Do you ever bother checking the electronic equipment/appliance that you buy for energy efficiency? Do not be embarrassed if your answer is No, chances are that you are not alone. In India, rating of electrical appliances for energy efficiency is done by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). The concept of energy efficiency is quite similar to fuel efficiency of vehicles. In simple words energy efficiency of an electrical appliance refers to how efficiently these appliances use energy in delivering their output. Few countries over the world have performance standards for energy efficiency. India is in that elite list of countries that has such standards and also has a star labeling program which affixes star labels on a scale of 1 to 5 on energy products. And these star ratings are can be compared to the stars attached with hotels. So a 1-star labeled product is least energy efficient and a 5-star label signifies the highest efficiency. Flagged off as Bachat ke Sitare by the BEE, the star labeling program is mandatory for four products: frost free refrigerators, ACs, TFLs (tubular fluorescent lamps) and distribution transformers. It might be surprising to note that for TVs which many people would expect to find in this list, does not have a mandatory labeling requirement. This was a deliberate attempt by the BEE to target the huge energy guzzlers like ACs and refrigerators rather than TVs which believe it or not use much less energy. However, with increasing penetration of TVs even in rural areas, BEE plans to introduce stringent labeling standards for TVs in the future.
But why should we buy a 5-star labeled appliance? Or more importantly why should we be concerned with energy efficiency. Much as it may sound complicated, the concept of energy efficiency is very much embedded in our technology and energy dependent daily lives. As fuel prices are increasing power tariffs have also been impacted. The Delhi government recently announced a 22% hike in tariffs for residential consumers. Add to this the whole dimension of double digit inflation, and one would know, saving money wherever possible has become imperative. 5-star labeled products offer you just that. While a 2-star split AC running 8 hours a day for 5 months in a year will result in a electricity bill of Rs. 3390 in a year, a 5-star AC operating for the same duration results in a bill amounting to Rs. 2515 in a year, that is a saving of Rs. 875 a year. This may seem small to many. Therefore it is important that we understand that apart from the monetary savings, 5-star labeled appliances also offer environmental benefits. Both ACs and refrigerators, use gases that have a substantial global warming potential or GWP. A 5-star labeled AC would use significantly lesser such GWP gases than a 2/3-star AC and cool as much. On a national level, we are aware that 65% of the power is generated using dirty coal, a major percentage of which is imported. Using electricity responsibly through use of highly energy efficient products will result in reduced demand for power, saving coal and precious foreign exchange. Finally, as enlightened environmentally responsible consumers, we can always question ourselves about the environmental and economic impacts of the product we are buying. The star labeling program is a step in this direction. It seeks to guide consumers in making right decisions in purchasing electrical appliances and thus contribute to both personal and national well being. Given below is a graphic description of the star label on refrigerators. Look for one when you buy your next!
References: http://www.emt-india.net/Standards_Labeling/main.htm
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