Gas Appliance Energy Efficiency Labelling

5. International Gas Energy Labelling Programs

Internationally the energy focus has tended to be directed toward water heaters, boilers and gas ducted heaters or furnaces with little attention on space heaters, decorative gas log fires and outdoor radiant heaters. Leading countries that have voluntary or mandatory standards or energy labelling programs are summarized below:

Table : Summary of International MEPS and Energy Labelling Programs for Gas Appliances

Gas appliance type	Policy	Australia	New Zealand	US	Canada	Europe	UK	Japan
Water heaters, boilers and combo-boilers	MEPS	Yes, excludes combo and internal storage types	Yes, excludes combo and internal storage types	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Energy Label	Mandatory	Voluntary	Mandatory	Voluntary	Yes	Yes	Mandatory
Ducted heaters, furnaces and central heating systems	MEPS	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	n.a.
	Energy Label	Mandatory	No	Mandatory	Voluntary	No	Voluntary	n.a.
Space and local heaters	MEPS	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Energy Label	Mandatory	No	Yes	Voluntary	No	Voluntary	Mandatory
Gas fireplaces (vented) and decorative gas log fires	MEPS	No	No	No	Some products	No	No	No
	Energy Label	No	No	No	Voluntary	No	No	No

Comparing international efficiency and labelling programs can be complicated as definitions of gas appliance types (i.e. hot water systems, boilers and combi-boilers) and test methods can vary significantly which can be particularly confusing when comparing efficiency values or MEPS levels.

The dominance of the North American manufacturers in the gas appliance industry means many overseas standards and policies have evolved from this region. In the US there is a mandatory labelling requirement for water heaters, boilers, furnaces and other gas appliances under the EnerGuide program. This program is often used in conjunction with MEPS and the ENERGY STAR^® program, which is used as a voluntary high efficiency endorsement label.

The ENERGY STAR^®mark indicates that the product is among the most efficient of its type, either because it is in the top 25% of the range on the market, or because it exceeds the MEPS level by a specified margin. The US EPA and US DOE and NZ EECA are responsible for developing the specifications and consumers are encouraged to use qualified products with state and/or federal financial incentives and/or tax breaks.

Canadian technical gas standards are generally regarded as the most stringent international standards and their energy policies often consist of MEPS in conjunction with a voluntary label. Water heaters use the ENERGY STAR^® label and the technical specification used in Canada is very similar to the requirements to qualify for ENERGY STAR^® in the US. Furnaces, space heaters and gas fireplace (vented) heaters, excluding decorative gas log fires, use a voluntary EnerGuide label which is administered by the Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada in all provinces except Quebec. While Canada is the only country to have labelling and MEPS requirements for gas fireplace heaters, it does not fully cover all fireplace heaters such as decorative appliances.

EU members and the UK generally have MEPS for gas heating appliances, excluding decorative gas log heaters and are prescribed in building directives such as the UK Guide to building regulations which specifies recommended MEPS for individual HVAC appliances for domestic and non-domestic buildings. Some products such as water heaters, boilers and combi-boilers are on the list of appliances to be labelled with a mandatory EU Energy Label according to the 92/75/EC Framework Directive and is complemented with country specific voluntary endorsement labels.

Germany operates the voluntary Blue Angel environmental label scheme for a variety of gas appliances including gas-fired heating devices up to 70 kW, however water heaters are not a category included in the scheme. The UK has a voluntary labelling scheme operated by the Energy Saving Trust with incentives provided under the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme that includes radiant space heaters, central heating products, water heaters and boilers that meet a set of energy-saving criteria.

Japan is unique in that it does not have MEPS and instead operates the Top Runner standards program for selected appliances including water heaters, space heaters and gas cooking appliances. This high efficiency program aims to improve the energy efficiency of appliances by setting target values based on the current highest efficiency level of each type of product instead of a minimum efficiency level. Retailers have a mandatory labelling requirement to display energy consumption and expected electricity costs, and the Top Runner label is voluntary.

In summary the international trend is for the use of voluntary endorsement labels to indicate that products belong to the “most energy efficient” class of products available or meet a predetermined standard or eligibility criteria. However, the merits of voluntary labelling programs are frequently questioned, especially if there is no complementary dis-endorsement label for the poorer performers. To overcome this concern there is a trend for endorsement labels to be linked to financial incentives and/or tax breaks.