From January 1, 2018, under Lot 20 of the Energy Efficiency Directive, all local space heaters manufactured for sale within the EU which use electricity, gas or liquid fuels, must comply with a minimum efficiency standard and that includes electric radiators, underfloor heating and gas fires.
Local room (or space) heating products are defined as appliances that provide heat to indoor spaces by generating heat in the location within which they are situated. Like other product categories, the aim is to rule out inefficient technologies and reduce the energy used in our homes, helping to achieve our overall carbon reduction targets.
The responsibility for such improvements lies with the manufacturer and so Dimplex has been hard at work redesigning its product range to comply with the new legislation, since its approval in April 2015. As a result, the company’s entire product portfolio will be compliant before the end of 2017, ahead of the January 2018 deadline.
The new Lot 20 regulation requires that the consumption and emissions for local space heaters must be reduced by applying “existing, non-proprietary technologies” without an increase in the combined costs of purchase and operating the products.
There are a number of features that can be incorporated into such products to achieve this, including mechanical and electrical room temperature controls or day/week timers, many of which are already available as purchased add-ons. Such controls will now be integral to new devices, ensuring that they meet the requirements of Lot 20.
For example the Dimplex Q-Rad electric radiator, a heater already Lot 20 compliant, includes an ‘Eco-Start’ feature – a delayed-start anticipatory control meaning the heater, rather than the user, chooses the most appropriate time to turn on in order to achieve the desired temperature at the preferred times as pre-determined by the user.
“It is imperative that market leaders like Dimplex continues to invest in the research and development of such feature combinations so that we can provide consumers with the most functional, user-friendly and cost-effective heating solutions,” said Jonathan Jennings, Head of Heating and Ventilation at Glen Dimplex Ireland.
Glen Dimplex Ireland, Old Airport Rd, Cloghran, Dublin, T: (ROI/NI) 00353 (1) 842 4833
E: sales@dimplex.ie
W: www.dimplex.ie
