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Untitled Document
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| IRG - ECO ASIA |
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| Introduction |
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| ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program (CDCP) works to catalyze policy and finance a solution for clean energy in Asia’s largest developing economies through targeted technical assistance and training, regional cooperation and knowledge sharing. The program is helping Asia’s fastest growing economies meet their energy needs through initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance energy security. The program works in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Program activities in India are to promote clean development, foster economic growth, and enhance energy security. ECO-Asia is working with Indian partners particularly on initiatives that improve the quality of energy efficient lamps, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, and increase financing of energy efficiency projects. Activities are funded by USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia and by the US State Department through the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
To further sustain and establish the market of quality CFLs and get rid-of shoddy CFLs particularly from the Asia-pacific countries (which are largest producer & consumer of CFLs), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Eco-Asia has taken a lead role in finding ways and means to address this issue. Eco-Asia has worked intensely with major CFLs manufacturers and with other stake holders on Voluntary policy decisions, helps discouraged manufacture & sale of poor quality CFLs, make available good quality CFLs and further improve the quality, sold across the various regions. It was materialized by working together and agreeing to sign a pact on “Asia CFL Quality charter”. This charter will address the problem of shoddy lamps and weeding-out poor quality CFLs from the production & sale and win the confidence of consumers. It will also add to a spectacular growth of sale of CFLs in the regions. One of the mission & objectives of USAID Eco-Asia on Clean Development & Climate Program (CDCP) was to promote policy and market intervention in order to facilitate increased investment in clean technology & energy that leads to expansion and scale-up. As a part of this task, VOICE was assigned a research study to conduct testing of various CFLs from Asia & pacific countries on Quality and Mercury contents to address the issues of Clean Development & Climate Change Program. |
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| Scope of the study |
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| To test CFLs of various brands/models of six countries for quality and Mercury contents.
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| Objectives |
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| Scope of work defining activities to be undertaken is as under: |
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To promote policy & market Intervention to facilitate increased investment in Clean Technologies to lead to expansion & scale up. |
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To support the benchmarking of CFL quality in Asia pacific countries. |
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To promote the regional harmonization of CFL test procedure and standards.. |
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To further improve the quality of CFLs manufactured in India and other countries. |
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Benchmarking of Hg contents in CFLs across the World |
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| Tasks and activities |
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| VOICE proposed following activity plan to USAID, ECO Asia CDCP project on testing of various CFLs : |
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Finalization of test parameters, method (Indian Brands) & external brands and finalize laboratory for testing. |
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Sharing of test program with ELCOMA / ELCOMA with their members. |
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Finalize brands to be tested in consultation with ELCOMA as per ECO Asia purchase plan. |
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Holding of in-house Technical Committee Meeting with ELCOMA, Lab & others stake holders. |
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Sample purchase from various locations (as per sample plan). |
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Coding & masking of samples & transportation to Labs for Quality & Hg contents. |
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Transportation of sample purchased for testing at China & Australia. |
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Finalize testing schedule with labs to commence testing. |
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Periodical monitoring of testing. |
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Sharing of initial & Hg test results with USAID ECO Asia Team |
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Completion of testing & verify Draft Test Reports for finalization with Lab. |
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Sharing of test results with manufacturers & settle clarifications (Indian Brands only) in consultation with ELCOMA. |
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Evaluation of test report & technical write-up in consultation with USAID ECO Asia. |
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Transformation & translation of technical to editorial write-up for publishing. |
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Publishing of test results in Consumer VOICE & dissemination of test results. |
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Preparation of project report. |
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| Outcome of the study |
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| Based on the various findings of the testing on Quality & Mercury, major cause of concern on the quality of CFLs (where lamps mainly from other partner countries) did not meet the minimum intended requirements for Initial Lumen & so Efficacy. For Lumen Maintenance and life upto 2000 hrs, non-conformity and failure rate was quite high in the CFLs from other countries that need urgent attention to address the issue of Clean Energy & Technologies. Regulatory agencies in these countries are urged to deal with the manufacturers in improving the quality of their CFLs so as to meet the minimum laid down requirements. They also need to further improve the quality to minimize the failure rate which is currently quite high, even at 2000 hrs of testing.
Concerning Quality of CFLs tested from Indian brands, all meet both IS & IEC requirements (except very few lamps on LM test experts) and taking care of reasonable quality of CFLs sold in India where consumers can trust upon. Though there is a large price gap in some of the brands, but performance is quite satisfactory, irrespective of price gap in most of the brands, an indicator of the quality.
About mercury (Hg) contents in all the CFLs as tested, there is an urgent need to standardize the limits of Mercury in CFLs as in some CFLs , the quantity was much above 10 mg in some models from other countries which is a cause of concern. Hence, based on the levels of Hg found in majority of lamps, it could be fixed to about 5 mg/CFL.
Since results of the batches of various models & brands of Indian lamps had Hg content around 5mg , it is not a major cause of concern from environment point of view. Hence countries need to align the level of mercury contents with the multinational companies who have up to great extent, controlled the mercury level and have brought consistency in the contents.
About lamp failure at initial stage of 100 hrs of aging where some of the lamps from batches of some of the countries have failed which indicate poor manufacturing process. On Wattage of CFLs where some manufactures which seems local & small players who do not care about what wattage of lamp are manufactured and are rated. Regulatory bodies monitoring sale and distribution of CFLs in their respective countries need to carefully monitor and verify the reliability of CFLs and entire quality control measure..
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