Comparative study on policies for products’ energy efficiency in EU and China

This study presents a provisional analysis of the degree of harmonisation that exists in energy performance regulatory requirements in China and the EU for a select group of products. The report addresses: split room air conditioners, domestic refrigeration appliances, televisions, electric motors, distribution transformers, chillers, commercial refrigerated display cabinets, air handling units, and air compressors. For each product group a systematic, but necessarily somewhat superficial, appraisal has been conducted that considers the degree of harmonisation that exists with regards to: Scope and nature of requirements, Energy performance test procedure, Product categorisation, Energy efficiency metrics, Efficiency levels, China-EU alignment potential. For most of these product types, both China and the EU set minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) with the exception of air handling units in China and air compressors in the EU (although draft regulations exist). For consumer-facing products, the EU and China specify energy labelling, while China also has such labels, or at least energy efficiency grades, for industrial/commercial products, with the exception of air handling units.