Energy labeling for electric fans in Malaysia

Transcription

1 ARTICLE IN PRESS Energy Policy 33 (2005) Energy labeling for electric fans in Malaysia T.M.I. Mahlia a, *, H.H. Masjuki a, F.M. Taha b, N.A. Rahim c, R. Saidur a a Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia b Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Technology Malaysia, UTM Johor, Malaysia c Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract To reduce energy consumption in the residential sector, Malaysia Energy Commission is considering implementing energy labels for household electrical appliances including electric fans in The purpose of the energy labels is to provide the consumers a guideline to compare the size, features, price and efficiency of the appliance. This paper discusses the energy label for electric fans in this country based on Malaysian Standards developed by a technical committee that reviewed the performance of household electrical appliances. This study includes methodology for the calculation of the energy efficiency star rating and projected energy usage, performance requirements, details of the energy label and the requirements for the valid application in Malaysia. The label also can be adopted for other household electrical appliances with only slight modifications. r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Energy labels; Appliance labelling; Energy guide; Electric fan 1. Introduction Energy labels enable consumers to compare the energy efficiency of appliances on a fair and equitable basis. It is also encourages manufacturers to improve energy performance of the appliance (Egan, 1998). Usually energy efficiency standards and labels are developed together. Standards are more on technical setting of energy efficiency while labels are educating consumers about the relative efficiencies of various units (Mahlia et al., 2002). By educating consumers, energy labels will create competition between manufactures. The energy labels acts as an indicator telling the potential buyer how energy efficient the product is. By introducing an appropriate energy label, electric fans with the best energy ratings and most competitive price are more likely to be sold in large numbers. Energy labels not only set guidelines of efficiency that manufactures should follow; it also encourages them to improve their product while keeping their cost low to win the market. Some energy labels also show the cost of operating the model over a period of time, often oneyear. Others display the rate of efficiency of the *Corresponding author. Tel.: ; fax: address: indra@um.edu.my, i mahlia@hotmail.com (T.M.I. Mahlia). appliances. However, an important aspect of energy labels is to provide the consumers a procedure to compare the performances of similar product units. This has been done in some cases by showing the energy consumption of a particular model on a scale that shows the lowest and highest energy consuming models. The labels must be displayed in the front part of each product and their packaging so that the consumers get the information at the time of purchase. The energy label presented in this study was developed by the Technical Committee on Performance of Household Electrical Appliances of Malaysia. This study includes methodology for the calculation of the energy efficiency star rating and projected annually energy usage, performance requirements, details of the energy label, and requirements for the valid application in Malaysia. It has been structured to be suitable for reference in legislation and easier for consumers to understand. The objective of this paper is to provide a method of calculating performance testing for energy labelling requirements for electric fans, in order to develop a valid energy label. In particular, this paper will discuss the following: (i) Projected annual energy consumption (PAE); (ii) Coefficient of performance (COP); (iii) Star rating; /$ - see front matter r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi: /s (03)

2 64 ARTICLE IN PRESS T.M.I. Mahlia et al. / Energy Policy 33 (2005) Nomenclature COP coefficient of performance (m 3 /min/w) COP ave average coefficient of performance (m 3 /min/w) COP min minimum coefficient of performance (m 3 /min/w) OH P PAE P ave V d operating hour (h) measured power input (W) projected annual energy consumption (kwh) average measured power input (W) measured air delivered (kg) step size increment of COP (iv) Some of the requirements for energy label validity; (v) Performance criteria for energy labelling approval; and (vi) Printing requirements for labelling the electric fan. 2. Energy label There are three categories of energy labels used in various countries those are (Wiel and McMahon, 2001); (a) endorsement, (b) comparative, and (c) informationonly. Endorsement labels offer a seal of approval that a product meets certain pre-specified criteria. One example of an endorsement label is the energy star label which is the energy star label introduced with joint administered by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPAs) and US Department of Energy (USDOE) (Energy Star, 2003). This label type has been discussed extensively by Banerjee and Solomon (2003) and Truffer et al. (2001). A Comparative label is dividing in two subcategories: one uses a categorical ranking system; the other uses a continuous scale or bar graph to show relative energy use. The categorical labels use a ranking system that telling the consumers how energy-efficient of a model is compared to other. The main emphasis is on establishing clear categories so that the consumer can easily understand how energy-efficient of the product compare to others by looking at a single label (CLASP, 2002). The continuous-scale labels provide comparative information that allows consumers to choose between models, but do not use specific categories. The sample of this label is the Canadian energy guide. The Informationonly labels provide information on the technical performance of the single labelled product and offer no simple way (such as a ranking system) to compare energy performance between products (Wiel and McMahon, 2001). The details of energy labels for different products may differ slightly. According to Wiel and McMahon (2001) it is important to keep a consistent label style and format across product types. This is easier for consumers who can learn to understand one type of labels to evaluate different products. Most of the countries had selected a comparative label for implementing energy labels for household appliances; therefore it is useful to review the similar energy labels that are currently being used in most countries around the world. These can be grouped into three basic styles which are (i) Australian-style label, (ii) European-style label, (iii) US-style label (Wiel and McMahon, 2001). The Australian style label is having a rectangular base with a semi-circle across the top. The semi-circle resembles a speedometer or gauge, the further advanced the gauge is in the clockwise direction, the better the product. This type of label is used in Australia, Thailand, and South Korea and is proposed for India. The number of stars or the grading numeral on the scale depends on the energy performance that the model is able to meet (there are five, six, or seven rankings). The European style label is a vertical rectangle with letters ranging from A (best) near the top of the label to G (worst) at the bottom. There is a bar next to each letter: e.g., short and green for A and long and red for G. All seven grade bars are visible on every label. The grade of the product is indicated by a black arrow marker located next to the appropriate bar (e.g., for a C- grade product the marker carries the letter C and is positioned against the C bar). This label is used throughout Western Europe and in some countries of Eastern Europe. Iran uses a variant of the Europeanstyle label that is a mirror image because of the direction of Persian script and uses numerals rather than Roman script letters for rankings: i.e., 1 (best) to 7 (worst) (Wiel and McMahon, 2001). The US-style label shows energy cost, which is based on the national average energy tariff. It also has a linear scale indicating the highest and lowest energy use of models in the market and locates the specific model on that scale. This type of label is used in the US and Canada, where labels are now technically but not visually harmonized (e.g., US labels show energy costs, and Canadian labels do not) (Thorne, 2000; Harrington and Damnics, 2001). In both cases, use of monetary units (dollars) was abandoned in favour of physical units (i.e., kwh or efficiency) because variability in energy prices causes labels based on outdated prices to be misleading (Wiel and McMahon, 2001). The literatures showed that only two types of energy labels work effectively. First, the letter grade energy labels which was introduced in the European Union countries, Iran and Brazil and second, the star or number type of energy labels that have been used in Thailand, Australia, and India.

3 ARTICLE IN PRESS T.M.I. Mahlia et al. / Energy Policy 33 (2005) Energy labels in Malaysia The energy label for the electric fan is cut to the outline shown in Fig. 1 and is self-adhesive. If there is no suitable smooth location on the fan or its packaging for an adhesive label, the label may be printed and attached as a swing tag. In this case the material should be suitably durable and rigid. Methods of attachment should not disfigure the artwork of the label. The label must be attached so that it is not obscured when the unit is displayed Colours, fonts and dimensions The energy label for the electric fan selected is based on two colours, on a white background, and has font size and colour scheme as illustrated in Fig. 2 and listed below: (a) Futura Extra Bold 19pt; (b) Futura Book 17pt Tracking 300; (c) Futura Bold 4.7pt; (d) Futura Heavy 12pt; (e) Futura Bold 12pt; (f ) Futura Extra Bold 18pt Horizontal Scale 71.4%; Fig. 2. Font and colour scheme. (g) Futura Extra Bold 18pt; (h) Zapt Dingbats 30pt; (i) Futura Bold 11pt; (j) Futura Bold 18pt; (k) Helvetica Bold 12pt; (l) Futura Bold 9pt. The colour scheme of the label on a white background is as follows: Red: Pantone 032 Black: Pantone Black. The dimensions of this energy label is illustrated in Fig. 3: 3.2. Number of tests and processing of data To get acceptable testing data each fan model should be subjected to at least three test-runs to obtain values for power input and COP: Measured power input and COP should be averaged and treated as the result for the unit. According to the TCPHEA (2002), the COP for a fan model is calculated by the following equation: COP ¼ V P ; ð1þ Fig. 1. Example of energy label. PAE ¼ P OH 365: ð2þ

4 66 ARTICLE IN PRESS T.M.I. Mahlia et al. / Energy Policy 33 (2005) Fig. 3. Energy label dimensions. For standards proposed in the energy label the value of PAE yield by this calculation is usually rounded to kwh/yr Star rating calculation A five star rating system has been proposed, which will divide the electric fan into five classes. The highest efficiency grade receives five stars and the lowest efficiency grade (the minimum energy efficiency standards set for each type of electric fan) will carry one star. The star rating is calculated based on test data as shown in Table 1. The label grade is increase with a fixed incremental step size of COP: This increment is calculated by the following equation (TCPHEA, 2002): d ¼ COP ave COP min ; ð3þ 3 where minimum efficiency standards COP for electric ceiling fan=2.5 m 3 /min/w, minimum efficiency standards COP for electric table, stand and wall fan=1.0 m 3 /min/w, COP ave =average COP value of samples collected and tested Proposed star rating and COP The proposed star rating and COP is calculated using Eqs. (1) and (3) based on the minimum energy efficiency standards COP discussed in the previous section. The

5 ARTICLE IN PRESS T.M.I. Mahlia et al. / Energy Policy 33 (2005) Table 1 Star rating calculation Star rating Minimum value Maximum value 1 Star Minimum COP Minimum COP þ d 2 Star Maximum value of 1 Minimum value of 2 Star+d 3 Star Maximum value of 2 Minimum value of 3 Star+d 4 Star Maximum value of Average COP 5 Star Maximum value of 4 Unlimited Table 2 Star rating for electric ceiling fan Star rating Table 3 Star rating for electric table, stand and wall fan Star rating COP (m 3 /min/w) 1 Star Star Star Star Star X3.00 COP (m 3 /min/w) 1 Star Star Star Star Star X1.20 proposed star rating for electric fans in Malaysia is tabulated in Tables 2 and 3. A complete sample calculation on a typical set of test results is discussed in the following section. Table 4 Test data for 1200 mm ceiling fan Test- run P (W) V (m 3 /min) P ave (W) V ave (m 3 /min) No No No For a sample calculation, a 1200 mm ceiling fan has been tested in order to prepare an energy labelling application. Three test runs were made to get an acceptable result for the appliances. The test data for the model are presented in Table 4. The PAE of the model is calculated as follows (2): PAE ¼ P ave ðwþohð8h=dayþ365 days=yr ¼ 80: ¼ 234; 563:60 Wh=yr ¼ 235 kwh=yr: The COP of the model is calculated as follows (1): COP ¼ V aveðm 3 =minþ ; P ave ðwþ COP ¼ 210:94 80:33 ¼ 2:63 m3 =min=w: From the result of the COP; the star rating of the electric ceiling fan model is determined from Table 2. In this case the star rating for this particular electric fan is 2 Stars. 5. Conclusion 4. Performance criteria This section discussed the methods and procedures for calculating values of the COP and the star rating for the electric fan, which appear on an energy label and in the application for registration of an appliance for energy labelling. It demonstrates the application of the appropriate procedures required to calculate the tested energy performance for each unit. The process consists of measuring the power input of each unit tested, then calculating the PAE consumption of the unit. The minimum air delivery proposed for the electric ceiling fan is 200 m 3 /min and the minimum air delivery proposed for an electric table fan, electric stand fan and electric wall fan is 40 m 3 /min. Even though energy labels are spreading from North America and Europe to many other countries around the world, the references for developing energy labels are very limited. The study has presented the energy label proposed for electric fans in Malaysia that could be used elsewhere too in order to save energy and indirectly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The label star rating of electric fans is only effective for a limited period of years, because energy efficiency of the electric fan will continuously improve due to technological advance. Therefore, after a certain period, most of the appliances will receive the highest star rating and the label will lose its effectiveness. At that later time the COP rating for the star should be increased in accordance with the average rating of electric fan in the market.

6 68 ARTICLE IN PRESS T.M.I. Mahlia et al. / Energy Policy 33 (2005) Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the Technical Committee on Performance of Household Electrical Appliances of Malaysia for their cooperation in developing the draft of Malaysian Standards for Energy Labelling of Electric Fans. References Banerjee, A., Solomon, B.D., Eco-labeling for energy efficiency and sustainability: a meta-evaluation of US programs. Energy Policy 31 (2), CLASP, Collaborative Labeling and appliance standards programs homepage. Egan, K., Building National Standards Regimes: Regulatory and Voluntary Approaches in the Philippines and Thailand. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. Energy Star, US Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star Homepage. Harrington, L., Damnics, M., Energy Labelling and Standards Programs Throughout the World. The National Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee, Australia. Mahlia, T.M.I., Masjuki, H.H., Choudhury, I.A., A theory on energy efficiency standards and labels. Energy Conversion and Management 43 (6), TCPHEA, Draft Malaysian Standard of Energy labeling for electric fan in Malaysia, No: 02E003R0. Technical Committee on Performance of Household Electrical Appliances of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thorne, J., An evaluation of comprehension and use of the US energy guide label: lesson for effective program design. Proceedings of Domestic Use of Electrical Energy Conference, Cape Town, South Africa. See / Truffer, B., Markard, J., W.ustenhagen, R., Eco-labeling of electricity strategies and tradeoffs in the definition of environmental standards. Energy Policy 29 (11), Wiel, S., McMahon, J.E., Energy-Efficiency Labels and Standards: a Guidebook for Appliances, Equipment and Lighting. Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP), Washington DC.