The BEE or the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, was set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2002 by the Ministry of Power. The BEE was instituted to ensure that electrical appliances and products in the Indian market meet optimum standards of energy efficiency and are economical from the perspective of the usage of energy. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency put in place the star labelling scheme with a view to monitor and regulate electrical products and their usage of energy. The scheme has a system in place under which products are provided ratings based on their energy usage and how efficaciously such energy is used in a manner to reduce expenses. Based on certain criteria, the products are given stars based on their energy efficiency. Products are rated on a scale of one to five stars, where one star is provided to the least energy efficient products and five stars are provided to the most energy efficient products. These ratings can be used as a deciding factor while looking to buy a cost-efficient electrical product or appliance. Under this scheme, certain products are required to obtain mandatory registration, while other products are only required to voluntarily obtain registration under BEE. Scroll down to check more about BEE Registration for Computers.
Voluntary Registrations and Mandatory Registration under BEE
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency mandates that some electrical products obtain mandatory registration without which they cannot be traded freely in the Indian market. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency also advises that some electrical appliances be registered voluntarily as well to ensure that such appliances meet exacting standards of efficient usage of energy.
The products which only need voluntary BEE registration are:
- Computers (Notebooks/Laptops)
- Deep freezers
- Solid state inverters
- Ceiling fans
- Light commercial air conditioners
- Washing machines
- Chillers
- Monoset pumps which are used for agricultural purposes and run on diesel
- Solar energy driven water heaters
- Liquified petroleum gas stoves
- Generators running on diesel
- Induction motors
- Microwave ovens
- UHD televisions
- Agricultural pump sets
- Equipment used in workplaces like, inter alia, scanners, printers, copiers
The electrical products which require mandatory registration under BEE are as follows:
- Frost free refrigerators
- Electrical geysers
- Room air conditioners
- LED lamps
- Air conditioner with variable capacity inverter
- Colour television
- Direct cool refrigerators
- Distribution transformer
- Tube fluorescent lamps
A Brief on BEE Registration for Computers
BEE registration for computers is voluntary and the process to be followed is mentioned under Schedule 14. The BEE registration for computers includes registration for both notebooks and laptops but does not include computers mounted on desktops or similar storage and server devices. Since the BEE registration for computers is voluntary, manufacturers of computers can manufacture, sell, distribute, export, or import their products without obtaining any such registration.
Before getting one’s product registered under BEE, manufacturers of computers are required to adhere to certain requirements. For manufacturers who are foreigners, they are required to appoint an official of their company working and residing in India or a business entity in India as its AIR or Authorized Indian Representative. Both Indian and foreign manufacturers of computers are also required to choose an authorized signatory who would handle the formalities associated with BEE registration for computers.
Steps Involved in Obtaining BEE Registration for Computers
To obtain a BEE registration for computers, the applicant needs to follow certain processes, which involve registering online, filling out applications and documents and sending copies of such documents and applications offline to the office of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Manufacturers of computers looking to obtain BEE registration for their products are required to follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Online Registration of Computer Manufacturer’s Company
The first step towards obtaining a BEE registration for computers is to register the manufacturer’s company online on the official portal of BEE. The application for registration and the necessary documents shall be submitted on the BEE portal and the original physical copies of the application documents must be sent offline to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Along with the application and the documents, the applicant must also furnish Rupees 25000/-, if registration is being sought for a manufacturing company which is an MSME. If registration is being sought for a manufacturing company which is a large manufacturer, the applicant must furnish Rupees 100000/-.
There are certain necessary documents which are required to be submitted to the Bureau for BEE Registration for Computers. They are as follows:
- ISO 9001:2015 certification
- Letter of authorization which authorizes the appointed signatory
- Authorized signatory’s KYC documents
- Certificate of incorporation or partnership deed
- MSME certificate, if any
- Sample label, which would be affixed on the product.
- All requisite details of dealers who have been duly authorized
- Test reports as required by BEE
- Trademark certificate
- Testing of the Computer
The Bureau shall assess the application and documents submitted for registration of the company and once verified by the Bureau; the applicant can log in to her account on the official BEE portal[1] to complete the remaining process. As a pre-requisite to registering one’s product with BEE, the Bureau requires the applicant to get the computer tested by an International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement or ILAC MRA recognized lab or laboratory approved by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories or NABL. To get the product tested, the applicant must furnish a certain testing fee along with the product. The test report must be along the lines of the norms prescribed by BEE. The applicant of registration must be filed as soon as possible after receipt of the test report and no later than ninety days from the date when such report is received.
- Registration of the product
After the test reports have been released by the lab, the applicant must file an application with the test report within ninety days from the date of receipt of the test report. The applicant also must submit a fee of Rupees 2000 after the requisite documents and the application has been submitted on the official BEE portal. All the submissions made by the applicant shall be assessed and scrutinized by an officer of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and only after the Bureau is satisfied that the documents and application are accurate and there are no errors in the same, the BEE shall provide the license to the product. If there are any shortcomings or queries with respect to the application or documents, the applicant shall be given time to explain and rectify it.
After obtaining BEE registration for Computers, the manufacturer or importer or trader of such a computer must display the star certificate visibly on the computer and such label shall signify the BEE registration number, star rating as per BEE standards, energy efficiency ratio, details of the product and how much energy is consumed by it.
Once the Bureau of Energy Efficiency grants the BEE registration for computers, it shall be valid for three years from when the registration was granted. After this period of three years, if the computer still complies with the existing BEE standards and guidelines at the time, the BEE registration can be renewed after the requisite fee of renewal is paid.
Conclusion
The BEE or the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, was set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2002 by the Ministry of Power to regulate electrical appliances and products in the Indian market and make sure that they meet optimum standards of energy efficiency and are economical from the perspective of the usage of energy. The star labelling scheme is often used as a factor while selecting a cost-efficient electrical product or appliance from the many products available in the market. BEE only requires manufacturers or other intermediaries dealing with computers to register their products if they feel the need for it. There is no embargo on manufacturers or importers or other such intermediaries on placing such computers in the markets of India if they do not obtain a BEE registration. However, it is prudent to obtain such registration anyway, as this can be employed as a brilliant marketing strategy to make one’s product stand out amongst the flood of products in the market. Manufacturers of computers should look to adhere to the standards set out by BEE and strive to obtain optimum star ratings. As a manufacturer of computers looking to market her products in the Indian market, it is advisable to obtain BEE registration to make customers prefer one’s product over others. This, in turn, helps build up the brand value and goodwill of the company and raise confidence and loyalty in computers manufactured by the company.
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