ASERCOM Activities

One of the strengths of ASERCOM is the cross-company cooperation of the member companies’ delegates and the resultant knowledge transfer. In five different areas of activities ASERCOM deals with the following key topics: certifications, standards, technologies, policies and regulations, and communications. According to the increasing demand on specific subjects, expert working groups are established in the relevant area. This structure allows ASERCOM to reach long-term goals and to deal with upcoming topics.

Certification

Manufacturers (OEMs) that assemble components from different vendors in their systems often find it hard to select the optimal components from the wealth of possibilities. One of the reasons: The performance data of the components from different manufacturers are not always available in a reliable and comparable form. Therefore, ASERCOM encourages component manufacturers certify their products. The results are representative data that are based on standardised test procedures and allow for objective comparison and selection.

ASERCOM has developed and implemented two certification processes: the certification of compressors and the certification of condensing units.

The certification for compressors was established 15 years ago in order to assist manufacturers of commercial refrigeration and air conditioning systems by delivering comparable data at common rating conditions for all manufacturers. Using common test methods, products certified by ASERCOM provide reliable performance data which are presented in a comparable manner to optimise product comparison and selection.

The extension of the certification process to also include condensing units was initiated by ASERCOM’s members at the end of 2010 as a logical next step to continue ASERCOM’s successful certification programs.

The European directive 2009/125/EC concerning “energy related products” has pushed the EU to consider products and components falling into the “professional refrigeration” and “eco-design” categories, which were established by ENTR Lot1 in 2011.  By July 2016, these specific directives will make the declaration of Minimum Energy Performance (MEPS) mandatory for all manufacturers and assemblers of condensing units being brought to the EU market. The ASERCOM condensing unit certification program, which will be in place by the end of 2014, will allow the market actors to confidently select products according to the dedicated standard EN 13215 – the declaration of performances for condensing units. So ASERCOM already creates the necessary transparency to meet the future legal framework.

Standards

ASERCOM develops mandatory standards and guidelines to define internationally standardized technology and safety standards and to ensure cross-border comparability. Currently, the components used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems in Europe are certified through a variety of different standards and test procedures. Moreover different test methods with different rules exist in European countries, which, for example, specify the conditions under which the refrigeration compressors are examined and prescribe when and where measurement points must be collected. To eliminate this heterogeneity, one of the tasks of the standards area is to develop a new and binding catalog of standards, which is relevant for all components. For this purpose, ASERCOM cooperates closely with the relevant national and European standardization committees.

Directives and Regulations

The task of this area is to deal with European directives and regulations and to ensure that the creation of new European laws and guidelines involve the expertise of the companies affected. ASERCOM functions as a platform that connects the industrial and technological opportunities and realities with the political interests and objectives within the EU. One example is the European initiative on Eco-design of refrigerating and freezing equipment, the ENTR Lot 1 project. Within this project, ASERCOM became part of a joint industry expert group, which examined the relevant preparatory study and supported the commission and their consultants on how the politically driven environmental objectives can be implemented on a solid technological ground. Also, in this conjunction proposals for minimum energy efficiency performance standards (MEPS) were developed on basis of an extensive market research and under consideration of possible measures for efficiency improvements.

Communications

ASERCOM’s communication ensures visibility and awareness of ASERCOM as the leading European Refrigeration association and guarantees the clear and distinct perception of the association’s activities in the market, within the member companies, in most dedicated professional media and in public.

Technologies

What are the views of manufacturers of components for refrigeration and air conditioning systems on new technologies and trends? What opportunities and risks do companies see in, for example, the F-Gas Regulation and the use of natural refrigerants such as CO2? With its extensive expertise in the technologies area, ASERCOM is in the position to objectively assess and evaluate the technological developments on a scientific basis. To stay up-to-date with current developments, technologies of relevance are taken up by new working groups. The compiled results are published in the form of official statements and guidebooks including ASERCOM’s opinions and recommendations.