Regulation 2009/640 - Implementation of Directive 2005/32/EC with regard to ecodesign requirements for electric motors - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 191/26

Under Directive 2005/32/EC ecodesign requirements are to be set by the Commission for energy-using products representing significant volumes of sales and trade, having a significant environmental impact and presenting significant potential for improvement in terms of their environmental impact without entailing excessive costs.

Article 16(2) first indent of Directive 2005/32/EC provides that in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 19(3) and the criteria set out in Article 15(2), and after consulting the Ecodesign Consultation Forum, the Commission shall, as appropriate, introduce an implementing measure for products used in electric motor systems.

Electric motors are the most important type of electric load in industries within the Community where motors are used in the production processes. The systems in which these motors are operated account for about 70 % of the electricity consumed by the industry. There is a total potential for cost-effective improvement of the energy efficiency of these motor systems by about 20 % to 30 %. One of the major factors in such improvements is the use of energy efficient motors. Consequently, motors in electric motor systems represent a priority product for which ecodesign requirements should be established.

Electric motor systems include a number of energy-using products, such as motors, drives, pumps or fans. Motors and variable speed drives are an important part of these products. This is why this Regulation requires that certain types of motors be equipped with variable speed drives.

Many motors are integrated in other products without being separately placed on the market or put into service in the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2005/32/EC and of Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2). To achieve the full cost-efficient energy saving potential, motors integrated in other products should be subject to the provisions of this Regulation.

The Commission has carried out a preparatory study which analysed the technical, environmental and economic aspects of electric motors. The study has been developed together with stakeholders and interested parties from the EU and third countries, and the results have been made publicly available.

The preparatory study shows that electric motors are placed on the Community market in large quantities, with their use-phase energy consumption being the most significant environmental aspect of all life-cycle phases, and their annual electricity consumption amounting to 1 067 TWh in 2005, corresponding to 427 Mt of CO2 emissions. In the absence of measures to limit this consumption, it is predicted that energy consumption will increase to 1 252 TWh in 2020. It has been concluded that the life-cycle energy consumption and the use-phase electricity consumption can be improved significantly, in particular if motors in variable speed and load applications are equipped with...