The Quality Assurance and Testing Center 3 (QUATEST 3) has received and put into use a test equipment system to test energy efficiency of air conditioners. This equipment system is sponsored by the International Cooperation Agency of Japan (JICA) and installed in the new experimental headquarters of QUATEST 3 in Cat Lai Industrial Zone, Ho Chi Minh City.

This activity is part of the project “Strengthening the System and Operating the Standards and Conformation on energy saving and energy labeling”.

According to Mr. Ngo Quy Viet (General Director of General Department of Standardization, Metrology and Quality), the project under the framework of Vietnam – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was approved by the two governments. This project helps to establish a network of energy saving testing laboratories serving the national target program on economical and efficient use of energy in Vietnam. In the time to come, the project will concentrate on training, operation and evaluation of laboratories.According to regulations on energy labeling, starting July 01, 2013, domestic appliances are obligatory to bear energy efficiency label. The businesses having products in the energy labeling list need to deliver their products to testing centers to test energy efficiency. This is the first step in the procedure of application for dossier of energy labeling for products.

In Vietnam, there are currently 5 domestic testing centers, including: Quality Assurance And Testing Center 1 (QUATEST 1- Hanoi); Quality Assurance And Testing Center 2 (QUATEST 2 – Da Nang); Quality Assurance And Testing Center 3 (QUATEST 3 - HCMC); Ho Chi Minh City Technical Center of Standards Metrology, and Quality and Testing and Verification Center for Industry under Institute of Energy and Mining Machines (Vinacomin – Hanoi).

The list of products assigned to be tested by 5 domestic testing centers is ensured to have 7 target product groups, including air conditioners, fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, ballasts of fluorescent lamps, electric motors, electric fans, electric rice cookers and refrigerators.

Particularly, air conditioners have only been tested at the Testing and Verification Center for Industry under Institute of Energy and Mining Machines (Vinacomin – Hanoi) and 2 foreign testing centers authorized by MOIT in Bangkok, Thailand and Seoul, Korea.

The assigned testing centers are required to comply with regulations, requirements of relevant agencies. Simultaneously, they also have to ensure the quality of equipment, infrastructure and testing capacity; perform periodic or random reporting to Department of Energy about energy efficiency of products registered for testing.