Energy Saving Labeling Program

To promote the popularization of highly efficient machinery, equipment, and other items that have achieved Top Runner standard values through manufacturers' efforts, providing consumers with information is essential.

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For this end, to further facilitate the popularization of energy-efficient equipment, the Energy Efficiency Standards Subcommittee of Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy (currently the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy) held discussions toward the establishment of the best labeling program (Energy saving Labeling Program) in Japan. These discussions resulted in a decision to have four items shown on the label, including a symbol used to show the degree that energy saving standards had been achieved, energy saving standard achievement rate, energy consumption efficiency, and the target fiscal year. The discussions also led to a decision that the JIS should devise the energy saving labeling program.

 

Following this, the “JIS Energy Saving Labeling Committee” assembled a first draft and the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee’s Committee on Electricity and Electronics approved the draft. Subsequently, in August 2000, the labeling program was established as a JIS standard and the energy saving labeling program was launched. During initial phases, the energy saving labeling program targeted five product categories, including air conditioners, lighting equipment for fluorescent lamp(s), TV sets, electric refrigerators, and electric freezers, but in 2003, five additional product items were added, including space heaters, gas cooking appliances, gas water heaters, oil water heaters, and electric toilet seats. Additional product items, including computers, magnetic disk units, and transformers later followed. With the subsequent addition of three more including microwave ovens, electric rice cookers, and DVD recorders in 2007, the addition of two more items, routers and switching units, in 2010, and then three more including electric water heaters, self-ballasted LED lamps, and AC motors in 2013, the energy saving labeling program now covers 21 product items.

 

Participation in the energy saving labeling program is a voluntary scheme based on the JIS system, and labeling is required to be indicated on the participants’ catalogues and products themselves. The system is now actively utilized in manufacturers’ catalogs among other things. Such labeling is also permitted on packaging, products themselves, tags and so forth other than catalogues.