Commission Regulation (EU) No 1253/2014Show full title

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1253/2014

of 7 July 2014

implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for ventilation units

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products(1), and in particular Article 15(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Under Directive 2009/125/EC energy-related products representing significant volumes of sales and trade, having significant environmental impact within the Union and presenting significant potential for improvement in terms of their environmental impact, without entailing excessive costs, are to be covered by an implementing measure or a self-regulation measure regarding ecodesign requirements.

(2) The Commission has assessed the technical, environmental and economic aspects of ventilation units. The assessment showed that ventilation units are placed on the Union market in large quantities. The energy consumption in the use phase is the most significant environmental aspect of ventilation units, presenting significant potential for cost-effective energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

(3) Fans are an important part of ventilation units. Generic minimum energy efficiency requirements for fans have been established in Commission Regulation (EU) No 327/2011(2). The power consumption of the ventilation functions of fans which are part of ventilation units is covered by the minimum energy performance requirements of that Regulation, but many ventilation units use fans not covered by it. It is therefore necessary to introduce implementing measures for ventilation units.

(4) A distinction should be made between measures applying to residential ventilation units and those applying to non-residential ventilation units on the basis of their individual air flow rate because two different sets of measurement standards are used in practice.

(5) Small ventilation units with an electric power input of less than 30 W per air stream should be exempted from the requirements of this Regulation, except for information requirements. Those units are designed for many different applications, predominantly working intermittently and with supplementary functions only, for example in bathrooms. Including those would represent a considerable administrative burden in terms of market surveillance because of large sales numbers, while contributing only to a small share of the energy saving potential. However, considering that they offer similar functionalities to other ventilation units, their possible inclusion should similarly be addressed in the review of this Regulation. Furthermore, ventilation units specifically designed to operate exclusively for emergency purposes or in exceptional or hazardous environments should also be exempted, as they are used rarely and for a short time. The exemptions also clarify that multifunctional units which predominantly heat or cool and kitchen range hoods are excluded. The Commission has carried out preparatory studies to analyse the technical, environmental and economic aspects of residential and non-residential ventilation units. The studies have been developed together with stakeholders and interested parties from the Union and third countries, and the results have been made publicly available.

(6) The environmental parameter of the products covered which has been identified as the most significant for the purposes of this Regulation is energy consumption in the use phase. The annual electricity consumption of products subject to this Regulation was estimated at 77,6 TWh in the Union in 2010. At the same time, these products save 2 570 PJ on energy for heating space. In aggregate, using a primary energy conversion coefficient of 2,5 for electricity, the energy balance is 1 872 PJ primary energy of annual saving in 2010. Without specific measures, the aggregate saving is projected to grow to 2 829 PJ in 2025.

(7) The preparatory studies show that the energy consumption of products subject to this Regulation can be significantly reduced. The combined effect of the ecodesign requirements set out in this Regulation and in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1254/2014(3) is expected to result in an aggregate increase in savings by 1 300 PJ (45 %) to a level of 4 130 PJ in 2025.

(8) The preparatory studies show that requirements regarding the other ecodesign parameters referred to in Part 1 of Annex I to Directive 2009/125/EC are not necessary for ventilation units as energy consumption in the use phase is by far the most important environmental parameter.

(9) The ecodesign requirements should be introduced gradually in order to provide a sufficient timeframe for manufacturers to re-design products subject to this Regulation. The timing should take into account the impact on costs for end-users and manufacturers, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, while ensuring that the environmental performance of ventilation units is improved without unnecessary delay.

(10) Product parameters should be measured and calculated using reliable, accurate and reproducible methods which take into account recognised state-of-the-art measurement and calculation methods, including, where available, harmonised standards adopted by the European standardisation bodies following a request by the Commission, in accordance with the procedures laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council(4).

(11) Benchmarks for currently available ventilation unit types with high energy efficiency should be identified in the implementing measure on the basis of information gathered during the preparation of the measure, in order that manufacturers can make use of this assessment to evaluate alternative design solutions and the achieved environmental performance of the product against benchmarks. This will help to ensure a wide availability and easy accessibility of information, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises and very small firms, which will further facilitate the integration of best design technologies and facilitate the development of more efficient products for reducing energy consumption.

(12) The Consultation Forum referred to in Article 18 of Directive 2009/125/EC has been consulted.

(13) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 19(1) of Directive 2009/125/EC,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(1)

OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, p. 10.

(2)

Commission Regulation (EU) No 327/2011 of 30 March 2011 implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for fans driven by motors with an electric input power between 125 W and 500 kW (OJ L 90, 6.4.2011, p. 8).

(3)

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1254/2014 of 11 July 2014 supplementing Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of residential ventilation units (see page 27 of this Official Journal).

(4)

Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation (OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 12).