USAID and Berkeley Lab Advance Energy Efficiency Standard Revision for Air Conditioners in Ecuador

An update of the current minimum energy performance standard for air conditioners in Ecuador could achieve an avoidance of generation capacity of 240 MWs by 2035 and 460 MWs by 2045, according to a report developed by Berkeley Lab with support of USAID’s Energy Efficiency for Development program (EE4D).  The results of the analysis were presented at a “Cooling Summit” held in Quito on November 15 th , 2023, event organized by USAID, Berkeley Lab and Ecuador’s Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries (MPCEIP) and attended by representatives of government agencies, HVAC industry and the cooling research community.  The report provides a technical assessment supporting the revision and update of the minimum energy performance standard (MEPS) for air conditioners in Ecuador, which was set in 2013.  The methodology used in the report includes the scenario analysis of five different MEPS levels, the estimation of the current AC ownership rate and the projection of the AC stock in Ecuador to 2050. In the context of the electricity crisis caused by the reduction of hydropower during the dry season, the technical assistance provided by EE4D advances energy efficiency as part of the strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the power sector in Ecuador.