Energy Efficiency in residential and services sectors

The project’s objectives, main results and implemented activities in Jordan and Tunisia were presented, including: preparing comprehensive reports on the mapping of energy use in buildings, developing a digital platform for the household appliances’ energy performance labeling system in Tunisia, preparing a media campaign to strengthen the labeling system in Jordan, developing a methodology for monitoring energy consumption patterns in the housing and services sectors, preparing guidebooks and training materials to support EE promotion, designing a mechanism to replace old refrigerators with highly energy efficient ones in Tunisia, a solar water heater deployment mechanism in Jordan and large-scale deployment of roof thermal insulation in both countries.

The digital platform for the household appliances’ energy performance labeling system in Tunisia was completed. It consists of two applications: an online one for the administration, the national equipment testing laboratory and suppliers. The second, a mobile application for consumers that allows them access to product information using a QR-code. The platform covers refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines. It will integrate other domestic equipment when their labeling system is ready. It also provides a tool for statistics regarding the evolution of the household equipment market and their EE levels.

Participants welcomed the development of this platform and requested its implementation in other countries while considering national context.

The project’s general approach for designing large-scale implementation mechanisms of EE measures was presented. It is based on defining the mechanism's goal, target group, financial barriers, and the financial and non-financial requirements for implementing the mechanism. Then, a proposed mechanism for thermal insulation of existing housing’ roofs in Jordan was presented. It is based on specialized companies, technical controllers, and banks. The financing mechanism is based on a grant and a soft loan. Then, a proposed mechanism was presented for old refrigerators’ replacement with new high EE ones in Tunisia. It is mainly based on suppliers and repairers of refrigerators and recycling centers. The financing mechanism is based on a grant only.

The methodology adopted for mapping energy use in buildings in Jordan and Tunisia was presented, mainly regarding data collection and analysis. The results of the study were then presented highlighting the political and institutional framework related to energy use and efficiency in buildings in both countries. Several successful experiences in rehabilitating existing buildings at the international level were also addressed and the findings and recommendations of the study were presented.

The participants valued the completed study and the level of data details for the different types of buildings in the residential and services’ sectors and stressed the importance of such data to establish well-informed policies and programmes for EE in the building sector.

The proposed methodology for monitoring energy consumption in the residential and LV services sector in Jordan and Tunisia was presented. The session highlighted the motivation to measure energy consumption in buildings and the provided added value of this data to forecast energy supply and consumption and to develop national EE policies, programmes, and instruments in the building sector. The proposed methodology for surveys and energy consumption measurement campaigns in residential buildings and LV service sector buildings in Jordan and Tunisia was then presented.

Participants emphasized the importance of mainstreaming such methodologies in the region, while adapting it to the local context of each country

Status of EE in the building sector in the Arab region and potential prospects were presented. A panel discussed EE programs in the building sector in Jordan and Tunisia, and some activities at the global and regional levels, such as the global initiatives "U4E" and "PEEB", and the regional program "meetMED", highlighting ways to benefit from them. UNECE’ experience was presented, indicating possible partnership with ESCWA. The role of the region’s private sector was also discussed.

Speakers recommended the dissemination of good practices and unification of EE procedures to create an Arab market, the establishment of a network of stakeholders/practitioners, and the coordination of the intervention of relevant actors in the region.