Notice—Energy efficiency verification alternate scheme for battery chargers

Amendment 14 to the Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations), was pre-published in Canada Gazette Part I on March 31, 2018.  This amendment proposes to introduce minimum energy performance standards for battery chargers that are manufactured on or after June 13, 2019.  The regulatory proposal is to align the battery charger standard with that of the U.S. Department of Energy.

As with all other regulated energy-using products, battery chargers, as defined in the proposed Regulations (see below), will be required to meet all regulatory requirements including energy efficiency verification. 

Battery charger means a device that charges the battery of a wheelchair, golf cart, low-speed vehicle or any other end-use product.

It does not include any of the following:

1. a device that charges the battery of a vehicle other than a wheelchair, golf cart or low-speed vehicle;
2. a device that charges the battery of a medical device;
3. a wireless battery charger; or
4. a backup battery charger.

While Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) maintains that third-party verification is key to the integrity of its compliance regime, it also recognizes the need to make the process as efficient as possible for certain product categories, specifically low-cost/high-volume/high-turnover products, such as battery chargers. 

To this end, NRCan has worked closely with certification bodies (CB) and the Standards Council of Canada to make an alternate energy efficiency verification scheme available to CBs for the verification of battery chargers.  This scheme is both cost effective and supports the integrity of NRCan’s energy efficiency compliance system.

The Standards Council of Canada will issue an on-line bulletin to their stakeholders advising them of the alternate scheme for energy efficiency verification of battery chargers.  CBs wishing to use this alternate scheme for the energy efficiency verification of battery chargers should contact the Standards Council of Canada for more information.

Energy efficiency verification alternative scheme for battery chargers

This alternate scheme will allow the CBs to outsource the requirements of the evaluation and, if they choose, the review activities to their clients or CB-qualified labs, while maintaining the certification decision activity (authorization of mark) and ensuring all elements of ISO/IEC 17065 and SCC Requirements and Guidance – Product, Process, and Service Certification Body Accreditation Program are met. The CBs would be required to conduct post market surveillance on only 1% of the total number of certified models.

This option relies on the confidence the CB has in the capacity of their client to perform the evaluation and review activities, having reviewed all necessary documentation.  

The scheme requirements are the following:

1. The CB shall designate to whom the evaluation and/or review activities shall be outsourced if the CB chooses to use their client or a CB-qualified lab to conduct the evaluation and/or review.  Note: The review cannot be outsourced to personnel of the manufacturer or any other legal entity that offers or produces the certified product.
2. Unless the review is outsourced, the CB shall complete a review of all evaluation activities and results (whether outsourced or not) per requirements of ISO/IEC 17065 7.5 and SCC Requirements and Guidance – Product, Process, and Service Certification Body Accreditation Program.
3. The CB shall demonstrate that it maintains acceptable procedures for the assessment of the outsourced entity and evaluates these entities for conformance to the appropriate requirements of ISO/IEC 17065.  Such evaluations should occur at regular intervals and shall not exceed two years.
4. A CB shall demonstrate that facilities utilized for testing, including test facilities utilized by certification bodies from which test data is accepted, meet the appropriate requirements of ISO/IEC 17025.
5. The outsourced entity shall provide the CB with all documentation required for the certification decision.   
6. The CB renders the certification decision, based on the results of the evaluation and review, and authorizes the use of their energy efficiency verification mark on the product.
7. The CB shall maintain the required information on all models in their directory of certified products. 
8. Annual surveillance testing will be conducted on 1% of randomly selected models, which are chosen from the directory of certified products.  Product samples will be selected from the point of production or from the open market. 
9. If non-compliance is found post-market, the CBs will take corrective action, which may include conducting the evaluation and review activities themselves on the models, as well as increasing the percentage of products tested in surveillance.   

Cost Savings result from outsourcing the evaluation and review activities to the client or CB-qualified lab, as well as limiting the amount of annual surveillance testing to 1% (from the generally accepted 5%) of all certified models. Savings are estimated at approximately 30%.

NRCan Contact
Debbie Scharf
Director, Equipment Division
Office of Energy Efficiency, Energy Sector
Email: nrcan.equipment-equipement.rncan@canada.ca