Context
Just over one fifth of households in Lesotho have access to electricity. The adoption of energy efficient technologies beyond lighting has consequently been low in Lesotho to date. Opportunities for adoption of efficient products have been limited due to a range of reasons that include high levels of poverty and cultural factors, particularly in rural areas.
Lesotho already participated in the workshop, organized by the Climate Technology Centre and Network, on leapfrogging to energy efficient lighting, appliances and equipment. The need was identified to look at the potential for increasing the energy efficiency of products by providing a technical market assessment of current conditions and policies.
Lesotho’s energy policy articulates efficiency goals at a very high level, whereas regulations designed to realize the goals are lacking.
CTCN Support
Assess the potential for increasing the energy efficiency of products in Lesotho by providing a technical market assessment of current conditions and technologies:
- Validate the data collected by CTCN from stakeholders
- Undertake detailed market assessments and feasibility of implementation
- Develop a technology roadmap and action plan for promotion and adoption of the efficient appliance in the country
- Propose draft minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and labelling for refrigerators, procurement specifications for distribution transformers
- Assist decision-makers and stakeholders to put the draft MEPS for refrigerators and procurement specifications for distribution transformers in practice
- Gather information on financing lines and business models for financing energy-efficient refrigerators and/or distribution transformers
- Develop a proposal for financial/market-based mechanism on energy-efficient refrigerators and/or distribution transformers
Expected Impact
Lesotho has much to gain by adopting energy efficiency standards, regulations and technologies to ensure that, as it expands access to electricity, usage can be guided to be as efficient and therefore affordable as possible. Ideally, such regulations and market levers would be harmonized in the Southern African region to have maximum impact on the technology market.
