Raise energy conservation target for the air conditioners
On 13th January, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) decided the target standard value for wall mounted air conditioners in the Top Runner Program. ANRE raised the target standard value, the APF(Annual Performance Factor) for cooling capacity of 2.2-4.0kw to 6.6, in order to reach the 46% reduction target of greenhouse gas in 2030.
The target year is set to be FY2027, taking into account five years for two development cycles of household air conditioners, from the effective year of public notice scheduled in FY2022.
It was agreed at the Energy Conservation Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Advisory body of METI), “Standard of judgment working group for air conditioners and electric water heater equipment” (WG, Eiji Hihara, Specially appointed Professor, Research and Development Department, National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education) held on the same day of 13th January.
Regarding the products with cooling capacity of 2.2-5.6kw, there were a certain number of opinions supporting APF 6.3 which is a lower standard at the meeting. However, the committee members finally decided on APF 6.6 by majority vote. There have been specified dimensions for indoor units with lower than 4.0kw capacity and manufacturers have been aiming APF4.9-5.8 according to the specified sizes of the indoor units, but they will aim for APF6.6 regardless of the dimensions in the draft of new standards.