The Energy Using Products Directive may sound like an innocuous piece of European legislation, but it has the potential to change the way building services engineers specify products including pumps, fans and lighting, as our feature explains.

The EuP is being introduced with the admirable aim of ensuring the next generation of construction products is designed to be more sustainable.

Although the directive is ostensibly about the design of products, some of its more radical proposals relate to the energy efficiency of an item and the system of which it forms a part. Where this is the case, whole systems may have to be tested to prove compliance, with responsibility for testing falling to the system’s specifiers – designers or contractors – or through product manufacturers collaborating with each other. Such a solution may limit the number of options open to designers and make it more difficult for new products to be introduced.

In the UK, the government is coordinating the industry’s response to the directive, with stakeholder meetings taking place between DEFRA and manufacturers’ trade associations. Let’s hope common sense prevails; energy efficiency is an admirable aim, but it should not discourage innovation and lengthen the launch of new products to the market.

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Escalating energy costs and increasing public awareness of environmental issues, combined with changes to the Building Regulations and legislation, mean the profession’s impact on the built environment has never been higher. It is important this magazine and its website continue to evolve to reflect this. To ensure BSj is in tune with the needs of its readers, we want to hear what you want to see in your magazine, which is why we’ve included a readership survey with this issue. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey to help us give you the publication you want – you might even win an iPod. Or, if you prefer, send a brief email to bsjeditorial@cmpi.biz with your suggestions.

Source

Building Sustainable Design