The refrigeration industry needs security – that was the consensus reached by more than 250 visitors to the 2014 Chillventa Congressing Programme.

This is why the ASERCOM + EPEE Symposium gave all participants an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the newly revised energy efficiency targets and about the Ecodesign and F-gas Regulations. In addition ASERCOM used the symposium to present its new certification programme for condensing units for the first time – an initiative that was met with great interest from visitors. The first certified condensing units also drove footfall to the Association's members’ stands.

The experts invited by ASERCOM and EPEE to discuss the future of the industry at the joint symposium agreed: the refrigeration industry is facing drastic changes. The specifications for condensing units required by the Ecodesign Regulation become binding in 2016. Those who wish to position themselves optimally for the future must act now in order to remain competitive. But there are only a few institutions in Europe with the required expertise and the ability to verify such data.

This is why ASERCOM, along with leading companies in the refrigeration industry, has developed an accessible, efficient and cost-effective procedure that can be used by more than just condensing unit manufacturers with regard to their product specifications. Wholesalers, installers and operators are also given an objective, transparent picture of what products are available on the market.

The certification process is undertaken under the manufacturer's own responsibility. The manufacturer determines the product's performance data with reference to a provided evaluation programme. The standardised records are then forwarded to the ASERCOM certification committee, where they are checked for plausibility using a specially-designed software platform. In order to ensure the necessary credibility of the certification process, ASERCOM uses additional verification mechanisms to ensure the validity of the data. For example, individual products that have already been certified are selected randomly, purchased wholesale on the free market, and then tested by independent verification bodies. This method ensures that manufacturers continue to offer only high-efficiency products once they have been successfully certified. In addition, all data from certified condensing units are clearly published on the ASERCOM website, www.asercom.org, increasing greater transparency and competition.

More information about certification and about the process is available on www.asercom.org/new-certification-programme-condensing-units.