The Government of the Argentine Republic is pursuing the National Energy Efficiency Standards and Labeling Program, as part of the National Program for Rational and Efficient Use of Energy (PRONUREE). Coordinated by the National Energy Secretariat, the program includes the development and implementation of energy efficiency labels and standards for electric appliances and equipment, including refrigerators and freezers, incandescent and fluorescent lamps, room air conditioners, three phase electrical motors and household washing machines.
Complementary to these activities, the Argentine National Regulatory Agency for Natural Gas (ENARGAS) is developing energy efficiency test procedures and labeling requirements for natural gas household appliances, including domestic cooking ranges and ovens, instantaneous and storage water heaters, room heaters, condensing boilers for water heating and hybrid solar-natural gas water heaters. ENARGAS has the legal authority to mandate both energy efficiency labeling requirements and minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for natural gas equipment in Argentina. Energy efficiency standards and labeling requirements will be integral part of revised mandatory NAG-Standards ("Normas Argentinas de Gas"). NAG-Standards include both safety and minimum energy efficiency requirements of products. As a first step, ENARGAS has completed the draft labeling requirements for domestic cooking ranges and ovens, which are at the moment in public consultation (see here).
Currently, ENARGAS is working on energy efficiency test procedures and labeling requirements for instantaneous and storage gas water heaters. These activities include performance tests realized under an agreement with the National Institute for Industrial Technology (INTI), in accordance with test procedures developed for this purpose. Under another agreement, the National University San Martin (UNSAM) is analyzing the costs and benefits of an early replacement program for gas water heaters.
ENARGAS is also in the process of discussion of the labeling requirements of room heaters.
Analysis carried out by ENARGAS suggests that the Argentine buildings sector could save at least 10 – 14million m3 of natural gas per day. Regarding residential water heaters, ENARGAS estimates that the operation of pilot flames alone results in a natural gas consumption of 3.5 million m3 per day, equivalent to approximately 2 – 2.5 Mt CO2 emissions per year. According to the performance tests carried out so far, 25% of the energy consumption of a typical instanteneous water heater is due to the pilot flame.
All test results and studies carried out so far will be available for review by the expert.