Industrial fans / fans driven by motors

1. Scope – Regulation (EU) 327/2011

This Regulation establishes ecodesign requirements for the placing on the market or putting into service of fans, including those integrated in other energy-related products as covered by Directive 2009/125/EC.

1a. Scope – Regulation (EU) 2024/1834

This Regulation lays down ecodesign requirements for the placing on the market or putting into service of fans with an electric input power between 125 W and 500 kW (≥ 125 W and ≤ 500 kW) at their best efficiency point, including where they are integrated into other products.

2. Exemptions – Regulation (EU) 327/2011

This Regulation shall not apply to fans integrated in:

• products with a sole electric motor of 3 kW or less where the fan is fixed on the same shaft used for driving the main functionality;
• laundry and washer dryers ≤ 3 kW maximum electrical input power;
• kitchen hoods < 280 W total maximum electrical input power attributable to the fan(s).

This Regulation shall not apply to fans which are:

• designed specifically to operate in potentially explosive atmospheres as defined in Directive 94/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
• designed for emergency use only, at short-time duty, with regard to fire safety requirements set out in Council Directive 89/106/EC
• designed specifically to operate:

(i-a) where operating temperatures of the gas being moved exceed 100 °C;

(i-b) where operating ambient temperature for the motor, if located outside the gas stream, driving the fan exceeds 65 °C;

(ii) where the annual average temperature of the gas being moved and/or the operating ambient temperature for the motor, if located outside the gas stream, are lower than – 40 °C;

(iii) with a supply voltage > 1 000 V AC or > 1 500 V DC;(iv) in toxic, highly corrosive or flammable environments or in environments with abrasive substances;

• placed on the market before 1 January 2015 as replacement for identical fans integrated in products which were placed on the market before 1 January 2013; except that the packaging, the product information and the technical documentation must clearly indicate regarding (a), (b) and (c) that the fan shall only be used for the purpose for which it is designed and regarding (d) the product(s) for which it is intended;

2. Exemptions – Regulation (EU) 2024/1834

This Regulation shall not apply to:

• fan impellers mounted on the shaft of electric motors with the sole purpose of cooling the motor itself;
• fans integrated into laundry and washer-dryers with maximum electric input power lower than or equal to 3 kW;
• fans integrated into kitchen hoods with total maximum electric input power attributable to the fan(s) lower than 280 W;
• fans with a best energy efficiency point at 8 000 revolutions per minute or more;
• jet fans with maximum electric input power lower than 750 W.

This Regulation shall not apply to fans that are specified to operate exclusively as follows and are specifically designed and marketed as such:

• in potentially explosive atmospheres, as defined in Article 2, point (5), of Directive 2014/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;
• for emergency use only, with regard to fire safety requirements as set out in Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council, capable of short-time duty operation of 1 hour or more at temperatures of 300 ^oC and above;
• in nuclear installations, as defined in Article 3, point (1), of Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom;
• in military establishments (bunkers) and civil defence establishments (bomb shelters);
• where operating temperatures of the gas being moved can be higher than 100 °C, or lower than – 40 °C, or both;
• where operating ambient air temperatures for the motor driving the fan, if located outside the gas stream, can be higher than 60 °C, or lower than – 30 °C, or both;
• with a supply voltage higher than 1 000 V AC or higher than 1 500 V DC;
• for handling toxic, highly corrosive or flammable gases or vapours as referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
• for material transport, characterised by handling substances with a solid particle concentration of more than 10 mg/m³and particles with an average size of at least 0,1 mm and a hardness of at least 2 on the Mohs scale, while having an average blade angle of 50° to 90°;
• for handling gases containing biohazardous substances of risk groups 2, 3 and 4 as set out in Directive 2000/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council;
• for handling gases containing carcinogens or mutagens as defined in Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council;
• for handling gases with a compressibility factor, rounded to the nearest second decimal, in the designated pressure and temperature range of the scope that is not equal to 1,00;
• in cordless or battery-powered equipment;
• in handheld equipment whose weight is supported by hand during operation;
• in hand-guided mobile equipment moved while in operation;
• air circulating fans.

3. Conformity assessment

The conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 8 of Directive 2009/125/EC shall be the internal design control system set out in Annex IV to that Directive or the management system for assessing conformity set out in Annex V to that Directive.

See Regulation (EU) 2024/1834, art. 4.

4. Entry into force and application

1. Regulation (EU) No 327/2011 is repealed with effect from 24 July 2026. However, Annexes I, II and III to that Regulation shall continue to apply until 24 July 2027 to fans integrated into other products, and until 24 July 2037 to spare part fans, in accordance with the first two paragraphs of Annex II of this regulation.

5. Harmonised standards

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6. FAQ

FAQ on Commission Regulation (EU) No 327/2011 of 30 March 2011

Ecodesign measures for manufacturers and importers (January 2023)