MEPS Standards For Air Conditioners Will Boost Nigeria’s Economy – FG

Federal government has said the newly approved Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners will boost Nigerian economy as well as benefit the country’s environment.

The director-general of Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, made this known in his remarks at a stakeholders’ workshop for project achievement, which also aims to present the content of the approved MEPS air conditioners in Abuja on Tuesday.

The event was organised by the ECN in partnership with Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC) for maximum utilization of this resource.

The ECN in collaboration with others has been implementing the project “Scaling up Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria’s National Determined Contribution Revision” since 2022, which demonstrates that the MEPS air conditioners standards have the potential to enhance energy savings, reduced energy demand, and increased energy access.

“The ECN has been implementing the Project since 2022, with the objective to accelerate the use of energy efficient air conditioners with climate friendly refrigerants used in residential, commercial and public buildings aligning with Nigeria’s climate targets in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

“There is the need to communicate the success made in this Project to the Nigerian public, specifically creating awareness on the new air conditioner energy standards, as stakeholders in Nigeria, especially critical stakeholders like the national regulatory bodies, manufacturers and importers of air conditioners need to be aware about the standards,” he said.

He pointed out that a workshop will be held to present the content of the newly approved MEPS to stakeholders, including manufacturers and importers of air conditioners as well as to showcase the project’s achievements and create awareness about the new air conditioner energy standards. The workshop will also present recommendations for a Waste Management Mechanism for air conditioners and domestic refrigerators.

Abdullahi attributed the project’s success to the productive partnership with the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), the National Ozone Office of the Federal Ministry of Environment, and the UNEP even as he expressed appreciation for the financial support provided by the CCC and the technical assistance provided by the UNEP.

The acting director of Energy Transition and Linkages of ECN, Dr. Shehu Mustafa  emphasised that the project’s objectives are also to present recommendations for a Waste Management Mechanism for air conditioners and domestic refrigerators in Nigeria.

Mustafa urged  stakeholders to work together to strengthen Nigeria’s  energy landscape in order to contribute to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as address climate change which will shape the future of air conditioning and refrigerating standards in Nigeria.

UNEP representative, Jose Carbajosa, who is  Recycling Expert in the Climate Mitigation Branch of UNEP – Paris noted that the project’s overall goal is to accelerate the use of energy-efficient air conditioners with climate-friendly refrigerants used in residential, commercial, and public buildings.

“The objective is to align with Nigeria’s climate targets in the nationally determined contributions. Since the beginning of the project, remarkable achievements have been made. Among them is a revision and approval of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards, also called MEPS, for air conditioners,” he said.

He said further that with Nigeria’s new MEPS for air conditioners, the stage is set to have 11.5 Tera Watt of energy annually by 2040, which will transform Africa and make Nigeria a leader in the sector in the continent.

“Nigeria is not only lowering costs for consumers, but also leading the way forward. This transition will have a meaningful contribution to meet the climate change targets defined in Nigeria’s nationally determined contribution,” he added.

The director general of SON, Dr. Okeke Ifeanyi , who was represented by Lawal Ismaila, emphasised  that SON  will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure that standards are reviewed and updated to reflect changes in government policies and international best practices.