EC's New Regulations Will Improve Energy Efficiency of Motors, Circulators, TVs, Refrigerators
July 22, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
Details of the four ecodesign regulations adopted by the European Commission (EC) on July 22 are presented below. The new regulations aim to improve the energy efficiency of industrial motors, circulators, televisions, refrigerators and freezers.
The regulations lay down energy efficiency requirements that will save about 190 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year by 2020.
Under these new regulations, the affected products will not be allowed to consume more than a certain amount of energy by certain dates, as listed below.Ecodesign Requirements for Electric Motors
| Application date | Energy efficiency level |
| July 16, 2011 | IE2 for 0.75-375 kilowatt (kW) |
| Jan. 1, 2015 | IE3 or IE2 if equipped with VSD1 for 7.5-375 kW |
| Jan. 1, 2017 | IE3 or IE2 if equipped with VSD for 0.75-375 kW |
This implies that low-efficiency motors (IE1 and below) may no longer be placed on the market as of June 16, 2011. As of 2015, standard efficiency IE2 motors in the power range of 7.5 to 375 kW may be sold only if equipped with a variable-speed drive. As of 2017, the same requirement will apply to motors in the power range of 0.75 to 7.5 kW. Alternatively, high-efficiency IE3 motors may be sold with or without variable speed drives.
Ecodesign Requirements for Circulators
| Application date | Energy efficiency index (EEI) |
| Jan. 1, 2013 | EEI < 0.27 Glandless2 stand-alone circulators, with the exception of those specifically designed for the primary circuits of thermal solar systems and heat pumps |
| July 1, 2015 | EEI < 0.23 Glandless stand-alone circulators and glandless circulators integrated in products, such as boilers |
This implies that, as of 2012, low-efficiency and standard stand-alone circulators can no longer be placed on the market. As of 2015, the minimum requirements will be tightened further and their scope broadened to include boiler-integrated circulators as well.
Ecodesign Requirements for Household Refrigerating Appliances
| Application date | Energy efficiency index (EEI) |
| July 1, 2010 | EEI < 55 Equivalent to removing current classes B, C and below |
| July 1, 2012 | EEI < 44 Equivalent to removing current class A (current classes A+ and above will remain) |
| July 1, 2014 | EEI < 42 Only current classes A+ and above will remain |
Ecodesign Requirements for TVs
Stage 1: Aug. 20, 2010
| On-mode power consumption of "full HD" resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) TVs: 20 watts + A • 1.12 • 4.3224 watts/dm 2 |
On-mode power consumption of TVs with all other resolutions: 20 watts + A • 4.3224 watts/dm 2 |
This means that only TVs with energy efficiency better than the current average can be placed on the market (A is the screen area of the television, expressed in dm 2).
Stage 2: April 1, 2012
| On-mode power consumption, all resolutions: 16 watts + A • 3.4579 watts/dm 2 |
This means that only TVs with an energy efficiency at least 20% better than the current average can be placed on the market(corresponding to energy efficiency class "C" or better in the new labeling system for TVs).
Furthermore, ambitious requirements for standby and off-mode power consumption are set in two stages, which apply from Jan. 7, 2010 and Aug. 20, 2011, respectively.
1 VSD (variable speed drive) - also known as adjustable speed drive, control drive and frequency drive - is a device composed of electronics that allow the motor to run with lower speed when necessary (rather than running the motor with full speed and blocking, for example, an air/water flow with valves or the like).
2 Circulators are pumps used in heating systems either "stand-alone" (outside boiler) or within the boiler. A glandless circulator is a specific type of pump that has the shaft of the motor directly coupled to the impeller and the rotor immersed in the pumped medium; hence it is sometimes referred to as "wet running." The smaller sizes are mainly used in houses with just one family, and the larger sizes used in houses of multiple occupation, tertiary or industrial buildings.
Source: European Commission (EC).