New guide spells out changes to 2018 chiller legislation for industrial users

A new guide has been published highlighting the changes set to come into force in 2018 for users and specifiers of industrial cooling systems.

The guide, called ‘Demystifying the 2018 Changes to Chiller Legislation’ is free to access and is produced by ICS Cool Energy. It has advice in a number of areas including those relating to the latest phase of amendments to the European Commission’s EcoDesign Directive.

These include a breakdown of the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for both process and comfort chillers, as well as potential Brexit impact, ‘repair’ vs ‘replace’ arguments, and SME financing options for new equipment.

Manufacturers who fail to adhere to the legislative changes when investing in new cooling equipment risk being fined, and having to replace non-compliant equipment installed after 1st January 2018 at their own expense; which is likely to be significant. With the MEPS set to become even stricter in January 2021, fully understanding the implications as early as possible is critical.

However, ICS Cool Energy says the changes also present a valuable opportunity for manufacturers to reap the benefits of integrating high-efficiency temperature control equipment into their manufacturing operations, such as lower running costs and reduced CO2 emissions.

Richard Metcalfe, Sales Director at ICS Cool Energy, commented: “There is no escaping the fact that manufacturing is an energy-intensive process. While energy consumption may be seen as a necessary evil by some, the fact of the matter is that unless it is controlled, it will have a serious long-term environmental impact.

“Process cooling equipment can account for up to 60 per cent of a plant’s total life cycle cost, and this has not gone unnoticed by lawmakers. As such, from 1st Jan 2018 as part of the latest phase of amendments to the European Commission’s EcoDesign Directive, industrial cooling and refrigeration equipment will be required to meet new, stringent minimum levels of energy-efficiency.

“Our new guide aims to demystify the changes in full for UK manufacturers, covering the most important questions, and providing key action points for ease of compliance and minimum disruption to business. With the legislative spotlight well and truly on industrial cooling equipment, now is the time for manufacturers to get to grips with the facts and start planning ahead.”

To download a copy of Demystifying the 2018 Changes to Chiller Legislation, please click here.