National Cooling Strategy

Country / jurisdiction: Rwanda · Year: 2019 · Status: In force · Level: National · Type: Voluntary

The National Cooling Strategy (NCS) provides context and identifies priority interventions to optimally address Rwanda’s growing needs for space conditioning and refrigeration, in keeping with Rwanda’s green growth pathway. The number of new households connected to the national grid has doubled over the last five years and is expected to reach 52% of all households by 2024, while ensuring universal access to electricity through off-grid and on-grid solutions. Using a variety of approaches to meet cooling demand (beyond equipment alone, such as use of shading, better insulation, natural ventilation, and so on), while reducing the amount of electricity wasted from refrigerators and air conditioners, will help residents and businesses to save money on their utility bills, which makes cooling more affordable for more people. A strategic approach will free up electricity for more households and businesses to be connected to the grid using existing generating capacity, allow greater use of refrigeration to preserve food and medicine (which helps farmers, consumers and patients), enable business to be more productive, and provide a better learning environment for studies.

The NCS includes MEPS (based on ISO 16958-1) for:

Ductless Split Air Conditioners

Self-Contained Air Conditioner (with also labelling requirements)

Refrigerators (with also labelling requirements)

Moreover, it includes testing methods requirements and refrigerants requirements.

Official source: https://environment.gov.rw/fileadmin/Environment_Subsector/Laws__Policies_and_Programmes/Rwanda_National_Cooling_Strategy.pdf