The Ecodesign Directive (ErP Directive)

In accordance with the new Directive, manufacturers of chillers must align their products with the new Ecodesign requirements as of 1 January 2018. To the extent that limit values for energy efficiency are defined in an implementation measure, manufacturers are not allowed to bring products onto the market that fail to comply with these limit values (by undershooting them). In future, all products that do not fulfil these requirements must be adapted by the manufacturers or removed from the range.

The Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) is a framework directive that does not in itself define any detailed requirements for specific product groups. Different products are divided up into so-called lots. The defined requirements must be observed and documented in production. The implementation measures applied to chillers are divided into different lots depending on the application and system design in question. The key product groups with regard to chillers are LOT 1 ENER, LOT 21 ENER and LOT 1 ENTR.

In contrast to other product groups, the requirements for chillers have been agreed with extremely tight deadlines for their implementation. The Regulation for LOT 21 ([EU] 2016/2281) was only published on 30 November 2016. With tier 1 entering into force on 1 January 2018, the market participants had only 13 months in which to adapt their range and planning documents to meet the new requirements. This was further complicated by the fact that the stipulated limit values were higher than had been expected. Tier 2 was subsequently introduced on 1 January 2021, featuring a further tightening of the limit values for the overall energy balance.

Depending on the design temperature and the performance capacity, the chillers may indeed belong to different lots or be required to comply with higher or lower energy efficiency limit values. This is because different energy efficiency limit values apply in terms of evaluation as a comfort chiller for room air conditioning, as a process chiller with a high operating temperature and as a process chiller with a medium operating temperature. It must be noted that chillers with a capacity of less than 400 kW and which can only perform cooling belong to Lot 21. Heat pumps that are used for cooling and heating and provide less than 400 kW belong to Lot 1, since they count as heat pumps.
Chillers for comfort air conditioning with more than 400 kW and up to 2 MW belong to Lot 21. In the case of a series of units that are used for cooling and heating and feature a capacity range of e.g. 300 kW to 900 kW, the initial units will belong to Lot 1 and the remainder will belong to Lot 21. In Lot 21, chillers for comfort air conditioning up to 2 MW are further subdivided for evaluation by their system and capacity level. Air-cooled comfort chillers are divided into capacity levels above and below 400 kW and must meet different requirements as a result.
In terms of water-cooled units, lawmakers distinguish between units with less than 400 kW, between 400 kW and 1,500 kW, and more than 1,500 kW of cooling capacity. When it comes to the minimum energy efficiency of process chillers, a distinction is made on the basis of the operating temperature. Process chillers with a high operating temperature (cold water outlet from +2 °C to +12 °C) and up to 2 MW belong to Lot 21. In contrast, process chillers with a medium operating temperature (media outlet temperature down to 8 °C) and low operating temperature (media outlet temperature down to -25 °C) must be evaluated using the implementation regulation ENTR LOT 1 (2015/1095). It is also worth mentioning that units above 2 MW and those with a split design (chillers and external liquefier) are not currently governed by any Ecodesign Directive.

Specialist planners and installers are generally obligated to implement the part of the system for which they are responsible in accordance with the specific and technical rules of their trade. However, responsibility for the implementation of and adherence to the Ecodesign Directive is the responsibility of the system distributor and not its creator. The decisive date is that on which the units were dispatched from a factory within the EU. This means that, as of 1 January 2018, units may no longer be dispatched from factories if they do not meet the requirements – even if the planning and design stages were completed beforehand.
In addition, specialist planners and system constructors must have the manufacturer confirm the ErP conformity of the ηsc efficiency level for the comfort chiller and the SEPR value for process chillers. This self-declaration is performed by the manufacturer or importer by attaching the CE label and issuing a declaration of conformity. In addition to the CE declaration, the manufacturer must enclose a product data sheet known as the product fitch. Within a defined template, manufacturers must state further technical parameters in addition to the SEER or SEPR values. This makes it possible to ensure that the calculations in the respective tiers can in fact be achieved and that the products comply with the ErP Directive upon dispatch.
The decisive date in this regard is that of dispatch from the factory, not that of commissioning. The creator or operator of the system should nevertheless ensure that the product is installed and used according to the declaration. Although a process chiller can also be used for comfort air conditioning, only the manufacturer can check and certify whether this unit additionally meets the annual performance ratio requirements in relation to room cooling.

In order to achieve the necessary chiller efficiency for room air conditioning or process cooling, manufacturers are responding to the new Ecodesign Directive with numerous innovations. These include the use of inverter technology in scroll, screw and magnet bearing turbo compressors. Efficiency can be considerably increased through the use of variable-speed pumps and EC fans. Optimised control technology with load- and temperature-dependent setpoint adjustment contributes to increased seasonal energy efficiency. Evaporators flooded with refrigerant also offer a constructive and efficient solution.

The timetable for the potential development stages is depicted in an overview diagram featuring a pair of examples of comfort air conditioning – one each for air-cooled and water-cooled chillers respectively. The information presented here provides a means of achieving the stipulated efficiency values. Based on the cooling capacity and SEER values, it is possible to identify the technical innovations for the individual units according to tier 1 (as of 2018) and tier 2 (as of 2021).

Among air-cooled units (diagram 1) with a capacity below 30 kW, the trend since January 2018 has been in favour of installing inverter-controlled compressors. In the case of units with a capacity of 30 kW to 400 kW, uncontrolled scroll compressors can continue to be used. Units that feature screw compressors and have more than 400 kW of cooling capacity controlled via an output regulator may also fulfil the new requirements.

In the second tier as of 2021, the equipment required at the respective capacity levels must be increased once again in order to achieve the necessary minimum energy efficiency. Variable-speed screw compressors are therefore being deployed more frequently at capacity levels above 400 kW. Water-cooled units (diagram 2) follow a similar timetable.