Energy efficiency standards are procedures and regulations that prescribe the energy performance of manufactured products, sometimes prohibiting the sale of products that are less efficient than a minimum level. They are considered to be the back bone of a country program for efficient energy consumption. Essentially, Standards and labelling are tools for market transformation. The average energy performance of equipments in the market improves. Market "pull" and "push" are complementary market transformation strategies. Establishing minimum energy performance standards "pushes" the market by eliminating the least efficient models. Labelling “pulls" by encouraging customers to purchase higher efficiency models and "pushes" by encouraging but not mandating that manufacturers produce and market more energy-efficient models.

It has also been recognized that testing laboratories play an indispensible role in the successful implementation of a robust standard and labelling program. An assessment of the existing capabilities of the testing laboratories was imminent to gauge their prevailing infrastructure and ability to proactively support the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) standard & labelling program.

Worldwide, the role of testing laboratories is not just to provide testing services for standard & labeling program, but it also includes their role as an important partner in various stages and activities of the program. The labs can play following key roles to make a successful standard & labeling program:

• Testing laboratories play a significant role in check testing to ensure that the products meet the performance criteria
• The testing laboratories as a significant guiding light in the development of realistic efficiency and performance standards.
• Testing can also contribute towards continuous evolution and up gradation towards better performance standards.
• Testing laboratories are expected to play an increasingly important role in future with the application of the concept of round-robin testing

Hence the need to initiate this project was felt to develop greater understanding, leading to a mutually beneficial and symbiotic relationship between BEE and test laboratories. BEE designs policies to develop and promote standards for products, which transforms the market towards energy efficiency. The selection criteria for choosing products under standard & labelling are energy consumption, saving potential and total market.