Dec 19, 2024

Product certification is all about building trust between manufacturers and industry stakeholders. Eurovent certified products go through an unbiased, methodical and vigorous certification process, to ensure product data is expertly and impartially verified. To give the Eurovent Certified Performance mark extra value, the criteria must be strict, the entry process robust, and a comprehensive surveillance system must be in place to ensure continued compliance. This distinguishes Eurovent certified products from non-certified products. 

Products undergoing the initial Eurovent Certified Performance certification process must pass various checkpoints to gain certification. Products selected for laboratory testing can be taken from the production line, factory stock or point of sale, ensuring the product tested is exactly the same as those leaving the production line. The certify-all rule - applicable to many Eurovent Certified Performance programmes - means that manufacturers cannot just choose flagship models, all models in the range must be certified. But it’s not just about laboratory tests, certification takes things further by adding in manufacturing site audits, software checks and audits, plus evaluation of all the data and information provided by the manufacturer (including marketing materials).

One of the key aspects of Eurovent Certified Performance programmes is the surveillance process. Certified products undergo regular compliance checks to ensure data remains correct. This ensures that all industry actors have access to accurate performance data.

However, there are occasions when products going through the certification process do not reach Eurovent Certification’s criteria. Some test results can show deviations between manufacturer claimed performance, and the results from the laboratory, or Eurovent Certification’s audits and evaluations. While there is a tolerance for very minor deviations, results outside of those tolerances will result in a failed test.

So, how are test failures dealt with? Who choses what the failure criteria is? Can products be retested?  Why do products fail tests? And where can you access certified data? To get a behind-the-scenes look at the Eurovent certification process we spoke to Taha Ouilali, Client Manager, about non-compliant test results. 

Hi Taha, thank you for talking to us today. Before we start talking about test failures, can you tell us a little about your background?

Taha: “I have been working at Eurovent Certification for a slightly more than 2 years now. I have an engineering degree in smart buildings and energy efficiency. In my previous role, I worked as an alternant in the study of project conception and immediately understood the importance of choosing the right performing product for each type of construction, that is how I came across the certification procedure.”
 

About the certification process

How strict is the certification process?

Taha: “Well to start, the process is the same for all participants or applicants. We have an impartiality agreement that treats all our clients the same way and applies the same rules to everyone, regardless of their country or company size.
Each test will have an acceptance criteria and a tolerance value, which sets the maximum deviation allowed between the stated and expected performance. Test results must be within the tolerance of the acceptance criteria, or the product will fail.”

How is the acceptance criteria decided? 

Taha: “The acceptance criteria is different from one programme to another, but all products within the same programme must abide by the same criteria. Each programme has its own set of Technical Certification Rules (TCR) and follows the specifications of our Certification Manual, which defines the general certification rules of the Eurovent Certified Performance Brand. This will include key information on the programme scope (and exclusions), the certification process, the testing standards and criteria, the surveillance process, logo use, and what happens in the event of test failures etc. The programme criteria is defined during the programme committees, with the consultation of all the programme participants. However, Eurovent Certification remains the sole decision-maker for its certification standards. 

How does Eurovent Certification ensure existing participants continue to comply with their declared data?

Taha: “Certified products enter a surveillance process. We can ensure compliance via periodic laboratory testing, and the different audits we undertake. Audits are extremely important and include factory audits, website and catalogue checks, and the yearly rerate check directly on the software of the participant. During the software check, the declared software data we obtain via the printouts is compared to the ones we have in our declaration list, and a software audit report is sent to the participant containing all the data concerning the checked units.”
 

How does Eurovent Certification deal with non-compliance?

What happens if a product fails a test? 

Taha: “If a product fails a test, the first step is to inform the participant. They have two choices; either they accept the first test result, or they choose to ask for a second test. If the test result (rerate) is accepted, the participant has a defined deadline to update their data according to the test results.  Eurovent Certification will regularly check that the rerates have been applied correctly.”

Is there a limit to the number of times a manufacturer can retest?

Taha: “Only a second test is authorised after a failure. If this second test confirms the results of the first test, the product will be rerated.”

What are the common reasons for products failing?

Taha: “The main reason is the product performance estimation by the manufacturer in their commercial brochures and their simulation tool, does not match the tested performance. Failures can also be due to a damage to the unit being tested or one of the components, which can cause issues such as a leak for instance.”
 

Accessing certified products

How can industry actors identify certified products?

Taha: “By accessing the Certified Product Directory directly on the Eurovent Certification website and looking up either the name of the product or directly the participant, then they can get access to all the information: the certificate, performances etc…”

If a manufacturer decides to leave a programme, or the certification is revoked, what happens if the manufacturer continues to claim that product is still certified?

Taha: “The manufacturer will then be misusing the Eurovent Certified Performance logo and will be asked to remove all reference to the certification mark for the non-certified product. If despite this the manufacturer continues to claim certification of the failed product, the manufacturer will be listed on the Trademark Incident List section of the Eurovent Certification website, so that visitors know that the product is not certified.”

Are there any other key points you want to make?

Taha: “Not much to say other than let’s keep supporting the certification and build trust together for better, more reliable HVAC products!” 

Thank you for your time Taha.

Want to know more about our certification programmes? Check out the links below: 

View our certification programmes

View our certified product directory