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ErP 2026 and how a true fan is compliant, documented, repairable
ErP 2026 changes what counts as a compliant fan and raises the bar for efficiency, documentation and repairability. Here are the key facts behind the new rules—and why complete, serviceable fan solutions matter more than ever.
Stine Bang Larsen
Head of Sustainability and Industry Affairs
1 min read
May 27, 2026
ErP 2026 raises the bar for how fans are designed, tested, documented and supported throughout their lifetime.
Compared with the previous regulation, the new European Ecodesign rules tighten requirements on energy efficiency, product information, spare parts and repairability.
For OEMs, system builders and procurement teams, this means fan selection is no longer only about performance at one duty point. It is about the complete fan.
More than a number on a label
For axial fans measured in static pressure, the minimum efficiency grade increases from N = 40 under ErP 2015 to N = 50 under ErP 2026. That is a clear signal: fans must deliver more useful air movement with less energy.
ErP 2026 also looks more closely at how fans perform under realistic operating conditions. For fans that can run at different speeds, part-load performance must be documented at several speeds, not only at one ideal duty point.
That favors well-engineered combinations of impeller, motor, drive and control strategy. Catalogue values alone are no longer enough.
Minimum static efficiency requirements for axial fans
Year
Input power Pe (at BEP)
Formula
Efficiency grade N [%]
2015
10 < P ≤ 500 kW
ηtarget = 0.78·ln(P) − 1.88 + N
40
2027
Pe < 10 kW
Pe ≥ 10 kW
Pe ≥ 10 kW
ηmin = 4.56·LN(Pe) − 10.5 + N [%]
ηmin = 1.1·LN(Pe) − 2.6 + N [%]
ηmin = 1.1·LN(Pe) − 2.6 + N [%]
50
ErP 2026
ErP 2015
ErP 2013
Percentage
0
10
1.000
kW
Pe = electric input power / BEP = best efficiency point / ηse = overall static fan efficiency
A complete fan means complete responsibility
One of the biggest changes is the definition of what counts as a fan.
Under ErP 2026, a fan is treated as a complete assembly. That means compliance is assessed at the level of the complete fan as it is placed on the EU market, not at the level of standalone components.
An impeller alone is not an ErP-compliant fan. It is a component.
For procurement teams, that makes supplier clarity more important. You need to know whether you are buying a complete compliant fan or a component that becomes part of your own compliance responsibility.
What counts as a fan?
ErP2015
Flexible definition, impellers accepted. Complete fans accepted, but testing not a requirement
Impellers and incomplete fans could be ErP compliant
N-grade calculated with a formula converting static efficiency to full fan level and accepted at N = 40
ErP2026
Strict definition: a fan is a complete solution
Complete fans accepted and testing is a requirement
Impellers and incomplete fans cannot be ErP compliant
N-grade can no longer be calculated with the old formula; N ≥ 50
The regulation moved from “part performance” to “system responsibility.”
Repairability is part of the design brief
ErP 2026 also brings repairability into sharper focus. Fans must be designed so key components can be removed with commonly available tools. Spare parts and repair information must be documented and made available under clear conditions. Lifetime information and spare fan availability also become part of the product information.
For engineers, it means fan design must consider not only airflow, efficiency and noise, but also how the product will be maintained over its lifetime.
At Multi-Wing, modularity has long been part of the design philosophy. That approach now supports the new focus on serviceability, component replacement and practical field repair.
Documentation is part of the product
Under ErP 2026, documentation becomes more important.
Fan manufacturers must ensure their complete fans meet the relevant efficiency and information requirements. OEMs and system integrators must ensure the fans they integrate are suitable, correctly applied and properly documented within their own CE conformity. Distributors and importers also have obligations around traceability and compliance.
For complex projects, that makes early dialogue valuable. The right fan partner can help clarify definitions, exemptions, spare-part scenarios and whether the product should be specified as a complete fan or as a component within a larger fan design.
Who is responsible?
Scenario 1
Low risk factor
Multi-Wing supplies the complete fan, performs the necessary testing and provides the required documentation.
Scenario 2
Higher risk
You build your own axial fan using components such as a Multi-Wing impeller. You become the legal manufacturer of the complete fan and carry the compliance responsibility.
Scenario 3
Compliance risky
You import a complete fan from outside the EU. Supplier documentation may be used, but the importer is responsible for its correctness and conformity.
From compliance to better products
ErP 2026 can look like a regulation about paperwork. But in practice, it is about better fans.
Better efficiency
Better testing
Better documentation
Better repairability
Better clarity on responsibility
For Multi-Wing, that means combining optimized modular axial fans up to 1,800 mm with efficient AC motors, proprietary internal rotor EC motors, wind tunnel testing and documentation support. The aim is not simply to help customers pass a regulation. It is to help them build fan solutions that perform better, last longer and are easier to service.
Fan facts in short
ErP 2026-compliant fans need to
meet stricter efficiency requirements
be tested and documented as complete fan products
support part-load performance data where relevant
provide clear product and repair information
be designed with serviceability in mind
clarify responsibility between supplier, OEM and system builder
Multi-Wing offers a practical way to approach ErP 2026: complete fans, clear documentation and early technical support.
