Policy Updates

<p>The European Commission has launched a new database on the EU's building stock to monitor the energy performance of buildings across Europe. This Observatory has been designed to speed-up the EU's clean energy transition and will be accompanied by the proposal for a revised Energy Performance of Buildings.</p>

<p>On 30 November 2016, the Commission adopted the this package that includes a set of proposals that will be discussed in the Council and European Parliament in the coming months. The Regulation on air heating products, cooling products, high temperature process chillers and fan coil (ENER lot 21) has been adopted and can be expected to be published soon.</p>

<p>The European Union has produced an overview of support activities and projects on energy efficiency and renewable energy in the heating & cooling sector. Between 2011 and 2016 a total of 166 million Euro of EU funding has been allocated to research, demonstration and market uptake of energy efficient, low carbon and renewable heating and cooling solutions</p>

<p>This study is carried out for DG GROW and should be finished by February 2017. The outcome of the study may become a point systems methodology that could be applied to products (and systems) that can carry out different functions.</p>

<p>The European Commission services together with stakeholders have recently produced guidelines to assist in the smooth and level application of the Directive 2014/35/EU. The Directive became applicable on 20 April 2016. The guidelines explain in an easy and understandable way the elements of the Directive.</p>

<p>The INTAS aims to support Market Surveillance Authorities (MSAs) to deliver compliance for large products; large industrial fans (10 kW to 500 kW) and transformers and to provide industry tools to show is complying with Ecodesign legislation.</p>

<p>The application of the 2015/1535/EU (previously Directive 98/34/EC Directive) has also been extended to new standardisation work undertaken by National Standard Bodies (AENOR, AFNOR, DIN, UNI…) at national level. These notifications are registered centrally by the CEN Management Centre and a "Monthly Notifications Register" is circulated in English to the CEN Members and the European Commission. The National Standard Body generally provides the relevant associations with a copy of these updates.</p>

<p>The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) drafts and publishes HVACR Industry Guidelines that in addition to standards are used within America. These guidelines provide valuable information for a number of products and topics and can be downloaded free of charge.</p>

<p>The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) secretariat seeks to receive feedback from industry and academia to improve the Framework for two product groups, one being air conditioners. Once approved, this framework becomes binding for all countries, and can be transferred to the recent Paris Agreement Art. 6.2 and Art.6.4.</p>

<p>The review was scheduled to take place by 1 January 2017. The consultants Viegand Maagøe and VHK started the review study in May 2016. The review is of interest to those companies that make use of circulators, either integrated in their products or where circulators are part of a system.</p>

<p>The European Commission is monitoring and reporting on the impact of Ecodesign, Energy Labelling measures, including potentially new forthcoming actions, with a view to improve its understanding of the impacts over time as well as its forecasting and reporting capacity.</p>

<p>The application of the 2015/1535/EU (previously Directive 98/34/EC Directive) has also been extended to new standardisation work undertaken by National Standard Bodies (AENOR, AFNOR, DIN, UNI…) at national level. These notifications are registered centrally by the CEN Management Centre and a "Monthly Notifications Register" is circulated in English to the CEN Members and the European Commission. The National Standard Body generally provides the relevant associations with a copy of these updates.</p>