The actual Eco-design requirements for fans with an electrical input power between 125 W and 500 kW, as specified in Regulation (EU) No. 327/2011, will be repealed with effect from 24 July 2026 and replaced by the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2024/1834.

Compared with the previous Regulation, the revised legislation introduces the following key changes:

• Increased minimum energy efficiency requirements reflecting the current state of the art.
• Further definition and subdivision of the basic fan categories.
• A revised definition of the term fan, consisting of the essential elements such as the fan impeller, motor and stationary components (e.g. inlet cone and housing).
• As a consequence of this revised definition, and in conjunction with Eco-design Directive 2009/125/EC, the integrator who combines the fan impeller and motor (forming an incomplete fan) with the product-specific housing becomes the manufacturer and economic operator placing the completed fan on the market.
• Introduction of correction factors for finger guards and other protective guarding devices.
• Inclusion of jet fans (installation category E in accordance with ISO 13349).
• Mandatory declaration of part-load performance data for catalogue fans (100%, 40%, and one additional specified operating point).
• Closer alignment of terminology and definitions with the relevant standards, in particular ISO 5801, EN 17166, and other applicable standards.
• Mandatory availability of spare parts for a period of 10 years.
• Product information for the fan must be made publicly available on the manufacturer's website for a period of 20 years.
• For fans with an impeller diameter of ≥ 1 m (or ≥ 0.5 m for jet fans), performance testing may be carried out at the manufacturer's premises.

A significant change affects manufacturers of air handling equipment with integrated fans, such as manufacturers of air handling units, dry coolers, air conditioning units, and comparable systems. These products typically incorporate incomplete fan assemblies into the equipment housing. A characteristic feature is that the equipment housing itself forms a functional component of the completed fan. For example, in dry coolers, the equipment housing simultaneously serves as the inlet cone and therefore constitutes an essential part of the fan housing.

In accordance with the interpretation of the Eco-design Directive 2009/125/EC, the complete fan is therefore only created when the incomplete fan assembly supplied by the fan manufacturer is integrated into the equipment housing. Consequently, the manufacturer of the complete equipment becomes the manufacturer of the completed fan within the meaning of the Regulation, as it is the economic operator placing the completed fan on the market for the first time.

From 24 July 2026 onwards, manufacturers of such equipment are therefore required to demonstrate compliance with the Eco-design requirements set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/1834, to document the CE conformity of the completed fan, and to make the relevant product information and conformity documentation publicly available on their website.