ECN Begins Nationwide Action To Drive Energy Efficiency

The federal government through the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), has flagged of a nationwide campaign in bid to accelerate the transition to energy-efficient and climate-friendly (low-GWP refrigerant) air conditioners (ACs) in residential, commercial and public buildings which contribute to meeting Nigeria’s climate targets in its National Determined Contribution (NDCs) in a cost effective and sustainable manner.

The campaign kicked off with a one day workshop in Lagos on Tuesday to enhance stakeholders capacity to comply with the newly approved minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for air conditioners in Nigeria.

The programme is in line with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda on enhancing efficiency and fostering the development of renewable energy sources.

Declaring the project open, the director general(DG) of ECN, Dr. Mustapha Abullahi said the workshop would go a long way to enhance stakeholders capacity to comply with the newly approved minimum energy performance standards for air conditioners in Nigeria.

The programme is being implemented under the project ‘Scaling Up Energy-Efficient and Climate- Friendly Cooling in Nigeria NDC Review,’ and executed by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) with technical assistance from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and funding from the Clean Cooling Collaborative.

The DG said, the Energy Commission of Nigeria, as the apex government organ empowered to carry out overall energy sector planning and policy implementation is strategic in creating this re-orientation, to promote the energy efficiency of end-use appliances. To achieve this goal, he said, a cohesive relationship between the Commission and UNEP is essential.

The main objective of the project is to accelerate the transition to energy-efficient and climate-friendly (low-GWP refrigerant) ACs in residential, commercial and public buildings which contribute to meeting Nigeria’s climate targets in its National Determined Contribution (NDCs) in a cost effective and sustainable manner.

Our correspondent reports that one of the key outcomes of the project was the review of the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for air conditioners.

The Technical Committee meeting to review the draft MEPS was held in June 2024 and the standards had since been approved by the Federal Government and has gone further to communicate the contents of the new standards to all relevant stakeholders, including end-users of air conditioners. Among these stakeholders are manufacturers, importers, and distributors, who play a critical role in bringing the product to the market.

To promote compliance with the newly approved MEPS, Abdullahi, said it is essential to build the capacity of these critical stakeholders. In line with this regard, the Commission, in partnership with the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) decided to organise the one-day training workshop.

The workshop is specifically designed to equip manufacturers, importers, and distributors with the necessary knowledge and tools to comply with the new AC MEPS.

Key objectives of the current workshops is to create awareness among critical stakeholders in the AC sector on the newly approved AC MEPS, build the technical capacity of manufacturers, importers and distributors of ACs to ensure effective compliance with the newly approved AC MEPS and provide platform for dialogue , clarification, and feedback to facilitate smooth implementation of the new approved standards as well as strengthen collaboration between SON, ECN and the private sector to support Nigeria’s energy efficiency and climate goals.

He stated that the need for sustainable cooling solutions has never been more critical and as the country strives for economic growth and development, the demand for cooling systems continues to rise.

However, this growing demand comes with significant energy consumption and environmental consequences, he said, adding that it is a collective responsibility to find innovative and sustainable ways to meet the cooling needs of our nation by mitigating climate change without overloading our energy infrastructure.

‘l am confident that, with our shared commitment and collaborative spirit, we will not only achieve our objectives but also set a precedent for other nations to follow.’ he added.