Selection Criteria Tumble Driers

Methodology

Scope

Topten.eu – Best Products of Europe – presents the most energy efficient electric tumble driers of Europe. Topten presents three categories of tumble driers:

• Tumble driers for residential use: driers designed for one apartment (capacity 7 kg - 9 kg)
• Tumble driers for semi-professional use: driers designed for several apartments (community laundry), with a usage intesity about 5 times the usage of residential driers
• Tumble driers for professional use

Technical criteria

In order to qualify for topten.eu, tumble driers must meet the following criteria:

• Residential driers:
  • Energy efficiency class A+++ according to the EU energy label
  • Condensation efficiency class A according to the EU energy label
• Semi-professional driers:
  • Energy efficiency class A++ or A+++ according to the EU energy label
  • Condensation efficiency class A according to the EU energy label
• Professional driers: Heat pump driers. For professional driers, there is no EU energy label.

Data sources

• Suppliers' declarations
• National Topten-sites, such as www.topten.ch, www.topprodukte.at, www.guide-topten.fr, www.ecotopten.de, www.uspornespotrebice.cz, www.topten.it (see overview on www.topten.eu)
• EPREL database

Order of presentation

The products are ordered according to their Energy Efficiency Index (EEI). The order can be changed individually by clicking on the head of the tables.

Glossary

Brand and Model

A click on the column of a product shows the detailed view.

List price

Prices (in €) indicate rather an order of magnitude as there can be large differences depending on retailers, rebates etc. The values listed on Topten are according to the declarations of producers, retailers, national Topten-sites or data bases as Encodex. The drier prices are Swiss prices calculated to Euro by the rate of 1.60.

Electricity costs

Assumptions:

• Costs for electricity (in €) during 15 years (product life) according to the annual energy consumption declared on the EU energy label (for 160 cycles).
• Tariff of electricity: 0.30 €/kWh
• Residential use: Annual energy consumption according to the EU energy label 392/2012. The energy consumption is calculated assuming 160 drying cycles per year, including a mix of full load and half load cycles.
• Semi-professional use: 5 x 160 drying cycles per year (calculation by Topten)
• Professional use: 20'000 kg laundry per year (calculation by Topten)

Capacity

Laundry capacity of the drier in kg according to the EU energy label.

For professional driers, manufacturers declare the capacity based on different 'filling factors' (kg laundry per litre drum volume). For professional driers therefore also the drum volume (in litres) and the filling factor (kg/l, in the detail view) is indicated.

Drying time

Drying time of the «dry cotton»-cycle in minutes at full load according as declared on the EU energy label.

Energy efficiency class

The energy efficiency class according to the EU energy label. The classes range from A+++ (most efficient) to D (least efficient).

According to the Ecodesign requirements condenser driers with an energy class D are banned from the market since 1 November 2013. From 1 November 2015 also driers with an energy class C will be banned from the market.

Energy

Annual energy consumption in kWh according to the EU energy label. The energy consumption is calculated assuming 160 drying cycles per year, based on a mix of full load and half load cycles.

Condensation efficiency class

Condensation efficiency class according to the Energy Label. Topten only lists drier models of class A or B. The condensation efficiency indicates the percentage of humidity that is condensated and collected by the drier. A condensation efficiency of 80 means that 20% of the humidity is released to the laundry room. Too much room humidity can cause damages to buildings.

According to the Ecodesign requirements the condensation efficiency for condenser driers must be be 60% or more (class E) since 1 November 2013, and at least 70% (class D) from 1 November 2015.

Efficiency Index

The EU energy Label defines the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI). It is the relation of a model's annual energy consumption to a standard model's annual energy consumption. The lower the EEI, the higher a drier's efficiency.

Countries available

This item displays in which countries the products are available according to producers’ declarations, national Topten-sites and data bases as EPREL. The considered countries are all member states of the EU, plus UK, Norway and Switzerland. However, the availability is sometimes difficult to define precisely as it can depend on marketing and sales decisions by retailers and national manufacturing units.

Infoplus

Publications

• Heat pump tumble driers: New EU energy label and Ecodesign requirements in Europe, MEPS in Switzerland, initiatives in North America. Eric Bush, Diane Damino, Barbara Josephy, Christopher Granda. EEDAL 2013.
• Energy efficient heat pump dryers. European experiences and efforts in the U.S. and Canada. Rita Werle, Eric Bush, Barbara Josephy, Jürg Nipkow, Chris Cranda. EEDAL 2011.
• Promotion of energy efficient heat pump dryers. Jürg Nipkow, Eric Bush. EEDAL 2009.

Standards and Labels

• EU energy label tumble driers: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 392/2012 of 1 March 2012 supplementing Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of household tumble driers (mandatory since May 2013).
• EU energy label tumble driers: Corrigendum to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 392/2012 of 1 March 2012 supplementing Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of household tumble driers.
• Ecodesign requirements tumble driers: Commission Regulation (EU) No 932/2012 of 3 October 2012 implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Ecodesign requirements for household tumble driers.
• Amendment regarding Online Energy Labels: Regulation No. 518/2014

Links

• European Comission: Directorate-General for Energy (Brussels, Belgium).
• European Commission: Enterprise and Industry (Brussels, Belgium).
• European Comission: Eco-design of Energy-Related Products (ErP).
• The European council for an energy efficient economy eceee provides a status overview on all products in the Ecodesign & Energy Labelling process
• Coolproducts informs about the EU ecodesign process on washing machines and other products. It is a coalition of NGOs' campaign for a stronger, fast Ecodesign Directive to save the climate and money.
• ECOS (Ecostandard) is an international NGO with a network of members and experts advocating for environmentally friendly technical standards, policies and laws.
• EPREL (European Product Registry for Energy Labelling) is the European product database. Products with an energy label are registered in EPREL in order to provide consumers with detailed product information.

Information for producers and retailers

Producers and retailers are kindly asked to inform info(at)topten.info about more products which meet the Euro-Topten selection criteria.

11/2022 Gross, Bush