Brussels, 22 March 2012: EPEE – the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment - welcomes the recent publication of the ecodesign requirements for air conditioners and comfort fans in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Andrea Voigt, Director General EPEE: “Given the importance of ecodesign for energy savings, we call on the Commission to swiftly conclude and adopt other ecodesign rules for critical products, such as boilers and water heaters. This would benefit the environment, consumers and give the industry the legal and technical certainty needed for innovation.”

The long awaited rules on air conditioners, and in particular heat pumps, have a total savings potential of 46 TWh per year in the EU, if there is full compliance on the market. If converted in CO2, these savings would represent 24 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents which is equivalent to the total emissions of a country like Denmark.

”Ecodesign requirements can only be fully beneficial in terms of energy savings and for EU citizens, if there is proper and efficient market surveillance,” Andrea Voigt continued, “non-compliance comes at the expense of consumers, who purchase equipment that turns out to be more costly to operate than expected, undermines the EU’s and national governments’ goals of climate change and energy efficiency, and is unfair for companies who make the effort to comply.”

Since 2005, when the Ecodesign Directive on Energy-using products was agreed upon, the European Commission adopted 17 implementing measures (12 ecodesign + 5 energy labelling) representing in total an estimated energy savings of 380 TWh, which is the equivalent of electricity generated by around 20 nuclear power plants in one year.

EPEE is convinced of the significant contribution that ecodesign rules for air conditioners will bring to the EU 20-20-20 climate and energy targets.

Ends.

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Notes to the Editor:

The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) represents the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump industry in Europe. Founded in the year 2000, EPEE’s membership is composed of 40 member companies and national associations across Europe realising a turnover of over 30 billion Euros and employing more than 200,000 people in Europe.  As an expert association, EPEE is supporting safe, environmentally and economically viable technologies with the objective of promoting a better understanding of the sector in the EU and contributing to the development of effective European policies. For more information please visit: www.epeeglobal.org

EPEE – European Partnership for Energy and the Environment

Avenue des Arts, 46

1000 Brussels

Tel : +32 (0) 2 732 07 40

Fax : +32 (0) 2 732 71 76

Email : secretariat@epeeglobal.org

Website : www.epeeglobal.org