December 2015: Topten Argentina launched!
Vida Silvestre has launched Topten Argentina. After Chile, there are now two Topten teams in latin America selecting and showing the most efficient products.
 | Topten Argentina has been officially launched in the Swiss embassy in Bueno Aires on December 16th 2015: Daniel Redondo, Energy Planning Secretary from the Energy and Mining Ministry of Argentina; Hans Peter Mock, Ambassador of Switzerland in Argentina and Carlos Tanides, coordinator for the Energy Program in Vida Silvestre. Find here the press release by Vida Silvestre about the Topten launch. |
February 2015
Horizon 2020 is a large research and innovation programme by the European Union. Horizon 2020 will fund two Topten projects from 2015 - 2018:
Topten ACT will select and present the most energy efficient products on Topten Websites in 16 countries in Europe, enabling consumers to act by making energy saving purchasing choices.
- Project partners are: ADEME (France), AEA (Austria), BBL (Belgium), Bush Energie (Switzerland), Eliante (Italy), FEWE (Poland), Guide Topten (France), Icemenerg (Romania), LNVF (Lithuania), Norges Naturvernforbundet (Norway), Öko-Institut (Germany), Oekozenter (Luxembourg), Quercus (Portugal), SEVEn (Czech Republic), SSNC (Sweden), EST (UK) and WWF Spain.
- Download the Topten ACT summary.
ProCold aims at improving energy efficiency of professional refrigerating and freezing appliances, in collaboration with various stakeholders.
- Project partners: ADEME (France), AEA (Austria), Bush Energie (Switzerland), Guide Topten (France), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Öko-Institut (Germany), Quercus (Portugal), SEVEn (Czech Republic) and SSNC (Sweden).
- Download the ProCold summary.
September 2014
- The New Climate Economy: final report
- "Seven things we learned from Stern's New Climate Economy report" - The digested read by The Guardian, 16th September 2014.
September 2013
Papers by the Topten team that were presented at the EEDAL conference in Coimbra, Portugal, in September 2013:
- Zheng Tan, Hu Bo, Li Jiayang, Zeng Lei: An investigation of China's subsidy program for energy-saving products
- Hu Bo, Zheng Tan, Li Jiayang, Zhao Feiyan: Study of the energy related properties' impacts on the price of appliances on the Chinese market
- Zhao Feiyan, Hu Bo, Zheng Tan, Li Jiayang, Zeng Lei: Study of China variable speed air conditioners: energy efficiency, life-cycle cost and impacts of subsidy program
- Anette Michel, Eric Bush, Conrad U. Brunner, Hu Bo: What is an energy efficient TV? Trying to find the best TV in China and in Europe.
- Sophie Attali, Anette Michel, Eric Bush: Systematic market monitoring: a pilot project on TVs demonstrates the value for policy design.
- Barbara Josephy, Eric Bush, Karin Kleeli, Sandro Glanzmann: Cold wash - Do prejudices impede high energy saving potentials?
- Eric Bush and Christopher Granda: Heat Pump Tumble Driers: New EU Energy Label and Ecodesign requirements in Europe, MEPS in Switzerland, Initiatives in North America.
- Eva Geilinger, Martjen Jansen, Per Hendrik Pedersen, Eric Bush: Best available technology of plug-in refrigerated cabinets, beverage coolers and ice cream freezers and the challenges of measuring and comparing energy efficiency.
- Eva Geilinger, Tobias Schleicher, Stefan Gasser, Eric Bush: Office Luminaires: Voluntary labels can pave the way to the next level in energy saving.
July 2012
Topten USA has released its latest rankings of the most efficient TVs and computer monitors. The Topten market research showed that there are huge differences in energy consumption even among Energy Star-labelled products: the best computer monitors use as much as up to 75% less energy than other Energy Star-labelled models. And the TV models on Topten USA use about half the energy of televisions that just meet the Energy Star minimum standard.
Download the Topten USA press releases on TVs (June 12th 2012) and on monitors (July 2nd 2012)
January 2012
Ban of inefficient tumble drier in Switzerland:
Since January 1st only heat pump driers are allowed on the Swiss market. The ban of inefficient tumble driers had been announced since 2009. There are more than 50 different heat pump driers on the Swiss market, consuming only half as much electricity as conventional driers. Topten.ch lists the most efficient of the heat pump driers, since even within these large differencies in efficiency have evolved.
Recommendations for policy design on driers (mainly referring to the debate in the EU)
Energy label for TVs
After a transition phase in 2011 the energy label for TVs is mandatory since January 1st. More than 20 TV models already reach the A+ class.
Most efficient TVs on the European market: topten.eu
May 2011
EEDAL conference 2011 in Copenhagen:
The Topten team was present with presentations on the following seven papers:
- Barbara Josephy: Super efficient coffee machines - best available technology and market transformation
- Barbara Josephy: Washing machines: Key criteria for best available technology
- Eric Bush, Sophie Attali and Hu Bo: Topten: Global project for the most energy efficient products
- Anette Michel and Hu Bo: Energy efficient room air conditioners - best available technology
- Sophie Attali: Factors influencing the penetration of energy efficient appliances into national markets in Europe
- Rita Werle: Energy efficient heat pump dryers - European experiences and efforts in the U.S. and Canada
- Eva Geilinger: Testing and rating of domestic luminaires - experiences from Switzerland
March 2011
New topten.info serves as global platform for the topten network – best products of Europe are now on topten.eu : Since October 2010, when Topten USA and China went online, the formerly European Topten network has reached global presence. Topten.info now no longer serves as European, but as global platform. The ‘best products of Europe’ including product lists, policy recommendations and procurement guidelines has been moved to topten.eu.
China implements new minimum efficiency standards and energy labels for flat panel TVs and microwave ovens: The new energy efficiency standards for flat panel TV (GB 24850-2010) and microwave oven (GB 24849-2010) were implemented from 1st December 2011. It's the first time those two products are regulated with mandatory energy efficiency performance grades, due to the rapid market development and significant energy share in the residential sector. The flat panel TV standards includes plasma and LCD TV.
After the implementing the standards the mandatory energy labels for those two products were put into force from 1st March, 2011. The Chinese energy labeling program covers more than 20 products, including residential and industrial energy using products. More products are expected to be covered in next years.
Topten China will work on flat panel TV and microwave ovens to identify the most energy efficiency products in 2011.
January 2011
Heat pump driers: efficient technology reaches breakthrough in Switzerland:
Heat pump clothes driers are twice as efficient as conventional driers. In Switzerland, the efficient technology reached a market share of 25% in 2009. From 2012, only heat pump driers will be allowed on the Swiss market. In the EU, ecodesign requirements and a new energy label for driers are foreseen for adoption in 2011. More information:
October / November 2010
Topten China and Topten USA are online:
- press release by WWF international and Topten China, October 26: pdf or on the web
- press release by Topten USA, November 9