BS EN ISO 23953:2023 - Refrigerated display cabinets. Classification, requirements and test conditions

We wrote about the new version of BS EN ISO 23953:2023 (the test standard used to test supermarket display cabinets) a few months ago in our newsletter (RD&T news). In there we listed the most significant changes compared to the previous version of the standard that has been in use since 2015. In this edition we delve more deeply into the impacts of the new standard on minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labelling.

Most manufacturers will be asking, ‘how does this new standard affect me and how does it affect regulated Ecodesign information?’. The main differences to be considered include:

1. New notation for presenting energy consumption data. All data is now presented using ‘E’ with subscript for energy component (e.g. E_DEC,24h - direct daily electrical energy consumption; E_TEC - total energy consumption etc.).
2. The procedure for measuring climatic conditions during and prior to the test has changed. Prior to testing, the method to measure air velocity has changed to ensure that test room conditions do not vary with measurement height. During testing the position to measure ambient temperature and relative humidity has changed to give better compatibility between cabinet types.
3. Some changes may need to be made to measure mass flow, if refrigerant flow is very inconsistent (as is sometimes encountered with electronic expansion valves). An accuracy of measurement of ±1 % during the running period of the cabinet is now required.
4. The requirement for ducting of air flow (when front to back) of an integral cabinet is removed. However, a vertical panel is still applied for cabinets intended to be placed against a wall.
5. M-packs and test packs must be loaded in contact with the cabinet back panel unless physically prevented from doing so. This is something we have found in testing can often make a huge difference to results and so this new clause is a very useful clarification.
6. Closed cabinets (chilled or frozen) can be tested with fully or half height loaded shelves. Previously only closed frozen cabinets were tested with half height loading on shelves.
7. Methods to better define when a cabinet is ready to test and when a test is considered acceptable have been added. This removes the potential to start a test when test packs are thawing or freezing which can impact energy consumption. Tests can also no longer be started during defrosts. There is also a new clause which requires tests to be repeated if the temperature in M-packs do not return to the values they were at the start of the test.
8. Clarifications have been added on use of lights and night covers.
9. Methods to apply during door openings are now better defined. Time between the initial 3-minute door openings and the start of the door opening test sequence is now limited to 5 minutes and it is clear that the full door opening test is 12 hours (including the 3-minute door openings). The order in which doors are opened is also now defined.
10. A definition on how temperature data are rounded is now provided.
11. Manually controlled condensate heaters are now required to be operated during testing unless the manufacturer’s instructions clearly state they can be switched off in the climate class applied. This removes the option to switch off condensate heaters to reduce energy use.
12. Cabinets with incorporated liquid cooled condensing units can now be tested.
13. Clarification has been added to better describe how Total Display Area is calculated, which removes some anomalies and discrepancies in the previous standard.
14. Standard rating conditions to be applied are added (this allows alignment with Ecodesign).
15. Methods to calculate energy consumption if alternative components are used are provided. This means that not every cabinet in a cabinet ‘family’ needs to be tested as energy consumption for ‘family’ cabinets can now be calculated using a defined methodology.

How does all of this practically affect the regulations related to MEPS and energy labelling? In Europe the energy labelling regulation (COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/2018 of 11 March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function) states that ‘The terminology and testing methods of this Regulation are consistent with the terminology and testing methods adopted in EN 16901, EN 16902, EN 50597 and EN ISO 23953-2’. This indicates that EN ISO 23953-2 shall be used as the test standard for cabinets with a direct sales function, but the version of the standard is not prescribed.

To demonstrate that products comply with relevant EU legislation standards, assessment bodies can use harmonised standards. A harmonised standard is generally created at the request of the European Commission by a European Standards Organisation. References to harmonised standards must be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Although EN ISO 23953 is designed to be harmonised it has not been listed as being published in the Official Journal of the European Union (this web site lists all harmonised Ecodesign Directives/ Regulations). It is expected that the standard will be cited in the Official Journal in 2024 which will then give presumption of conformity.

In the Regulations covering the UK (The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021) it is only stated that ‘the product complies with all the following requirements -

(a) it has been specifically designed and tested for that operating condition or application in accordance with standards produced by an international standardising body (referencing schedule 3 which provides testing requirements);

(b) it is accompanied by evidence, to be included in the technical documentation in the form of a certificate, a type approval mark or a test report, that the product has been specifically approved for that operating condition or application;

(c) it is placed on the market specifically for that operating condition or application, as evidenced by the technical documentation, information provided for the product and any advertising, information or marketing materials;’

This leaves the standard to be applied in UK Ecodesign more open to interpretation. It is clear from the information provided in the Regulation that testing closely follows EN ISO 23953, however, this could be interpreted as the 2015 or 2023 standard. Nevertheless, most manufacturers will sell across multiple markets and so it is likely they will wish to move to the 2023 standard to make sure they comply with both the European and UK market regulations.

If you would like to know more about this new test standard, then please contact Judith Evans (j.a.evans@rdandt.co.uk) at RD&T.

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