Advancing Heat Pump Performance and Compliance Service Capabilities in Carugate

The HVACR market trend toward adoption of renewable technologies and energy-efficient systems is driven in part by government incentives, which differ among European countries. To remain competitive amid this energy transition, HVACR brands must offer unique product features and demonstrate progress toward sustainability goals without compromising safety, performance, security and compliance with global regulations.

To meet the growing demand in Europe, UL Solutions expanded our testing facilities in Carugate (Milan, Italy), where the main product focus is air-to-water heat pumps for residential and light commercial settings. Our existing HVACR safety testing facilities will be complemented by a new, cutting-edge facility for performance testing.

Our experts can guide you through the step-by-step process of achieving performance testing and evaluations. Whether you require performance testing combined with safety testing or solely performance and energy efficiency evaluations, UL Solutions can help.

Heat pumps and sustainable performance

Leverage our deep expertise and best-in-class equipment and technology to test the energy efficiency of products for compliance with ecodesign regulations, European energy label rating criteria, and current and emerging requirements for heat pump performance and noise levels.

To enhance EU market sustainability, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) replaces the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC. This regulation establishes ecodesign requirements for various products, including heat pumps. The announced criteria for conformity-assessment processes for heat pumps may switch from a self-declaration to a third-party conformity assessment (TPCA), which requires an independent third-party organization to determine that a product meets the specific requirements.

As a key partner for manufacturers, UL Solutions offers testing and certification services to help support confidence in compliance with the present ecodesign regulation and potential TPCA frameworks for ESPR.

Measurable advancement in sustainability and performance

UL Solutions is an empowered KEYMARK certification body authorized to assess and certify heat pumps, dual-service heat pumps and hot water heaters for compliance to European Standards. KEYMARK is a leading certification scheme in the European market owned by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Electrotechnical Committee for Standardization (CENELEC). As a testing laboratory, UL Solutions can help support manufacturers in this market to demonstrate compliance with sustainability and performance requirements.

Advanced sound testing for product compliance

We conduct sound testing of products to help companies demonstrate compliance with regulatory standards, compare similar or competitive products , and verify new products for engineering and internal quality control compliance.

UL Solutions’ sound testing involves a hemi-anechoic chamber using a free field over a reflecting plane to measure the sound pressure of heat pumps — as well as appliances — to determine the sound levels of those items.

Addressing connectivity challenges in smart heat pumps

Heat pump companies often prioritize a comprehensive connectivity strategy — including wireless interoperability, cybersecurity and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and radio.

As part of UL Solutions’ global network of EMC laboratories, experts at the Carugate testing center support manufacturers in analyzing the ability of heat pump systems to operate as expected in proximity to other electronic devices or in the presence of electromagnetic emissions. UL International Italia is a Notified Body for Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU, Article 3.3 (d), (e) and (f) (Cybersecurity) and Article 3.4 (Common Charger) and listed in the New Approach Notified and Designated Organizations (NANDO) database maintained by the European Commission.

Global network of laboratories offer dedicated, local support

The UL Solutions product performance testing facility in Carugate offers a wide range of tests for relevant European safety standards, including flammable refrigerant leakage testing and sparking/arcing component testing according to IEC/EN 60335-2-40 and EN 378-2.

The facility’s experts help manufacturers enhance confidence in: