European HP KEYMARK seal of quality now for heat pumps
Stiebel Eltron is awarded one of the first certificates
The European KEYMARK certification system is already in use for many different products and systems. Now, in conjunction with three European certification bodies, eleven manufacturers under the EHPA (European Heat Pump Association) umbrella have set up a heat pump certification scheme under this system. It is valid throughout Europe and goes by the name of HP KEYMARK. The rules for the certificate are subject to European standardisation and it is fully accredited in order to ensure the highest standards of quality. Currently, DIN CERTCO, a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland, awards the certificate, which is valid throughout Europe, in Germany and the Stiebel Eltron WPL 15/25 heat pump is the first German product with the new label.
“It is not a question of replacing or supplanting the quality labels in individual countries,” as Dr Johannes Brugmann makes very clear. He is head of development at the “Renewable Energies” division at Stiebel Eltron, a member of the EHPA board and one of the initiators of the HP KEYMARK project. “The goal of the European quality seal is rather that manufacturers, who market their products all over Europe, only need to have a product certified once in order to satisfy the conditions for subsidies in the different countries, for instance.”
Compared with a single national quality seal, the European certificate is harder to obtain since more quality criteria have to be checked. “However if four or five national certificates actually needed to be issued for a heat pump, then the one-off certification in accordance with HP KEYMARK is worth it,” says Dr Johannes Brugmann.