CLASP created the Policy Database over 15 years ago to provide a searchable listing of every energy efficiency policy covering appliances and equipment worldwide. This tool allows practitioners to both examine individual policies closely and consider them in aggregate to ascertain trends.

Today, over 100 economies have implemented or are developing standards and labeling (S&L) programs for a wide range of equipment, from lighting and air conditioners to off-grid solar products. As S&L programs have evolved and expanded, so has the Policy Database.

Ensuring the Policy Database stays current, relevant, and useful to a wide range of stakeholders – in particular energy efficiency policymakers, researchers, and other practitioners – is crucial. With added features and the inclusion of emerging technologies, such as off-grid appliances and equipment, the CLASP Policy Database has the potential to support tracking, benchmarking, and alignment of comprehensive appliance policy development at various levels – globally, regionally, and nationally.

This paper and the accompanying poster highlight the functionality, use cases, and potential outputs of the Policy Database, demonstrating the wealth of policies worldwide, where there are opportunities to do more, and regional collaboration opportunities to align policies and ultimately reduce energy use through the promotion of energy efficient appliances.

This paper was originally published in the eceee 2019 Summer Study proceedings: Is efficient sufficient?