Yemisi Izuora
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has commissioned a Bioclimatic Testing Chamber for Air Conditioners to ensure that air conditioners manufactured in the country or imported meet quality standards and efficiency to help consumers reduce and save energy costs.
The facility commissioned on September 21st at the SON Laboratory Complex in Ogba, Lagos is supported by the European Union (EU) and BMZ within the framework of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP). The NESP is a technical assistance programmes, co-founded by the EU and the BMZ and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP).
According to SON once the facility is fully operational there would be improvement in the quality and efficiency of both domestically manufactured and imported ACs in the Nigerian market. It added that the facility has the potential to reduce electricity demand resulting from cooling in commercial residential and industrial buildings. The facility is equipped to test the seasonal energy ratio cooling capacity of up to 20kw, compressor quality and efficiency of other renewable energy, and other power, pressure, and temperature requirements.
The Director General of SON, Mallam Faouk Salim represented by the Director, Product Certification, Tersoo Orngudwem commended its partners for their effort in supporting the development of the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, assuring them that the agency would utility it for the set goal which is compliance testing.
He said, “SON plans to also expand its efforts through the procurement of equipment for testing the quality and efficiency of other renewable energy and energy-efficient appliances.’
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Temitope Fashedemi on his part applauded SON for its giant stride and charged the organisation to intensify its monitoring and enforcement of the standards to prevent the influx of substandard cooling devices.
Also, the General Manager of Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Adebayo Solebo urged SON to continue to ensure that standards are met in the interest of the consumers.
Commending SON for the facility, the Energy Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Godfrey Ogbeudia said “This initiative is set to accelerate the improvements in the quality and efficiency of ACs in the Nigerian Market, ultimately encouraging private sector investment in the RE/EE sector as a whole”
Also speaking at the event, Duke Benjamin, Head of Programme , NESP in reiterating the programme’s commitment towards continuing its support for SON said, “The programme will provide SON staff with capability building support to conduct regular market surveillance to ensure compliance of manufacturers and importers of RE/EE products to quality and efficiency specifications. ‘
In addition, Jochen Schindelarz, Vice Consul-General of Germany to Nigeria said “It is our firm belief that the facility we are gathered here to commission today will have a profound impact on the quality and efficiency of air conditioners, whether locally manufactured or imported into the Nigerian market. This, in turn, will contribute significantly to Nigerias energy and climate objectives.”