Newsletter Issue 14 February 2021
Project Manager’s Message
Happy New Year wishes to you all. 2020 was a year of momentous experiences and significant change, and so too for the S&L programme!
The hard lockdown imposed by the President at the end of March 2020 coincided with the end of the Global Environment Facility’s financial support of the Programme. This double ‘whammy’ impacted on the momentum of the Programme, but I am pleased to report that this did not stop us and under the circumstances significant progress was made during the second half of 2020. Achievements included a new ‘home’ for the project, the appointment a full time project manager, the launch of the online registration database, and a new partner to provide the project team with financial and technical support – which you can read about below.
On a personal level, my tenure as project manager officially ended on the 31st of March 2020. I would like to thank the DMRE, SANEDI and CLASP for finding a way to ensure my continued involvement so as to allow the work to continue during the pandemic and ultimately ensure an orderly handover. Going forward, I will continue to support the programme on a part time basis, for the remainder of 2021.
Theo Covary
NEW PROJECT MANAGER AND SANEDI
With the S&L project now firmly entrenched within SABS, NRCS, industry and increasingly recognized by appliance consumers, the policy owners of S&L (Department of Mineral Resources and Energy) felt it was the appropriate time to transfer the day-to-day management of the Programme to its wholly owned agency – the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), select the SANEDI logo to learn more about the Organisation.
Many of you will be familiar with its General Manager, Mr Barry Bredenkamp who has been a champion of energy efficiency from the 1990’s. An S&L project office, which will report directly to the DMRE, has now been established within his unit and Ms. Ashanti Mogosetsi has been appointed as the project manager. I would like to welcome her and wish her every success. Please click here for ashanti’s bio. to get in touch with the programme's new management, please contact barry or ashanti via their email addresses below.
CLASP SUPPORT TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN STANDARDS AND LABELLING PROGRAMME:
CLASP is an international non-profit organization whose primary objective is to improve the energy and environmental performance of appliances and equipment – select the CLASP logo to learn more about the Organisation.
The S&L programme has engaged regularly with CLASP over the years and we are thrilled to announce that this relationship has been formalized through a memorandum of understanding. Under the cooperation agreement, CLASP will provide technical and financial support to the Programme. Moreover, and as importantly, CLASP’s regional work will strengthen and deepen South Africa’s participation in the ongoing efforts to introduce MEPS and harmonise appliance standards in the SADC region. Find out more here.
ONLINE REGISTRATION DATABASE GOES LIVE!
The project’s plans to introduce the eagerly anticipated online registration database were blown off course when the NRCS’ 17 March 2020 industry workshop had to be cancelled due to the impending lockdown. However, the project team managed to find a solution and training sessions were held in August and September last year. Please be advised of the NRCS’ intention to move all energy efficiency LoA applications to the online system by 1st April 2021. You can access the NRCS notification to industry here.
In closing, I look forward to working and (hopefully) seeing all of you once again in 2021, and truly believe that the programme will grow from strength to strength in its new home at SANEDI under the guidance of Barry and Ashanti. You will be updated in the next newsletter about progress on MEPS strengthening, introducing MEPS to additional electronic apparatus and the review of the energy label. With the USA set to rejoin the Paris Agreement and climate change being a key priority of the incoming administration, 2021 has started in the best possible way for the environment. To underline this sentiment the following article was released while writing the newsletter.
History made: Renewable energy surpassed fossil fuels for European electricity in 2020 read here.
“All the best and thank you for your support,
– Theo Covary