What is the new EU Regulation on external power supplies?

A new EU Regulation on external power supplies aimed at making a range of household appliances more energy efficient - from laptops to electric toothbrushes – enters into force as of 1 April 2020 within the context of EU ecodesign measures.

How much energy storage capacity does the EU need?

These studies point to more than 200 GW and 600 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030 and 2050 respectively (from roughly 60 GW in 2022, mainly in the form of pumped hydro storage). The EU needs a strong, sustainable, and resilient industrial value chain for energy-storage technologies.

Can external power supplies be tested under Regulation (EU)2019/1782?

Products containing external power supplies (e.g. USB sockets) which would need to be extracted from the main product and rewired for testing, cannot be tested under Regulation (EU)2019/1782, as there are no standards or methodologies describing such operation. In such situation the Regulation cannot be enforced.

What does the European Commission say about energy storage?

The Commission adopted in March 2023 a list of recommendations to ensure greater deployment of energy storage, accompanied by a staff working document, providing an outlook of the EU’s current regulatory, market, and financing framework for storage and identifies barriers, opportunities and best practices for its development and deployment.

Is there an energy labelling regulation for external power supplies?

No, there is no Energy Labelling regulation for External Power Supplies. Does the Ecodesign regulation for External Power Supplies requires the 'Common Charger' for certain products?

How big will energy storage be in the EU in 2026?

Looking forward, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global installed storage capacity to expand by 56% in the next 5 years to reach over 270 GW by 2026. Different studies have analysed the likely future paths for the deployment of energy storage in the EU.