Commercial Fans added to the ETL
New Commercial Fans sub-technology: first products approved
The ETL continues to expand with the addition of the new sub-technology – Commercial Fans. The scope of the criteria covers seven types of fans according to impeller type and configuration.
Fans criteria were published in December 2022 as part of the 2021/22 Research Programme, and the addition of the sub-technology required expanding the Motors and Drives technology group to become Motors, Drives and Fans – which you can browse on the ETL website.
The first Commercial Fan product application was approved in August 2023 and is already listed on the ETL. You can view the product here.
Good news for purchasers and end-users
So, why is the addition of Commercial Fans to the ETL big news? The sub-technology spans a broad degree of commercial building applications, meaning developers or the end-users of these products who are seeking fan units for ventilation or air circulation can harness the energy savings in:
- Offices
- Light commercial/retail
- Hospitality/leisure/sports
- Healthcare e.g. hospitals, dentistry and general practice
- Education e.g. schools and universities
- Public offices and buildings
The focus is on forced air commercial fans with the exclusion of industrial fans, fans within systems or centralised/whole building ventilation units (e.g. air handling units, fan coil units, process fans, propellers and fan blowers) and fans operating in specialised applications (e.g. ATEX fans, fans in explosive and high temperature environments, smoke and fire safety fans). See the sub-technology on our website for more details.
The sub-technology is also inclusive to designers seeking new efficient fan units for meeting typical ventilation and air circulation requirements. The products are aligned with UK Building regulations, Part F.
This is what a spokesperson from the manufacturer ebm-papst had to say on their addition and the ETL scheme as whole:
“ebm-papst UK are keen to support low carbon procurement with our RadiPac-C range of backward curved centrifugal fans. We believe that the combination of optimised aerodynamic design, high-efficiency drive, smart control electronics and Modbus communication can facilitate progress on the path to Net Zero emissions in the UK. For this reason we are excited to have our first submission approved for entry on the Energy Technology List for Commercial Fans, the first of many!”
Dan Hopkins, Technical Manager, ebm-papst UK Ltd
Expanding our criteria with wide-reaching energy efficient solutions
August 2023 saw a new amendment made to one of the eligibility requirements for products with integrated motors – one which expands the scope of products eligible under this new sub-technology.
The requirement now states that eligible products should have a high efficiency motor in compliance with the latest Ecodesign regulation on electric motors and variable speed drives (EU) 2019/1781; “except where the motor is completely integrated into the product in a manner that means its energy performance cannot be tested independently from the product and that satisfies the requirements for exclusion set out in Article 2(a) of this regulation.”
Two standards shall be used to determine product performance:
- BS EN ISO 5801:2017 – Methods of testing fans, Part 1: Performance Testing Using Standardised Airways
- FprEN 17166:2020 – Fans: Procedures and methods to determine the energy efficiency for the electrical input power range of 125W up to 500kW
To demonstrate conformity, testing can be one of a variety of routes; either in-house (verified or cross-checked by an independent body), witnessed, independent, or representative.
Manufacturers: submit your energy efficient commercial fans for consideration
The Commercial Fans sub-technology on the ETL has backing beyond the scheme. It falls within the scope of the Fan Manufacturer’s Association (FMA) – who are part of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) – as well as the European Ventilation Industry Association (EVIA). Both associations were supportive during the consultation and drafting of the criteria.
The addition of this sub-technology to the ETL was also through a New Technology Proposal (NTP) – demonstrating how the list is ever-evolving due to manufacturer input and feedback. You can read more about the NTP process here in this article on the ETL website.