Strikingly, the stock of our heating equipment is responsible for 25% of all CO2 emissions, around the same level as road transport or industry. This is by far the largest source of energy consumption in our homes. Europe has been lagging behind for decades with no robust policies to ensure that only energy efficient heating equipment (such as renewable heating or gas condensing boilers) is sold and installed. This has led to a huge energy waste and billion of Euros of unnecessary spending on our energy bills. By enforcing more efficient technologies, the potential can be as huge as avoiding 200 million tons of CO2 emissions per year in the EU, which is equivalent to taking about 100 million cars off the road!
What does the coolproducts campaign want?This situation has to change drastically. The EU urgently needs a combination of appropriate policies including an overall goal to reduce energy consumption in buildings, energy requirements on boilers and water heaters, better information to consumers and adequate financial mechanisms. This was all explained in our ‘
Warm Homes, Cool Products’ Manifesto (from 2009) which has the support from a wide range of organisations, businesses and policy makers. In particular, we requested that:
• all boilers and water heaters installed from now on should generally use renewable energy. Where this is not possible, they should be based on top-of-the market technologies using gas (i.e. at the level of 'best condensing' technologies).
• a simple A-G energy label based on the primary energy consumption is introduced to inform consumers and enable comparison between heating solutions across technologies and fuels. This label should become a mandatory tool which equipment installers should be trained to show and explain to users.
• Air pollution is also limited through measures on NOx, particulate matters and other pollutants.
What is the European Union doing and what’s our position?The European Commission has started discussions on Ecodesign and Energy Labelling rules for boilers and water heaters in 2007. However, since then the discussions have been slow and inconclusive due to several reasons (complexity of the technical approach, conservatism of the boiler industry, inconsistencies between some Member States’ national energy interests). Only in February 2012 have we seen a finalised draft, which will still needs refinements before a potential adoption at the end of 2012. This draft includes a number of positive aspects, thanks to continuous efforts from the
coolproducts campaign to saveguard the level of ambition. The European Commission estimates a level of saving of 135 million tons of CO2 by 2020, which is not as high as we would like but still a decent first step. The principle of enforcing condensing boilers as the minimum acceptable technology should be secured, and renewable energies will be promoted through an energy labelling scheme used by installers and dealers.
The very long delays in the decision-making process are still very regrettable. It is now crucial that the EU moves forward swiftly and implements this legislation as soon as possible.