Environment and Water Minister Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd has officially launched Emirates Energy Efficient Scheme for Domestic Air Conditioning Sector.
Bin Fahd, who is also Chairman of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), said in Dubai that the move was in line with the international practices for rationalising power consumption by formulating appropriate legislations and standards for air conditioning systems.
Bin Fahd cited recent studies as proving that 70 per cent of power supply in the UAE is consumed by the Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sector.
He revealed that UAE imported over 400,000 air conditioners in 2010 only.
"Alarmed by these numbers, ESMA started a programme to encourage the use of highly efficient home appliances. The first phase of the programme will see it implemented on air conditioners. Other phases will witness the programme implementation on refrigerators and freezers in 2012 and washing machines in 2013," he added.
Bin Fahd said a new "Energy Efficiency Rating" label will be placed on the air conditioners, using the 1 to 5 stars rating. The higher the number of stars, the more efficient the AC is.
He said that ACs that do not comply with the new requirements will not be allowed into the country.
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