I wish the EU would FOAD!

kinobestew123 said:
Cutting power usage seems such a backwards thinking way of reducing environmental damage to me. Surely the way forwards is to invest properly in environmentally friendly energy sources/bring in legislation that forces everyone to make use of it.

All this sort of thing is likely to do is inibit innovation (except in making things more efficient, but why do we want that?)
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Read the article :)
 
kinobestew123 said:
Cutting power usage seems such a backwards thinking way of reducing environmental damage to me. Surely the way forwards is to invest properly in environmentally friendly energy sources/bring in legislation that forces everyone to make use of it.
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Which is easier to do: (A) bring 1 gigawatt of environmentally sustainable energy production online or (B) bring 2 gigawatts of environmentally sustainable energy production online?

The answer, obviously, is (A). A combined efficiency and production approach is much more effective than solely concentrating on one or the other.
 
pastymuncher said:
What a load of tripe. I have had my Dyson since 2003 and until last year was working fine. Last year the motor failed, which for something that is used everyday is pretty exceptional. I got a brand new motor from Ebay for £25, fitted it myself and all has been good so far. Might even get another motor as a spare for when this one dies in 9 years time. I would rather buy a new motor for £25 than spend hundreds on a new cleaner.
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"you're talking crap, because I haven't experienced what you have"

Do you realise just how immature this viewpoint is? Do you think you become invisible when you close your eyes too?
 
Seems like a logical idea. I suppose your average consumer wont buy a vacuum cleaner based on it's energy efficiency, so capping the allowable power draw will force this. In theory it will promote more efficient designs but I take James Dyson's view that it's difficult to force innovation within a short time period.

Also a target to reduce the current average of 2KW down to 750W in less than 2 years seems very ambitious.
 
Lysander said:
Also a target to reduce the current average of 2KW down to 750W in less than 2 years seems very ambitious.
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Its not that short a time, just media exagerating again. It also isn't just power, vacuum cleaners will actually be tested on suction and how much it filters.

On 1 September 2014, vacuum cleaners in the EU will have to abide by a new set of minimum requirements. They cover:
Power
Performance (ability to pick up dust)
Energy efficiency
Dust re-emission in the exhaust air (particularly important for people with asthma)
Noise level
Durability (no early failure of the hose or the motor)


As regards power, the maximum allowed input power will be reduced: from 1600 Watt in 1 September 2014, to 900 Watt in September 2017. The current average on the market is about 1800 Watt.
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And the actual regulation
Specific Ecodesign requirements
Vacuum cleaners shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) From 1 September 2014:
— annual energy consumption shall be less than 62,0 kWh/year,
— rated input power shall be less than 1 600 W,
— dust pick up on carpet (dpuc) shall be greater than or equal to 0,70. This limit shall not apply to hard floor vacuum cleaners,
— dust pick up on hard floor (dpuhf) shall be greater than or equal to 0,95. This limit shall not apply to carpet vacuum cleaners.
These limits shall not apply to water filter vacuum cleaners.
(b) From 1 September 2017:
— annual energy consumption shall be less than 43,0 kWh/year,
— rated input power shall be less than 900W,
— dust pick up on carpet (dpuc) shall be greater than or equal to 0,75. This limit shall not apply to hard floor vacuum cleaners,
— dust pick up on hard floor (dpuhf) shall be greater than or equal to 0,98. This limit shall not apply to carpet vacuum cleaners,
— dust re-emission shall be no more than 1,00 %,
— sound power level shall be less than or equal to 80 dB(A),
— the hose, if any, shall be durable so that it is still useable after 40 000 oscillations under strain,
— operational motor lifetime shall be greater than or equal to 500 hours.
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We will actuually get better vacuums. At the moment they dont have to pass any checks. You can have 3kw vacuum that is useless. Such vacumes will be banned.
 
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IIRC in test one of the papers did recently some of the vacuum cleaners from the 80's (at much lower wattages) did better than modern multi kilowatt models.

People tend to think higher power is better, so manufacturers go for "2400 watts of pure power" because it's good for the marketing rather than "750 watts, but it feels like 2400" or whatever :/
Basically they've let the marketing people decided the specification rather than the design teams.

I hadn't really given it much thought before, but if I hoover the house with some cleaners, it's the equivalent of me having the kettle boiling for half an hour/an hour.
 
EU control over The Navy?

This report shows enthusiasm for greater naval cooperation with the CSDP, Common Security and Defence Policy. Obviously we cannot allow any EU control over our armed forces as the Commission and the large groups in the parliament would like.

For:

436 including all Labour and Lib Dem

Abstain:

33

Against:

163 including all UKIP and Tories

Verdict:

Labour and Lib Dem MEPs really do vote for anything that is put in front of them, and this is a perfect example. Despite claiming to be a party for the people, the Labour Party has once again voted to take away control of one of the biggest employers in the UK and give power to the EU. UKIP and Tory MEPs voted against.
Recent eu votes
 
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