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Associations
SAIRAC OCTOBER TECH TALK TOPIC : AXIECO FANS
The following is a presentation delivered at the SAIRAC Johannesburg centre by Francois Schoombie ( N . Dipl . Mech Eng . TUT ), technical manager and EC product specialist for ebm-papst , during August .
Tough ambient conditions prevail in the ventilation , air conditioning and refrigeration sectors , as well as in mechanical engineering . To cope with these applications effectively , you need electrically and mechanically robust solutions that also work at a high level of efficiency .
AC axial fans that have been widely used up until now will reach their limits in this contentious area by the time the next stage of the ErP comes into force . The EC range of AxiEco Protect and AxiEco Perform duos , are a series that perfectly adapts to these requirements .
ErP stands for Energy-related Products . It is a European Union directive that sets minimum energy performance standards for heating and cooling products , including air conditioners , heat pumps and boilers . The ErP directive aims to reduce energy consumption , improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions .
Some examples of affected products are fans , electric motors , pumps and compressors . There are other standards and regulations , such as ASHRAE ( American Society of Heating , Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ) and FER ( Fan Energy Rating ).
The ErP Directive was implemented in phases over five-year intervals . The first phase started in 2011 , when the minimum efficiency standards were set . In 2015 , ± 30 % of fans did not meet these standards and were no longer allowed to be sold within the EU market .
The ErP Directive initially applied to individual components , such as fans , pumps or compressors . Later , it expanded to cover the whole unit and systems that use these components and introduced new efficiency metrics and requirements .
In South Africa , there is a growing interest in energy efficiency and green building awareness , especially in the context of rising electricity costs and environmental concerns . However , there is still a lack of standards and regulations in South Africa to enforce these practices . Some experts and stakeholders have been advocating for energy efficiency since 2007 and have shown the potential savings and benefits of adopting more efficient products and systems . Therefore , there is a growing demand for more education and
implementation of similar initiatives in South Africa .
This ErP implementation in EU countries has had a huge impact on the whole industry , not just the suppliers . These standards also meant that any product that needed to be replaced had to comply with the current efficiency requirements . For example , if you had an air-conditioning unit with a fan or a
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Francois Schoombie , technical manager and EC product specialist for ebm-papst .
Chairman of the SAIRAC Johannesburg committee Gregory Grobbelaar introducing the speaker .
Supplied by ebm-papst
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Question time .
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I January 2024 9