Directive 2014/30/EU is the European Union’s Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive, establishing requirements for electrical and electronic equipment to limit electromagnetic disturbances it generates (emissions) and to operate satisfactorily in its electromagnetic environment (immunity). The directive applies to all electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market including battery management systems, battery chargers, BESS inverters, and battery-powered devices — making it directly relevant to battery system engineers designing products for the European market.
Legislation type: EU Directive
Reference: Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council
In force: April 2016
UK equivalent: Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/1091) — retained post-Brexit
Related harmonised standards: EN 61000-6-2 (industrial immunity), EN 61000-6-4 (industrial emissions), EN 55032 (multimedia equipment)
Scope
The EMC Directive applies to all electrical and electronic apparatus, and fixed installations (permanent assemblies of combined apparatus). In the battery domain this covers BMS electronics and PCBs, battery chargers, DC-DC converters, BESS inverters, and complete battery systems. Equipment must meet both emission limits (to avoid interfering with other equipment and radio communications) and immunity requirements (to function correctly in the presence of typical electromagnetic disturbances).
Key Requirements
Equipment must be designed and manufactured to ensure that electromagnetic disturbances do not exceed levels that would prevent other equipment from functioning normally, and that it has an adequate level of intrinsic immunity to such disturbances. Manufacturers must carry out an EMC assessment — either through testing to harmonised standards (which creates a presumption of conformity) or through a technical file demonstrating compliance with the directive’s essential requirements. CE marking and an EU Declaration of Conformity are required before placing equipment on the market.
Relevance to Battery Engineering
For battery system engineers, the EMC Directive means that BMS electronics, chargers, and BESS inverters must be tested to relevant harmonised EMC standards (typically EN 61000-6-2 and EN 61000-6-4 for industrial equipment) before being placed on the EU or UK market. EMC testing is often one of the final steps in product development but should be considered from the earliest stages of PCB and enclosure design. Switching power electronics in chargers and inverters are inherent sources of conducted and radiated emissions, making EMC design a critical engineering discipline for battery system power electronics.
Disclaimer: This is not a definitive guide, just an indication and it is important that you always go back to the source for legislation.
See also: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)