EVA Notes Release Of European Commissions Vending Energy Measurement Standard

BRUSSELS -- The European Vending Association reports that a new standard for measuring the energy consumption of refrigerated vending equipment has been published by the European Committee for Standardization and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. It will assist the European Commission in drafting legislation by providing a reference calculation method for vender manufacturers throughout Europe.

Called EN 50597 (2015), the standard will replace the European Vending Association's existing energy management protocol by 2017. EVA points out that version 3.0a of that protocol served as the basis for the new EC standard, and early testing has indicated that tests conducted according to both methods yield "broadly similar energy consumption results."

EVA explains that the expected EU regulations on "ecodesign" and energy labeling requirements for refrigerated vending machines, which are expected to be approved early next year and take effect in 2017, require a linked European-wide measurement standard. The publication of EN 50597 meets this need.

Until the new EU regulations for refrigerated vending machines take effect in 2017, the EVA advises that the EVA EMP 3.0a can be used as the reference document for calculating the energy efficiency of a refrigerated vending machine. However, the EVA urges refrigerated vending equipment manufacturers also to test their machines according to EN 50597, and to present those consumption results to their customers alongside the EMP calculations. It should be kept in mind that the energy rating scale provided by the EMP is strictly for internal comparison purposes, the association added.

"We are pleased to announce that a range of EVA members were largely responsible for the significant work undertaken in order to produce this document and achieve European approval," EVA reported. The expectation is that not only will the European Union be able to reference the new standard in its legislation, but also that all national governments and institutions can use it for evaluating tenders or other benchmark requirements.

Information on EN 50597, and purchase options, are available at the CENELEC website, cenelec.eu. The existing EVA energy management protocol may be downloaded from the association's website.