"Inspection schemes appropriate for a small country, lessons learned and mistakes to be avoided"

1. "Inspection schemes appropriatefor a small country, lessons learned and  mistakes to beavoided"

2. Content • Inspections in EBPD art. 8 and 9 • The WG – IN in the Concerted Action • Main approaches • Cost-benefit considerations • Methodologies • Suggestions.

3. Inspections in EBPD art. 8 and 9 • Objective of inspections: • To reduce energy consumption • To limit CO2 emissions. • Boilers “regular” inspections. • “One-off” inspections of whole heating system. • Alternative provision of advice to users. • Regular inspection of air conditioners.

4. Inspections in EBPD art. 8 and 9 • Boilers regular inspections • compulsory measures (solid and liquid fuel, 20<P <100 kW; at least every 2 years if P>100 kW; every 4 years if gas fired). • voluntary measures (gas fired 20<P<100kW, P<20kW, other tests).

5. Inspections in EBPD art. 8 and 9 • “One-off” inspections of whole system • for boilers P>20 kW, older than 15 years). • Check boiler efficiency, boiler size, and give advices for replacement, system modifications, alternative solutions.

6. Inspections in EBPD art. 8 and 9 Alternative provision of advice to users. • give advices for boiler replacement, heating system modifications, alternative solutions (including inspection for efficiency and size check). • Shall be broadly equivalent to the inspection system. • Equivalence shall be demonstrated every two years.

7. Inspections in EBPD art. 8 and 9 • Air Conditioners regular inspection: • Limited to P>12 kW (total power of the unit or total in the building?). • Check boiler efficiency, boiler size, and give advices for replacement, system improvements, alternative solutions.

8. The WG – IN in the Concerted Action • Three meetings, more than 10 sessions, two main national documents, 22 web-published presentations. • Very confused initial situation. • Gradual convergence on a few main approaches. • 17 one-page summaries on national decisions.

9. The WG – IN in the Concerted Action • 21 participating States • Main topics: • Organisation of boiler and air conditioners inspection • Who is responsible for what: ruling, acting, controlling, storing info? • Who pays and how? • How to create a database of systems? • Methodologies for inspection (analysis of CEN drafts). • Training needs and quality assurance for experts in inspection (WG IN and TR together). • Evaluation of effectiveness and costs of inspections and information campaigns. Comparison and discussion. • Differentiation of approaches: by size, by age, etc… • Joining info and control approaches. • Inspection templates.

10. Main approaches • Three main approaches are coming out: • Systematic approach to an inspection and advice service to all end users, usually coupled to safety checks (DE, SP, BE-Walloon Region, SI); • Option b: defined national programmes for information and advice (SE, FI, probably UK and IRL); • The inspection as a tool to enforce the regular maintenance of boiler and AC (inspection limited to critical cases), resulting more cost effective than a 100% inspection approach (IT, GR, PT).

11. Main approaches • 1 – Systematic inspection. • Some MS have already an operative organisation for periodical checks on boilers, usually for safety or cleaning reasons (chimney sweepers or service personnel). • The personnel involved in these checks adds the energy efficiency test or other energy checks when visiting the installation. • This work is paid additionally, and the increased fare is cost effective.

12. Main approaches • 2 – Provision of advice. • The national programmes are funded by the government, and are targeted to energy efficiency improvements. • Measures can be: • Providing info & advice • Granting incentives for boiler replacement • Other services, including inspection on voluntary basis.

13. Main approaches • 3 - Auditing scheme on maintenance performance. • Requires a Decree fixing the obligation of equipment/system periodical maintenance. • A sample of boilers is yearly inspected. • The regular boiler maintenance registration produces a database of the heating systems. • Safety or environmental checks can be jointly operated.

14. Main approaches • Converging points • Costs: 35-130 €/inspection for boilers (100-150 for AC) • Specific technical expertise is required for inspectors • A database of boilers and AC is useful. • Advice is welcome and may be integrated with inspection.

15. Main approaches • Comments • Approach 1 is difficult to be implemented if an existing organisation (chimney sweepers, safety inspectors) is not already available. • Approach 2 requires the political will of establishing long term national programmes, with suitable budget. • Approach 3 is simple and may be less expensive. But it needs the cooperation of the local administrations, and this may require long times for set up.

16. Methodology • Boiler inspection methods • CEN WI 228020 Annexes B,C,D,E,F,G.H,I,J,K; • National tables (WI 228020 Annex A and O) – with examples; • Differentiation of approaches by size, by age, etc. (WI 228020 point 4.3 “Inspection Classes”); • Inspection templates (WI 228020 point 4.5 and Annexes M and N): national examples.

17. Methodologies • The Dutch tool for one-off inspections. • Cost benefits: good potential for low-cost interventions in commercial, doubtful in individual systems. • Impact of advice: not verified (advice should go to the maintenance people). For housing companies tests are running. Specific or general advice? • Costs: one hour work, certification of inspector = 100-150 € • Individual boilers and commercial boilers: ready • Collective domestic heating and air conditioners: in preparation. • Handbook available in Dutch, in phase of translation in English.

18. Methodologies • 2. Air conditioners • Efficiency assessment, not measurement. • Assess the effect of component defects on performance. • Oversizing check may be a problem.

19. OUTCOME REGIME ENABLERS CHOICES & ACTIONS Government bodies More frequent boiler/ system servicing Seasonal system efficiency increase Procurement decisions by building owners (a) Mandatory regime Information & advice (b) Voluntary regime Service contractors Building owners Service contractors Prof/ trade associations Product suppliers Cost benefit considerations BENEFITS € savings CO2 savings kWh savings

20. Cost-benefit considerations • Air conditioning inspection • Cost of running, passing from 10% saving to 20% produces a cost effective fee quite miserable (below 100 kW).

21. Methodology • Air conditioning inspection method (DE) • Module 1: energy performance check in two phases, one frequent and immediate targeted to component maintenance check, the other every 6 years on the whole system (starting with old ones). • Module 2: assessment by an engineer (system), including oversize.

22. Methodologies • Example of provision of advice (Finland national programme). • Information and advice through • Brochures, articles • www-based information and services • phone in service, targeted information for users and owners • educational material • Subsidies for energy saving measures (replacement of boiler and burner) • Taxation means to encourage the replacements (already in use) • Energy conservation programmes and agreements • Voluntary inspections • Coordination, monitoring and reporting by energy agency (Motiva)

23. Methodologies • 30% of families do not maintain regularly (70% of boilers is below 25 kW). • Saving potential is 7 €/y only per system, inspection costs 50-100 €. • Monitoring extrapolation shows 20% saving in 2010, compared with 10% planned, in a national programme (see figure).

24. Methodologies • Qualification and certification of inspectors. • Background at least equivalent to the personnel the work of which they are going to check. • Specific training (from few weeks to several months). • Possibly, quality insurance guaranteed by an organisation.

25. Convergence

26. Suggestions What the Industry would like: • Encourage buyers to consider total life cycle cost • Encourage users to have regular service

27. Suggestions • A national regulation on boiler maintenance for energy efficiency purpose (IT): • The service personnelhas tomaintain the equipment according to the producer’s instructions (safety + energy). • In case of missing instructions these are the periodicities for regular checks (form to be filled and delivered to Municipality): • Liquid and solid fuel, and gas boilers P>35 kW : every year • Older than 8 years and open furnace, when installed in kitchen and similar places: every two years • Other gas boilers <35 kW: every four years • Maintenance operations, check and efficiency test, all together.

28. Suggestions • Responsibility of the service personnel: • To record maintenance and checks operations in the boiler logbook; • To fill in a format on performance check, deliver copy to end user, and transmit copy to Municipality. • To co-operate if an inspection is sent by the Municipality.

29. Suggestions • Further requirements: • If combustion efficiency is below the prescribed limit, replacement is compulsory. • Regions have to organise a database of all boilers according to the formats delivered to Municipalities. • Regions have to organise inspections on 5% of boilers to verify the correct implementation of the Decree prescriptions; they also have to organise info & advice activities addressed to end-users. • The cost of inspections shall not be a burden for public budget and shall be uniformly distributed on all end users. • The local administrations may commit inspections to external organisations, verifying the qualification of inspectors.

30. Suggestions • Qualification of inspectors: • The local administration can delegate an external organisation, under competitive tender or agreement (e.g. energy agencies). The organisation usually hires qualified independent professionals as inspectors. • Incompatibilities • No heating system designers. • No producers, installers or suppliers. • No energy distributors for building heating (= no gas or DH utilities).

31. Suggestions The “clean heating” stamp is a way to verify the regular maintenance and to raise funds for inspections (5 to 8 € every 2 years).

32. Suggestions • Typical content of the inspection format: • Characteristics of the system; • Availability of documents (correct installation and system booklet); • Acceptability of room conditions (ventilation,…); • Visual control of chimney; • Visual control of generator unit • Check of plant (gas-tight, thermally insulated, exhaust gas expelled). • Results of combustion efficiency check.

33. Suggestions • One-off inspection: • It is organised in the same way as the regular one. • Responsibility of the regions, which define the local authorities to involve in this task.

34. Suggestions • Results: • The first implementation was very slow (1993 – 1999). • Main difficulty was the local administration willingness to avoid extra-burden to the citizens. • When the system of the “clean boiler stamp” was introduced (2000) it started to move. • Now 60% of administrations is operative (85% of citizens), but only 60% of users are regularly recorded. • Inspections are the last part of the system to be started. Some problems when the L.A. delegates to a private organisation the inspections and loses the control of the fines and penalties.

35. Thank you for your attention Agenzia per l’energia e lo sviluppo sostenibile di Modena Agenzia.energia @comune.mo.it