regions.
Readlay Makaliki, Lead Technical Expert at the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), comments: "Laboratory testing is very relevant for market surveillance and will protect the market from sub-standard and low-quality energy products. To this end, government and stakeholders should provide 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 (MRAs).”
Makaliki continues: “To reinforce and expand on capacity-building efforts to date, laboratories should be accredited by reputable institutions and continuously improve their processes if they are to remain relevant to the market. Manufacturers, importers and retailers should participate actively in the laboratory testing programmes and ensure that substandard products are eliminated from the market. More capacity-building programmes should be established, and relevant stakeholders should be trained on energy efficiency and laboratory testing. Best practices on laboratory testing should be disseminated to all stakeholders, who can act as Change Agents in energy testing.”
In this regard, the EELA project is working with the Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre (KGRTC) in Zambia to provide six-month guided training cycles for Change Agents nominated by member states, who, once certified, will play a significant role in helping member states implement energy efficiency policies, adopt MEPS, and introduce new energy services business models.
The EELA project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) and the East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE).
