information about our collectors & tubes

Eco-Design rules

• The aim is to increase the efficiency of energy-related products by laying down minimum efficiency standards. This contains a labeling requirement in form of labels for heating devices. These labels do already exist on household and electro appliances. Comparability is created through the classification into energy efficiency classes and awarding of the product labels that have a similar purpose. What has been applied for household and climate appliances as well as pumps becomes effective on the 26th September 2015. The requirements will be raised in the following years. The new Eco-Design rules are based on the directive 2009/125/EC, EU-regulations no. 811/2013 and no. 812/2013.
  
  The following product groups are affected:

  • Water heaters and room heating devices with a heat nominal capacity of maximum 70 kW and a container volume of maximum 500 l must be labeled. Larger storage tanks must comply a threshold only. A complete system receives a label as well (package label).
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  • Water heaters and room heating devices with a nominal heat capacity of maximum 400 kW and a container volume of maximum 2000 l (gas, oil, electro pumps, heat pumps, cogeneration)
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  • Single components, such as storage tank and heating boilers, are rated separately. The entire system is rated additionally (combined heating system, integrated facility, package). These ratings are marked with a label.

  
  What has to be kept in mind?
  
  

  • From the 26th September 2015, advertisements that include information about the price and performance must contain the efficiency class.
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  • The classification into energy efficiency classes occures through self-declaration. Only the certification of the thermal efficiency factor is carried out by accredited testing rooms.
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  • When comparing two products with different efficiency classifications, the one with a lower classification can cause significantly lower costs.
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  • The majority of appliances obtains an own efficiency assessment. Specific system components can enhance systems through bonus points. Heater and storage tanks have their own efficiency label whereas solar collectors and controller enhance the system through bonus points.
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  • It is politically desired that every electro heat pump has a better energy efficiency class than gas-fired condensing boilers. This implies that a cheap product with a small COP has a better energy efficiency class than any high tech gas-fired condensing boiler although it has higher energy costs for the consumer.
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  • The label of individual components, e.g. heater or water heaters, are attached by the manufacturers. These carry responsibility for the furnished particulars.
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  • Even considerable differences of the COP and the seasonal performance factor are not relevant.
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  • From fall 2015 regulations will be effective in whole Europe specifying the use of condense technology due to the ErP minimum efficiency criteria, conventional heating boilers will disappear by and by.
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  • Specialized crafts and planners are not in duty to verify the manufacturer; they have to rely on the manufacturer. There is no liability risk for them. The data and details are assumed in practice to comply the requirement towards the final customers or they are used for determining the package label. The efficiency label will be a part of the CE certification in the future. Appliances without the CE marking do not have marketability.
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  • When a craftsman compiles a package, he has to issue the label on his own.
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  • Already existing systems have grandfathering. When adding a solar system or a storage tank to an existing room heater, the craft does not need to determine a new package label.