Theme: Standardisation / Technical Standards / test methods

Round Robin of Converter Losses

This report summarises the results of the IEA 4E EMSA international Round Robin testing programme for converter losses, implemented in cooperation with IEC SC22G/WG18.

Smart Lighting – New Features Impacting Energy Consumption

Smart lamps and luminaires are common in today’s lighting market. Smart lighting provides an opportunity for the consumer to benefit from wireless control of lighting products, e.g. by dimming, colour tuning and scheduling. These functions can provide energy saving but they also require energy consumption to supply standby power and gateways.

Guide to Energy Management Protocols

This report is a guide to ‘application layer’ communications protocols used for energy management, such as those used to facilitate intelligent efficiency and demand flexibility.

Mobile Device Efficiency

This report analyses the energy use of mobile devices, compares policies and identifies policy gaps.

Standardisation for Smart Devices

This report highlights the most relevant standards in areas such as measurement of energy consumption of smart devices, and communication protocols for smart devices.

LED Product Lifetime Testing Report

A new report by the IEA 4E Solid State Lighting Annex provides a look across the body of literature on lifetime definitions for LEDs and LED products. The reports looks at failure mechanisms, accelerated life tests and test methods for estimating lifetime, and provides some recommendations. There is currently no agreement as to which test […]

Interlaboratory Comparison for Goniophotometers (IC 2017)

The final report from the IEA 4E Solid State Lighting Annex’s 2017 Interlaboratory comparison (IC 2017). This comparison had 36 participating laboratories from 19 countries with a total of 42 goniophotometric instruments, the largest interlaboratory comparison of such equipment ever undertaken. This comparison investigated the level of agreement in measurements of SSL products by various […]

Controls Validation Method for Variable Speed Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps

This controls validation method aims to provide a uniform method of test which will validate native control operation and performance criteria for residential air conditioners and heat pumps with variable speed compressors. This method is intended to be used as a confirmation against regulatory tests in which modulating component(s) are overridden.

AC/HP Test Methods 2.0: Phase 2 Findings Summary

This research aims to develop an internationally applicable load-based test method for variable capacity ACs and HPs and has 4 Phases. This report discusses the findings of Phase 2 (Investigative Testing of Key Issues), as well as the research team’s recommendations for Phase 3 work.

Literature Summary of Lifetime Testing of Light Emitting Diodes and LED Products

A summary of the literature on lifetime definitions for LEDs and LED products, including a look at failure mechanisms, accelerated life tests and test methods for estimating lifetime, and provides some recommendations. There is currently no agreement as to which test method can best estimate the lifetime of LED lighting products and the report thus addresses a key issue for regulators and industry interested in deployment of LED technologies

Quick Links

4E Annexes

Our Latest

Copyright © 4E Energy Efficient End-use Equipment - IEA Technology Collaboration Programme

Context

Since 2008, the Energy Efficient End-Use Equipment TCP (4E) has tracked the efficiency trends of major globally traded products and corresponding energy efficiency regulations. 

This enables 4E Members to identify whether their current policies are being effective, how these policies and the performance of products compares across different regions and opportunities for closer alignment.

This process forms a multi-lateral exchange between regulators within 4E Member countries that accelerates the development of product policies and increases the level of energy savings, while also reducing regulatory and cost burdens on industry and consumers.

Joint analysis by the IEA and 4E into the global impacts of energy efficiency regulations¹ has shown that:

-15%

The longest running energy efficiency (EES&L) programmes are estimated to deliver annual reductions of around 15% of total current electricity consumption.

1580

In the nine countries/regions for which data were available, these programmes reduced annual electricity consumption by a total of around 1,580 terawatt-hours in 2018 – similar to the total electricity generation of wind and solar energy in those countries.

2-3x

On average, the energy efficiency of new major appliances in countries with EES&L programmes has increased two to three times the underlying rate of technology improvement.

-2& 2

The average purchase price of appliances covered by EES&L programmes declined at a rate of 2-3% per year.

Within 4E economies, energy efficiency regulations, taken to include minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), mandatory and voluntary energy labelling in this report, are a key driver for product efficiency.

Core elements of these regulations include:

  • The methods used to test and measure product performance
  • The metrics used to define energy performance or efficiency
  • The performance thresholds required by regulations

Since 2020, the 4E Product Energy Efficiency Trends (PEET) project has been monitoring the status of these elements across regulations for major appliance and equipment types across 4E Member countries.

1 IEA 4E TCP (2021), Achievements of Energy Efficiency Appliance and Equipment Standards and Labelling Programmes, IEA, Paris (2021). https://www.iea.org/reports/achievements-of-energy-efficiency-appliance-and-equipment-standards-and-labelling-programmes