Industry
On 8th December, 2019, Algeria’s energy efficiency agency APRUE (Agence Nationale pour la Promotion et la Rationalisation de l'Utilisation de l'Energie) organized a seminar in Algiers on the efficiency of household appliances. Algerian household energy consumption has doubled over the past 10 years.
According to the European NGO Cool Products for a Cool Planet, “water heaters and heaters are responsible for the same quantity of greenhouse gas emissions as the entire transport sector”.
Energy label awareness and eco-friendly design are gaining ground among consumers, manufacturers and authorities on the southern edge of the Mediterranean. It’s a positive trend, but the efforts being made are sometimes thwarted by the increasing number of imported appliances with dubious certifications. Since 2009, the Algerian authorities have required energy labelling for certain products (refrigerators, air conditioners...) and energy-saving regulations impose norms for energy consumption.
But on the ground, the checks and controls remain inadequate. According to Mustapha Zebdi, chairman of the Algerian consumer association APOCE, “80% of appliance labelling does not conform to standards.” A survey carried out by the association revealed that 50% of people do not know what an energy label is.
The implementation of regular and thorough checks seems to be vital in order to avoid consumers being misled and worthy manufacturers finding themselves faced with an uneven playing field. As things stand today, manufacturers carry out their own checks and importers produce certificates of conformity of dubious value.
According to the European NGO Cool Products for a Cool Planet, “water heaters and heaters are responsible for the same quantity of greenhouse gas emissions as the entire transport sector”.
Energy label awareness and eco-friendly design are gaining ground among consumers, manufacturers and authorities on the southern edge of the Mediterranean. It’s a positive trend, but the efforts being made are sometimes thwarted by the increasing number of imported appliances with dubious certifications. Since 2009, the Algerian authorities have required energy labelling for certain products (refrigerators, air conditioners...) and energy-saving regulations impose norms for energy consumption.
But on the ground, the checks and controls remain inadequate. According to Mustapha Zebdi, chairman of the Algerian consumer association APOCE, “80% of appliance labelling does not conform to standards.” A survey carried out by the association revealed that 50% of people do not know what an energy label is.
The implementation of regular and thorough checks seems to be vital in order to avoid consumers being misled and worthy manufacturers finding themselves faced with an uneven playing field. As things stand today, manufacturers carry out their own checks and importers produce certificates of conformity of dubious value.
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A complex organization.
The stakes are considerable. According to the APRUE, replacing the household appliances currently in use with more energy-efficient models could reduce Algerian household electricity consumption by 36%.
Algeria already has a private body specialized in measuring the energy efficiency of lighting systems. A national metrology and testing laboratory was also launched recently. According to Algérie Presse Service, the director-general of the APRUE, Mohamed Salah Bouzeriba, would like to see it take charge of “all aspects of the energy dossier.”
Monitoring the veracity of label information requires a complex organization. For the French energy management agency the ADEME, France has strict and constantly evolving measures regarding technical standards, in line with European eco-design regulations. These measures allow for the withdrawal from the French market of products deemed inefficient. The ADEME is offering to put its expertise at the disposal of its Mediterranean partners, with the ADEME and the APRUE already cooperating through the MEDENER (Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management).
Algeria already has a private body specialized in measuring the energy efficiency of lighting systems. A national metrology and testing laboratory was also launched recently. According to Algérie Presse Service, the director-general of the APRUE, Mohamed Salah Bouzeriba, would like to see it take charge of “all aspects of the energy dossier.”
Monitoring the veracity of label information requires a complex organization. For the French energy management agency the ADEME, France has strict and constantly evolving measures regarding technical standards, in line with European eco-design regulations. These measures allow for the withdrawal from the French market of products deemed inefficient. The ADEME is offering to put its expertise at the disposal of its Mediterranean partners, with the ADEME and the APRUE already cooperating through the MEDENER (Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management).
