Government finally publishes its ECA list

The Government has at last published the list of energy-saving equipment that will qualify for ECAs (Enhanced Capital Allowances), allowing purchasers to write off the costs in the year in which the equipment is bought.

Originally, the Energy Technology Product List was due to be published last November, but its appearance has been delayed repeatedly, causing frustration among both suppliers and potential purchasers of the equipment. Among the technologies included in the list are variable speed drives and high-efficiency motors.

Although most suppliers were aware if their equipment was on the list, users did not know whether they would be able to claim the ECAs until the list was published. Claims for the 100% first-year allowances will still have to wait until the finance bill containing the relevant legislation becomes law.

The ECA scheme is designed to offset, to some extent, the higher energy bills that will result from the Climate Change Levy which comes into force from the start of April.

The list (which can be found on a dedicated Web site at www.eca.gov.uk) is broken down into various equipment categories. Supplier contact details are provided for each approved item of equipment.

There are 72 approved variable speed drives (VSDs) from more than 40 suppliers, including almost every major UK supplier. In addition to general-purpose drives, there are several specialist systems such as pump controls from ITT Gould and Calpreda, compressor controls from Ingersoll-Rand, and chiller controls from York International.

To qualify for an ECA, drives must be used for fluid-handling applications such as fans or pumps. This definition apparently includes hydraulic pumps in the case of Newcastle-based Powermiser which specialises in drives for injection moulding machines.

There are 911 single-speed motors in the list, ranging in size from 1.1-500kW. You can limit your search of the list of motors by specifying the manufacturer (from a choice of 13), power rating, and the number of poles required (from two to eight).

The list of qualifying switched reluctance drives is much shorter, consisting of just one name, CompAir, which uses this technology in its compressor drives.

Half-a-dozen integrated motor-drives have qualified for the list, including systems from Baldor, Brook Crompton, Danfoss, Leroy Somer, and Siemens.

Just three multiple-speed motors have qualified for inclusion. They come from two suppliers: AEG and Brook Crompton.

Altogether, there are more than 1,100 items of energy-saving equipment in the list. As well as drives and motors, the list encompasses technologies such as lighting, pipework insulation, refrigeration equipment, boilers and CHP (combined heat and power) schemes.