COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1275/2008
of 17 December 2008
implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to
ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode electric power consumption of electrical and
electronic household and office equipment
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,
Having regard to Directive 2005/32/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2005 establishing aframework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-using products and amending Council Directive 92/42/EEC andDirectives 96/57/EC and 2000/55/EC of the EuropeanParliament and of the Council (
1), and in particular
Article 15(1) thereof,
After consulting the Ecodesign Consultation Forum,Whereas:
(1) Under Directive 2005/32/EC ecodesign requirements
shall be set by the Commission for energy-usingproducts representing significant volumes of sales andtrade, having significant environmental impact andpresenting significant potential for improvement interms of their environmental impact without entailingexcessive costs.
(2) Article 16(2) second indent of Directive 2005/32/ECprovides that in accordance with the procedure referredto in Article 19(3) and the criteria set out inArticle 15(2), and after consulting the ConsultationForum, the Commission shall as appropriate introducea separate implementing measure reducing standbylosses for a group of products.
(3) The Commission has carried out a preparatory studywhich analysed the technical, environmental andeconomic aspects of standby mode and off-modelosses. The study has been developed together with stake­holders and interested parties from the EU and thirdcountries, and the results have been made publiclyavailable.(4) It has been stated in the preparatory study that standbyfunctionalities and off-mode losses occur for the majority
of electrical and electronic household and office
equipment products sold in the Community, while theannual electricity consumption related to standby func­tionalities and off-mode losses in the Community hasbeen estimated to be 47 TWh in 2005, correspondingto 19 Mt CO
2emissions. Without taking specific
measures, the consumption is predicted to increase to49 TWh in 2020. It has been concluded that the elec­tricity consumption of standby functionalities and off-mode losses can be significantly reduced.
(5) Improvements of electricity consumption of standbyfunctionalities and off-mode losses should be achievedby applying existing non-proprietary cost-effective tech­nologies, which lead to a reduction of the combinedexpenses for purchasing and operating equipment.
(6) Ecodesign requirements for the power consumption of
standby mode and off mode of electrical and electronic
household and office equipment should be set with aview to harmonising ecodesign requirements onstandby mode and off mode throughout theCommunity and contributing to the functioning of theinternal market and to improvement of the environmen­tal performance of the products affected.
(7) The ecodesign requirements should not have negativeimpact on the functionality of the product and shouldnot affect negatively health, safety and environment. Inparticular, the benefits of reducing the electricityconsumption during the use phase should over-compensate potential additional environmental impactsduring the production phase of equipment havingstandby functionalities and/or off-mode losses.
(8) The application of this Regulation should be limited toproducts corresponding to household and office
equipment intended for use in the domestic environment,
which, for information technology equipment, corre­sponds to class B equipment as set out in EN55022:2006. The scope should be defined such thatequipment that is not yet available on the market, buthave similar functionalities to those products explicitlynamed in this Regulation, are designed to fulfil therequirements. When appropriate, an amendment to thisRegulation can complement the list of products.EN 18.12.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 339/45
(1) OJ L 191, 22.7.2005, p. 29.(9) Operating modes not covered by this Regulation, such as
the ACPI S3 mode of computers, should be considered inproduct-specific implementing measures pursuant toDirective 2005/32/EC.
(10) As a general rule, requirements on standby and off mode
set out in product-specific implementing measures
pursuant to Directive 2005/32/EC should not be lessambitious than those set out in this Regulation.
(11) In order to prevent unnecessary losses of energy,products should ideally enter into a ‘0-Watt ’
consumption state when providing no function. Thetechnical feasibility and appropriateness should beconsidered on a product-by-product basis in therelevant implementing measure pursuant to Directive2005/32/EC.
(12) The two-staged entry into force of the ecodesign
requirements should provide an appropriate time-frame
for manufacturers to redesign products as far as standbyfunctionalities and off-mode losses are concerned. Thetiming of the stages should be set in such a way thatnegative impacts related to functionalities of equipmenton the market are avoided, and cost impacts for manu­facturers, in particular SMEs, are taken into account,while ensuring timely achievement of policy objectives.Measurements of the power consumption should beperformed taking into account the generally recognisedstate of the art; manufacturers may apply harmonisedstandards in accordance with Article 9 of Directive2005/32/EC.
(13) This Regulation should increase the market penetration
of technologies yielding improved energy efficiency for
standby functionalities and off-mode losses, leading toestimated energy savings of 35 TWh in 2020,compared to a business-as-usual scenario.
(14) Pursuant to Article 8(2) of Directive 2005/32/EC, thisRegulation should specify that the applicable conformityassessment procedures are the internal design control setout in Annex IV and the management system set out inAnnex V to Directive 2005/32/EC.
(15) In order to facilitate compliance checks, manufacturersshould be requested to provide information in thetechnical documentation referred to in Annexes IV and
V to Directive 2005/32/EC on the operating conditions
subject to the definitions of standby/off mode, and thecorresponding power consumption levels.
(16) Benchmarks for currently available technologies with lowstandby and off mode power consumption should beidentified. This helps to ensure wide availability andeasy access to information, in particular for SMEs and
very small firms, which further facilitates the integrationof best-design technologies for reducing the energyconsumption of standby and off mode.
(17) The measures provided for in this Regulation are inaccordance with the opinion of the Committee estab­lished by Article 19(1) of Directive 2005/32/EC,
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING REGULATION:
Article 1
Subject matter and scope
This Regulation establishes ecodesign requirements related to
standby and off mode electric power consumption. This Regu­lation applies to electrical and electronic household and officeequipment.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the definitions set out in
Directive 2005/32/EC shall apply. The following definitions
shall also apply:
1.‘electrical and electronic household and office equipment ’
(hereafter referred to as ‘equipment ’), means any energy-
using product which:
(a) is made commercially available as a single functional unit
and is intended for the end-user;
(b) falls under the list of energy-using products of Annex I;(c) is dependent on energy input from the mains power
source in order to work as intended; and
(d) is designed for use with a nominal voltage rating of
250 V or below,
also when marketed for non-household or non-office use;
2.‘standby mode(s) ’means a condition where the equipment is
connected to the mains power source, depends on energyinput from the mains power source to work as intended andprovides only the following functions, which may persist for
an indefinite time:EN L 339/46 Official Journal of the European Union 18.12.2008—reactivation function, or reactivation function and only
an indication of enabled reactivation function, and/or
—information or status display;
3.‘reactivation function ’means a function facilitating the acti­
vation of other modes, including active mode, by remoteswitch, including remote control, internal sensor, timer toa condition providing additional functions, including themain function;
4.‘information or status display ’means a continuous function
providing information or indicating the status of theequipment on a display, including clocks;
5.‘active mode(s) ’means a condition in which the equipment is
connected to the mains power source and at least one of themain function(s) providing the intended service of the
equipment has been activated;
6.‘off mode ’means a condition in which the equipment is
connected to the mains power source and is not providing
any function; the following shall also be considered as offmode:
(a) conditions providing only an indication of off-mode
condition;
(b) conditions providing only functionalities intended to
ensure electromagnetic compatibility pursuant toDirective 2004/108/EC of the European Parliament andof the Council (
1);
7.‘information technology equipment ’means any equipment
which has a primary function of either entry, storage,display, retrieval, transmission, processing, switching, orcontrol, of data and of telecommunication messages or acombination of these functions and may be equipped withone or more terminal ports typically operated for infor­mation transfer;
8.‘domestic environment ’means an environment where the
use of broadcast radio and television receivers may beexpected within a distance of 10 m of the apparatus
concerned.
Article 3
Ecodesign requirements
The ecodesign requirements related to standby and off mode
electric power consumption are set out in Annex II.
Article 4
Conformity assessment
The procedure for assessing conformity referred to in
Article 8(2) of Directive 2005/32/EC shall be the internaldesign control system set out in Annex IV to Directive2005/32/EC or the management system set out in Annex Vto Directive 2005/32/EC.
Article 5
Verification procedure for market surveillance purposes
Surveillance checks shall be carried out in accordance with the
verification procedure set out in Annex III.
Article 6
Benchmarks
The indicative benchmarks for the best-performing products
and technology currently available on the market are identifiedin Annex IV.
Article 7
Revision
No later than 6 years after the entry into force of this Regu­
lation the Commission shall review it in the light of techno­logical progress and present the result of this review to theConsultation Forum.
Article 8
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Point 1 of Annex II shall apply as from one year after the date
referred to in the first paragraph.
Point 2 of Annex II shall apply as from four years after the date
referred to in the first paragraph.EN 18.12.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 339/47
(1) OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, p. 24.This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 17 December 2008.
For the Commission
Andris PIEBALGS
Member of the CommissionEN L 339/48 Official Journal of the European Union 18.12.2008ANNEX I
List of energy-using products covered by this Regulation
1. Household appliances
Washing machinesClothes dryersDish washing machinesCooking:Electric ovensElectric hot plates
Microwave ovens
ToastersFryersGrinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or sealing containers or packagesElectric knivesOther appliances for cooking and other processing of food, cleaning, and maintenance of clothesAppliances for hair cutting, hair drying, tooth brushing, shaving, massage and other body care appliancesScales
2. Information technology equipment intended primarily for use in the domestic environment3. Consumer equipment
Radio sets
Television sets
VideocamerasVideo recordersHi-fi recordersAudio amplifiersHome theatre systemsMusical instrumentsAnd other equipment for the purpose of recording or reproducing sound or images, including signals or other
technologies for the distribution of sound and image other than by telecommunications
4. Toys, leisure and sports equipment
Electric trains or car racing setsHand-held video game consolesSports equipment with electric or electronic componentsOther toys, leisure and sport equipmentEN 18.12.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 339/49ANNEX II
Ecodesign requirements
1. One year after this Regulation has come into force:
(a) Power consumption in ‘off mode ’:
Power consumption of equipment in any off-mode condition shall not exceed 1,00 W.
(b) Power consumption in ‘standby mode(s) ’:
The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only a reactivation function, or providing only a
reactivation function and a mere indication of enabled reactivation function, shall not exceed 1,00 W.
The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only information or status display, or providing
only a combination of reactivation function and information or status display, shall not exceed 2,00 W.
(c) Availability of off mode and/or standby mode
Equipment shall, except where this is inappropriate for the intended use, provide off mode and/or standby mode,
and/or another condition which does not exceed the applicable power consumption requirements for off mode
and/or standby mode when the equipment is connected to the mains power source.
2. Four years after this Regulation has come into force:
(a) Power consumption in ‘off mode ’:
Power consumption of equipment in any off-mode condition shall not exceed 0,50 W.
(b) Power consumption in ‘standby mode(s) ’:
The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only a reactivation function, or providing only a
reactivation function and a mere indication of enabled reactivation function, shall not exceed 0,50 W.
The power consumption of equipment in any condition providing only information or status display, or providing
only a combination of reactivation function and information or status display shall not exceed 1,00 W.
(c) Availability of off mode and/or standby mode
Equipment shall, except where this is inappropriate for the intended use, provide off mode and/or standby mode,
and/or another condition which does not exceed the applicable power consumption requirements for off mode
and/or standby mode when the equipment is connected to the mains power source.
(d) Power management
When equipment is not providing the main function, or when other energy-using product(s) are not dependent on
its functions, equipment shall, unless inappropriate for the intended use, offer a power management function, or a
similar function, that switches equipment after the shortest possible period of time appropriate for the intended
use of the equipment, automatically into:
—standby mode, or
—off mode, or
—another condition which does not exceed the applicable power consumption requirements for off mode and/or
standby mode when the equipment is connected to the mains power source. The power management function
shall be activated before delivery.
3. Measurements
The power consumption referred to in points 1(a), 1(b), 2(a) and 2(b) shall be established by a reliable, accurate and
reproducible measurement procedure, which takes into account the generally recognised state of the art.
Measurements of power of 0,50 W or greater shall be made with an uncertainty of less than or equal to 2 % at the
95 % confidence level. Measurements of power of less than 0,50 W shall be made with an uncertainty of less than or
equal to 0,01 W at the 95 % confidence level.EN L 339/50 Official Journal of the European Union 18.12.20084. Information to be provided by manufacturers
For the purposes of conformity assessment pursuant to Article 4, the technical documentation shall contain the
following elements:
(a) for each standby and/or off mode:
—the power consumption data in Watts rounded to the second decimal place,
—the measurement method used,
—description of how the appliance mode was selected or programmed,
—sequence of events to reach the mode where the equipment automatically changes modes,
—any notes regarding the operation of the equipment;
(b) test parameters for measurements:
—ambient temperature,
—test voltage in V and frequency in Hz,
—total harmonic distortion of the electricity supply system,
—information and documentation on the instrumentation, set-up and circuits used for electrical testing;
(c) the characteristics of equipment relevant for assessing conformity with the requirements set out in point 1(c), or
the requirements set out in points 2(c) and/or 2(d), as applicable, including the time taken to automatically reachstandby, or off mode, or another condition which does not exceed the applicable power consumptionrequirements for off mode and/or standby mode.
In particular, if applicable, the technical justification shall be provided that the requirements set out in point 1(c),
or the requirements set out in points 2(c) and/or 2(d), are inappropriate for the intended use of equipment.EN 18.12.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 339/51ANNEX III
Verification procedure
When performing the market surveillance checks referred to in Directive 2005/32/EC, Article 3(2), the authorities of the
Member State shall apply the following verification procedure for the requirements set out in Annex II, points 1(a) and1(b), or points 2(a) and 2(b), as applicable.
For power consumption requirements larger than 1,00 W, Member State authorities shall test one single unit.The model shall be considered to comply with the provisions set out in Annex II, points 1(a) and 1(b), or points 2(a) and
2(b), as applicable, to this Regulation if the results for off-mode and standby-mode conditions, as applicable, do not
exceed the limit values by more than 10 %.
Otherwise, three more units shall be tested. The model shall be considered to comply with this Regulation if the average
of the results of the latter three tests for off-mode and/or standby-mode conditions, as applicable, does not exceed thelimit values by more than 10 %.
For power consumption requirements smaller than, or equal to, 1,00 W, Member State authorities shall test one single
unit.
The model shall be considered to comply with the provisions set out in Annex II, points 1(a) and 1(b), or points 2(a) and
2(b), as applicable, to this Regulation if the results for off-mode and/or standby-mode conditions, as applicable, do not
exceed the limit values by more than 0,10 W.
Otherwise, three more units shall be tested. The model shall be considered to comply with this Regulation if the average
of the results of the latter three tests for off-mode and/or standby-mode conditions, as applicable, does not exceed thelimit values by more than 0,10 W.
Otherwise, the model shall be considered not to comply.
ANNEX IV
Benchmarks
The following benchmarks are identified for the purpose of Annex I, Part 3, point 2, to Directive 2005/32/EC:
Off mode: 0 W-0,3 W with hard-off switch on the primary side, depending, inter alia , on the characteristics related to
electromagnetic compatibility pursuant to Directive 2004/108/EC.
Standby —reactivation function: 0,1 W.
Standby —display: simple displays and low power LEDs 0,1 W, larger displays (e.g. for clocks) require more power.EN L 339/52 Official Journal of the European Union 18.12.2008