Clean Energy Ministerial’s SEAD Initiative advances West Africa regional appliance energy efficiency initiative

In collaboration with UNEP’s en.lighten Initiative, CLASP, as Operating Agent of the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) initiative under the Clean Energy Ministerial, delivered a workshop on improving appliance energy efficiency in the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The workshop supported the ECOWAS Energy Efficiency Policy Framework announced in 2012. ECOWAS – which includes Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone – is working to create a coordinated regional framework of appliance energy efficiency policy, reducing costs for participating governments by sharing resources and replicating successes.

Hosted by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the workshop featured two technical analyses conducted under the SEAD Initiative:

  • A comprehensive assessment on ECOWAS’ institutional capacity and policy framework (completed in collaboration with Econoler); and
  • The energy savings potential from implementing regional standards and labeling policies (completed in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory).

Initial SEAD analysis suggests that the ECOWAS region could save more than 60 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year by 2030 by adopting best practice efficiency standards for primary appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, lighting, and other equipment. To put this figure into perspective, 60 TWh is nearly as much electricity as was consumed by the entire ECOWAS region in 2011.

SEAD’s efforts to advance this regional S&L initiative can result in multiple benefits. The energy savings achieved through more efficient appliances may mitigate peak loads and related power cuts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and deliver financial savings, boosting sustainable development.

Read more about the workshop at CleanEnergyMinisterial.org.

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