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Background
Energy efficiency: additional measures to curb consumption
Energy - 07-12-2009 - 11:16
New energy efficiency legislation will help consumers to cut their energy bills and the EU as a whole to hit its climate change target of using 20% energy less by 2020. Building codes of the Member States will require all new buildings to have near-zero energy consumption, and require regular inspections of boilers and air conditioning systems. Mandatory labels for household appliances, car tyres and energy-saving products will help consumers to assess running costs.
By 2020, the EU aims to achieve a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20% share of renewables in the energy mix and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency. The EU's 2008 climate change package should enable it to meet the first two of these goals, whereas the third is to be met by the new legislative package described here. Energy efficiency measures already agreed, if fully implemented by Member States, would achieve an energy saving only of about 13% by 2020.
Energy saving buildings
All buildings built from the end of 2020 onwards must have high energy-saving standards and be powered to a large extent by renewable energy. Public authorities' building projects are to lead the way two years earlier.,The funding for these changes will come from the EU budget, stipulates an agreement between Council and Parliament delegations on the revision of the energy performance of buildings directive (rapporteur Silvia-Adriana Ticău, S&D, Romania).
Where feasible the energy performance of existing buildings will have to be improved during major renovations. When renovating, owners will be encouraged to install "smart meters" and replace heating, hot-water plumbing and air-conditioning systems with high-efficiency alternatives such as heat pumps.
Efficiency label for household appliances and other products
MEPs, led by Anni Podimata (S&D, Greece), have negotiated a new layout of the energy efficiency label for household appliances and other energy-saving products with the Council Presidency. The new label allows for additional classes (with "A+++" for the most energy-efficient products), but limits the total number of energy classes to seven.
Furthermore, in future any advertisement promoting price or energy efficiency of fridges, washing machines or ovens will have to indicate the product's energy class.
Tyre label to inform buyers on fuel efficiency, noise and safety
From November 2012 all new tyres on sale in the EU will be classified and labelled for fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance, says a new EU regulation for which Ivo Belet (EPP, Belgium) was Parliament's rapporteur. The label will be similar to that required for household appliances.
Next steps
Parliament adopted the new tyre labelling regulation on 25 November 2009. It will apply from 1 November 2012.
The compromise texts on the revision of the energy efficiency of buildings directive and the energy labelling directive still have to be formally approved by the Council of Ministers before Parliament as a whole gives its final endorsement at the start of 2010.
Once adopted and published in the EU Official Journal, Member States will have one year to adapt their national laws to the new EU rules on energy labelling and two years to implement the new energy saving standards for buildings.
REF.: 20091201BKG65738
Energy-saving buildings: less emissions and lower long-term costs
Buildings account for around 40% of the EU's total energy use and are Europe's largest source of emissions. Improving their energy performance is a particularly critical step in reaching CO2 emission goals. Simple measures, such as better insulating existing and new buildings could reduce emissions by up to 80%. If, for example, conventional double glazing was replaced by low-emittence windows, around € 4 billion and 25 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved every year.
By the end of 2020 EU Member States must ensure that all newly-constructed buildings have a "very high energy performance". Their energy needs must be covered to a very significant extent from renewable sources, including energy produced on-site or nearby.
The public sector must set an example by owning or renting only this kind of building by the end of 2018 and by promoting the conversion of existing buildings into "nearly zero" standard.
More financial support at national and European level
Member States will have to draw up national plans to increase the number of nearly zero-energy buildings. They must also, by mid-2011, make a list of financial and other incentives for the transition, such as technical assistance, subsidies, loan schemes and low-interest loans.
The energy performance of existing buildings will have to be improved during major renovations, where technically, functionally and economically feasible. Member States must therefore encourage the owners to take the opportunity of renovation work to install installing smart meters and replace existing heating, hot-water plumbing and air-conditioning with high-efficiency alternatives such as heat pumps or renewable based systems.
Energy performance certificates
Member States will have to ensure that energy performance certificates are issued for any buildings constructed, sold or rented out to a new tenant, and also for buildings where over 500 m2 are occupied by a public authority and frequently visited by the public. Five years after the legislation takes effect, this threshold will be lowered to 250 m2. Owners of buildings that already have a certificate issued in accordance with the previous directive, dating from 2002, will not need to obtain a new one as long as the old one is still valid.
The certificates will have to provide recommendations for improvement and may also include additional information, such as annual energy consumption and percentage of renewable energy in total energy consumption.
The certification systems for residential buildings will be the responsibility of national authorities, but the Commission should by 2011 develop a voluntary common European certification scheme for the energy performance of non-residential buildings.
Exemptions for historic buildings, holiday homes and others
However, the following are excluded from the directive's requirements: small houses (with a floor area of less than 50m2), holiday homes used for less than four months a year (or that use less than 25% of all-year energy consumption), buildings for religious activities, temporary buildings used for two years or less, industrial sites, workshops and agricultural buildings with low energy demand and protected historic buildings where an energy-efficiency measure would "unacceptably alter their character or appearance".
Potential benefits of the recast legislation
Experts claim that increasing energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way for the EU to deliver its CO2 emission goals, create jobs, reduce costs for business and reduce the growing dependency on external suppliers. Research indicates that investments in energy efficiency generate as much or more employment as investments in traditional infrastructure (road, bridges, or energy transmission).
The minimum total impact of new provisions could bring:
– 60 – 80 Mtoe/year energy savings by 2020, i.e. a reduction of 5-6% of the EU's final energy consumption by 2020;
– 160 to 210 Mt/year CO2 savings by 2020, i.e. 4-5% of EU total CO2 emissions in 2020;
– 280,000 (to 450,000) potential new jobs by 2020, mainly in the construction sector, energy certifiers and auditors and inspectors of heating and air-conditioning systems.
Energy efficiency classes for white goods
The energy label helps consumers assess the running costs when buying new household appliances such as fridges, freezers, washing machines, driers, dishwashers, ovens, lamps and air-conditioners. Manufacturers are obliged to indicate the annual energy consumption irrespective of whether the product performs well (dark green “A” class) or poorly (red “G” class) on this measure. Depending on the kind of product, the label also shows water consumption, noise level or heat output.
Several third countries, e.g. Brazil, China and Iran, have introduced energy labels based on the EU's model.
Advertising of white goods must indicate energy efficiency
Any advertisement mentioning energy consumption or price of a specific model will have to show the product's energy efficiency by reference to its energy class, agreed MEPs and the Swedish Presidency. The initial Commission proposal did not include any provisions for advertising "white goods". However, Parliament said in its first-reading vote in May 2009 that advertising would help consumers make a choice based on the energy savings potential of products to reduce their energy bill in the long run.
Any technical promotional literature such as manuals and manufacturers' brochures - whether printed or offered on the internet - will have to indicate the product's energy consumption or energy efficiency class, agreed Parliament and Council negotiators.
New layout: up to seven energy classes
In future up to three additional classes may be added to the existing "A" to "G" scale following technological progress. However, as the new label may show no more than seven energy classes, there are three possible scenarios:
- If a new product using less energy than existing ones is classified as "A+", then the least energy efficient class will be "F",
- If a new product using less energy than existing ones is classified as "A++", then the least energy efficient class will be "E",
- If a new product using less energy than existing ones is classified as "A+++", then the least energy efficient class will be "D".
The labelling colour scheme - from dark green for most energy efficient products to red for least energy efficient ones - will be adjusted accordingly, so the highest energy efficiency class will remain dark green and the least energy efficiency one will be red.
An example of the new layout of the label is available at the link below.
No "A-20%" or "A-40%" classes
In spring 2009 the Commission proposed to add new "A" classes (such as A-20%, A-40%, A-60%) to the energy label for fridges and TVs. However, Parliament insisted in its first reading of the energy labelling directive on a closed A-G scale to keep the energy classes clear and understandable - a view which was not accepted by Council. A compromise was therefore agreed limiting additional classes to "A+++" at the most and the total number of energy classes to seven.
MEPs and Council representatives agreed to review this new scale of energy classes, once technological development has resulted in "a significant number of products" being classified as "A++" or "A+++" or by end of 2014 at the latest when the whole energy labelling directive is to be reviewed.
The energy classes of specific products which are or will be labelled (such as boilers, TVs, HiFi or gaming consoles) will be determined by a Commission working group.
Energy label for window frames and other energy-saving products
In future, the label must also be attached to energy-consuming products for commercial and industrial use, such as cold storage rooms, display cabinets, industrial cooking appliances, vending machines and industrial motors.
Additionally, the energy labelling obligation will apply to energy-related products, including construction products, which do not consume energy but "have a significant direct or indirect impact" on energy savings such as window glazing and frames or outer doors, says the compromise text.
Household, commercial and industrial sectors (excluding transport) consume around 70% of energy in the EU. Their savings potential comes close to 30%.
More efficient street lighting can save 7.7 million tonnes of CO2
Public authorities should endeavour to buy only products which belong to the highest energy efficiency class, says the compromise text. If, for example, the 2.1 million street lights currently purchased every year in the EU were upgraded to best available technology, €323 million and 7.7 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved over the life-cycle of the product, estimates the European Commission.
Tyre labeling: fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise
As almost 25% of total CO2 emissions come from road transport, reducing vehicles’ energy intensity and "carbon footprint" is a major challenge for the EU. Tyres account for 20 to 30% of vehicles’ total fuel consumption and labelling tyres to raise users' awareness of energy consumption is one potential way to reduce it by 20% by 2020.
Regulation will enable consumers to make an informed choice: tyre performance can make a difference of up to 10% in fuel consumption. An impact assessment at EU level estimates a potential of 0.56 to 1.51 Mtoe energy savings per year, which is equivalent to removing 0.5 million to 1.3 million passenger cars from EU roads.
Classes "A to G"
Like the European energy label, the tyre label will use classes ranging from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class). Besides indicating how much the tyre affects the car's fuel efficiency, it will also give information about its performance in wet conditions and its external rolling noise in decibels.
As of 1 November 2012, suppliers of tyres for passenger cars, light and heavy duty vehicles (C1, C2 and C3 tyres) will have to inform consumers about fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise classes in any technical promotional material, including websites. Re-tread tyres, off-road professional tyres and racing tyres will be exempt from this requirement.
Unlike household appliances, tyres are not always on display in the shops, so retailers will be obliged to show the label to the buyer before the sale and also on, or with, bills.
Very quiet tyres
The level of external rolling noise will be indicated by ascending numbers of black "waves" emitted from the "speaker". Quiet tyres for cars (producing noise below 68 decibels), for example, will be labelled with one black and two white "waves" next to the value in decibels.
Incentives for fuel-saving and safe tyres
Potential incentives to promote better-performing tyres to consumers would be decided at national level. In principle, Member States would be allowed to provide incentives only for tyres ranked at least "class C" on fuel efficiency and wet grip.