Since March 1, 2021, a new energy label with much more stringent specifications has been in force for many electrical appliances. The first step applies to household appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers. Other product groups will follow. As a pioneer of EC technology and as a development partner, ebm-papst can help manufacturers to put their devices in the higher efficiency classes.

The EU energy efficiency mark first introduced in 1995 is a complete success, as electrical appliances are now much more efficient and environmentally friendly. Yet, these days, the vast majority of appliances are rated in the highest efficiency classes, and classes E, F and G are rarely assigned at all. In 2017, the European Union decided to completely reform the energy label, and set out new rules in the framework regulation EU/2017/1369. In addition to getting rid of the “plus” classes and returning to the scale from A to G, the most important reform is adapting the evaluation criteria and making them more stringent. What used to satisfy the criteria for A+++ would now be ranked as Class B in a best-case scenario, and in some cases, as low as Class D.

EC technology for greater efficiency

The new label will now be gradually introduced for all other product groups, and retroactively for all products already on the market. As well as having to have their existing product range re-classified, manufacturers are also under a lot of pressure to innovate to continue getting their affected devices into higher efficiency classes in the future. Development departments find themselves asking what improvements they could make to further optimize their products.

Fan and motor manufacturer ebm-papst is a pioneer in EC technology and supports its customers with environmentally friendly motors and fans so that they can get their products to the top efficiency class.

The whole system counts

Given the more stringent regulations, energy-efficient individual components alone are not enough. To achieve greater increases in efficiency, it is essential to optimize the entire system. The individual components not only need to be optimally coordinated, but also need to communicate with each other more. With GreenIntelligence, ebm-papst offers sustainable ventilation and drive technology solutions that enable intelligent control and networking with other components. As an expert in electronics, motor design and aerodynamics, ebm-papst is already supporting manufacturers in the development phase when selecting and improving the components used, for example in refrigerators, dryers or extractor hoods.