2022.01.11
Did you know this about energy labelling?
Energy labelling was introduced in 1995 on household appliances such as white goods, but has over the years developed to include more energy-using and energy-related products. APPLiAnytt guides you through 25 years of energy labelling up to the new generation of energy labelling in 2021, ahead of our presentation next week. Industry sales by energy class 2021.
The first energy label had energy classes on a scale of A–G with arrows from green to red. In revisions, A+++ has also been used. Around 2005, the Energy Labelling Directive was supplemented by the Ecodesign Directive, which also sets minimum requirements for the energy use of household appliances and other products. In 2021, a major revision of the energy label took place when it went from A+++ to going back to a scale from AG, for several products this meant, for example, that the same product that had an A in the label was now moved down to be marked with a C in the new label.
The effect of energy labelling
By 2020, the regulations for white goods are estimated to have saved a total of 2.6 TWh of electricity in Sweden. Sweden consumes approximately 400 TWh annually. Energy labelling and ecodesign have accounted for half of the EU's energy efficiency targets by 2020. The EU's energy and climate policy targets for 2020 are usually called the 20-20-20 targets. The three main targets have been:
• reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent
• reduction in energy consumption by 20 percent
• increasing the share of renewable energy to 20 percent of all final energy use.
The impact on manufacturers
Energy labelling has continuously driven companies to innovate and develop technology to achieve the best criteria, which has created more energy-efficient products. For manufacturers, it is important that a large market makes decisions at the same time. The EU is a large enough market to provide incentives for manufacturers to continue improving products. In other areas, we see countries that unfortunately try to push for national special rules where no success is achieved with change because the market share in the world for individual countries' special rules in most cases does not affect manufacturers' production.
The impact on consumers
It has become clear to consumers that through the label they can make an active choice to reduce their own energy consumption by choosing energy-efficient products. Within the framework of the industry's own statistics, we continuously see how consumers have chosen energy-efficient products, which we inform about annually. The new upcoming savings will not be achieved unless the development towards lower emissions continues and is accelerated. Here, manufacturers and retailers will probably need to be helpful to consumers in choosing energy-efficient products in order for the goals to be achieved.
Tomorrow's marking
More products will be covered and the EU has supplemented the energy and climate policy goals with new targets for 2030:
• at least 40 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions
• at least 27 percent renewable energy
• at least 27 percent higher energy efficiency.
According to calculations from the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy efficiency will need to account for more than 50 percent of meeting the 2030 climate targets. By 2050, the EU wants to reduce emissions by 80–95 percent compared to 1990 levels.
Next week APPLiAnytt presents Industry sales by energy class 2021 and how the new energy classes for washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers have affected sales in 2021.
Read more at Energy Agency by clicking here!
Matt's Spångberg
