RAISE THE BAR

From consumer incentives to bulk procurement and strict efficiency standards, India has many options to promote efficient appliances

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AS India looks to scale up its energy efficiency ambitions, global experiences offer important lessons. In 1998, Japan introduced the Top Runner Programme, a policy that turned the conventional approach to energy efficiency regulation on its head. Instead of setting arbitrary performance benchmarks for appliances, Japan's strategy was to identify the most energy-efficient product currently available in each appliance category and make that performance level the minimum standard for all manufacturers to meet within a fixed timeframe—typically four to eight years. The logic was simple but powerful. By rewarding manufacturers whose products were ahead of the curve—and by publicly naming those who failed to comply—the policy created a competitive environment that encouraged constant innovation. A 2017 report by the US' Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory cited the success of this model: the energy efficiency of room air conditioners (ACs) in Japan nearly doubled between 1995 and 2005. “Manufacturers want their technology to be the minimum market standard. This set off intense competition between the different players, creating a market that rewarded innovations for improvement in energy efficiency,” says Nikit Abhyankar of the University of California, Berkeley.