“Ultra” efficient – Ecodesign Directive for variable speed drives

The time has come, July 1, 2021 has passed and the Ecodesign Directive is now also mandatory for variable speed drives. What does that mean exactly, who does it affect, what changes does this entail for Yaskawa’s products? Lots of questions that this article aims to clear up.

What is it all about?

At the heart of the matter are the EU’s climate targets, which were tightened once again in September 2020 under the term “Green Deal” and are to be implemented by 2030 in the first phase. Currently the targets are:

• 55% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to 1990
• A share of at least 32% renewable energies in the energy mix
• At least 32.5% better energy efficiency

The aim is to achieve climate neutrality for the EU by 2050.

To achieve these targets, the ErP (Energy-related Products) Directive was created, which is often referred to as the Ecodesign Directive. It provides a framework but does not contain product-specific requirements, as these are so diverse that they cannot possibly be covered by just one directive. Consequently, implementation regulations have been defined, based on the ErP Directive, which regulate the requirements for the energy efficiency of products.
For example, there are now regulations for all kinds of household appliances, which give us the efficiency class labels we are familiar with on televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, lamps and so on. Similar regulations and labels exist for industrial applications such as compressors, fans, pumps, etc., and electric motors, which are estimated to consume half of the electrical energy produced in the EU, have not been spared. However, it was recognized that much more energy could be saved by controlling the speed of electric motors and so Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 was published, which now regulates the efficiency of the variable speed drive that work alongside the motors.