After making star ratings mandatory for refrigerators and air conditioners, the government is mulling making manufacturers put the efficiency indicator on
personal computers (PCs),
laptops, photocopiers, printers, fax machines and set top boxes to reflect the energy consumption by these products.
"The government is mulling adding more products to the list of products that will have to comply with star ratings to show the energy consumption of these products. This includes desktops, laptops and office products like photocopiers, fax machines and printers," Alok Bhardwaj, vice president, Manufacturers' Association of IT Industry (MAIT) told MAIL TODAY. MAIT is the apex body representing the IT, communications technology and electronics hardware manufacturing industry in the country.
According to Bhardwaj, these products consume a lot of energy as users keep them on for more than six to eight hours per day, both at homes and in offices. By rating these products the government will ensure better energy efficiency for these products.
According to the proposal, the government will initially put these products in the voluntary list. After six months, the Centre will make it mandatory for these products to sport the star ratings.
The labelling programme for energy efficiency, popularly known as star labelling, is an initiative undertaken by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the ministry of power. Star ratings determine the amount of power used by consumer durable items.
With every rise in the number of stars, energy efficiency improves by 20 per cent.
At present, star labelling is mandatory for four products - frost-free refrigerators, ACs, tubular fluorescent lights and distribution transformers. It had come into effect from January, 2010.
According to an official at the power ministry, by 2012-end the government plans to take the number of mandatory products to 11 while adding 21 more products to the voluntary list.
Courtesy: Mail Today 
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