Primary Energy Factor (PEF) implications for ecodesign and energy labelling – a technical view

30 June 2021 | News

What are the implications of the revised PEF on the Energy Efficiency Directive for the ecodesign implementation and energy labelling practices?

In accordance with the PEF revision, as part of the Energy Efficiency Directive, from 2.5 to 2.1, the value of PEF is now evaluated to be 2.1. This means that the energy efficiency limit values of all forms of electricity consumption in the scope must be converted – all things being equal – by a factor (2.5 / 2.1).

As a result of this change, the minimum space heating efficiency value (ηs), the Ecodesign lot1 revision, and the energy labelling classes also need adjustment to take into account the increase in electric appliances.

Any change in the PEF shall not result in downgrading or upgrading gas appliances on the label’s scale. Only the thresholds and energy labelling classes relating to electric space heaters will have to be adjusted in the current scheme of 10 labelling classes – from A+++ to G. This new system will be in place at least until 2025, as mentioned in the 2017 Energy Label Regulation.

For products providing the same function while using different energy carriers – electrical and gas heat pump, boilers, hybrid boilers – a change of PEF value shall not lead to a change of their relative position on the energy label scale. MARCOGAZ developed a table explaining the impact of PEF and energy label class updates per type of heating solution.

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