23.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 191/26

(1)

Under Directive 2005/32/EC ecodesign requirements are to be set by the Commission for energy-using products representing significant volumes of sales and trade, having a significant environmental impact and presenting significant potential for improvement in terms of their environmental impact without entailing excessive costs.

(2)

Article 16(2) first indent of Directive 2005/32/EC provides that in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 19(3) and the criteria set out in Article 15(2), and after consulting the Ecodesign Consultation Forum, the Commission shall, as appropriate, introduce an implementing measure for products used in electric motor systems.

(3)

Electric motors are the most important type of electric load in industries within the Community where motors are used in the production processes. The systems in which these motors are operated account for about 70 % of the electricity consumed by the industry. There is a total potential for cost-effective improvement of the energy efficiency of these motor systems by about 20 % to 30 %. One of the major factors in such improvements is the use of energy efficient motors. Consequently, motors in electric motor systems represent a priority product for which ecodesign requirements should be established.

(4)

Electric motor systems include a number of energy-using products, such as motors, drives, pumps or fans. Motors and variable speed drives are an important part of these products. This is why this Regulation requires that certain types of motors be equipped with variable speed drives.

(5)

Many motors are integrated in other products without being separately placed on the market or put into service in the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2005/32/EC and of Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2). To achieve the full cost-efficient energy saving potential, motors integrated in other products should be subject to the provisions of this Regulation.

(6)

The Commission has carried out a preparatory study which analysed the technical, environmental and economic aspects of electric motors. The study has been developed together with stakeholders and interested parties from the EU and third countries, and the results have been made publicly available.

(7)

The preparatory study shows that electric motors are placed on the Community market in large quantities, with their use-phase energy consumption being the most significant environmental aspect of all life-cycle phases, and their annual electricity consumption amounting to 1 067 TWh in 2005, corresponding to 427 Mt of CO2 emissions. In the absence of measures to limit this consumption, it is predicted that energy consumption will increase to 1 252 TWh in 2020. It has been concluded that the life-cycle energy consumption and the use-phase electricity consumption can be improved significantly, in particular if motors in variable speed and load applications are equipped with drives.

(8)

The preparatory study shows that electricity consumption in use is the only significant ecodesign parameter related to product design as referred to in Annex I, Part 1, to Directive 2005/32/EC.

(9)

Improvements in the electricity consumption of electric motors should be achieved by applying existing non-proprietary cost-effective technologies that can reduce the total combined costs of purchasing and operating them.

(10)

Ecodesign requirements should harmonise power consumption requirements for motors throughout the Community, thus contributing to the functioning of the internal market and to the improvement of the environmental performance of these products.

(11)

An appropriate timeframe should be provided for manufacturers to redesign products. The timing should be such that negative impacts on the functionalities of motors are avoided, and cost impacts for manufacturers, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, are taken into account, while ensuring timely achievement of the objectives of this Regulation.

(12)

Power consumption should be determined through reliable, accurate and reproducible measurement methods, which take into account the recognised state of the art including, where available, harmonised standards adopted by the European standardisation bodies, as listed in Annex I to Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules on Information Society services (3).

(13)

This Regulation should increase the market penetration of technologies that improve the life-cycle environmental impact of electric motors, leading to estimated life-cycle energy savings of 5 500 PJ (4) and electricity savings of 135 TWh by 2020, compared to the situation where no measures are taken.

(14)

In accordance with Article 8 of Directive 2005/32/EC, this Regulation should specify the applicable conformity assessment procedures.

(15)

In order to facilitate compliance checks, manufacturers should be requested to provide information in the technical documentation referred to in Annexes IV and V to Directive 2005/32/EC.

(16)

In order to further limit the environmental impact of motors manufacturers should provide relevant information on disassembly, recycling or disposal at end-of-life.

(17)

Benchmarks for currently available technologies with high energy efficiency should be identified. This will help to ensure the wide availability and easy accessibility of information, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises and very small firms, which will further facilitate the integration of best design technologies for reducing energy consumption.

(18)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 19(1) of Directive 2005/32/EC,

(a)

motors designed to operate wholly immersed in a liquid;

(b)

motors completely integrated into a product (for example gear, pump, fan or compressor) of which the energy performance cannot be tested independently from the product;

(c)

motors specifically designed to operate:

(d)

brake motors;

1.

‘Motor’ means an electric single speed, three-phase 50 Hz or 50/60 Hz, squirrel cage induction motor that:

2.

‘Variable Speed Drive’ means an electronic power converter that continuously adapts the electrical power supplied to the electric motor in order to control the mechanical power output of the motor according to the torque-speed characteristic of the load (being driven by the motor), by adjusting the three-phase 50 Hz power supply to a variable frequency and voltage supplied to the motor.

3.

‘Squirrel cage motor’ means an electric motor with no brushes, commutators, slip rings or electrical connections to the rotor.

4.

‘Phase’ means the type of configuration of the mains electrical supply.

5.

‘Pole’ means the total number of magnetic north and south poles produced by the rotating magnetic field of the motor. The number of poles determines the base speed of the motor.

6.

‘Continuous duty operation’ means the capability of an electric motor with an integrated cooling system to operate at nominal load without interruption below its rated maximum temperature rise.

7.

‘Brake motor’ means a motor equipped with an electro-mechanical brake unit operating directly on the motor shaft without couplings.

1.

from 16 June 2011, motors shall not be less efficient than the IE2 efficiency level, as defined in Annex I, point 1;

2.

from 1 January 2015:

3.

from 1 January 2017: