Five departments have formulated energy-saving standards in key areas, involving three types of lighting products such as LED downlights.

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the notice on the "Advanced Energy Efficiency Level, Energy Saving Level and Access Level of Key Energy-Consuming Products and Equipment (2022 Edition)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice").

The "Notice" clearly states that with reference to the current mandatory national standards for energy efficiency of relevant key energy-consuming products and equipment, comprehensive consideration of the technological level and development stage of my country's relevant industries, and benchmarking against the advanced energy efficiency levels of similar products and equipment at home and abroad, the energy efficiency levels of relevant products and equipment will be divided into three levels: advanced level, energy-saving level, and access level.

In terms of lighting, the "Notice" lists 20 key energy-consuming products and equipment with three levels of energy efficiency, including LED downlights, non-directional self-ballasted LED lamps, and LED lamps for road and tunnel lighting.

The "Notice" clarifies that the access level is the minimum energy efficiency level threshold for relevant products and equipment to enter the market, and the value is consistent with the limit value of the current relevant energy efficiency standards; the energy saving level is not lower than the current energy efficiency level 2, which is more in line with the requirements of energy conservation and carbon reduction than the energy efficiency access level product equipment, and can be converted into the next stage of access level within 3 to 5 years; the advanced level is not lower than energy efficiency level 1, which is the advanced energy efficiency level that the current relevant products and equipment can achieve.

The energy efficiency testing methods for key energy-consuming products and equipment are those of corresponding national standards, and the coverage will be adjusted and supplemented in a timely manner according to the needs of energy conservation and carbon reduction work. The advanced level, energy-saving level, and access level of energy efficiency of key energy-consuming products and equipment will also be adjusted in a timely manner based on industry technological progress and the formulation and revision of energy efficiency standards to continue to promote the improvement of energy efficiency of key energy-consuming products and equipment.

The "Notice" requires that high-energy-efficiency products and equipment be vigorously promoted. Improve government green procurement-related policies and expand the scope of green procurement products. Incorporate energy-saving products into a unified green product system, and accelerate the establishment of a unified green product labeling, certification and acceptance system.

State-owned enterprises should strengthen energy efficiency management of industrial and supply chains, take the lead in implementing corporate green procurement guidelines, strengthen energy efficiency constraints in procurement, and actively purchase products and equipment with advanced energy efficiency levels. Retail enterprises and e-commerce platforms are encouraged to guide consumers to prioritize the purchase of advanced energy efficiency products and equipment by setting up product areas, adding proprietary logos, and issuing green coupons. Implement preferential corporate income tax policies for energy-saving and water-saving special equipment and projects, and encourage enterprises to give priority to products and equipment with advanced energy efficiency and carry out energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformations.

Support the application proportion of products and equipment that improve advanced levels of energy efficiency, such as green buildings, ultra-low energy consumption, near-zero energy consumption buildings and major transportation infrastructure. When introducing relevant policies and measures to promote consumption, various localities must adhere to a green and low-carbon orientation, encourage the use of subsidies, trade-in, point rewards and other methods to guide residents to purchase products and equipment with advanced energy efficiency. In principle, subsidies shall not be given to products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than the energy-saving level.

The "Notice" makes it clear that the elimination of outdated products and equipment will be accelerated. Energy-saving authorities at all levels must strictly conduct energy-saving review. Enterprises are not allowed to purchase products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than the approved level for new construction, renovation and expansion projects, new projects with an annual energy consumption of 10,000 tons of standard coal or more, and projects that receive financial support from central budget investments. In principle, their main energy-consuming products and equipment are not allowed to purchase products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than the energy-saving level. Priority is given to the purchase of products and equipment that have reached an advanced level of energy efficiency.

Market supervision departments at all levels must intensify quality supervision, prohibit the production and sales of products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than the admission level in accordance with laws and regulations, and severely crack down on false propaganda of energy efficiency levels. Energy conservation authorities and industry and information technology authorities at all levels should strengthen energy conservation supervision, guide key energy-consuming units to implement the replacement, transformation and upgrading of key products and equipment, and urge enterprises to eliminate old and backward products and equipment in accordance with laws and regulations.

In addition, the "Notice" mentions promoting the quality and upgrading of related industries. Improve the energy efficiency standard system and energy efficiency labeling system, promptly formulate and revise a batch of mandatory national standards for energy efficiency of products and equipment, raise the entry threshold, strengthen energy efficiency constraints, and promote the quality and upgrading of related industries. Increase investment support within the central budget for manufacturing projects of energy-efficient product equipment and related parts.

Strengthen green financial support and encourage financial institutions to provide credit support for relevant companies to develop and manufacture energy-efficient products and equipment. Encourage key energy-consuming product and equipment-related industry clusters to research and formulate targeted policies, comprehensively use price, investment, financial and other measures to increase support for relevant enterprises, guide and support enterprises to proactively implement technological process upgrades, and improve product energy efficiency levels.

The "Notice" clarifies that the above regulations will be implemented from January 1, 2023. If there are special provisions in relevant product and equipment standards, those provisions shall prevail. All localities must deeply understand and attach great importance to the importance of improving the energy efficiency level of key products and equipment. Based on the actual conditions of the region, adhere to the system concept, respect the laws of the market, refine work requirements, strengthen the implementation of responsibilities, actively and orderly promote the quality and upgrading of related industries, promote green consumption, and help achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality.