To encourage the adoption of energy efficient appliances, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of public sector undertakings (PSU) under the Ministry of Power, will set up an e-commerce portal that will exclusively feature electric appliances with the highest efficiency ratings.
The objective of this exercise would be to “create demand” and encourage consumers to opt for electric cookers, fans, refrigerators and other devices that were rated “five star and above”, Vishal Kapoor, CEO, EESL said at a conference on Friday.
“A major challenge is in getting the message out to people of the importance of opting for energy efficiency appliances. The additional costs involved in more energy-efficient lamps can be recovered in two-three years. So we need greater awareness on the need for efficiency,” he said at a meeting organised by NRDC India Private Limited, a Delhi-based think tank, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Climate Trends, a research-based consultancy on environment and climate.
The portal would initially be for businesses to trade among themselves and later be expanded to wider, retail sales, Mr. Kapoor told The Hindu.
The EESL is affiliated to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) that has for years run a ‘star-rating’ system for electric appliances with the highest-rated appliances having ‘5 stars’. The BEE has made this rating mandatory for 15 appliances and voluntary for 20 appliances for 2023. However, the agency includes or excludes appliances from the list as it deems necessary from time to time. Ratings are usually only valid for a fixed period. It’s thus possible for a 5-star appliance to become a 4-star one within a year. Appliances with more stars are usually more expensive than those with fewer stars.
Improving energy efficiency is a key plank of India’s energy-security strategy. India has committed to double its energy efficiency by 2030 from 2.2% to 4%. The BEE claims that its rating system, over the years, has prevented 300 million tonnes of CO2.
