FEATURE
CHIMNEYS, FLUES
& FIREPLACES
“Ecodesign requires manufacturers to
reduce the environmental impact of
energy-using and energy-related products”
Electric avenue goes green
Jack Drew, electrical
development engineer
at Gazco, explains how
electric fires get the
Ecodesign treatment.
Did you know that across the globe,
more than half the energy we use
is for heating space and water in
our homes?
With such high energy usage, it is no
surprise that the efficiency of energy
consuming products has been at the
forefront of conversation, along with the
prevalent topic of Ecodesign.
The Ecodesign Directive is focused
on improvement in efficiency, carbon
reductions, and future environmental
targets.
Along with the automotive industry,
other sectors have been affected by
Ecodesign regulations, including the solid
fuel, gas and electric heating industry,
which will have to exhibit a host of
changes in order to comply.
THE ECODESIGN DIRECTIVE
Ecodesign requires
manufacturers to reduce
the environmental impact
of energy-using and energyrelated
products.
Regulations and
legislations that have come
into play will improve the
products on the market,
reducing energy and resource
consumption and introducing
more efficient technologies.
Products that do not meet
the relevant regulations
will not be allowed to get to
market, preventing inefficient
and poorly designed products
being sold to the public.
Stringent Ecodesign
limits should ensure that
the European-wide targets
for the reduction in carbon
emissions are met.
The products affected by the
Ecodesign Directive have been
segmented into 37 different
regulations called Lots.
Through separation into Lots, products
of similar functionality and purpose can
be treated with a variation of the directive
that makes sense for that group.
For example, Lot 9 (street lighting)
requires a different formulation of
Ecodesign regulations than Lot 20 (solid
fuel local space heaters/local space
heaters) as their purpose and function
is very different. Lot 20 affects solid fuel,
gas and electric fires, and is designed to
reduce the energy used by products that
heat our homes.
Solid fuel heating appliances, such as
wood burning stoves, will need to follow
Ecodesign regulations from 2022, whereas
local space heaters that use electricity,
gaseous or liquid fuels have to comply
with efficiency standards now.
As these regulations are fresh to the
electric and gas fires market, it is likely we
will see non-compliant products still in
sales circulation that were manufactured
before the implementation date.
If you are an installer or a retailer,
it is advisable to keep your customers
informed as to which electric fires are
compliant, and if there are any you are
unsure of, contact the manufacturer for
confirmation.
HOW DO THE REGULATIONS
AFFECT ELECTRIC FIRES?
To comply with the directive,
electric fires have had to meet
minimum efficiency standards
since January 1, 2018, and many
will now have intelligent control
features to minimise wasted energy.
For example, programmable
timer controls or thermostatic
handsets are now something we will
see more of, allowing the fire to run
at the most efficient levels.
One such example is the Skope
electric fire range from Gazco,
which has seen a host of features
added to its functionality so that it
complies with Ecodesign and works
at optimum energy saving levels.
One of the features that may be
included to make an electric fire
compliant is adaptive start control.
Adaptive start control initiates
heating on an optimal start-up
The Ecodesign ready electric fire range from Gazco
time so that the fire reaches a certain
temperature at a chosen time using the
minimum amount of energy required.
So, for example, to achieve a
comfortable room temperature of 20ºC
by 6pm when the user returns from work,
the adaptive start control will predict the
optimum time to switch on, rather than
it being heated up too early from the user
estimating incorrectly.
Daily and weekly timer control
functions are another feature we may
see more of in electric fires since the
directive’s implementation. Using this
feature, the electric fire will be able to
provide heat at certain times of the day, or
days of the week.
Perhaps one of the most innovative
features that has come of the directive is
open window detection.
Some electric fires will now be able to
detect a temperature drop caused by an
open window. In the case of the Skope
fire, for example, a drop of 4ºC or more
within five minutes will prompt the
fire to automatically turn off its heat in
order to save energy, while still providing
mesmerising flame visuals for ambience in
the home.
Across the local space heating industry,
the stringent Ecodesign Directive
limits will bring about not only carbon
reductions and minimised energy usage,
but also the confidence in the consumer
that they are using a quality appliance that
delivers improved efficiency in their home.
ENQUIRY NUMBER 113
An advanced thermostatic handset
54 Heating & Plumbing Monthly | MAY 2018 | www.hpmmag.com
/www.hpmmag.com
