Energy Efficiency – Invest in Long Term Savings
After ensuring on no wastage of unnecessary energy consumption, then the focus is on evaluating the efficiency of your energy appliances. Starting from mid of this year 2014, there will be a minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) set for 5 domestical electrical products, namely Air Conditioner, Refrigerator, Television, Domestic Fan and Lamps (Source: Energy Commission). This means that any of the 5 mentioned electrical appliances will need to pass a certain energy performance benchmark to be in the consumer market, and it is mandatory to be labelled with an energy star label like below:
The Energy Star Label. Try to find one in your hardware shops today! Source: Energy Commission
The key to energy efficiency is to know how to evaluate your pay back period for the upfront additional investment cost. This can be seen by the estimated energy consumption (kWh) per year and you can work out on the ringgit and sense of it, so please discourage judging your decision upon looking at the price, as you wouldn’t know that they might be the priciest in operation cost few years down the road. The operating cost of electrical appliances is always much more than the purchasing cost in most cases.
Reference : http://blog.japhethlim.com/
Illustration of the typical Malaysian Household energy consumption. Credit:TheStar
Energy Conservation – If you fail this, you fail all else.
Yes it is said so because energy conservation is the very fundamental of embarking the saving energy action plan. If you do not practise it and continue to embark on Energy Efficiency, the effort may be bounced effect. It suggests that the increase in efficiency with which a resource is used tends to increase (rather than decrease) the rate of consumption of the resource. The greenest light bulb is the one that you will switch off when it is not in used. Besides having the rule of thumb on switching off anything unnecessary as you are not using it, ask the other fundamental questions:
- Are you really using only what you need?
- What is the size of your fridge and television?
- Do you need 4 down lights fittings to lit up your task activity (e.g reading newspaper)?
- Do you need to use the Air Conditioner, or even fan when you can have natural ventilation.
1. AIR CONDITIONERS
b) Other Lighting Type
Energy Efficiency Criteria for Material and Electrical Equipment to Qualify for the Minimum Energy Performance Standards Star Rating
To further promote the efficient use of energy in the country, the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) has been introduced by the government for efficient electrical equipment and material. To meet the requirements of the MEPS, the performance criteria when tested using the relevant testing standards has to be met. The testing standards and performance criteria have been set for the following equipment.
Performance Indicator and Testing Standards
- Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) based on tests done in accordance to MS ISO 5151:2004 (Non-ducted air conditioners and heat pump: performance indicator and testing standard).
- The tests can be either the Balanced Type Calorimeter or Psychometric type.
- The tested capacity value must be at least 90% of that declared by the manufacturer.
- The EER is calculated as shown below:
- The Star ratings based on the EER values are as shown below.
a) Cooling capacity < 4.5kW.
| Star Rating | EER Value (Btu/h/w) |
| 5 | ≥11.94 |
| 4 | 11.16-11.93 |
| 3 | 10.37-11.15 |
| 2 | 9.56-10.3 |
| 1 | 9.00-9.55 |
b) 4.5kW ≤ Cooling capacity ≤ 7.1kW
| Star Rating | EER Value (Btu/h/w) |
| 5 | ≥10.71 |
| 4 | 9.83-10.70 |
| 3 | 8.94-9.82 |
| 2 | 8.03-8.93 |
| 1 |
7.50-8.02 |
Criteria for MEPS
Appliances should have at least a 2 STAR rating.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
2. REFRIGERATORS
Energy Efficiency Criteria for Material and Electrical Equipment to Qualify for the Minimum Energy Performance Standards Star Rating
To further promote the efficient use of energy in the country, the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) has been introduced by the government for efficient electrical equipment and material. To meet the requirements of the MEPS, the performance criteria when tested using the relevant testing standards has to be met. The testing standards and performance criteria have been set for the following equipment.
Performance Indicator and Testing Standard
- Star Index based on daily energy consumption obtained from tests in accordance with MS IEC 62552:2011.
- The Star Index is calculated as follows:-
The STAR Index values for the various star ratings are as shown below.
| Star Rating | STAR Index Value |
| 5 | +25%≤ STAR Index |
| 4 | +10%≤ STAR Index <+25% |
| 3 | -10%≤ STAR Index <+10% |
| 2 | -25%≤ STAR Index <-10% |
| 1 | STAR Index <-25% |
Criteria for MEPS
Appliances should have at least a 2 STAR rating.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
3. DOMESTIC ELECTRIC FANS
Performance Indicator and Testing Standard
- Coefficient Of Performance (COP) based on tests done in accordance with MS1220:2001
- COP calculated as follows:
- The Star rating, based on the COP values is as shown below.
(a) Ceiling Fans
|
Star Rating |
COP (m3/min/W) |
| 5 | ≥ 3.00 |
| 4 | 2.74 – 2.99 |
| 3 | 2.66 – 2.73 |
| 2 | 2.58 – 2.65 |
| 1 | 2.50 – 2.57 |
(b) Pedestal, Wall and Table Fans
|
Star Rating |
COP (m3/minW) |
| 5 | ≥ 1.20 |
| 4 | 1.12 – 1.19 |
| 3 | 1.08 – 1.11 |
| 2 | 1.04 – 1.07 |
| 1 | 1.00 – 1.03 |
Criteria for MEPS
Appliances should have at least a 2 STAR rating.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
4. ELECTRICAL LAMPS
Energy Efficiency Criteria for Material and Electrical Equipment to Qualify for the Minimum Energy Performance Standards Star Rating
To further promote the efficient use of energy in the country, the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) has been introduced by the government for efficient electrical equipment and material. To meet the requirements of the MEPS, the performance criteria when tested using the relevant testing standards has to be met. The testing standards and performance criteria have been set for the following equipment.
Performance Indicator and Testing Standard
Efficacy based on daily energy consumption obtained from tests in accordance with;
- MS IEC 60969 (Self-ballasted lamps for general lighting services – Performance requirements) for fluorescent lamps
- LM 79-08 (IESNA Approved Method for the electrical photometric measurement of solid state lighting products) for LED lights
- MS IEC 62612 (P) (Self-ballasted LED-lamps for general lighting services – performance requirement)
- Efficacy is determined as follows:-
The Efficacy values for various types of lighting are shown below;
a) Tubular Fluorescent
b) Other Lighting Type
Criteria for MEPS
Appliances should have at least a 2 STAR rating.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
5. TELEVISIONS
Energy Efficiency Criteria for Material and Electrical Equipment to Qualify for the Minimum Energy Performance Standards Star Rating
To further promote the efficient use of energy in the country, the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) has been introduced by the government for efficient electrical equipment and material. To meet the requirements of the MEPS, the performance criteria when tested using the relevant testing standards has to be met. The testing standards and performance criteria have been set for the following equipment.
Performance Indicator and Testing Standards
- STAR Index based on energy consumption tests done in accordance with IEC 62087 Edition 2.0: 2008-10 for on mode power and MS IEC 62301:2006 for standby mode power.
- The STAR Index is calculated as shown below:
- The Star rating based on the STAR Index is determined as shown below:
|
Star Rating |
STAR Index Value |
| 5 | +20%≤ STAR Index |
| 4 | +10%≤ STAR Index <+20% |
| 3 | -10%≤ STAR Index <+10% |
| 2 | -20%≤ STAR Index<-10% |
| 1 | STAR Index <-20% |
Criteria for MEPS
Appliances should have at least a 2 STAR rating.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
Performance testing is to be done by SIRIM or any laboratory recognised by Standard Malaysia.
Smart meters assist us in efficient electricity consumption.
What’s a smart meter?
A smart meter is a digital meter that’s located at a home or business to measure the amount of electricity used. The smart meter reads and stores the electricity usage over short intervals, typically every 30 minutes, and remotely sends this information to network distributors and energy retailers daily. The retailer can then pass this information on to the consumer and provide tools to give them a better understanding of the data.
Why are smart meters so smart?
Smart meters are one of the biggest developments in electricity supply since we first started using electric lights more than a century ago. They have the potential to change the relationship people have with energy, from a passive one in which people receive a bill once a quarter after they have used energy, to an active one in which they can access almost real-time information on energy consumption so they can analyse and understand their usage.
Smart meters offer many options and capabilities that are not possible with traditional meters. Features like remote connection when you move house and improved fault detection to help networks restore power more quickly after an outage make them revolutionary.
When smart meters are combined with other emerging digital technology in the electricity grid, what is created is sometimes referred to as a smart grid.
Compare the old and the new:
=Smart meters in Australia
Some state governments around Australia have been supportive of smart meter technology, recognizing the benefits for consumers, but all governments have different policies and approaches to their roll out.
Victoria has led the way: all five network distributors will have installed more than 2.4 million smart meters when Australia’s first mandatory program finishes at the end of 2013.
The future of smart meters globally
People around the world are starting to use smart meter technology. Many nationwide installations are planned, and some are already in progress. For example, Italy has undertaken one of the largest roll outs (around 35 million meters), while the Netherlands has plans to install smart meters in all of its 7 million homes by the end of 2013. In France, the aim is to have 95 per cent coverage of smart meters rolled out by the end of 2016.
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