A fireplace or stove comes with a bundle of paperwork nobody reads. That is a pity, because it is not marketing — those documents hold the numbers that decide entirely practical things: how far from the wall the appliance may stand, whether your flue can carry it, what you may burn without voiding the warranty and whether you qualify for a grant.
This article goes through every document in turn, using real KAWMET files with real values. We are not going to tell you that the appliance meets the standards. We are going to show you where the numbers are and what follows from them for you.
The short answer: clearances to walls and the required flue draught are in the declaration of performance. What you may burn is in the technical documentation. Proof of compliance with local clean air rules and a condition of most subsidies is the Ecodesign declaration. CE marking is not a quality certificate but a manufacturer declaration. And the only document your warranty depends on is the user manual.
Seven documents and what each is for
Start with the map. Each document rests on different legislation and answers a different question:
| Document | Legal basis | Answers the question |
|---|---|---|
| Ecodesign declaration | Reg. (EU) 2015/1185 | Does the appliance stay within the emission and efficiency limits? |
| Declaration of performance (DoP) | Reg. (EU) 305/2011 | What clearances to combustibles and what draught does it need? |
| Technical documentation | Reg. (EU) 2015/1185 and 2015/1186 | What fuel is allowed and how is the efficiency calculated? |
| Energy label | Reg. (EU) 2015/1186 | Which class on the A++ to G scale? |
| Product fiche | Reg. (EU) 2015/1186 | The same as the label, as a table and in eight languages |
| CE marking (rating plate) | Reg. (EU) 305/2011 | Exactly which model and output variant is this? |
| User manual | — | How to operate the appliance without voiding the warranty |
The first three matter most and take up most of this article. The remaining four are, in practice, summaries of those three in a different form.
The Ecodesign declaration — six figures and six limits
Ecodesign is Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1185, implementing Directive 2009/125/EC for solid fuel local space heaters. Since 1 January 2022 an appliance that fails its requirements cannot be placed on the EU market.
The declaration fits on a single page and comes down to one table. Below are the values from the declaration for the KAWMET Premium NIKA S5 ECO stove, next to the limits that had to be met:
| Parameter | Symbol | Test result | Ecodesign requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Useful efficiency at nominal heat output | ηth,nom | 77 % | — |
| Seasonal space heating energy efficiency | ηs | 67 % | ≥ 65 % |
| Particulate matter | PM | 39.6 mg/Nm³ | ≤ 40 mg/Nm³ |
| Organic gaseous compounds | OGC | 98.4 mg/Nm³ | ≤ 120 mg/Nm³ |
| Carbon monoxide | CO | 500 mg/Nm³ | ≤ 1500 mg/Nm³ |
| Nitrogen oxides | NOₓ | 77.1 mg/Nm³ | ≤ 200 mg/Nm³ |
Every value is normalised to 13 % oxygen in the flue gases. Without that normalisation the figures from different appliances could not be compared, because simply diluting the flue gases with air would bring the concentration down.
Who runs the tests and how to check
The manufacturer signs the declaration, but not on the basis of its own measurements. The footer of every declaration points to the laboratory and the test report number — for the NIKA S5 ECO that is the Centre Technique des Industries de la Fonderie (CTIF) in Sèvres, France, notified body No. 1677, test reports No. TD4356A / TD P 4356A, declaration dated 15 March 2022.
That is the part worth checking in any manufacturer document. A notified body number and a report number mean the test actually took place and can be traced. A declaration without them is a statement nobody has verified.
Why a test result is not the same as your living room
Look at the particulate matter: 39.6 against a limit of 40 mg/Nm³. The margin is minimal — and it applies to laboratory conditions: dry hardwood, the correct charge, a full flame and a stable draught.
At home each of those conditions can be ruined. Wet wood, a restricted air supply, an overloaded firebox — and real emissions rise several times over, even though the appliance is exactly the one that passed the test. Ecodesign describes the potential of the appliance, not a guaranteed outcome. That part is down to the user.
Sample Ecodesign declaration — KAWMET Premium NIKA S5 ECO (PDF)
The declaration of performance — the document that matters at installation
The declaration of performance (DoP) follows from Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 on construction products. It must accompany every CE-marked product. This is the document your chimney sweep reads and the one a loss adjuster returns to if something goes wrong.
Its most valuable part is the table of clearances to combustible materials. Newer declarations, issued under EN 16510, break it down into seven directions. Below are the values from declaration No. P9-03_2026 for the KAWMET P9 ECO:
| Direction | Symbol | Minimum distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom | dB | 0 mm (a non-combustible surface is required) |
| Floor in front | dF | 300 mm |
| Ceiling | dC | ≥ 750 mm |
| Rear | dR | 800 mm |
| Side | dS | 800 mm |
| Side radiation area | dL | 300 mm |
| Adjacent combustible materials (e.g. furniture) | dP | 1000 mm |
| Distance to non-combustible materials | — | 50 mm |
These figures are not a recommendation. They are a declared performance of the product — if the installation does not respect them, the appliance operates outside the conditions it was approved for. After a fire this is the first thing an insurer checks.
The second group of figures concerns the flue and the flue gases. For the same P9 ECO:
| Parameter | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum flue draught | 12 Pa | too weak a flue means smoke and no declared output |
| Flue gas temperature | 364 °C | determines the choice of chimney liner |
| Flue gas mass flow | 5.4 g/s | input for the chimney sweep calculations |
| Space heat output | 7.4 kW | the real output you size the floor area against |
| Thermal efficiency | 81 % | how much of the wood energy stays in the house |
| Seasonal efficiency / EEI / class | 71 % / 107 / A+ | the basis of the energy label |
Emissions in the same declaration: CO 1245, NOₓ 105, OGC 67 and PM 40 mg/m³ at 13 % O₂.
What “System 3” and “harmonised standard” mean
Point 5 of every DoP states the assessment system — for solid fuel heaters it is usually System 3. It defines a division of roles: an independent notified body performs the product type test, and the manufacturer is responsible for subsequent units being identical to the one tested. There is no continuous external supervision of production — that is the difference from System 1, used for higher-risk products.
Point 6a names the harmonised standard used for the test. This is the part that causes most confusion: older declarations cite EN 13240, newer ones the EN 16510 series. The declaration for the HARITA S15i ECO dated 25 July 2024 refers to EN 13240:2001 with its amendments, while the P9 ECO declaration dated 22 January 2026 refers to EN 16510-1:2022 and EN 16510-2-1:2022. EN 13240 has been superseded by the EN 16510 series; new tests are run under it, which is why newer declarations are far more detailed.
Both also name the notified body: Oil and Gas Institute – National Research Institute (No. 1450) for the HARITA S15i and the Institute of Power Engineering – National Research Institute, CUE department (No. 1452) for the P9, with test report No. CUE.4032.110.2025.2026.LG019.
Sample declaration of performance — KAWMET P9 ECO, no. P9-03_2026 (PDF)
The technical documentation — this is where the allowed fuel is written down
The technical documentation follows from Regulations 2015/1185 and delegated 2015/1186. It opens with a fuel table, and for the user that is its most important part. For the NIKA S5 ECO it looks like this:
| Fuel | Preferred | Suitable |
|---|---|---|
| Wood logs with moisture content ≤ 25 % | yes | — |
| Compressed wood with moisture content < 12 % (briquettes) | no | no |
| Other woody biomass | no | no |
| Non-woody biomass | no | no |
| Anthracite and dry steam coal | no | no |
| Hard coke, low temperature coke, bituminous coal | no | no |
| Lignite, peat and blended fossil fuel briquettes | no | no |
One “yes” in the whole table. The stove was tested exclusively on wood logs with a moisture content up to 25 %, and every other figure in the documentation applies to that fuel only. Burning coal briquettes in it is not a worse choice — it is using the appliance contrary to its documentation, with all that implies for the warranty.
Two efficiencies: 77 % and 67 % — where the gap comes from
The documents contain two numbers that look like the same thing and mean different things.
Useful efficiency (ηth,nom) is the laboratory result: how much of the fuel energy reached the room at nominal output. For the NIKA S5 ECO — 77.0 %.
Seasonal space heating energy efficiency (ηs) is the same value after the corrections that Regulation 2015/1185 applies for the way the appliance is controlled, the share of part-load operation and auxiliary electricity consumption. For the NIKA S5 ECO — 67.0 %.
Where do those ten points go? To the control table in the technical documentation: the stove has single stage heat output with no room temperature control. No thermostat, no day or week timer. The legislator deducts points for that — and it is the fate of every appliance controlled solely by an air valve, whoever makes it.
The EEI is calculated from ηs, and the energy class from the EEI:
| Efficiency class | EEI |
|---|---|
| A++ | ≥ 130 |
| A+ | ≥ 107 |
| A | ≥ 88 |
| B | ≥ 82 |
| C | ≥ 77 |
| D | ≥ 72 |
| E | ≥ 62 |
| F | ≥ 42 |
| G | < 42 |
The NIKA S5 ECO has an EEI of 102 (class A), the HARITA S15i ECO 106 (class A), the P9 ECO 107 — which is already A+. You can see how narrow the bands are: a single EEI point separates class A from A+. And you can see why A++ is practically absent among wood-burning appliances — the top classes are reserved for units with automatic control.
This also answers the common question of why the efficiency is 80 % but the class is only A. The class is not awarded for efficiency, but for seasonal efficiency after corrections.
Sample technical documentation with the fuel table — KAWMET Premium NIKA S5 ECO (PDF)
The energy label and the product fiche
Both follow from delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1186 and have been mandatory since 1 January 2022.
The energy label is the familiar coloured strip with the A++ to G scale, the model name and the output — for the HARITA S15i ECO stove: 6.5 kW, class A. The label has one job: to let you compare two appliances without reading anything else.
The product fiche is the same information laid out as a table, in eight languages. It gives the supplier name, model identifier, class, direct and indirect heat output, the EEI and both efficiencies. For the HARITA S15i ECO: class A, 6.5 kW, EEI 106, useful efficiency 80.3 %.
The “indirect heat output” row means the output delivered to a water circuit. On appliances without a water jacket it reads N/A — which is a quick way to check whether a given model can work with a central heating system at all.
Sample energy label — KAWMET Premium NIKA S5 ECO (PDF)
Sample product fiche — KAWMET HARITA S15i ECO (PDF)
CE marking — what it is and what it is not
This is the most misunderstood item in the whole set. CE is not a quality certificate and no external company issues it. It is a manufacturer declaration that the product meets the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 and the harmonised standard — made under its sole responsibility, on the basis of a type test performed by a notified body.
In practice the marking takes the form of a plate on the appliance and in the documents. Here is its content for the KAWMET P9 (8 kW) ECO:
| Field on the plate | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard | EN 13240 |
| Notified body | 1450 |
| DoP reference number | P9-8/03/2022 |
| Nominal heat output | 8 kW |
| Efficiency (ηth,nom) | 78.1 % |
| CO emission (at 13 % O₂) | 0.14 % |
| Flue gas temperature | 222.7 °C |
| Distance from combustible materials | 1500 mm |
| Flue pipe diameter | Ø 120 mm |
| Dimensions (L / H / W) | 475 / 834 / 384 mm |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Fuel | hardwood logs with moisture content ≤ 25 % |
The plate is bilingual because the same appliance goes to the whole European market. The two digits beside the CE mark are the year the marking was first affixed.
The plate has one practical use, but an important one: it is where you confirm that the delivered appliance is exactly the model and output variant you ordered. The DoP reference number lets you match the right declaration to it.
Sample CE plate to EN 13240 — KAWMET P9 (8 kW) ECO (PDF)
When two documents give different figures
This happens more often than you might expect, and the explanation is almost always the same. Take the KAWMET P9 ECO:
| Source | CE plate (2023) | DoP No. P9-03_2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Test standard | EN 13240 | EN 16510-1:2022 |
| Output | 8 kW (nominal heat output) | 7.4 kW (space heat output) |
| Efficiency | 78.1 % | 81 % |
This is not a contradiction but two different tests under two different standards. EN 13240 gives a single “nominal heat output”, while EN 16510 splits it into space heat output and water heat output — these are not the same quantities. On top of that came a new test report, produced four years later.
The rule for reading them is simple: for every figure, check three things — the date of the document, the standard and the test report number. The current state is described by the most recent declaration, while the plate on the appliance describes the particular unit standing in your home.
What you actually need these documents for
- Chimney inspection. The chimney sweep will compare the flue diameter and the available draught with the DoP requirements. For the P9 ECO that is Ø 120 mm and a minimum of 12 Pa — if the flue cannot deliver it, the appliance will not reach its declared output and will smoke.
- Local clean air rules. Regional regulations refer directly to the Ecodesign thresholds. The Ecodesign declaration is the document that proves they are met.
- Subsidy programmes. They require proof of Ecodesign compliance. The conditions and the list of required attachments do change from time to time, so check the current rules with the programme operator rather than in an archived guide.
- Insurance and building acceptance. After an incident the assessor compares the installation as built with the clearances from the DoP. Respecting them is not a formality but a condition of cover.
- Warranty. Fuel outside the table in the technical documentation — briquettes, coal, treated timber, waste — is grounds for rejecting a claim.
Where to find the documents for your model
At KAWMET the full set of PDFs sits with every catalogue item, in the documents section of the product page: the Ecodesign declaration, the declaration of performance, the technical documentation, the energy label, the product fiche and the user manual. Open the page of the model among the fireplace inserts or the freestanding stoves and download them before the purchase rather than after — clearances and the required draught can decide which model is viable at all.
Two related guides are worth a look while you are at it: how to choose fireplace insert power for your home and the modular HARITA S15 ECO and VENUS S16 ECO stoves.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between Ecodesign and CE marking?
They are two different pieces of legislation with two different purposes. Ecodesign (Regulation 2015/1185) covers emissions and energy efficiency — how the appliance affects the air and how much wood it uses. CE marking follows from Regulation 305/2011 on construction products and covers product safety: clearances to combustible materials, mechanical strength, surface temperatures. An appliance must satisfy both.
- Does a CE certificate mean higher quality?
No. CE is a manufacturer declaration that the product meets legal requirements and may be legally placed on the market — a minimum, not a distinction. Do not compare appliances by the presence of CE alone, because everything legally sold carries it. Compare the figures in the Ecodesign declaration and the DoP.
- Why is the efficiency 80 % but the energy class only A?
Because the class is not awarded for efficiency but for seasonal energy efficiency ηs — efficiency after corrections for the way output is controlled. A wood-burning appliance controlled by hand through an air valve loses around ten percentage points on those corrections. At 77 % efficiency, ηs works out at 67 %, which gives an EEI around 100 and class A.
- Where do I find the clearances to walls for my model?
In the declaration of performance, in the first section, “Safety in case of fire”. Newer declarations give seven values separately: bottom, floor in front, ceiling, rear, side, side radiation area and adjacent combustible materials. The same clearances are repeated in the user manual.
- May I burn briquettes or coal in a KAWMET appliance?
No. In the fuel table in the technical documentation the only entry marked as preferred is wood logs with a moisture content up to 25 %. Every other fuel — briquettes, compressed wood, anthracite, coke, bituminous coal and lignite — is marked “no” in both the preferred and the suitable column.
- Why do two documents for the same model give different outputs?
Usually because they were produced under different standards and at different times. Older tests were run under EN 13240, newer ones under the EN 16510 series, which defines output differently — it separates space heat output from water heat output. Always check the date of the document, the standard and the test report number.
- Which documents do I need for the chimney inspection?
The declaration of performance and the user manual — they hold the data the chimney sweep will compare with the installation: flue diameter, required draught, flue gas temperature and mass flow, and clearances to combustible materials. The Ecodesign declaration is useful separately, for clean air regulations and subsidy applications.
Summary
- Before you buy, check the Ecodesign declaration — the emission results next to the limits, plus the notified body and test report numbers.
- Before installation, open the declaration of performance — clearances to combustible materials, flue diameter and minimum draught decide whether the appliance can stand where you want it at all.
- Before the first fire, read the technical documentation and the manual — the fuel table is short, and departing from it costs you the warranty.
The documents are not an accessory to the appliance. They are the only place where the manufacturer writes down the numbers it stands behind.
Not sure which value to read from your declaration? Get in touch or visit your nearest KAWMET representative — we will walk you through the documentation for a specific model.
This article is for information only. Formal requirements, regional clean air rules and subsidy programme conditions change — confirm the current position with the relevant authority or programme operator before applying.