Mitsubishi Electric has announced that its entire range of Ecodan air source heat pumps has achieved A++ rating under the first Energy Related Products (ErP) Directive ruling for heating products across Europe.
ErP means that all space and water heaters will need to display an energy label which will help both residential and commercial customers identify the most energy-efficient products on the market and brings heating products into line with other energy consuming goods such as fridges and washing machines.
From the 26th September, ErP will apply to domestic and commercial heating and hot water products, including electrical powered heating, gas and oil boilers, water heaters and cylinders, as well as renewable technologies such as solar thermal and heat pumps.
To highlight the requirements under ErP Mitsubishi Electric has also released a short video which explains how the Directive is designed to help phase out lower performing products whilst having a positive impact on the emissions levels across Europe and increase the share of renewable energies by 20 per cent.
“There are two parts to the ErP strategy which affect both manufacturers and installers and everyone involved needs to understand how this will change the heating market”, explains James Timbs-Harrison, on behalf of the company.
“Firstly, under what is called the EcoDesign regulations, manufacturers will need to produce energy-using products that meet stringent energy performance standards. Secondly, under Energy Labelling regulations, these products must be clearly labelled using a standard method so that consumers can make a direct comparison between individual products and different technologies”.
These labels will show the efficiency ranging from the most efficient A++ to the least efficient G and will be clearly marked with coloured bars; from green (the most efficient) all the way down to red (least efficient).
The details on the label will identify the efficiency band for heating, and where relevant, hot water production and where relevant, noise, emissions and power consumption.
“For heat pumps they will also indicate the three different climate zones within Europe which is important here because the UK is split between all three of these zones”, adds Timbs-Harrison.
“We feel that this is now levelling the playing field for heating products which will allow consumers to see exactly how energy efficient the types of heating they choose are”.
ErP is a significant piece of legislation that will have a major impact on the sale and use of heating systems in the UK. As such, the requirements of ErP is already being embedded into legislation on the energy efficiency of buildings and as incentive schemes for renewable technologies.
In order to apply for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments, heating systems will now needs to comply with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which sets industry standards for products used to produce heat from renewable sources.
In May 2015, the MCS published a new seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) calculator. It also updated its Installation Standard for heat pumps as a direct result of the introduction of ErP. The introduction of this SCOP calculator will enable certification bodies to use a standard method based on ErP to establish whether a heat pump is compliant.
