DOHA: Conventional air conditioners in the local market will be replaced by energy-saving and environment friendly A/Cs in six months, a senior official of the Ministry of Environment said yesterday.
Dr Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, (pictured) Assistant Undersecretary for laboratory and specifications at the ministry said that conventional A/Cs (both split and window) will not be allowed in the market after September.
He added that new specifications for other electrical equipment such as refrigerators, washing machines, hair driers and irons will be made mandatory by July next year.
The ministry is also planning to stop import of incandescent bulbs in two months, he added.
Al Kuwari said that his department will soon launch an awareness campaign to rationalise the use of electricity as part of a national strategy. “Air conditioners will be monitored and the conventional A/Cs which consume high amount of electricity will be replaced by A/Cs that can save up to 30 percent of energy,” Qatar News Agency quoted Al Kuwari as saying.
“They will be replaced by other types of A/Cs which use advanced technology, save energy and give better cooling. They are also environment friendly because they use gas which does not pollute the environment,” said Al Kuwari.
The new A/Cs will be recognised by what is known as power efficiency ID or strips fixed on them which elaborate the new features. “The new ACs will be costlier by five percent compared to the conventional ones but it will be more durable and energy-efficient,” he said.
In the next two months import of incandescent bulbs (100w and 75w) will be stopped and they will be replaced by energy saving LED bulbs.
“They (incandescent bulbs) consume more electricity and are hot and can cause carbon emission while the new ones are energy-efficient and environment friendly. They are also affordable and long-lasting,” said Al Kuwari.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop held here yesterday on GCC specifications for electrical products.
Addressing the workshop earlier, Al Kuwari said that the new specifications for household appliances that were approved in November last year will be implemented from June. “We will start implementing them in June on a trial basis and they will be made mandatory by July next year,” he said.
He called on all traders and importers to start choosing high quality appliances from now. He pointed out that the poor quality of electrical appliances is one of the main causes of fire.
He said the unified GCC specifications will help in trading and facilitate the flow of electrical products within the region.
The Peninsula
