Energy Efficiency Programs - Alive and Well in Brazil

Mention Brazil and one might think of Rio de Janeiro, Carnaval, soccer (the country has won the World Cup four times – more than any other country!), or the Amazon River, the world’s mightiest. Not many people would equate Brazil with having an aggressive energy efficiency program.

Well, it turns out that energy efficiency is not a recent event but has been a part of the Brazilian experience for many years. Mr. Green and the other delegates at the International Standby Conference in New Delhi, India, were brought up to speed on Brazil’s efficiency initiatives by Alexandre Novgorodcev of the country’s National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (INMETRO).

Brazil’s National Program of Electric Energy Conservation started back in 1985, and its “PROCEL” label was created three years later. The voluntary label (shown at right) was offered as a way to distinguish the most efficient products in a particular category. Originally focused on home appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, and air conditioners,) the PROCEL label is now taking aim at labeling consumer electronic products such as set-top boxes, computer monitors, DVDs, and TVs.

With over 10 million sets purchased in the country in 2007, it’s understandable that TVs and their standby power were addressed first. INMETRO estimates that the average standby per Brazilian TV is ~ 4.3 W. The program goal is to reduce TV standby per set to ≤ 1 W (harmonizing with standards from other countries), saving approximately 239.4 GWh of energy annually. Mr. Novgorodcev concluded his presentation by saying that recent measurements show that TV standby power levels have dropped since INMETRO began working with manufacturers in 2005 on the voluntary labeling plan.

But Brazil isn’t taking any chances on missing their goal. Thanks to the government’s recent Energy Efficiency Law Number 10.295, the PROCEL voluntary labeling program is becoming mandatory. So, starting in July of this year, all TVs sold in Brazil must wear the standby efficiency label. Similar to recent actions taken in other countries (see Energy Boy Gets Some Muscle), sometimes a little “mandatory” insurance is required to guarantee results.

 Original from  http://www.powerint.com/wordpress/?page=96