The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE) Standards and Labelling (S&L) Programme introduced a globally proven policy measure in 2016 to save energy. The programme, found in over 80 countries, removes inefficient technologies and transforms markets to more efficient products. In South Africa, large residential appliances have been selected to meet minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) - refrigerators, laundry, dishwashers, AC, geysers, ovens & standby on AV equipment.

The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) regulates the programme under VC9006 & 9008 and requires proof of MEPS conformity as part of the Letter of Authority (LoA) application process. To streamline and modernise the application procedure the NRCS Electrotechnical business unit is launching an online product registration database for the energy efficiency component of LoA applications. This will be done through a series of webinars, starting 3 August 2020.

The NRCS registration database webinars will focus on cooling appliances (3 Aug); laundry and dishwashers (5 Aug); ovens, geysers and audio-visual appliances (7 Aug), and a final (reserve) day on the 11th of August for anyone who was not able to attend the previous week or assist with questions.

Training will consist of two sessions. The morning session will start at 09h00 with the NRCS General Manager welcoming participants, explain how the rollout will occur and answer industry questions. The demonstration and training of an LoA application will commence thereafter until 11h00. Participants will then be encouraged to submit dummy applications. The training will reconvene at 15h00 for a Q&A and problem-solving session. Participants should ensure that they have access to an energy efficiency test report for the training session.

The webinars are supported by the EU SA partners for growth programme. Companies who are subject to VC9006 and 9008 are encouraged to register for the webinars by referring to the attached document for links to the webinars.

For more information, refer to the NRCS Announcement and Registration Document (accessible at the top of this article) or email Theo Covary (theo@eusapartners.org) or Lancerlot Riyano (lancerlot.riyano@nrcs.org.za)