The overall project aims at the revision of existing criteria and at development of new criteria for the German ecolabel “Blue Angel” (“Der Blaue Engel”). The revision is based on a market research and accounts for advancements in the state of the scientific and technical knowledge as well as for changes in general requirements such as laws, provisions and international standardisation.
This sub-study report makes recommendations for the revision of the basic criteria for the ecolabel RAL-UZ 124 (“Energy-Efficient Hot-Water Storage Tanks”). Amongst others, it proposes to adjust the heat loss rate limit value moderately and to ban halogenated organic compounds in the insulating material of labeled storage tanks. These recommendations serve as a scientific basis to revise the current ecolabel criteria. The revision is managed by the German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) and will be completed in an official consultation involving the industry and other important stakeholders. The revised criteria will be presented to the supreme decision-making body of the ecolabel (Jury Umweltzeichen). After being enacted by this body, the new criteria will come into effect by 2012.