By Richard Fassler - Manager, Energy-Efficiency Programs
Power Integrations, Inc. (San Jose, CA)

 Without a doubt, the most far-reaching energy-efficiency program of recent times is the European Commission’s Ecodesign Directive for Energy Using Products (EuPs). Since its publication in 2005 (Directive 2005/32/EC), this program has established a framework under which manufacturers of EuPs sold in the European market are obliged to reduce the energy consumption, as well as other negative environmental impacts, occurring during a specific EuP’s life cycle. Originally consisting of 14 product groups (“Lots”), the Ecodesign Directive has now expanded to over 30 Lots (as of May 2010[1]). While most Lots are vertically-oriented, affecting a specific application (i.e., televisions, lighting, washers), some are horizontal in nature, meaning that they mandate a maximum power consumption over a wide range of different types of products, such as Lot 6 which sets the maximum standby power requirement for most electronic household and office equipment.

[1] The scope of the Ecodesign Directive has since been expanded to also cover Energy-Related Products (ERPs) – products that can affect energy consumption (i.e., windows, building insulation, shower heads, etc.).

Engineers around the world who design EuPs sold into Europe are extremely interested in understanding the existing and proposed future Ecodesign Directive efficiency regulations, so that they are fully informed about the impact the standards will have on new product designs. However, because of the many ongoing programs and the lack of a central, regularly-updated official information source, many engineers find it difficult to stay up-to-date on the current status of EuP Lots in progress.

This article will discuss the basics of the Ecodesign Directive process, help the reader to become familiar with the product Lots involved, and detail a new, simple-to-use web application that quickly provides information on the Ecodesign Directive’s status by product/application.

The Long and Winding Road to Regulation

The lengthy, multi-step process begins with the European Commission (EC) identifying a product as worthy to be investigated (part of the “Working plan”) and concludes, in most cases, with a mandatory efficiency regulation. While the earliest activities are open to general stakeholders, the steps that follow the initial preparatory study are not easily accessible to most engineers, therefore requiring investigative work - often worthy of Sherlock Holmes.

The typical route for EuPs identified as priority products having Ecodesign potential usually involves the following steps: 

• A preparatory study is conducted by an independent consultant and/or research institute to investigate the environmental impact throughout the entire product’s life cycle, including improvement potential. Note: This is the time when designers should get involved as stakeholders to provide necessary input on existing and new technology (including any incremental costs) available for improving a product’s energy efficiency. (This step typically takes around 18 to 24 months to complete.)

• Based on the study’s findings, the EC drafts a proposed Ecodesign regulation, with an impact assessment. Based on the impact assessment and any additional evidence, the EC then develops a Working Document that is presented to the Consultant’s Forum.

• Members of the Consultant’s Forum (representatives of EU member states and a limited number of stakeholders, such as business and consumer organizations and non-governmental-organizations [NGOs]) review the document and either approve it or propose modifications for approval.

• Once approved, the draft regulation is forwarded to the Regulatory Committee (representatives of EU member states) for approval.

• The regulation is then sent to the European Parliament for scrutiny (with a notification to the World Trade Organization) and, after adoption, it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).

• Twenty days following the publication in the OJEU, the regulation “enters into force” with the mandated efficiency levels effective starting one year after that date.  

Each regulation typically has two levels, Tier 1 and Tier 2, with individual effective dates. Tier 2 tightens up the efficiency levels a few years after Tier 1 becomes effective, reflecting the expectation that products will become more energy efficient over time.

Current Ecodesign Directive EuP Regulation Status

Table 1 shows the current status of the active Lots in the Directive as of May 2010.

Table 1. Current Ecodesign Regulation Status by Lot

One thing to note in the status column in Table 1 is that while the activity to-date has yielded mandatory efficiency regulations (referred to as “implementing measures” in the Directive), there is also the option in the Directive of an industry “Voluntary Agreement” (VA), allowing the EuP’s industry manufacturers to regulate themselves. Four Lots that are currently under consideration for a VA are: imaging equipment (printers, copiers, faxes, multi-function products); complex set-top boxes (non-DTAs); machine tools; and medical imaging equipment. However, a number of European environmental groups and NGOs have questioned the overall effectiveness of the efficiency levels and the percentage of total products shipped into EU countries that must meet these levels, as agreed upon by manufacturers. Designers will need to follow this activity closely in the coming months.

 Since the Directive’s 2005 publication date, only nine standards have reached the finish line, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Currently Approved Ecodesign EuP Lots

Looking for Ecodesign Status Updates

For a general overview of the Ecodesign Directive, a reasonable place to start is the European Commission’s web site: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/ecodesign/eco_design_en.htm. Directive documents, including the Working Plan, can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainable-business/documents/eco-design/index_en.htm.

However, readers should be aware that finding out what’s going on with a specific EuP Lot can be very complicated. As mentioned earlier, there is no official government web site that keeps track of individual Lots and their status. Luckily, a few consultants, NGOs, and manufacturers involved in the program have developed web pages that offer engineers timely information on signing up as a stakeholder for specific Lots, as well as their status (both finalized and in process). These include:

• Ecodesign-Info at http://www.ecodesign-info.eu/ (you’ll need to register first)
• EuP Network at http://www.eup-network.de/product-groups/drafts-regulations/
• Defra EuP page at http://efficient-products.defra.gov.uk/cms/eup/
• PI Green Room EuP page at http://www.powerint.com/en/green-room/agencies/ec-eup-eco-directive

 Even with the best of sites, it can still take some time to search through links to find the right page that will provide an overview of the status for a specific EuP.

 EuP Ecodesign Standards Finder - A New Web-based Tool

In the real world, most engineers don’t have the time to surf through web sites and web pages to stay up-to-date with EuP Lot activities. To answer this need, Power Integrations has developed a free web-based tool that allows designers to simply choose the EuP from a drop-down menu and review the resulting information and status. The tool, named the EuP Ecodesign Standards Finder, is accessible through PI’s Green Room homepage at: http://www.powerint.com/en/green-room.

 
Figure 1. The EuP Ecodesign Standards Finder 

The EuP Ecodesign Standards Finder allows a designer to select from over 40 EuPs (Figure 1). Upon selection, Tier 1 and Tier 2 efficiency requirements are listed for those Lots that have been approved. For Lots still going through the process, the tool shows the requirements currently being proposed. For example, at the time of writing, desktop computer efficiency requirements (Lot 3) are in a Working Document draft form as part of the Consultant’s Forum stage. For desktop computers, the Standards Finder lists not only the proposed requirements from the Lot 3 Working Draft, but also the approved and relevant horizontal standby power consumption requirement from Lot 6 (both the current Tier 1 and 2013’s Tier 2). And as an extra bonus, Mr. Green offers a best guess as to when the Lot 3 requirements will be finalized and published in the OJEU. As changes occur in the Ecodesign Lots, the Standards Finder is updated.

 Conclusion

The EC Ecodesign Directive for EuPs is a far-reaching energy-efficiency and environmental program, reducing the amount of power our EuPs consume and greatly impacting the way they are designed to operate, posing new challenges to design engineers worldwide. Besides becoming involved early as stakeholders in the preparatory study phase, designers must be able to stay current with proposed requirements as they continue through the rest of the Ecodesign process. In addition to mining for information on relevant web sites, the EuP Ecodesign Standards Finder can become the fastest information-producing tool in a designer’s EuP awareness toolbox.

About the Author

Rich Fassler is manager of energy-efficiency programs at Power Integrations (PI). He has more than 30 years of experience in the technical marketing and sales of power semiconductors at companies including PI, Intersil, IXYS Corporation, and General Electric. His current work is focused on worldwide energy-efficiency standards and specifications affecting power supplies and electronic products. Rich regularly attends, and makes presentations at, energy-efficiency regulation meetings worldwide. He holds a BSEE from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, CA.