Guidance to new ErP Directive on fans
Elta Fans has set up a dedicated web site to deal with the implications of the Energy related Products Directive on fans that came into effect on 1 January 2013. Two of the most significant developments are the increased importance of the terms specific fan power (SFP) and fan motor efficiency grade (FMEG).
Manufacturers and specifiers are required to ensure that fans meet the minimum efficiency levels established by the new directive. It applies to a wide range of different fan types with an input power from 125 to 500 W, with the required efficiency depending on the category into which the fan falls.
SFP is a measure of the electrical power required to drive a fan relative to the amount of air circulated. It is not a constant for a given fan but changes with airflow rate and rises in fan pressure.
FMEG is based on a fan’s performance characteristics below the maximum safe operating speed to obtain its optimum efficiency point.
Both terms will increasingly be used to select the correct fan for a given application and must therefore be prominent in the fan specification details — not only in marketing literature and on web sites but also in product labelling and packaging for the fans themselves.
Group technical manager Alan Macklin says, ‘During the bedding-in period for the new directive, there will inevitably be people out there with questions, and we are happy to answer them — either through the FAQs on the web site or if people want to pose their questions directly to us.’
