From
1 October 2001 it has been mandatory for air conditioners
manufactured in or imported into Australia to meet the MEPS levels
specified in the relevant Australian Standards. When you buy and
use an air conditioner which meets or exceeds these standards you can be
sure you are not unnecessarily contributing to greenhouse emissions.
AREMA and the Equipment Energy
Efficiency Committee (E3 Committee)
The committee was known as the MEPS Process Review
Committee but was renamed when demand management and other areas were
included in its terms of Reference. The committee first met in
Canberra on May 10 2006. The committee is chaired by Government and
consists of industry representatives from AREMA (Steve Anderson), AEEMA,
CESA, GAMAA, AIIA, the Commercial Building Association, Standards
Australia and representatives of the Equipment Energy Efficiency
Program. The committee's role is to oversee future
MEPS processes, insuring that relevant industry sectors are suitable
involved. The committee is a result
of the Department of Environment & Heritage's commitment to develop
a more open and transparent MEPS process, which should provide for more
effective industry consultation and greater certainty at an earlier
stage in the process. See the MEPS
and Energy Labelling Regulatory Process Flowchart agreed to by
the Committee
E3 Committee documents
Minutes of 10 August 2006 meeting
which includes a copy of the committee's Terms of Reference.
A National Strategy to address Air
Conditioner Peak Load - a paper commissioned by the committee.
A Strategy for improving the the
energy efficiency of Non-Residential Heating, Ventilation and
Air-Conditioning Systems - a paper commissioned by the committee.
Other MEPS Information
Press
release by the Federal Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for
Environment & Heritage congratulating the industry on taking action
to benefit consumers and the environment.
Energy
and MEPS ratings of air-conditioners - link to government appliance selector
What
are the MEPS requirements - link to current requirements
There
are substantial penalties for selling or offering to sell at the
wholesale or retail level, appliances which are not labelled in
accordance with the relevant Australian Standard or which do not meet
MEPS requirements. Click here for
penalties as at August 2004.