ABB is well prepared for the new ecodesign transformer regulations that came into force within the EU’s internal market in June 2014. All new transformers put into service in the EU must fulfil minimum energy efficiency requirements from 1st July 2015, giving the industry and market a period of grace of less than one year to adapt.
Large amounts of power pass through transformers, which account for 30-40% of the losses in transmission and distribution systems. Even a marginal increase in transformer efficiency can significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
The new EU ecodesign regulation covers small, medium and large power transformers used in electrical transmission and distribution networks, and for industrial applications. However, it does not apply to all transformer products – for example, single-phase transformers are unaffected.
The new legislation is intended to prevent high loss transformers from being installed in the EU, but the first phase (Tier 1) of efficiency requirements that come into play in July 2015 are only the start. By 2021, a Tier 2 standard will require transformer designs to be about 10 percent more energy efficient than Tier 1.
The European Commission (EC) estimates the combined effect of all ecodesign minimum efficiency regulations at full implementation will contribute to about one-third of its energy efficiency target. (The 20/20/20 targets include a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20% rise in the share of renewable resources to Europe’s energy needs, and 20% more efficiency in energy use across the EU).
By eliminating the worst performing transformer models, the EC expects energy savings in the range of 16TWh per year from 2020 onwards (equal to about half the annual electricity consumption of Denmark), equivalent to 3.7 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions avoided.
‘Transformers are generally very efficient devices, but even marginal improvements in their efficiency can yield substantial energy savings since their typical service life is 30 years or more’, said David Hughes, ABB head of power products UK & Ireland. “Multiply these new efficiencies by the estimated 3.6 million installed transformers in Europe in 2011, which is expected to rise to nearly 4.7 million units by 2025, and the energy savings are considerable.”
