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Web site by APEC ESIS
© Copyright 2002, 2005
Global Standards and Labeling
Database sponsored by
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| BENCHMARKING ENERGY PERFORMANCE
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Welcome to the Benchmarking page of the APEC-ESIS web site! This section of the site is supported by the Australian Greenhouse Office and is dedicated to become a hub for sharing information and international comparisons on the efficiency and performance of energy-using appliances and equipment.
Indicative sales-weighted EERs
Based mainly on catalogue data-all brands
Error bars correspond to the largest deviation found by using average
brand EERs plus or minus  one ,instead of just average brand EERs
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Benchmarking example: This regional benchmarking comparison of air conditioners was commissioned so that Australia might examine existing stock of air conditioners immediately before efficiency regulations commenced in October 2004. As a result of the study, Australia has announced it will accelerate its seconde efficiency level for air conditioners scheduled for October 2007 to a date eighteen months earlier, April 2006.
The Problem
Analysts developing future scenarios for energy use of appliances and energy-using equipment usually benchmark the efficiency levels against a business as usual (often referred to as BAU) scenario. The question they ask is: How much can a minimum energy performance standard (MEPS) or labeling program reduce demand compared to the BAU scenario?
The flaw with this approach is the insular focus upon the domestic market for what is an internationally traded product. The approach assumes that the economy is an "island", and it minimises the impact of regional or international trends in equipment efficiency. The approach also does not place enough emphasis on equipment that is actually and readily available in the market.
The Solution
The solution is international benchmarking - comparing proposed MEPS and labeling levels against what other comparable economies are doing now.
It may also be advisable to benchmark progress in certain processes, as well as against absolute indicators such as appliance unit efficiencies. For example, the following indicators could be benchmarked as a way of comparing policy development and implementation across economies:
- number/percent of appliances are labeled;
- number/percent of appliances for which there are MEPS;
- product efficiency levels matching technology development for that product type; and
- links between MEPS thresholds and labeling tiers.
Data for indicators such as these can be presented in user-friendly graphics that allow policymakers and analysts to "overlay" the standards to indicate direct comparisons of threshold and tier levels between multiple economies.
Testing the Concept: Air Conditioners in Five Asian Economies
The Australian government is committed to international benchmarking, in line with the economy's stated policy of examining "international best regulatory practice" when develop its new national MEPS and labeling requirements. The Australian approach is that its MEPS levels should not be lower than any other economy - or stated another way, if a product is made in Australia, it should meet all energy and environmental criteria to be sold in any market in the world. Australia's interest in benchmarking energy performance of appliances and equipment is a direct outgrowth of its focus on "best regulatory practice."
The Australia Greenhouse Office (AGO) recently commissioned a five-economy comparison of air-conditioner efficiency levels, which covered Australia, China, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. The report features scatter-plot data comparing efficiency levels of air conditioners across the five-economies, as well as separate economy-by-economy comparisons. Such comparisons are generally not available for more than one economy.
The report is the first benchmarking comparison on the APEC-ESIS web site.
Another similar international comparison of electric motor performance is currently under way and will be published on this site in early 2004.
These dynamic comparisons will allow policymakers to review international practice and market efficiency levels when making a MEPS decision or revision for their economy, and to ultimately track and measure their progress against other economies. Perhaps most important, such pro-active benchmarking will allow policymakers to justify and claim credit for achievements of their standards and labelling programs.
Visitors to this site should feel welcome to contribute data and international comparisons to this site. They can do so by sending an e-mail to Peter du Pont, of Danish Energy Management, at pdp@dem.dk.
* * List of Table, Figure, and Appendix on AC Benchmarking report.
Download Files
- AC Benchmarking Report [1.62 MB]
- Matrix Raw Data [1.46 MB]
Note : Right click and select "Save Target As..." to download files.
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