Efficient Appliances for People & the Planet

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Reflections on the Productive Use Financing Facility

The Productive Use Financing Facility (the Financing Facility), an innovative program implemented by CLASP and supported by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (the Alliance), makes energy-efficient appliances more affordable to consumers and businesses in emerging markets in Africa. As the Financing Facility celebrates its first anniversary and concludes the initial phase of this expanded program, we reflect on the lives and communities it has already transformed. We also look at the road ahead and remain dedicated to our goals of helping to generate green jobs and equitable opportunities for thousands across Africa.

Empowering communities with the right tools 

A single appliance has the potential to improve the quality of life for an entire household or community. A female entrepreneur with access to an off-grid refrigerator can sell cold beverages, attracting customers and increasing her income. A solar-powered mill can provide a central flour-processing location for a group of smallholder farmers in a remote community, allowing them to sell new products and avoid transportation costs and drudgery.

Despite the potential of these technologies, many businesses and households that need them can’t afford them due to high costs and limited financing. For the 750 million–plus people worldwide who live without access to electricity and the approximately 700 million living in extreme poverty, energy-efficient appliances are still out of reach.

The Financing Facility’s role in driving access and opportunity 

The Financing Facility offers a solution: make these life-changing appliances more affordable to those who need them. By providing grants, subsidies, and technical assistance, the Financing Facility enables small businesses, entrepreneurs, and households to purchase energy-efficient appliances at lower prices.

The initiative launched a two-year pilot project that ran from 2022 to 2024, working with 24 companies across six countries, deploying nearly 16,000 appliances, and directly improving the lives of over 58,000 households. In June 2025, the Financing Facility entered a second phase with the announcement of its expansion and a $6.1 million USD funding boost. During this phase, the initiative aims to create over 3,000 green jobs through the sale and use of over 10,000 appliances in four years.

One year on: expanding reach and impact 

The new cohort of 11 appliance companies, announced in November 2025, still focuses on productive-use appliances (in other words, technologies people use to generate income) like grain mills, solar water pumps, walk-in cold rooms, and refrigerator/freezers. From this cohort alone, the Financing Facility aims to deploy over 2,000 appliances across Kenya to women-owned and -led businesses.

The second cohort selection, launching in February 2026, will be open to appliance companies in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya. CLASP will announce and detail the process via the Financing Facility web page,  LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Committed to the most underserved communities 

Although electrification has expanded around the globe, energy demand is necessary to justify and maintain expensive infrastructure. Programs like the Financing Facility help get appliances into people’s hands, energizing ambition and output amongst local businesses and farms. The increased incomes from these activities can help drive economic growth, generate jobs, and improve quality of life—giving people greater opportunity to thrive. For small business owner Helen Obinna in Nigeria, for example, a solar refrigerator completely changed her business: since her refrigerator can keep products cool despite inconsistent power, sales of cold beverages have increased.

While electrification is expanding globally, deliberate efforts must be channeled into boosting energy demand to ensure the sustainability and commercial viability of renewable energy infrastructure. Programs like the Financing Facility place appliances into people’s hands, energizing ambition and output amongst local businesses and farms. Increased incomes from these activities drive economic growth, create jobs, and improve the quality of life, giving communities the tools to thrive.

About the Productive Use Financing Facility

The Financing Facility is an innovative program that provides grants, subsidies, and technical assistance to suppliers and distributors to lower appliance prices and reach more customers. This makes it easier for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and households to buy energy-efficient technologies, such as solar water pumps, mills, and refrigerators, at favorable prices.

This program is supported by the Global Alliance for People and Planet .

For more information, read the Productive Use Financing Facility 2.0 press release, contact financing@clasp.ngo, and follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates on how the Financing Facility is benefiting people and our planet.

About CLASP

CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. With 25 years of expertise and offices on four continents, CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to deliver clear pathways to a more sustainable world for people and the planet.

About the Global Alliance for People and Planet

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet works for a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and the means to use it to improve their lives. Our Alliance builds transformative public, private, philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, we unlock finance, strengthen institutions and transform markets, delivering progress anchored in deep community engagement. By uniting actors across the value chain, from households to heads of state, we go beyond individual projects to drive lasting systems change. With work in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, our Alliance aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions and create or improve 150 million jobs. For more information, please visit www.energyalliance.org and follow us on X at @EnergyAlliance.

Powering Progress: Three Local Appliance Companies Generate Job and Income Growth Across Africa

CLASP has selected 11 appliance companies to receive funding in support of job and income growth in sub-Saharan Africa. This support will be provided through the Productive Use Financing Facility (the Financing Facility), an initiative managed by CLASP and supported by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (the Energy Alliance). The Financing Facility aims to accelerate the adoption of clean, energy-efficient appliances to power small businesses and support smallholder farmers, potentially transforming the lives of millions across Africa.

Baridi, Irri-hub, and Koolboks are three of the 11 impact-driven companies selected for the program whose work is already transforming the continent.

Solar appliances drive economic growth

For a smallholder farmer or business owner in sub-Saharan Africa, even a single appliance can go a long way. For example, a CLASP survey found that business owners in Uganda who purchased an off-grid refrigerator were able to increase their incomes twofold.

For women, an appliance can be a major driver of income. In the Finance Facility’s pilot program, households where women purchased an appliance saw incomes increase an average of 94%. From selling cold drinks using a refrigerator-freezer to growing high-value crops with a solar water pump, equitable access to reliable and affordable appliances can transform not only individual lives, but entire communities. Solar-powered appliances can reduce the physical strain attached to traditional working conditions, expand business opportunities, improve nutrition, and create local jobs.

Three African appliance companies making an impact 

For Facility grantees like Baridi, Irri-hub, and Koolboks, this kind of transformative impact is what drives their work.

Baridi supplies solar-powered chilling technologies to smallholder farmers in Kenya, ensuring that their hard-earned produce remains fresh and market-ready.

Baridi's solar walk-in cold room in use at the Burma meat market in Nairobi, Kenya

Photo credit: Baridi

Baridi's solar walk-in cold room in use at the Mumias market in Kakamega County, Kenya

Photo credit: Baridi

Koolboks designs and distributes affordable solar-powered refrigerator-freezers, ensuring access for small businesses and farmers across the region. By providing reliable cold storage, Koolboks helps entrepreneurs expand product offerings and reduce the economic risks tied to spoilage.

Koolboks' very first customer, Mama Ibadan

Photo credit: Koolboks

Secretary of Mushin Frozen Foods Market Women Association, Mrs. Dosumu Elizabeth

Photo credit: Koolboks

Irri-hub is a provider of affordable water management solutions, including solar water pumps, that help smallholder farmers increase yields, improve crop predictability, and expand production.

Irri-hub customer, Millicent Kwamboka, in Kiambu County, Kenya

Photo credit: Irri-hub

Irri-hub customer, Belinda K'oile, in Kisumu County, Kenya

Photo credit: Irri-hub

Solar water pumps offer an enormous amount of income and job growth potential. CLASP’s report “Leave No One Behind: Bridging the Energy Access Gap with Innovative Off-Grid Solar Solutions” found that 87% of farmers in Rwanda who obtained a solar water pump reported an increase in their monthly incomes, while 64% reported hiring more laborers and growing more crops.

Enduring partnerships are the key to transforming lives and livelihoods

Both Baridi and Koolboks have longstanding partnerships with CLASP. Baridi was a finalist in the 2022 Global LEAP Awards Off-Grid Cold Chain Challenge, while Koolboks received funding from the first round of the Financing Facility.

This round of the Financing Facility is Irri-hub’s first partnership with CLASP.

From long and enduring partnerships to new collaborations, these kinds of local, on-the-ground partnerships are key to helping transform the sector, bringing life-changing appliances to the millions who need them. CLASP remains committed to strengthening these relationships and investing in partners who are creating green jobs and equitable opportunities across Africa.

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About the Productive Use Financing Facility

The Financing Facility is an innovative program that provides grants, subsidies, and technical assistance to suppliers and distributors, helping to lower appliance prices and expand customer bases. The Facility makes it easier for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and households to buy energy-efficient technologies, such as solar water pumps, mills, and refrigerators, at favorable prices.

This program is supported by the Global Alliance for People and Planet .

For more information, read the Productive Use Financing Facility 2.0 press release, contact financing@clasp.ngo, and follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates on how the facility is benefiting people and our planet.

About CLASP

CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. With 25 years of expertise and offices on four continents, CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to deliver clear pathways to a more sustainable world for people and the planet.

About the Global Alliance for People and Planet

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet works for a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and the means to use it to improve their lives. Our Alliance builds transformative public, private, philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, we unlock finance, strengthen institutions, and transform markets, delivering progress anchored in deep community engagement. Our Alliance aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions, and create or improve 150 million jobs. For more information, please visit www.energyalliance.org and follow us on X at @EnergyAlliance.

Energy Appliances for the Rwandan Humanitarian Context: Stakeholder Mapping and Consumer Insights

This research, conducted by CLASP, Efficiency for Access, Practical Action and Verasol, shows why appliances designed for off-grid use are important in Rwanda’s humanitarian context. Electrical appliances improve people’s livelihoods and enhance their overall well-being through clean cooking, lighting, and improved access to education, and economic opportunities.

The report explores three key considerations for procuring appliances in the Rwandan humanitarian context:

  1. Appliance categorization by sector (household, business, and community use), highlighting how different users prioritize parameters such as energy efficiency, affordability, and ease of repair
  2. Procurement challenges unique to refugee contexts, including financing barriers, supply chain constraints, and the tension between short-term affordability and long-term sustainability
  3. Policy and practical considerations associated with Rwanda’s e-waste regulations and the logistical hurdles of distributing and maintaining appliances in camp environments

Closing Rwanda’s refugee energy gap requires appliances that are affordable, durable, and aligned with user needs—backed by smart financing, policy, and cross-sector collaboration.

Explore “Energy Appliances for the Rwandan Humanitarian Context: Stakeholder Mapping and Consumer Insights” for more findings.

About Efficiency for Access 

Efficiency for Access is a global coalition dedicated to advancing access to energy and affordable, energy efficient appliances. It is co-managed by CLASP and Energy Saving Trust.

The Procurement Handbook for Off- and Weak-Grid Appliances

This Efficiency for Access research provides practical procurement guidelines for energy appliances suitable for off- and weak-grid communities.  In the face of rapid global changes and growing demand for sustainable energy solutions, the need for reliable access to clean energy has never been more urgent. This is especially true for off-grid communities and in humanitarian settings, where access to energy can be a critical lifeline. In these contexts, high-quality energy appliances are not just a matter of performance—they are essential for health, safety, and resilience.

But here’s the problem: when procurement lacks clear guidelines, poor-quality appliances fail early. Money gets wasted, and essential services collapse. That is why Efficiency for Access has created this guide.  These are practical procurement guidelines for energy appliances suitable for off- and weak-grid environments.

It is intended to support procurement officers and intervention implementers by providing clear, actionable guidance on how to set appropriate quality requirements for procurement tenders and select appliances that are durable, energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable over time.  Explore “The Procurement Handbook for Off- and Weak-Grid Appliances” for more findings.

 

About Efficiency for Access 

Efficiency for Access is a global coalition dedicated to advancing access to energy and affordable, energy efficient appliances. It is co-managed by CLASP and Energy Saving Trust.

Refrigerators

CLASP and GEAPP Expand Access to Affordable, Energy-Efficient Appliances in Africa

Cape Town, 18 June, 2025 – At the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, CLASP and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) announced a substantial expansion of the Productive Use Financing Facility (PUFF). This $6.1 million USD funding boost will help accelerate the uptake of clean, energy-efficient appliances that power small businesses, support farmers, and transform the lives of thousands of people across Africa.

Despite their potential to improve lives globally, efficient appliances are still out of reach for over 600 million people without access to electricity. High costs and limited financing make it difficult for business and households to afford them. PUFF helps bridge that gap.

The facility provides grants, subsidies, and technical assistance to suppliers and distributors to lower prices and reach more customers. This enables small businesses, entrepreneurs, and households to purchase energy-efficient technologies at favorable prices, allowing them to grow over time.

Building on success 

This extension builds on the success of the two-year pilot project that connected people with the useful appliances to earn a living. From 2022 to 2024, PUFF worked with 24 companies across six countries, helping to deploy nearly 16,000 appliances, and directly improve the lives of over 58,000 households. These appliances, such as solar-powered refrigerators, solar water pumps, and solar milling machines, had a direct, transformative impact on people’s livelihoods.

“Access to energy is foundational for economic growth. Efficient appliances and equipment, which are how people turn energy into opportunity, need to be considered essential energy infrastructure, alongside renewables. PUFF’s pilot phase proved that targeted support could unlock meaningful change. With effective financing, companies can reach more people with the right appliances, and they can change lives,” said Emmanuel Aziebor, Senior Director for Africa at CLASP.

What’s new in PUFF 2.0?  

CLASP and GEAPP are renewing their partnership focused on scaling appliances for agriculture and entrepreneurship in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. This new round aims to create over 3,000 green jobs through the sale and use of 10,000 appliances in four years, including established appliances like solar water pumps and refrigerators, and more specialized technologies such as coffee pulpers and honey extractors.

This expansion also deepens commitment to gender equity and youth inclusion. In the pilot, women made up nearly half of all appliance buyers, and households where women bought appliances saw a 94% increase in average income. PUFF 2.0 will have an even greater focus on equity by utilizing outreach and financing strategies that center women and young entrepreneurs.

“While electrification has expanded, many investments fail to turn access into economic opportunity, with limited job creation or enterprise growth. Through initiatives such as PUFF 2.0 collaboration with CLASP, we are addressing these shortfalls by ensuring that new energy connections drive productivity and power agriculture, energizing ambition in small and medium sized enterprises, and output in local manufacturing. Increased incomes from these activities spur economic growth and wellbeing in growing communities, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life,” said Makena Ireri, Managing Director for Productive Use of Energy at GEAPP.

CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility is supported by The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). Learn more about how it’s benefiting people and our planet.

A farmer in Ethiopia using solar-powered drip irrigation acquired through PUFF support. Photo credit: CLASP

CLASP
Women in Nigeria using a solar-powered mill acquired through PUFF support. Photo credit: CLASP

Rekik Bekele, CEO of Green Scene Energy, a leading solar appliance distributor, is expanding access to solar in Ethiopia with support from PUFF. Photo credit: CLASP

Abibat Akinwale, a shopkeeper in Nigeria, with the solar-powered refrigerator she acquired through PUFF support. Photo credit: CLASP

Lolade Esther Alonge of Koolboks shows the CLASP team their solar refrigerators, made more affordable for off-grid communities in Nigeria with PUFF support. Photo credit: CLASP

About CLASP

CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. An international NGO with 25 years of expertise and offices on four continents, CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to create a more sustainable future for people and the planet.

About GEAPP

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is an alliance of philanthropy, governments in emerging and developed economies, and technology, policy, and financing partners. Their common mission is to enable LMICs’ shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that accelerates universal energy access and inclusive economic growth, while supporting the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade. As an Alliance, they aim to reduce 4 gigatons of future carbon emissions, expand clean energy access to one billion people, and enable 150 million new jobs. With philanthropic partners, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, GEAPP works to build the enabling environment, capacity, and market conditions for private sector solutions, catalyze new business models through innovation and entrepreneurship, deploy high-risk capital to encourage private sector solutions, and assist just transition solutions. For more information, please visit www.energyalliance.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

Media inquiries: Stella Madete, Africa Communications Manager, smadete@clasp.ngo

India Unveils 18 New Appliance Efficiency Policies

In a landmark year for energy policy, India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), with support from CLASP, advanced 18 appliance efficiency regulations in 2024. This is a testimony to the country’s fast-paced policymaking and strong national commitment to appliance efficiency as a key lever for climate action and energy security.

Fast-paced policymaking to meet urgent needs

As India undergoes rapid urbanization and industrial growth, the demand for appliances is surging. Left unchecked, this growth could place immense pressure on the power grid and accelerate emissions. Recognizing this, the government prioritized improvements that directly address the rising energy demand from homes, commercial spaces, and industry.

18 new policies – large emissions cuts and cost savings

CLASP advocates for appliance efficiency which ensures that everyday products from refrigerators and fans to inverters and TVs consume less energy while delivering the same or better performance. This is critical in a country like India, where millions of households are purchasing new appliances for the first time. By using higher effiicency appliances, India is building a more resilient energy system, reducing energy bills for consumers, and cutting emissions at scale.

The cumulative effect of these 2024 policies is significant. By 2030, they are expected to save over 180 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity and avoid nearly 146 megatons (Mt) of CO₂ emissions.

Standouts include policies covering:

  • Packaged boilers, commercial beverage coolers, solar inverters, and refrigerant compressors, which are collectively estimated to save 32.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and avoid 24 megatons (Mt) of CO₂ emissions.
  • Ceiling fans, a widely used appliance that will now become more efficient, saving 35.9 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and avoiding 29 megatons (Mt) of CO₂ emissions.

Full list of 2024 appliance policies:

Improving appliance efficiency across states

CLASP has also been working closely with the State Designated Agencies (SDAs) in Odisha and Kerala to support the implementation of India’s national appliance efficiency policies. By strengthening the adoption and enforcement of BEE’s Standards & Labeling program at the state level, CLASP is helping ensure that the benefits of energy-efficient appliances reach households and industries across these regions.

Aligning with CLASP’s global mission

Emissions reductions and energy savings not only bolster India’s energy security and climate goals but also resonate with CLASP’s global mission to advance appliance efficiency for people and the planet. By supporting national institutions like BEE in strengthening appliance efficiency policies, CLASP continues to catalyze transformative, long-lasting change.

Leveraging Low-Global Warming Potential Heat Pumps to Power Climate Action

Heat pumps are highly efficient solutions for space heating and cooling. When it comes to heating, they’re three to four times more efficient than electric resistance heaters which convert electricity into heat at 100% efficiency. Heat pumps are also far more efficient than the most advanced gas heating systems, which operate at only 85-99% efficiency.

Transitioning away from burning fossil fuels to efficient and sustainable heat pumps is key for decarbonizing heating and cooling systems and achieving carbon neutrality. In the European Union (EU), over 24 million heat pumps have already been installed, with over 3 million sold in 20231. To accelerate progress, the EU’s REPowerEU plan aims to scale up heat pump adoption, targeting 60 million installed units by 2030. The United Kingdom (UK) has set its own goal to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 20282.

In addition to being more efficient and sustainable than electric resistance heaters and gas heating systems, heat pumps deliver a wide range of benefits, including improved energy security, power system flexibility, and job creation.

The Benefits of Heat Pumps in Europe
Data source: European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024

F-gases and forever chemicals harm the environment and human health

Heat pumps use refrigerants to regulate temperature by absorbing and releasing heat between indoor and outdoor spaces. Currently, most heat pumps use hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants R-32 and R-410A. These refrigerants, also known as ‘F-gases’, have a high global warming potential (GWP) and trap more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2). With respective GWPs of 675 and 2088, they are hundreds to thousands of times more potent greenhouse gases than CO2.

While refrigerants are meant to remain contained within a piece of equipment, leaks and accidental releases can happen during maintenance or end of life disposal. Some refrigerants, like R-410A, also contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These ‘forever chemicals’ persist in the environment for decades and pose risks to human health and the environment3.

There are more sustainable alternatives to HFC refrigerants, including a class of refrigerants known as hydrocarbons, often called ‘natural’ refrigerants.

Low-GWP refrigerants: the climate-friendly solution

There are more sustainable alternatives to HFC refrigerants, including a class of refrigerants known as hydrocarbons, often called ‘natural’ refrigerants. These natural refrigerants have much lower global warming potential than traditional HFC refrigerants. Natural refrigerants include:

  • R-290 (propane, GWP 3)
  • R717 (ammonia, GWP 0)
  • R744 (carbon dioxide, GWP 1)
  • R600a (isobutane, GWP 3)

While these alternative refrigerants are not yet widely used in Europe, the availability of technologies using natural refrigerants is expanding with more manufacturers adding them to their product portfolios4. In addition to their environmental benefits, low-GWP heat pumps can operate at high temperatures, making them a convenient boiler replacement option without requiring changes to the rest of a heating system of building envelope.

In the EU, the recent approval of the F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/5735 presents a significant opportunity to improve the heat pump market’s sustainability with ambitious HFC phase-down timelines. As demand for natural refrigerant heat pumps increases in the EU, it will drive innovation in manufacturing processes and technological advancements within the heat pump industry. This will, in turn, allow the EU to set the standard for sustainable heating and cooling solutions and boost the EU’s competitiveness in the green technology sector. Having not yet aligned with the EU’s regulation, the UK risks becoming a destination for high-GWP products that can’t be sold in the EU.

Now is the time to act

Without stringent regulation, F-gases could stay locked into European heating systems for years to come. Newly installed heat pump systems have an average lifetime of 10-15 years. This means that HFC heat pumps installed this year will continue to leak high-GWP gases during the next decade and more. Specialized equipment and technicians will have to be available for the next fifteen years to successfully repair and dismantle HFC heat pumps without releasing significant amounts of F-gases.

Despite a slump in sales from 2023-2024, the European heat pump market has experienced significant growth over the past decade5. With the continued, increasing prevalence of heat pumps in European households, we need to seize the opportunity to accelerate the transition to more sustainable refrigerants, rather than further increase the pool of F-gas-dependent heat pumps. The F-gas Regulation sets a timeline for phasing out F-gases in the EU, and this transition should be proactively planned and replicated in the UK. It’s time to shift the heat pump refrigerant landscape toward safer, more environmentally-responsible alternatives.

Recommendations for sustainable heating and cooling in Europe

  • National and local governments should expand or amend existing incentives to offer additional incentives for low-GWP refrigerant systems to make them more affordable and encourage adoption. Incentives, like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme6 in the UK, are already widely available in some European countries. Germany, for example, has introduced an additional 5% incentive7 for installing heat pumps that use natural refrigerants, on top of the base subsidy that amounts to 25% of the total system cost.
  • Governments and installers should raise awareness on the benefits of low-GWP heat pumps, especially for those unfamiliar with or skeptical of the technology. Raising awareness can help dispel myths about the installation process, safety, and efficiency of low-GWP heat pumps, highlighting them as a suitable alternative for heating and cooling system replacements.
  • The UK Government should update its F-gas Regulation to align with the EU’s regulation. This alignment is essential for phasing out harmful HFC refrigerants and would ultimately encourage the development and adoption of safer, more sustainable refrigerants in heat pumps and other types of equipment, supporting climate targets.
  • The EU and UK Governments should revise energy labeling requirements to include the type of refrigerant used in heat pump systems. Refrigerant information should be easily available for European consumers, allowing them to choose the most efficient and sustainable heating and cooling systems available.

How CLASP is making a difference

CLASP is conducting extensive research and engaging key stakeholders in the EU and the UK, focusing on the deployment of natural refrigerant heat pumps, as well as the barriers to their adoption. We aim to identify effective programs and strategies that can increase the awareness, availability, and adoption of these heating and cooling systems at local, national, and EU levels.

To drive market transformation, CLASP is seeking local partners and governments interested in developing and implementing policy interventions that accelerate the adoption of low-GWP heat pumps.

Download this brief.

0. European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024, https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Executive-summary_EHPA-heat-pump-market-and-statistic-report-2024-2.pdf

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS Explained, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained

3. Christina Hayes and Jae Haroldsen, ATMO Market Report 2024 “Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry 2024”, https://atmosphere.cool/atmo-market-report-2024

4. European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024, https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Executive-summary_EHPA-heat-pump-market-and-statistic-report-2024-2.pdf

5. Energy Saving Trust, “Boiler Upgrade Scheme,” 2024, https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/boiler-upgrade-scheme/

6. Thomas Trevisan, “Germany Grants Bonus Subsidy to Home Heat Pumps That Use Natural Refrigerants,” 10 January 2023, https://naturalrefrigerants.com/germany-grants-bonus-subsidy-to-home-heat-pumps-that-use-natural-refrigerants/

Mepsy Methodology: Model and Approach for Climate Impact Analysis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70098/OUAN6240

Mepsy is CLASP’s appliance and equipment climate impact calculator. It’s designed for policymakers, researchers, and other industry stakeholders to model different policy scenarios and measure their impact.

Mepsy uses a “bottom-up” accounting approach, considering the number of appliances in use in a country, the energy performance of representative products, the climate-intensity of the local power grid, and other variables to analyze the electricity use, carbon dioxide emissions, and consumer energy costs associated with a given policy scenario.

Wherever possible, the calculator references precise stock, sales, and energy performance data from recent CLASP in-country market studies, or country-level estimates from reputable market research firms. Where country-level data for a particular product are not available, calculations are based on estimates from regional or global averages, accounting for differences in country population, economics, or climate as relevant to a particular appliance. Future and past shipments are extrapolated based on recent trends.

The Mepsy Methodology outlines all underlying calculations and data sources behind the tool. For appliance-specific data for each of the ten appliances featured on Mepsy, please refer to the respective technical appendix:

In addition, the annex “Extending Mepsy to 2050” details the methodology behind projecting Mepsy’s insights through 2050, including key assumptions, modeling approaches, and data sources used in this effort.

To learn more about Mepsy or use our free tool, click here.

0. European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024, https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Executive-summary_EHPA-heat-pump-market-and-statistic-report-2024-2.pdf

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS Explained, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained

3. Christina Hayes and Jae Haroldsen, ATMO Market Report 2024 “Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry 2024”, https://atmosphere.cool/atmo-market-report-2024

4. European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024, https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Executive-summary_EHPA-heat-pump-market-and-statistic-report-2024-2.pdf

5. Energy Saving Trust, “Boiler Upgrade Scheme,” 2024, https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/boiler-upgrade-scheme/

6. Thomas Trevisan, “Germany Grants Bonus Subsidy to Home Heat Pumps That Use Natural Refrigerants,” 10 January 2023, https://naturalrefrigerants.com/germany-grants-bonus-subsidy-to-home-heat-pumps-that-use-natural-refrigerants/

Bridging the Cooling Gap: Energy Efficiency as a Driver for Appliance Access

This research is posted preprint and will be published in the EEDAL’24 Book of Proceedings.

Energy efficient cooling appliances play a critical role in addressing climate resilience and cooling equity. This new research investigates how doubling the energy efficiency of cooling technologies globally can reduce lifecycle costs, expand appliance access, and limit energy demand growth. It focuses on three high-impact, low-access countries: India, Indonesia, and Nigeria and evaluates the impact of efficiency improvements on affordability, ownership, and climate adaptation, offering critical insights into policies needed to close access gaps and achieve net zero goals.

Key Findings

Doubling the efficiency of fans, refrigerators, and room air conditioners globally by 2030 could unlock great benefits. By 2050, in the three countries studied, this could:

  • Drive down the total cost of ownership by 60% for room air conditioners and refrigerators and 58% for fans
  • Deliver $105 billion USD in annual net consumer benefits in 2050
  • Expand access by an additional 4-13 percentage points
  • Avoid more than 420,000 premature deaths
  • Limit the total energy consumed by these appliances to about half of what it would be otherwise

Recommendations

To realize these benefits, governments and other market actors must:

  • Increase research and development funding, financing and financial incentives, bulk procurement schemes, awards, and informational tools to drive market uptake of efficient appliances
  • Implement innovative financing schemes to reduce upfront costs
  • Reduce tariffs to make efficient appliances more affordable locally
  • Expand decentralized energy solutions, like solar home systems and mini-grids to help rural, low-income communities access energy services more readily

0. European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024, https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Executive-summary_EHPA-heat-pump-market-and-statistic-report-2024-2.pdf

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS Explained, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained

3. Christina Hayes and Jae Haroldsen, ATMO Market Report 2024 “Natural Refrigerants: State of the Industry 2024”, https://atmosphere.cool/atmo-market-report-2024

4. European Heat Pump Association, European Heat Pump Market and Statistics Report 2024, https://www.ehpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Executive-summary_EHPA-heat-pump-market-and-statistic-report-2024-2.pdf

5. Energy Saving Trust, “Boiler Upgrade Scheme,” 2024, https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/boiler-upgrade-scheme/

6. Thomas Trevisan, “Germany Grants Bonus Subsidy to Home Heat Pumps That Use Natural Refrigerants,” 10 January 2023, https://naturalrefrigerants.com/germany-grants-bonus-subsidy-to-home-heat-pumps-that-use-natural-refrigerants/