Application design and development for the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) program

⁠⁠⁠The Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program is an initiative of the Australian Government, states and territories and the New Zealand Government to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment.

The purpose of the E3 Program is to deliver a single, integrated approach to energy efficiency standards and labelling. Standards specify the minimum level of energy performance that appliances must meet before they can be sold. Labelling provides energy efficiency information to support consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.

The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) Act 2012 is the underpinning legislation for the E3 Program in Australia. It creates a national framework for product energy efficiency.

In New Zealand, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000, and Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 underpin the E3 Program. They are administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

A new platform is expected to support regulator best practice by improving:

• Processes, efficiency, and capacity.
• leveraging available data more efficiently and effectively to support risk-based and data-driven decisions.
• compliance and enforcement activities.

Overall, the proposed changes will improve and modernise the E3 Program by making it easier for businesses and industry to comply with and provide flexibility to introduce more energy efficient products.

The new E3 platform may deliver the product registration capability for both Australia and New Zealand and the compliance capability for Australia.

The users and their needs

DCCEEW is looking to establish a new E3 platform. The E3 platform is expected to deliver the following capabilities:

• Product registration
• Compliance & Enforcement

Product Registration

Regulated products must be registered before they can be sold in Australia and New Zealand. The product registration capability allows Suppliers (both Australian/New Zealand and International companies) to apply to register their product/s.

The capability includes Suppliers submitting a product registration application, and the assessment, issuing of certificates and related functions by staff and contractors in Australia and New Zealand.

Compliance & Enforcement

The DCCEEW’s ESCRG branch undertakes a compliance and enforcement program to help ensure Australians can be confident in the energy-efficiency of the appliances and equipment they purchase. The compliance and enforcement capability will enable the DCCEEW staff and contractors to manage the process to make sure products meet energy efficiency requirements (check testing) and check whether products are registered and labelled (market surveillance).

The capability includes collecting and managing sensitive information, recording outcomes, and controlling processes and checking GEMS product registers while mobile and where no network connectivity may be available.

GEMS program expectations

The Respondents can propose a single system or multiple systems as part of E3 platform to address the requirements. If the proposal is for multiple systems, then seamless data sharing must be enabled between the systems. From end-users’ perspective, the system should appear to be one application.

From delivery perspective, the Department expects Respondents to deliver GEMS platform starting from requirement gathering till go live. Following are the some of the activities undertaken by Respondent:

• Requirements gathering
• Project/program management
• Providing high level solution design
• Providing cost break-down
• Delivery of infrastructure
• Build and delivery of the program
• Testing
• Data migration from the old system and between the proposed multiple system/s
• Providing on-going support in collaboration with DCCEEW resources.
• Working in hybrid model where few (1-3) Developers will be provided by DCCEEW. For the costing purposes, Respondents are welcome to make assumption that all Developers are provided by Respondents.
• Providing necessary infrastructure to support the GEMS program.
• Delivering prototype as part of procurement process and
• Undertaking Infosec Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) assessment.

The respondents must provide cost break down for following modules separately. Each module can contain its own risk margins.

• Product Registration
• Compliance & Enforcement
• Customer Satisfaction Survey
• Offline capability for Market Surveillance team

The cost breakdown should include:

• Resource costs with roles and responsibilities
• Infrastructure costs including licencing cost
• On-going support costs for resources and infrastructure

For prototype and for complete build, the Respondents must have resources in Australia and must be cleared to required level. Offshore developments will not be allowed. All the required components must be built in Australia and data must reside in Australia.

Following documents are provided as guidance to respond to this RFI:

1 Product Registration Requirements

1a Risk filter examples

1b Determination complexity

2 Compliance & Enforcement Requirements

3 Conceptual Architecture