From July Next Year, Dishwasher and Portable Air Conditioner Must Display Energy Efficiency Ratings

Administrative Notice on the Amendment of the 'Efficient Management Equipment Operation Regulations'
Number of Items Subject to Energy Efficiency Rating Management Increased to 40

Dishwashers, portable air conditioners, and large-capacity clothes dryers will be required to display energy efficiency grades (levels 1 to 5) starting from July next year. This expands the number of items managed by energy efficiency grades from 34 to 40.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy recently announced on the 10th that it will begin an administrative notice from the 11th regarding partial amendments to the "Energy Efficiency Management Equipment Operation Regulations," which mainly include the addition of energy efficiency management equipment such as dishwashers and portable air conditioners, whose market penetration has recently increased, and the strengthening of energy efficiency standards for existing managed items such as air purifiers.

With this amendment, ▲ dishwashers, portable air conditioners, and large-capacity clothes dryers will be newly introduced into the energy efficiency grading system ▲ energy efficiency standards will be strengthened for existing managed items such as air purifiers, electric water coolers/heaters, dehumidifiers, and set-top boxes ▲ computers and multifunction devices, which have been managed under the standby power reduction system, as well as direct-type LED lamps and pumps subject to the high-efficiency certification system, will be transferred to the energy efficiency grading system with newly established energy efficiency standards.

The Ministry added items such as dishwashers, whose consumer demand has rapidly increased to over 450,000 units in a short period, and portable air conditioners, whose demand has risen due to the increase in single-person households, through this administrative notice. The currently managed clothes dryers will have their application scope expanded to include standard drying capacities up to 25kg, the same as washing machines, thereby strengthening power consumption management for large-capacity home appliances.

Efficiency standards for existing items will also be strengthened. From January next year, the efficiency grade standards and minimum energy efficiency standards for four items?air purifiers, electric water coolers/heaters, dehumidifiers, and set-top boxes?will be raised to secure differentiation for high-efficiency products and promote the market exit of low-efficiency products.

For air purifiers, the management scope will be expanded to include DC products and network products, and the level 1 standard will be raised by 10%. Instant electric water coolers/heaters will switch from the existing grading system to a minimum energy efficiency standard system, and storage-type electric water coolers/heaters will raise the minimum energy efficiency standard (level 5 standard) by 8% compared to the current standard. For dehumidifiers, the term "measured dehumidification capacity," which is indicated on the label, will be changed to "daily dehumidification amount," a concept that consumers can intuitively understand, and the level 1 standard will be raised by 4%, and the level 2 standard by 15%. For set-top boxes, the current standard, which requires meeting either the active standby mode or passive standby mode efficiency standard, will be revised to require meeting both active and passive standby mode standards, thereby strengthening power consumption management during standby and improving consumer convenience. Additionally, minimum energy efficiency standards will be partially raised in line with market technological developments.

New efficiency standards will also be established for items transferred to the system. Computers and multifunction devices, which have been managed under the standby power reduction program, will be transferred to the mandatory energy efficiency grading system starting from July next year. Minimum energy efficiency standards for annual power consumption will be set for computers, and efficiency grade standards will be assigned to multifunction devices based on their weekly power consumption, allowing comprehensive management of standby power and power consumption during use.

Furthermore, among items under the voluntary high-efficiency certification system, direct-type LED lamps (with external converters) and pumps will be transferred to the energy efficiency grading system starting from July next year to strengthen power consumption management and promote the development of efficiency improvement technologies.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "To reduce the burden on consumers and the industry regarding the revision of the notification, we have prepared the draft for revising efficiency standards through years of stakeholder consultations and public hearings. We plan to provide a grace period of more than six months until the first implementation of the system to allow for the production of products that meet the raised standards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.