It can be difficult to keep track of the Energy-related Products Directive, because it covers the performance and energy efficiency of a vast range of products. Also, the passage of EU standards regulations and the workings of the relevant committees can sometimes be hard to follow.
However, an important new date is imminent, which means that:
- Any new local space heating system installed from January 1st 2018 must be fully compliant with new performance standards.
The legislation is not retrospective, so existing systems in place will not be affected. However, new heaters as covered by Lot 20 of the Directive (ref: Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1188) must comply.
So, let’s take a hypothetical case of an installation of a non-compliant system scheduled for completion late this year. If there were unforeseen problems that caused it to overrun its timetable and it was only completed in January 2018, that system would no longer be legal.
Focus on performance and energy efficiency
While it is critical to ensure that any new heating products you acquire are compliant for legal reasons, there are major gains to be had too. The performance and efficiency of high quality heating solutions will save on running costs and achieve environmental benefits.
A wide range of products are required to be compliant as from January 1st next year, with all space heaters using electricity, gaseous or liquid fuels brought into the frame. Schwank’s gas-fired infrared radiant plaque (luminous) heaters and tube heaters are among the products covered, and almost all already exceed the standards required by the directive.
As a leading manufacturer in the HVAC sector, we are fully committed to the energy efficiency and environmental aims of this EU legislation and are continually developing the technology of our solutions to meet new energy efficiency and environmental targets.
Meeting the standards
A comprehensive overview of the ecodesign requirements of local space heaters to be initiated from January 1st 2018 can be found in Annex II of the online document EUR-Lex Access to European Union Law. This covers the following areas:
- Seasonal space heating energy efficiency
- Specific ecodesign requirements for emissions (relating to nitrous oxides (NOx)
- Requirements for product information
For instance, this information includes the stipulation that seasonal space heating energy efficiency of luminous local space heaters shall not be less than 85% and not less than 74% for tube heaters. A seasonal efficiency value is calculated on the operation of an entire heating season, with efficiency criteria including radiant factor, thermal efficiency, controllability and auxiliary energy utilised.
As described in our previous post, we are convinced that the UK’s Referendum decision to leave the European Union will not affect the progress of these energy efficiency regulations. It is widely agreed that the standards being set are invaluable in countering the rising costs of energy, contributing to energy security and combatting pollution and carbon emissions.