The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has concluded plans to establish a new standard for household refrigerating appliances in the country.
Joseph Odumodu, director-general, SON, said this during a technical committee meeting to review the standards for household refrigerating appliances recently in Lagos.
Odumodu, who was represented by Richard Adewunmi, head, electrical and electronics department, SON, said that one of the challenges facing energy supply in the country, was the challenge of appliances consuming more energy than required, making energy unavailable.
The meeting is an integral part of energy efficiency project on three identified household appliances, which include lighting, refrigerators and air conditioners, Odumodu said.
“The objective is to ensure that consumers will have opportunity on using efficient appliance which will reduce energy consumption by household thereby making energy available to more users. The standard that will be deliberated on today will set minimum performance requirement on refrigerating appliances which include energy consumption,” he said.
In his words, “once the standard is approved, importers and manufacturers will not be allowed to bring in or sell any appliance that falls short of the standard.”
According to him, when the new standard is approved by the standard council of SON, it will become part of the SONCAP project for controlling import of these appliances into the country maintaining that, it will also serve as the MANCAP for made in Nigeria refrigerating appliances.
He added that SON will organise a stakeholders’ meeting with manufacturers, importers, marketers and user of the appliance in order to publicise the new standard.
“I will like to use this opportunity to appreciate the UNDP for funding the project and citing the test facility in SON and to assure all experts invited to be part of this technical committee, that the document you will come up with will be put to maximum use for the benefit of Nigerians and the power sector.
“I am pleased to inform you that the test equipment required for testing the refrigerating appliance based on this new standard has been acquired and paid for by the UNDP and engineers that will use the equipment already trained. The equipment will be shipped to Nigeria before the end of the year,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the National Programme Coordinator, UNDP, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Nigeria Energy Efficiency Programme, Etiosa Uyigue stated that the overall objective of the initiative is to improve the energy efficiency of series of end-use appliances used in the residential and public sectors in the nation through sensitisation and awareness creation; support for formulation of appropriate policy guidelines; establishment of energy efficiency testing laboratories; human and institutional capacity building and creation of enabling environment for increased penetration of energy efficient appliances.
“The project has been designed to increase access to energy, while mitigating greenhouse gases emission. It is supported by GEF and implemented by the Energy Commission of Nigeria for energy efficiency and conservation,” he stressed.
He also said the project is pivoted on four main pillars which is to set up minimum energy performance standards for appliances used in the country; to assist the Nigerian government in the enforcement of energy efficiency policies and laws through setting up of internationally accredited energy efficiency testing centres.
He noted that the project has made significant achievements since the inception by supporting SON to develop the minimum energy performance standards for compact fluorescent lamps saying that, the standard for lighting has since been approved by the Nigerian Standard Board now enforceable in the country.
