New Delhi, September 6, 2026: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has strengthened India’s energy-efficiency framework for chillers by bringing the equipment under its mandatory Standards & Labelling (S&L) programme. The latest regulatory changes introduce revised star-rating provisions, tighter minimum performance requirements and updated compliance timelines for chiller manufacturers and suppliers.
Chillers were initially covered under the BEE labelling programme voluntarily. The programme moved to a mandatory regime from July 1, 2024, requiring applicable chillers manufactured in India or imported for sale in the country to carry BEE star labels. The equipment is covered under the applicable requirements of IS 16590, with energy performance evaluated using the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER).
A major update was issued in the Ministry of Power notification S.O. 5968(E), dated December 23, 2025, which amended the chiller star-labelling framework. The notification established revised star-rating tables for water-cooled and air-cooled chillers, with the updated rating framework applicable from July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2029.
The revised framework retains a one-to-five-star rating structure, with ratings determined according to the chiller’s ISEER performance and cooling capacity. Importantly, BEE has withdrawn permission to display one-star labels from July 1, 2026, signalling a move towards higher minimum energy-performance levels for chillers.
The transition also required manufacturers and BEE permittees with existing registered models to take compliance action. Under BEE’s April 28, 2026 advisory, manufacturers seeking to continue approved models beyond June 30, 2026, were required to submit continuation requests through the BEE portal, along with the previous approval letter and revised sample label.
The submission window ran from April 28 to June 20, 2026, while models without the required continuation request were subject to deactivation after June 30. The revised sample-label validity extends to December 31, 2029.
The BEE says its Standards & Labelling programme is intended to help consumers and businesses make informed purchasing decisions based on energy performance while reducing electricity consumption. Chillers have been formally listed among the equipment covered under the programme’s mandatory labelling category.
For India’s commercial and industrial cooling sector, the strengthened framework places greater emphasis on measurable energy performance, regulatory compliance and the development of higher-efficiency chiller technologies.
