Ecodesign Explained

You may have been made aware recently of the Governments intentions to better promote the use of clean-burning solid fuels, appliances and operation techniques through its Clean Air Strategy, in order to continue to reduce the impacts of solid fuel appliance use on the UK’s air quality.

One question that continues to arise amongst installers, retailers and manufacturers surrounds the new Ecodesign Regulations that solid fuel roomheater appliances will need to meet by the 1st January 2022, but what exactly does this new legislation require, and how will it affect the industry after the 2022 implementation date?

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What is Ecodesign?

In simple terms, the Ecodesign Regulations set new minimum seasonal efficiency and maximum emission requirements for solid fuel burning roomheater stoves, roomheater stoves with boilers and cooker appliances. Only those appliances that have been tested and verified as meeting these new limits will be able to be sold. The emission limits include those for Particulate Matter (PM), Organic Gaseous Compounds (OGC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).

What efficiency and emission requirements for solid fuel appliances are currently enforceable?

Currently solid fuel appliances made for sale on the UK market are required to meet minimum gross efficiency limits of 65%, when operated at the appliances nominal heat output, as prescribed within the current UK Building Regulation requirements. This is to ensure that any new or replacement solid fuel appliance installation does not significantly reduce the properties overall energy usage and performance. Where pellet roomheater appliances are concerned, this efficiency limit is increased to 70%, in most cases due to the higher levels of controllability associated with pellet burning appliances.

The only emission performance limits for appliances are prescribed with the Construction Products Regulations, which currently stipulate a maximum emission limit for CO at 12,500mg/m3. Current manufacturing standards do not at present stipulate a maximum emission requirement for PM, OGC’s or NOx.

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So, what exactly will change after 1st January 2022?

After 1st January 2022, all solid fuel burning roomheater appliances will be required to have been independently tested to show that they meet the seasonal efficiency and four emission limit provisions as laid down within the Ecodesign regulations. This will include a dramatic reduction in the CO minimum emission limit stipulated above, with the other new prescribed limits summarised as follows;

Solid Fuel Roomheater Appliances

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As you can see, the introduction of these new efficiency and emission limits go a long way supporting the governments intended strategy of improving the way in which solid fuel appliances perform under everyday use in terms of their overall efficiency and emission level performance.

All appliances sold will include performance criteria within both sales and marketing literature, to allow consumers to make more informed choices on selection of the more highly efficient and clean-burning appliances, as well reference in the appliance manufacturer installation instruction, for installers to make reference against during the installation design stages.

Will existing legacy installations be affected?

No. The new regulations proposed only cover those newly produced roomheater appliances that are “placed on the market” and made available for sale on the UK market after 2022. Installers should ensure any products placed on the market after this date have been independently tested and verified as meeting the new provisions within Ecodesign legislation, and are accompanied with the necessary technical and performance information to confirm this within appliance manufacturer literature or sales websites. Those appliances that meet all current and future UK performance requirements can be accessed in the HETAS guide, or by using the search facility on the HETAS website at www.hetas.co.uk/find-appliance.