EC Adopts Four Regulations to Improve Energy Efficiency
July 22, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The regulations lay down energy efficiency requirements that will save about 190 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year by 2020, which is comparable to the combined annual electricity consumption of Sweden and Austria.
The new regulations were implemented under Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and the European Council.
The regulation on motors sets energy performance requirements for most of the electric motors used in industrial applications. Furthermore it will foster the use of "variable speed drives," adjusting the motor output to actual needs, instead of always operating at full capacity. The energy savings triggered by the motor regulation are about 135 TWh per year by 2020.
The regulation on circulators will shift the market to "intelligent" high-efficiency circulators capable of adjusting their performance to the needs of the heating system. Circulators can be found in almost every building's boiler or heating system, and the electricity savings are expected to be about 25 TWh per year by 2020.
The two regulations on televisions and refrigerators/freezers will leave only the most efficient products on the market. The expected annual electricity savings by 2020 are about 30 TWh.
"This package is a milestone on the road to achieving our energy efficiency, climate change and economic recovery objectives. It will save impressive amounts of electricity, CO2 emissions and electricity costs, while creating jobs and boosting the deployment of highly innovative technologies," said EC Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.
In total, nine ecodesign regulations have now been put in place, which are expected to save about 315 TWh electricity per year by 2020 if fully implemented. This is more than the annual electricity consumption of Italy.
For more information, see MEMO 09/349 - Package of four ecodesign regulations to improve the energy performance of motors, circulators, televisions, refrigerators and freezers - plus the EC web page on Energy policy for a competitive Europe.
Source: European Commission (EC).