One of the biggest challenges for ventilation specialists is making sure that the products they install are ErP compliant. Regulations can be a minefield, and figuring where responsibility lies is half of the battle.

Who is the system designer?

Much of the culpability when it comes to ErP compliance is with the system designer. This is where things can get confusing, because the system designer is defined as anyone who takes multiple components and puts them together into a single product.

All-too-often, it is assumed that manufacturers of ventilation products are responsible for compliance, but there are some common installations that prevent this from being the case. By combining a roof cowl with a separate plate mounted axial fan, for example, that person is acting as the system designer, and therefore responsible for ErP compliance for that particular roof-top ventilation unit.

One in two unaware

To find out the scale of the problem, we surveyed a range of those involved in the delivery and installation of ventilation equipment, asking who they thought was responsible. Worryingly, 53% of contractors and 45% of distributors said they didn’t believe themselves to be systems designers.

This means that one in two ventilation specialists are unaware they are risking ErP compliance. Not only is this potentially damaging for individual contractors and distributors, but for the industry as a whole. As indoor air quality becomes an increasingly important factor in construction, it is crucial that ventilation is meeting ErP directives, and this lack of awareness over who is responsible must be addressed.

Ensuring compliance

To ensure they are not falling foul of ErP compliance, Elta is urging those tasked with delivering ventilation solutions to opt for ready-made roof fan units. Elta’s Skyflow SSRL EC is the first ErP compliant low silhouette axial roof fan available on the market, and incorporates an integral potentiometer commission device as standard.

It is designed to help distributors and contractors comply with ErP regulations, by removing the issue of combining separate products and delivering high performance in a comprehensive unit, complete with controls that enable the user to adjust fan speed.

The important thing to remember is that ErP compliance effectively ensures delivery of a higher quality of air. By choosing a unit that guarantees results, like the Skyflow SSRL EC, distributors and contractors can be sure of customer satisfaction, while avoiding the legal issues of operating as a system designer.

We’re asking contractors and distributors who sell or install roof-mounted ventilation solutions to answer a short series of online questions. As a result, we intend to reveal the differing levels of awareness around compliance across the UK, and change the industry’s habits for the better.

The issue has originated from our own industry insights which highlight that many professionals are unknowingly operating as ‘manufacturers’, and are therefore making themselves responsible for ensuring ErP compliance.

While compliance is mandatory, we are also advocating that in being compliant, a building is also delivering a higher quality of air – a topic which could not be more pertinent given recent governmental initiatives.

David Millward, Product Manager at Elta Group, comments: “Legislation affects us all and we know it can be hard to keep up with all of the technicalities, but we find that not everyone is aware of their responsibilities. We hope this survey will offer some clarity for those who are unsure or, more importantly, those completely unaware.”

To answer the survey, visit: https://eltauk.com/erp-warning/

The seminar has been approved by CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) and is a guide to the legislation – the first tier of which was adopted on 1 January, 2013 – which is being implemented through Parts F and L of the UK Building Regulations.

Alan Macklin is Group Technical Manager at Elta and explains why the seminar has been developed. “The importance of the legislation means that a lot of information has been and continues to be circulated about ErP. However, we understand that it can be a little daunting to look through legislative documents as, by their very nature, they are very ‘dry’ and sometimes difficult to interpret. As we have been living with and planning for the adoption of the legislation for more than two years, we naturally have a very good grasp of how it is impacting fan design. We therefore introduced the seminar so that we can impart our knowledge, pulling out the most salient points of the new legislation and highlighting the main consequences that those involved in designing, specifying and purchasing HVAC systems need to be aware of.”

The seminar explains the new terminology, such as Specific Fan Power (SFP) and Fan Motor Efficiency Grade (FMEG), which are central to the way in which fans are now measured. It also outlines the various ‘lots’ which make up the ErP Directive, the areas to which they apply and how they are being prioritised based on their capacity to achieve the most significant reduction in energy consumption.

The new Directive was officially implemented on 1 January 2013 and will mean a number of changes in the provision of HVAC in buildings, most notably that certain fans will no longer be permitted under the new legislation. Manufacturers and specifiers are required to ensure that the fans meet the minimum efficiency levels established by the ErP Directive. This applies to a wide range of different fan types which have an input power from 125W to 500kW, with the efficiency level required dependent on the category into which the fan falls.

Alan Macklin is Group Technical Manager at Elta Group and recognises that there will inevitably be a degree of confusion as people come to terms with the implications – “As with any new legislation, it takes time for people to understand what it entails but this Directive is now in place and ignorance is no defence. That is why we have been working up to this point for over two years, introducing fans in advance of the deadline to ensure we are ahead of the game. The new products we have already introduced are fully compliant, with products such as our Raptor range, featuring the FE2owlet impeller, having been in place for more than 12 months. We are now moving onto the next phase of our product development plan to incorporate the best available technology in our new and existing product ranges.”

Useful information on the Directive and what it means to those who are specifying fans is available at www.erpfans.co.uk –a dedicated website set up by Elta to deal with the subject. Two of the most significant developments are the increased importance of the terms specific fan power (SFP) and fan motor efficiency grade (FMEG). SFP is used as a means of quantifying the energy efficiency of a fan. It is a measure of the electric power required to drive a fan relative to the amount of air the fan circulates. It is not a constant for a given fan but changes with both airflow rate and rises in fan pressure. FMEG is based on a fan’s performance characteristics at a speed not higher than the maximum safe operating speed to obtain its optimum efficiency point. Both terms will increasingly be used in identifying the correct fan for a given application and must therefore be prominent in the fan specification details, not only in marketing literature and on websites but also in the product labelling and packaging for the fans themselves.

Alan Macklin continues – “During the bedding-in period for the new Directive, there will inevitably be people out there with questions and we are happy to answer them, either through the FAQs on the website or if people want to pose their questions directly to us we are offering flexible CPD seminars dedicated to ErP legislation. Specifiers should certainly be checking the labels on fans as the Directive clearly states that the necessary information should be clearly displayed and, if they are in any doubt on what is or isn’t compliant, they should check.”

For more information on our CPD seminars or for any further questions please contact Elta on +44 (0) 1384 275800, enquiries@erpfans.co.uk or visit www.eltafans.co.uk

Elta is part of the £90 million Elta Group, a family of businesses with operations in six countries on four continents which, together with a network of international distributors, provides quality fans and related air movement equipment to customers worldwide.

A number of fans will be on show from the Elta Select range, supported by a brand new catalogue which identifies the products from Elta that are compliant with the legislation. By providing a visual reference point for visitors to understand what constitutes compliant and non-compliant products, the stand graphics will illustrate the reasons why fans meet the new energy efficiency requirements and, importantly, why many products are unaffected whilst legislation remains in draft form.

Amongst the fans on the stand will be a Raptor SPA EC and SDA EC, a Compact SCP and ZOO Fan EC model highlighting Elta’s development programme of designing and manufacturing units to meet the Fan Motor Efficiency (FMEG) and Specific Fan Power (SFP) values stipulated under the ErP Directive. Also on display to visitors will be a Komfovent Domekt heat recovery unit and the brand new Viper SCC EC.

Alan Macklin is Group Technical Manager at Elta Group and recognises the particularly opportune timing of Ecobuild this year –”Sustainability and an environmentally aware approach to building is what Ecobuild is all about so it couldn’t have come at a better time so hard on the heels of the new legislation being implemented. We have spent considerable time and effort, and will continue to do so, in producing information which is helpful to the market in understanding the implications of this very specific focus on the energy efficiency of fans. But one of the prime benefits of an exhibition is the opportunity it presents for face to face interaction, a chance for people to pose their questions to us and for us to explain what they now need to know in specifying fans for HVAC applications.”

1 Ecobuild takes place from 5-7 March, 2013 at ExCel, London

Elta is part of the £85 million Elta Group, a family of businesses with operations in six countries on four continents which, together with a network of international distributors, provides quality fans and related air movement equipment to customers worldwide.

The aim of the Elta document is to offer a straightforward, no-nonsense guide for potential purchasers to understand the implications of the new legislation, now and in the future. Alan Macklin, Technical Manager of Elta Group, says: “The introduction of mandatory, energy-efficiency legislation is the biggest issue the fan industry has ever faced. Despite its importance, there is still a lack of understanding in many quarters and this document is designed to help dispel the confusion, to cut through the complexity of the legislation and to spell out simply what it means for the industry. I urge anybody involved in specifying fans to get a copy as ignoring or not understanding the legislation is not an option.”

The enormous explosion in global population density and the resultant worldwide shortage in energy, requires reductions in energy consumption throughout the entire life cycle of the fan. The Directive is intended to help in delivering European Union (EU) objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of product manufacture and to ensure free trade in energy-using and energy-related products. It goes beyond simple efficiency of energy usage into the entire product-lifecycle and accounts for total lifecycle cost, monitoring efficiency from the mining of raw material right through to end-of-life recycling. The first phase of the new directive becomes mandatory in January 2013 – with the second phase of legislation coming into effect two years later, at the start of 2015.

The significance of the new ErP regulations is that manufacturers such as Elta are now required to review their product range in order to attain new efficiency levels. Inefficient fans are being taken out of production by legislation, in the same way that inefficient, old-style light bulbs are being phased out for energy-efficient ‘compact fluorescent lamps’ (CFLs) as part of the EU’s ecodesign for energy-saving products regulations.

In the HVAC sector, implementation of the European Union energy objectives is legislated by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the Energy related Products (ErP) Directive. The EPBD is applicable to fan systems through Parts F and L of the Building Regulations which specifies minimum ventilation rates and Specific Fan Powers, and the ErP Directive focuses on improving energy efficiency of the fans, motors, air handling units and related equipment. The ErP Directive is the most significant legislation the fan manufacturing industry has ever faced.

Recognising the importance of this legislation and the fundamental changes it will mean for fan manufacturers, Elta have already been working towards meeting the requirements. The first tier of the ErP fan efficiency legislation becomes mandatory on 1st January 2013 with more onerous requirements to follow in January 2015, but the majority of the products within the new ranges being introduced by Elta from January 2012 – which feature Ziehl-Abegg motors and impellers – will comply with the requirements.

David Ball, Vice Chairman of Elta Group Ltd, comments – “This new legislation has provided focus for Elta as a business and we will be striving to ensure that our products meet the requirements well in advance of the new legislation being enforced. By combining our own engineering expertise and experience with that of Ziehl-Abegg, we are creating a strong partnership culminating in a range of products powered by Ziehl-Abegg, designed by Elta. This partnership goes much deeper than the legislation, with the owners of Elta working with Ziehl-Abegg previously for more than 25 years with Roof Units Ltd prior to its sale. It is important that our customers can future-proof their HVAC installations now, hence setting up this alliance some time ago, rather than waiting until the legislation is right on top of us in 2012.”

Commenting on the ErP Directive, Alan Macklin, Group Technical Manager at Elta Group, said – “Ways of reducing energy use in buildings has been a focus for some time. This will only accelerate as we look at the forward estimates for population change and electricity consumption: By 2030 cities will be consuming three quarters of the energy we produce and by 2050, three quarters of the world’s population will be living in cities. Given that in the UK alone over 11 million electric motors with a capacity of 90GW are installed in industry applications and that fans are responsible for 22 percent of industrial motor energy consumption, it is easy to see why it is a fan manufacturers’ responsibility to also address energy and climate change.”

Les Fish, Managing Director of Ziehl-Abegg UK, commented; “The appointment by Elta of Ziehl- Abegg as its primary OEM supplier of AC and EC, axial and radial motorised fan impellers has enabled the rekindling of a relationship between Ziehl-Abegg and the Ball family the owners of Elta, a relationship which goes back many years. The inclusion of ‘Premium Quality’ Ziehl-Abegg components within multiple Elta product ranges benefits Ziehl-Abegg and Elta, but perhaps more importantly, Elta customers.”

The first phase of new Elta products featuring the Ziehl-Abegg motors and impellers are to be launched in January, 2012, with a further three phases to be introduced by January 2013.

Air Design Pty. Ltd. is part of the £85 million Elta Group, a family of businesses with operations in six countries on four continents which, together with a network of international distributors, provides quality fans and related air movement equipment to customers worldwide.