Eco-design Requirements for Energy-related Products
A Guide to the Implementation of European Directive 2009/125/EC
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Energy-related products (ErPs), such as electrical and electronic devices and heating equipment, account for a significant proportion of the consumption of natural resources and energy within the European Community.
This guide is designed to help users comply with the requirements of the Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive (formerly EuP) by providing all the relevant information in one place, and to offer practical advice for compliance with the Directive and any subsequent regulations.
This guide highlights the main points of the Directive and its impact on product design and manufacture, and includes references to additional sources of useful information.
Monitoring, Verification and Enforcement (MV&E) of the eco-design Directive
A number of International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries have recently joined forces in an international collaborative programme to promote the wider use of more energy-efficient electrical equipment. This co-operation is taking place within the framework of the new IEA implementing agreement, and will focus on the efficiency of electrical consumer products;
An important part of the implementation of the eco-design Directive (2009/125/EC) is effective market surveillance, including; monitoring, verification and enforcement (MV&E), to ensure product compliance with standards and labelling requirements. Effective compliance regimes ensure that energy efficiency initiatives such as the eco-design directive, deliver energy savings at low cost. Significant improvements in MV&E and product compliance could be achieved if energy-efficiency issues are addressed through international interaction and coordination.
Currently, different test methods and standards are used by different countries, which lead to different results for similar types of equipment. Improved international collaboration could assist in aligning approaches to product testing and measurement, such that they are carried out in the same way in every country using internationally agreed methodologies for testing, verification and compliance.
There is a need for improved international collaboration on MV&E; including co-operation on the sharing of compliance information between countries, and the coordination of MV&E bodies internationally. This could include sharing information between measurement laboratories e.g. product test schemes and results.
Increased international cooperation would lead to a more consistent approach to MV&E in every country, increased rates of compliance and consequently a global reduction in the amount of carbon produced.
The guide includes a section on the international aspects of Monitoring, Verification and Enforcement (MV&E), and references and links to relevant publically available information worldwide.
Energy Performance of Buildings
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) (2002/91/EC) is designed to tackle climate change by reducing the amount of carbon produced by buildings. The directive is applicable to the residential and tertiary (offices, public buildings, etc.) sectors.
The original EPBD has been amended and recast as Directive 2010/31/EU, which was published in the OJ on 18 June 2010 and entered into force 20 days later. The original EPBD will be repealed from Feb 2012. Under the recast directive, the scope of the original EPBD has been extended, and seeks to; clarify and simplify certain aspects, extend the scope of the original directive, strengthen certain provisions and give the public sector a leading role in promoting energy efficiency.
The new EPBD is related to the eco-design Directive (2009/125/EC) and includes references to it, in particular; when setting energy performance requirements for technical building systems, Member States should use testing and calculation methods and energy efficiency classes developed under 2009/125/EC implementing measures where appropriate.
The Guide to the energy-related products Directive is divided into three sections:
1. Introduction
This section sets out the purpose of the Directive and the ErP process, explaining how products are assessed and laying out the working plan for choosing product groups that will be considered as priorities. Information regarding the implementation of the ErP Directive into UK legislation is also provided.
2. Scope of the Directive
This section provides information regarding how different product groups could be affected. For each product category, a summary of the main products likely to be affected is provided, together with the main ecodesign requirements.
3. A guide to compliance
This section is designed to help subscribers monitor and assess the compliance of their products. It covers:
- Implementing measures
- EU and UK Government guidance
- Principles for eco-design
- Application of standards for compliance
- Voluntary and industry codes of practice
- Standards relevant to the ErP Directive.
Appendices include relevant European Directives and standards and the text of the ErP Directive and related legislation.
If you have questions about this publication, before buying, our Frequently Asked Questions may answer them.
Annual subscription with regular updates
Subscribe to Energy-related Products. A Guide to the Implementation of European Directive 2005/32/EC and you will receive a hardcopy version of the guide and regular updates as legislation implementing the Directive comes into force, and to keep users up to date with the development of harmonized standards.
Likely updates will cover topics including:
- Legislation
- Standards
- Government commitments
- Implementation dates
- Revision of the agreed tolerances
- Report on development in labelling.
About the Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive
The purpose of the ErP Directive is to help producers and manufacturers of energy-related products meet European Union (EU) targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the adverse environmental impacts of these products.
The Directive outlines the general eco-design requirements that ErPs must meet before they can be placed on the European market. The aim is to improve the environmental performance of ErPs throughout their life cycle. In principle, the directive covers any product which depends on, generates, transfers or measures energy.
The focus of the Directive is on the product design process, since this stage has the greatest influence over the resources that are used within the product itself, in its packaging and during its operating lifetime.
