On 7-8 August, United for Efficiency (U4E), the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, and the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) jointly organised the Training of Trainers workshop in Bindura, Zimbabwe, as part of the national implementation of SADC Harmonized MEPS for cooling appliances. The goal was to build technical capacity so that participants could also provide training to a broad audience at the planned regional workshop and ensure the smooth implementation of MEPS in the country.
The workshop is part of the project to implement SADC harmonised MEPS for air conditioners and residential refrigeration appliances (cooling products) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is funded by the United Kingdom (UK) Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). According to Madeleine Edl, Energy Efficiency Expert at U4E, Zimbabwe is considered a role model in implementing MEPS in the SADC region. “For this reason, we are keen to provide additional support to Zimbabwe to ensure improved implementation of MEPS”, she said in an interview with The Herald.
Representatives from Government departments and the local press attended the training workshop. After the Training of Trainers, a series of capacity-building workshops will be conducted in three regions, namely Bulawayo, Mutare, and Harare, targeting all stakeholders in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.
Additionally, Zimbabwe’s Ozone Office has just received funding for a project that includes raising awareness of MEPS as a very important activity. Awareness raising will be targeted at importers and local manufacturers of refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) appliances. Training and awareness raising are targeted at customs officers.
MEPS Implementation in Zimbabwe
Through the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), the country has banned the importation of HCFC-based appliances.
According to a 2020 U4E assessment, Zimbabwe is projected to save a substantial US$29 million in electricity bills by 2030, thanks to improved energy efficiency and the use of climate-friendly cooling appliances. This translates to a significant saving of 290 GWh (gigawatt hour), or 290 million KWh.
Regional harmonisation
As part of the regional harmonisation project at SADC, Eswatini and Zimbabwe have taken the lead by adopting the SADC Harmonised MEPS on a voluntary basis. Botswana and South Africa are also making significant progress in this direction, demonstrating the collective commitment to improving energy efficiency in the region.
The benefits of harmonising MEPS include:
- The reduction of trade barriers and implementation costs.
- Sharing of best practices across countries.
- Increased availability of more efficient products using lower-GWP refrigerants, reducing compliance costs and oversight challenges.
Additionally, it may reduce air pollution and enable greater grid stability.
“Harmonising MEPS for the region results in collaboration, effective implementation, and unified measures. Vast opportunities lie in cost-effectiveness and improved energy efficiency in refrigerants and air conditioning products as we transition to lower global warming potential efficiency”, said Ms Edl. “We started collaborating in 2021 with the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to develop harmonised MEPS and to adopt cooling systems without harming the planet”, she concluded.
For more information, please contact Mr Mzwandile Thwala (mzwandile.thwala@un.org).