Fan regulations under review to increase energy efficiency by Expert Group

The federal government is investigating a range of policy options to increase the energy efficiency of new fans sold in Australia.

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS), which will be released for public comment mid 2016, is currently being prepared with the main focus on non-domestic fan units used in commercial and industrial applications.

Fan industry data was compiled by the Expert Group who worked closely with industry stakeholders to gather information on fans driven by electric motors with a fan motor input power in the range of 125 Watts to 500 kW. This information was used by Expert Group to undertake Cost-benefit modelling and prepare a report to inform the consultation RIS for potential minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) on fan units.

The project is being managed by Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the national Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Committee which coordinates the development of energy labelling and MEPS.

The E3 Committee is chaired by the federal Department of Science and Industry and the primary policy options being considered include fan efficiency regulations similar to those implemented in the European Union in 2013 (Tier 1 efficiency levels) that have continued to evolve with new targets to be set for 2020 (Tier 3 efficiency levels).