After two years of dithering, the European Standardisation Organisations (ESOs) have just accepted a request of the European Commission to develop material efficiency standards for energy-related products. The future standards will contribute towards extending product lifetime, and improving the re-usability and recyclability of both the products and their components. In particular, the standards are expected […]

January 1st 2016 marks the entry into force of a new energy efficiency regime for residential and non-residential ventilation units which is expected to deliver energy savings of 35 Mtoe annually by 2030. “The savings triggered by the new Ecodesign requirements for ventilation units, combined with the new Energy Label on residential ventilation units, are […]

Our Winter Newsletter is out! In this edition you can read about the anti-climactic release of revised Circular Economy Package, the Ecodesign Working Plan 2015 – 2017 and the CEN project on chemicals in products, among other things. You can read it here, and don’t forget to subscribe!

A legal loophole is allowing manufacturers to inflate the performance of energy-consuming household products. A whistle-blower has now come forth saying that this problem is widespread in the lighting industry. As it stands, manufacturers and importers are responsible for declaring the energy efficiency of their TVs, fridges and other products regulated by the EU Ecodesign […]

We are looking for a highly motivated and qualified candidate to provide general and administrative support to the ECOS team and in particular, the Director. This is a half-time position, starting in the beginning of 2016. Full information regarding the position is available here. How to apply: Interested applicants should send a CV and a […]

Once again, ECOS shows its dedication to the energy efficiency cause, continuing our active participation in the standardisation processes to support the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB), Ecodesign, and Energy Labelling Directives (EL). Attending a total of 20 standardisation TC and WG meetings in this area since October (including buildings, heaters, motors, fridges, and lamps) […]

Despite political successes for European renewable energy sources (RES) and decarbonisation targets, the establishment of variable, non-dispatchable RES in European energy systems remains a challenging technical issue. The penetration of wind power and photovoltaic solar in EU power systems is limited as a complex function of available transmission capacity, resource adequacy, conformance testing and, pricing […]

ECODES is a Spanish NGO active in Spain and Latin America. They strive towards developing human well-being whilst respecting the planet’s limits. They provide information, research and advice to foster the transition towards socially and environmentally sustainable ways of production, investment, and consumption. The foundation initiates and/or participates in a large number of awareness raising campaigns […]

We are looking for a highly motivated and qualified candidate to assist in the coordination of ECOS’ activities in the energy efficiency of products sector, particularly focusing on market surveillance. This is a part-time position, starting in March/April 2016. The initial contract will part-time (around 60%, or 3 days per week – negotiable) lasting for […]

ECOS regrets that today’s release of the revised Circular Economy Package presents a package with many future intentions and few binding initiatives. While the Commission rightfully acknowledges the obstacles faced by the reuse and repair sector, particularly due to the unavailability of repair information and spare parts, the initiative fails to provide concrete actions on […]