GEN – 1014.00. On 26 March 2019, the project websites were updated with the Task 1 to Task 7, including a reissue of the Task 1 and 2, which were released in February 2019.  The second and last stakeholder meeting will take place in April 2019, and the study should be finalised before the summer break. 

Overview of the Task Reports

The reports for both space and water heaters are built along the same lines. The space heater report is the one that at present would require attention by the manufacturers of heat pumps.

For the water heaters, at present the Tasks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are available, the others would follow.

Because the demand for space heating will decline due to the energy performance requirements specified under the national implementations of the EPBD, with time the hot water demand will become more important. Basically, manufacturers may find the Task 2 report on the market analysis most useful.

The volume of the reports is quite important and will take up time for a careful analysis it before the last stakeholder meeting that takes place within three weeks, on 26 April.

Space heaters

• Task 1 Scope, policies and standards – 359 pages, with some changes since the February version
• Task 2 Market analyses – 123 pages, with some changes since the February version
• Task 3 Space and water heating demand and usage – 123 pages
• Task 4 Technologies – 118 pages
• Task 5 Environment and economics – 54 pages
• Task 6 Options – 69 pages
• Task 7 Scenarios – 25 pages

Elements of note

Within Task 4, the heat pump manufacturers may give attention to some of the findings. The summary states the following:

“Monitoring studies on heat pumps illustrate that the test- and calculation methods used in the Regulation are adequate, but that the assumptions on the system temperatures on the sink side and related value for the seasonal space heating efficiency in existing dwellings are too optimistic. The actual real-life seasonal average supply temperature is the crucial parameter for achieving the projected seasonal space heating efficiency and is determined by both the emitter capacity and the pump- and temperature controls on the sink-side. These parameters can constitute the difference between a seasonal efficiency of 85% or 174%. Following the findings for existing dwellings, the average supply temperature over the heating season is at least 5K too low (on average over the heating season it should be 43°C instead of 38°C), resulting in an average SCOP that is at least 15% too optimistic.”

Within Task 6, the proposed options serve as a draft for discussions with manufacturers. Some of these options are:

• New primary energy factor and its consequences for the minimum Ecodesign and Energy Efficiency limits, and Energy Label class limits.
• Verification tolerances
• Third party verification
• High (65°C) instead of medium (55°C) temperatures for heat pumps
• Dynamic heat pump testing instead of at declared compressor frequencies (speed)
• Energy label: Indicate also the low temperature and high temperature efficiency numbers with heat pumps

Stakeholder meeting

The space heaters stakeholder meeting takes place on Friday, 26 April 2019, from 9:00-13:00h in Brussels, followed by the water heaters meeting from 14:30-17:30h.

Interested manufacturers should register on the project website by 14 April.

Next steps

The review studies should be finalised before the summer break. The Commission Services have indicated that the Consultation Forum dealing with these reviews would take place in the fourth quarter of 2019.

As a reminder, the graph below outlines the next steps:

Related information

Space heater energy label to change on 26 September 2019

The G to A++ energy label introduced on 26 September 2015 will move, as defined in Regulation 2013/811, to a D to A+++ energy label from 26 September 2019. Details of this label can be found in point 1.2 of Annex III of Regulation 2013/811.

EPREL

Manufacturers of space and water heaters, including heat pumps (Regulation 811/2013 and Regulation 812/2013) should by now have prepared for introducing their product data into EPREL.

The Consultation Forum Sub-group ‘Compliance’ meets on 12 April.

Recommended Actions

Members manufacturing products covered by these regulations are recommended to take note of the latest studies. The Task 6 and 7 reports provide the initial ideas about options and scenarios that could form the basis of the revised regulations. Participation to the stakeholder meeting on 26 April is recommended.

Related documents and links

All related documents and articles can be found in the respective sections in the right sidebar.

• GEN – 999.00 – Previous update
• Project website Space Heaters: https://www.ecoboiler-review.eu/index.html
• Project website Water Heaters: https://www.ecohotwater-review.eu/
• Commission website including links to the Regulations and Guidance Documents: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/ecodesign/space-heaters_en
• Space heater energy labelling regulation 2013/811: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32013R0811
• EPREL: https://ec.europa.eu/info/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/energy-label-and-ecodesign/european-product-database-energy-labelling_en
• GEN – 979.00, GEN – 977.00, GEN – 972.00, and previous GEN documents related to EPREL