What are the most relevant modifications to the Thermal Installations Regulation (RITE) that came into force on July 1?
On July 1, RD 178/2021, published in the BOE on March 24, came into force, which introduces certain updates and modifications to the 2007 Thermal Installations Regulation (RITE). From the Association of Manufacturers of Generators and Heat Emitters (Fegeca), the first thing they want to make clear is that "it is a modification of the standard and not a new RITE. In other words, the 2007 RITE is still in force with the successive modifications that have been introduced. In order to make a correct reading and clearly understand the modifications introduced in the standard, it is best to read the consolidated regulation updated by the Ministry".
The intention of the Administration is to carry out a thorough revision of the 2007 RITE in two phases. The first (Phase I) is an adaptation of the standard to the European directives in force and to the commitments acquired by our country. The most profound reform is being carried out in Phase II. For months now, the Ministry has been working together with tables of experts in the sector on this second modification, which will be more profound and which, in Fegeca's opinion, "will certainly have sufficient depth to publish a new Regulation on Thermal Installations".
As stated in the preamble, RD 178/2021 introduces amendments to the RITE to adapt to European standards such as:
Directive (EU) 2018/844, amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency.
Directive (EU) 2018/2002, amending Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency.
Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
Directive 2009/125/EC establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products.
Regulation (EU) 2017/1369, establishing a framework for energy labeling.
From Fegeca's point of view, this adaptation involves the following most relevant modifications:
The requirements on minimum performance and efficiency of equipment are eliminated. All equipment (boilers, heat pumps, heaters, water heaters, air conditioning, solar energy, biomass, ventilation) will have to comply with current European regulations on eco-design and energy labeling.
The regulation increases the obligation to design installations with high energy efficiency, extending it to also include renewable energies and waste energies.
The concept of thermal installation is extended to include district heating and cooling networks.
According to the above, automation and control systems are also added to the definition of thermal installation (to improve the performance and facilitate the inspection of the efficiency of the installations).
The text of the standard is modified to make it clear that type B heaters can be installed in outdoor areas. Something that was not entirely clear in the previous regulation and that generated clarifications by some autonomous communities.
Modification of the burner regulation section, forcing all gas burners to be modulating. In the case of gas oil, only those over 70 kW must be modulating.
In relation to the minimum energy performance requirements of the heat generators, the system control will be based on an external temperature compensation probe or modulating thermostat, so that it modulates the flow temperature to the emitters adapting them to the demand.
Undoubtedly, for manufacturers of generator and emitter equipment, the most important aspect of this update, according to Fegeca, is the adaptation to European eco-design (ErP) and energy labeling (ELD) regulations: "All equipment manufactured and marketed in the European Union complies with European manufacturing regulations since their entry into force. So this unification of RITE with the ErP and ELD regulations was long awaited and necessary," they say.
All of the above equipment must comply with their Ecodesign and energy labeling standards:
➢ Boilers, solar energy and heat pumps.
➢ Heaters, water heaters and accumulators.
➢ Biomass stoves (ErP for Lot20 comes into force on 1/1/2022, until then they must have an instantaneous efficiency of 65%).
➢ Air conditioners.
➢ Ventilation.
For Fegeca, no less necessary was the clarification introduced on the installation of type B gas heaters in outdoor locations: "This modification clarifies that this type of heaters can be installed in galleries, balconies and terraces that have a permanent opening of more than 1.5 m2 (definition according to the UNE 60670-6 standard), something that on the other hand was already being done in many autonomous communities where the same interpretation was made. This clarification introduced in the RITE will extend the same interpretation to all the communities".
With regard to the modifications introduced referring to the modulation of the burners, in the case of gas burners it is obliged to be modulating, regardless of the power they have.
For liquid fuel (diesel) burners, the following criteria have been established:
Burners P ≤ 70 kW: 1 or 2 stages.
Burners P>70 kW: Modulating
As pointed out by the Association of Manufacturers of Heat Generators and Emitters, "this is a very important change that leaves the oil burner market in a worrying situation. The state of the art of oil burner technology is not yet adapted to this requirement. Modulating oil burners for power ratings below 200 kW are currently not available on the market. This requirement does not exist for other European countries, so the adaptation will be even more complicated". In this sense, Fegeca has requested measures to adapt the technology to this new requirement.
The section regarding the preparation of hot water for sanitary uses (IT 1.2.4.1.2.4) has also been modified, allowing the incorporation of conventional auxiliary generation systems to the accumulator tanks of renewable installations. "In other words, it is finally allowed to combine in the same tank a renewable energy system (e.g. solar thermal energy) with a conventional system (e.g. gas boiler). In other words, the use of the two exchangers of the double coil storage tanks is permitted, and therefore the possibility of avoiding the installation of double storage tanks in renewable energy systems", they point out. Of course, these accumulators should always be designed and installed to maximize the use of the renewable source.
Finally, a modification is made to the limitation on the consumption of solid fuels of fossil origin (coal). It is indicated that the prohibition of the use of these fuels not only applies to newly constructed buildings, but also prohibits their use in existing buildings at the time of any reform in their thermal installation.
