Amendment to Commission Regulation (EC) No 640/2009

The next stage of the Regulation (EC) 640/2009: Ecodesign requirements for electric motors comes into force on 1st January 2015 when the minimum efficiency class rises from IE2 to IE3.

The European Commission plans to amend the Regulation 640/2009 to address industry concerns about the limitation of the scope. This amendment requires a suitable transition period, ideally a year, to allow all operators in the supply chain to be informed and for existing stock to be purged from the supply chain.

More motors in scope

As part of the Ecodesign Directive, the European Commission passed a regulation that stipulates the minimum efficiency levels for Low Voltage electric motors that can be marketed within Europe. The Motors Regulation 640/2009 came into effect on 16th June 2011. From that date onwards only Low Voltage motors of efficiency class IE2 or greater could be put onto the market in Europe. The next stage of this Regulation comes into force on 1st January 2015 when the minimum efficiency class rises to IE3. From this date onwards, motors with a minimum efficiency class IE2 must be equipped with a Variable Speed Drive.

The European Commission plans to amend the Regulation 640/2009 to address industry concerns about the limitation of the scope. The Regulation’s current scope excludes motors specifically designed to operate at altitudes exceeding 1000m above sea-level or where ambient air temperatures exceed 40°C, or where ambient air temperatures are less than -15°C.  The Commission plans to amend the scope of the Regulation to change the altitude level to 4000m and the ambient air temperature range to 60°C and -30°C. This change will bring into scope for the first time a large number of motors previously exempt.

 

Indications are that publication of the legislative amendment in the Official Journal will take place during October 2013. BEAMA, working together with the European association CEMEP, has been advocating for a suitable transitional period, and the latest draft text of the amendment indicates that a six month transition phase will be stipulated. The amendment to the regulation will apply six months after the date of entry into force.

Rating Plates

The amendment’s draft text also address rating plates and the information required to be marked on rating plates as detailed in Annex I to the Regulation.

The draft text now states that where the size of the rating plate makes it impossible to mark all the information referred to in point 1 of the Regulation, only the nominal efficiency (ƞ) at full rated load and voltage (UN) shall be marked.

Tackling industry confusion

The Industry would have liked to see the amendment tackle the potential market confusion that will be created when the 2015 stage of the regulation comes into effect. The regulation will require that IE2 motors are equipped with a Variable Speed Drive. The National Measurements Office (NMO),  the enforcement body for the Regulation in the UK, has issued an FAQ on its website on what 'equipped with' means: "Although the term ‘equipped with’ is not defined in Regulation 640/2009 the NMO’s interpretation based on the most up to date information, is that ‘equipped with’ relates to putting into service.

 

"Putting into service’ is defined as "the first use of a product for its intended purpose by an end-user in the Community.”

'Putting into service' should not be confused with ‘placing on the market’ which is defined as "making a product available for the first time on the Community market with a view to its distribution or use within the Community, whether for reward or free of charge, and irrespective of the selling technique".

BEAMA has clarified with NMO that IE2 motors will not be required to be sold as a package with a VSD as this is not practical. Motor manufacturers will be providing information and necessary instructions with IE2 motors making installers aware of the requirement to be equipped with a Variable Speed Drive.