Type: Technical Reports

Design Aspects and Environmental Impacts of Wide Band Gap Based Semiconductor Technology in Chargers for Electronic Devices

This paper presents the outcomes of the work from PECTA Task B, Energy and environmental related Life Cycle Assessment, conducted between January 2022 and February 2023. See more information under: https://www.iea-4e.org/pecta/tasks/. This paper focuses on the effects of incorporating GaN components for energy conversion on the product design and the resulting environmental impacts along the […]

4E Evaluation Guidebook

The 4E Evaluation Guidebook is intended to assist impact evaluations of equipment energy efficiency standards and labelling (EES&L) programmes. It explains the methodologies that are proven to deliver robust and credible evaluations within five key steps.

Emerging Battery Technologies

This research study examines new battery technologies suited to powering small devices such as IoT, actuators and sensors, and portable devices such as mobile phones and laptops.

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.

Interoperability

The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding on the issue of (a lack of) device interoperability and the resultant impact of this on Intelligent Efficiency and Demand Flexibility.

Progressing Energy Efficiency Policies for Systems

Systems are described as the next frontier for energy efficiency policy, offering the potential to unlock huge energy savings in equipment-based energy-using systems.
In this summary we highlight some of the key findings from 4E’s investigations over several years.

Classification of digitalisation technologies for electric motor driven systems

This report by EMSA provides a classification of different digitalisation technologies applied for motor systems. The following technologies are analysed: sensors, Internet of Things, intelligent control, data analytics, real-time monitoring, artificial intelligence, digital twins, cloud based services, augmented reality, additive manufacturing, robotics, drones.

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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