Eco Design Preparatory study for Building Automation Control Systems (BACS) launched

04 December 2017

In accordance with Article 15 of the Eco-design Directive 2009/125/EC and the 2016-19 work plan, a preparatory study on BACS has been launched.  Led by VITO, the same consultants leading the work on Lot 33 and the EPBD Smart Readiness Indicator. It is based on the Methodology for Eco-design of Energy-related Products (MEErP) https://ecodesignbacs.eu/faq.

BEAMA have developed a briefing document for members to understand the likely scope of this study, download below.  We are asking members to reply to this with their feedback on the prefered routes to market for BACS.  Please send comments to Yselkla Farmer [email protected],uk by the 10th Janurary so a BEAMA position can be developed in time for the first stakeholder meeting on the 17th Jan. 

Questions for members 

The stakeholder meeting on the 17th of Jan 2018 presents an opportunity for BEAMA members to guide the overall scope of this study and draw some lines with regards to what we want/ don’t want from this. Catching this at an early stage is key and BEAMA have a good relationship with VITO to help steer this.  Members are asked to agree a position on expected scope ready for 10th Jan.

The main focus of our position for January will be on understanding and quantifying routes to market for controls and building automation equipment and where product regulation would usefully be applied or not. 

  • Do you think the delivery of product regulation under eco design or energy labelling regulations would benefit the market for BACS?
  • Drawing on our experience of packaging labels, could this framework be appropriate for BACS? If yes, how should this evolve to accommodate for systems and more complex products like BACS? 
  • Could a measure under eco-design or energy labelling complement or conflict with existing industry self-regulating initiative (e.g. eu.bac certification scheme).
  • Should the scope of this study cover Non-residential and residential BACs applications? 
  • Should the scope of this study be extended to consider Demand management as well as Demand reduction, acknowledging the future role of BACS to facilitate demand side flexibility services in buildings?  
  • There is likely to be a strong focus on material efficiency standards for the reusability, recyclability of component elements of a BACS - as a manufacturer of these component parts how feasible would you view this?  Some examples of this are listed below (as outlined in the work plan):
  1. Setting minimum requirements on the sensitivity and permitted tolerances of control products (sensors and actuators)
  2. Increasing the user friendliness and helping BACS to be better installed and operated (as this is known to affect their efficiency).  This could include measures for the display, using alerts related to check lists for installations, or alerts when extreme energy losses occur.
  3. Increasing the re-commissioning of the system; e.g. an alarm could alert the user that the efficiency of the system needs to be reassessed. 
  4. Strengthening the interoperability; communication protocols can be different from one system to another which effects the capability of all systems to work together. 
  • Do you agree with the current assessment of what a BAC system is, as outlined at the start of the BEAMA paper?  Are there other components / products potentially in scope that may be affected that we have not considered? 

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