ECOS | Environmental Coalition on Standards

10 September 2019

Air conditioners and comfort fans: stop protecting inefficient technologies!

The rising temperatures and increasing frequency of heat waves result in a growing number of air conditioner and comfort fan units. These, in turn, contribute to direct GHG emissions from the intensive energy consumption and refrigerant leakage.

The Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Consultation Forum gathered on 9 September to work on the revision of the current regulations for air conditioners and comfort fans. ECOS strongly welcomed the proposed combined label scale for all appliances that will put an end to the current regulatory protection of inefficient technologies such as portable coolers, as well as the proposal from the European Commission to finally set ecodesign requirements and an energy label for comfort fans too!

On the other hand, ECOS regrets to see that the crucial issue of refrigerants has been taken out from the Ecodesign Regulation. Ecodesign should further promote the use of low-GWP refrigerants beyond the F-gas Regulation and Europe should aim at the double benefit of tackling the optimisation of the energy efficiency and the uptake of natural refrigerants together.

Discussions on the improvement of the measurement method and the revised legislative proposals will be finalised in the coming months. We will keep you up to date on the latest developments!

ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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