As part of its programme of environmental and consumer protection the EU will be bringing Energy Labelling and Ecodesign Directives for commercial catering equipment in line with those for domestic appliances from 1st July 2016.
Simon Frost, chair of CESA, said: “Energy efficiency has become a critical issue for catering equipment manufacturers in recent years. This new guide provides an understanding and down-to-earth explanations about the new tests and the labelling.
"The Directives will be important for any catering equipment buyer or specifier. They will make it possible to accurately compare running and overall lifetime costs of different models."
The first category of equipment to be made subject of the new Directives is refrigeration, specifically designated as Professional Refrigerated Storage Cabinets (PRSCs). This covers both counters and single or double upright cabinets. From the first of July all PRSCs sold in Europe will have to be tested within the framework of the Ecodesign Directives, and will carry labels displaying their energy efficiency.
While PRSCs are the first category of equipment to be covered by the new Directives, work has already begun on other refrigeration categories, along with ovens and warewashers. Currently no firm timelines for these new categories have been established.
CESA's Guide to Ecodesign and Energy Labelling is available to download from the Buyers Guide section of the CESA website, cesa.org.uk.