The federal government will soon introduce a new standard for energy saving bulbs, refrigeration and air conditioning appliance, said Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
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Based on this, SON in collaboration with the United Nation Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has set up a Technical Committee to review the old standards for household refrigerating appliances in the country.
The Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu said the new standards will set minimum performance requirements on refrigerating appliances which include energy consumption.
He noted that one of the challenges facing energy supply in the country is the challenge of appliances consuming more energy than required making energy unavailable.
Odumodu who was represented at the Technical Committee’s Meeting, by the Head, Electrical and Electronics Department, SON, Mr. Richard Adewunmi, said that the meeting is an integral part of energy efficiency project on three identified household appliances which include lighting, refrigerators and air conditioners.
“The objective is to ensure that consumers will have opportunity on using efficient appliance which will reduce energy consumption by household thereby making energy available to more users. Once the standard is approved, importers and manufacturers will not be allowed to bring in or sell any appliance that falls short of the standard,” he stated.
According to him, when the new standards are approved by the Council of SON, it will become part of the SONCAP project for controlling import of these appliances into the country and it will also serve as the MANCAP for made in Nigeria refrigerating appliances.
He added that SON will organise a stakeholders’ meeting with manufacturers, importers, marketers and user of the appliance in order to publicise the new standard.
“I will like to use this opportunity to appreciate the UNDP for funding the project and citing the test facility in SON and to assure all experts invited to be part of this technical committee, that the document you will come up with will be put to maximum use for the benefit of Nigerians and the power sector.
“I am pleased to inform you that the test equipment required for testing the refrigerating appliance based on this new standard has been acquired and paid for by the UNDP and engineers that will use the equipment already trained. The equipment will be shipped to Nigeria before the end of the year,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the National Programme Coordinator, UNDP, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Nigeria Energy Efficiency Programme, Mr. Etiosa Uyigue stated that the overall objective of the initiative is to improve the energy efficiency of series of end-use appliances used in the residential and public sectors in the nation through sensitisation and awareness creation; support for formulation of appropriate policy guidelines; establishment of energy efficiency testing laboratories; human and institutional capacity building and creation of enabling environment for increased penetration of energy efficient appliances.
