2 minute read
Energy Efficiency
Regulation changes affect allowable transformer losses
Changes to the Ecodesign regulations, which come into force this year, affect a wide range of energy-related products. As well as increased efficiency requirements placed on new DC motors, the changes affect the acceptable levels of losses in transformers. Michael Bowers, CEO of transformer supplier Bowers Electricals, outlines what the changes mean for the supply of new transformers and the impact the changes will have on carbon emissions.
The 2021 update to the EU Ecodesign regulation was published in October 2019. The new regulation tightens the requirements for load-losses and no load-losses on energy-related products. It is in place to improve energy efficiency, environmental compatibility and to reduce CO 2 emissions. And among the areas updated, it made amendments to Regulation 548/2014 on transformer losses.
The European Commission estimates that 2.9% of all energy generated across the 27 EU countries (EU27) and the UK is wasted through transformer losses. In a survey led by the EU, it was discovered that the EU27 transformer industry produces annual losses of up to 93.4TWh. To address this, the strict design regulation aims to reduce energy losses of distribution transformers and hopes to save on average 16TWh annually, which equates to 3.7Mt CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere.
To put this in perspective, the revised directive will enable transformer users to save the equivalent of the electricity consumed in a country the size of Belgium*.
The revised regulation comes into force on Thursday, July 1, 2021, and can be read at bit.ly/Ecodesign1783.
The regulation applies to transformers placed into service in the UK and EU. With a few exceptions, the regulation affects small, medium, and large transformers with a minimum power rating of 1 kVA which are used in 50 Hz electricity transmission and distribution networks or for industrial applications.
In essence, the regulation means that any new transformers purchased must be up to the Tier 2 standard. That said, suppliers can still deliver and install Tier 1 transformers if they were available on the market before July 1, 2021. Some manufacturers, including Bowers Electricals, have a limited supply of Tier 1 transformers that they can still sell; however, there should be no further work done to them.
The potential reduction in carbon emissions is a clear benefit of this regulation change, but there are other savings to be made. For example, by installing a new 2021 spec Tier 2 transformer from Bowers Electricals, savings of up to £12,753 per annum can be made when comparing the running costs to a pre-2015 standard CRGO Transformer. So, over the course of a unit’s typical 25-year lifespan, there are significant cost benefits as well.
www.bowerselec.co.uk
*2.9% of the energy generated across EU27 and the UK equals 93Twh, which is enough to power Belgium for a year (based on 2019 figures of 90.3 TWh from https://ourworldindata.org/energy/country/belgium)
