print ]Eco-design
Eco design of energy related products
How the Eco-design directive works?
PROCESS OF PREPARATION OF REGULATIONS
HVAC-RELATED ECO- DESIGN REGULATIONS
How the Eco-design directive works?
The scope of Energy using product directive was expanded to all energy related products in 2009. The Eco-design directive allows the Commission to develop regulation for practically any product used in buildings.
The Eco-design directive does not set binding requirements on products by itself: it provides a framework (rules and criteria) for setting such requirements through implementing measures. The Commission prepares implementing measures only for products which have significant sales and trade in the EU and a significant environmental impact and potential for improvement. The preparation of implementing measures includes several stages, starting from a preparatory study for a product group (“Lot”) and ending up in publishing the final regulation. This also means that, unlike in the case of directives, the requirements for products defined in the regulation are exactly the same for all EU Member States.
Industry and other stakeholders may follow the progress in all stages, and during the preparatory studies stakeholder meetings are arranged, in principle open to all. More info at the link
The Eco-design directive 2009
The scope of Energy using product directive was expanded to all energy related products in 2009. This directive allows the Commission to develop regulation for practically any product used in buildings.
The general background and basic ideas are well described at the Ecodesign website of DG ENTR, and in the BROCHURE linked to the same website
- How can I influence ?
-> register as a stakeholder
(for further information go to the relevant study’s website) - Links provided further below
PROCESS OF PREPARATION OF REGULATIONS
- Working plan
- Preparatory study - Stakeholder meetings
- Draft regulation - Consultation forum
- Regulatory Committee
- Final regulation
Preparatory study
Preparatory study of each product group includes always 8 tasks, related to each other as follows (from www.ecohvac.eu ) according to the "MEEUP Methodology"
HVAC-RELATED ECO - DESIGN REGULATIONS
Adopted HVAC related regulations
Implementing measures have been published and regulations have entered into force for several product groups, including (Regulations can be obtained from Ecodesign website -> Product groups page / Table at the bottom gives links to the regulations in all EU languages)
- Electrical motors
- Circulators
- Fans
The first implementing measures are estimated to allow about 340 TWh yearly savings by 2020, equivalent to 12.7% of the EU electricity consumption in 2007. Electric motors alone are estimated to contribute some 40% of these savings.
Regulations in preparation (studies completed)
Update ! < Pumps and circulators: The proposal for Ecodesign regulation for water pumps has been approved by the European Council on 10 February.
Boilers and water heaters: After a long delay, the draft regulations for boilers (Lot 1) and water heaters (Lot 2) have proceeded, and the relevant documents for eco-design, labelling and testing and calculation of boilers and water heaters have been submitted to Member States for review in February 2012, and voting in Regulatory Committee is expected in spring 2012. > 29/02/2012
ENER Lot 1 Boilers – Working document for boilers and heat pumps was discussed at Regulatory Committee on 11 April 2011. Proposal for regulation was circulated for comments in May 2011. link to most recent documents
ENER Lot 2 Water Heaters. The study has been done much in parallel with ENTR LOT 1, and working documents for commission regulation were sent to Member States for comments in summer 2010. In June 2011, the next steps are still awaiting.
ENER Lot 10 – Air conditioners, comfort fans and residential ventilation. In January 2011 the first working document for ecodesign and ecolabel requirements, for residential ventilation products (heat recovery units, range hoods) plus the additional background material, was circulated for comments. Further processing of the implementing measures have now been postponed until the preparatory study for non-residential ventilation (under ENTR Lot 6) has been completed – so the work is foreseen to continue again in early 2012.
For air conditioners and comfort fans under the same lot. The draft implementing measure was adopted last week on 31 May 2011. Regarding next steps, the text adopted by the Regulatory Committee is now subject to the scrutiny right of the European Parliament and Council for three months. The final adoption is therefore expected in September / October 2011. Requirements for the first product types will enter into force in the beginning of 2013.
ENER Lot 11 – Eco-design regulation for Fans (125 W … 500 kW) published, and the first tier of requirements will enter into force in the beginning of 2013, given as the minimum efficiency grade for six fan types. link to EU Official Journal
Ongoing work (studies relevant to HVAC products)
Update ! < ENER Lot 20 Local room heating products and ENER Lot 21 Central heating products – active second stakeholder meetings were held 27-28 September 2011. Products include furnaces and heaters for various fuels (electric, gas, liquid fuel, multi-fuel) and several types of heat pumps.
ENTR Lot 6 Air-conditioning and ventilation systems – second stakeholder meeting held 30 September 2011 – www.ecohvac.eu. Divided into two parts: the "ventilation" part will concentrate on air handling units (including few AHU components, still under discussion whether or not to include filters and ductwork separately) and air conditioning.
Documents for the most recent meetings have been linked to the relevant websites. > 04/11/2011
2012-14 WORKING PROGRAMME – OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR THE FUTURE
study on amended working plan
The Working Plan sets out an indicative list of product groups which are considered priorities for the adoption of implementing measures under the Ecodesign Directive.
The study on Methodology for Energy-related Products. "MEErP" is also ongoing, and a questionnaire for stakeholders was held in February 2011. This study will provide the European Commission with an update and an extension of the existing methodology of MEEuP to arrive at a Methodology for the Ecodesign of Energy-related Products (MEErP), to be used in future preparatory studies for measures under the recast of the Ecodesign Directive. See http://www.meerp.eu/ for more.
OTHER RELATED WORK
Ecodesign measures for water taps and shower heads may also be dealt with in the "Ecotapware" study under DG Environment, which primarily aims at establishing Ecolabel criteria for these products.
