Manufacturers Taking the Lead
October 26, 2010 - An interesting development came at the end of the summer when the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy got together to sign the Energy Efficient and Smart Appliance Agreement of 2010.
26 manufacturers signed the agreement, including Whirlpool, General Electric, Samsung, and LG. The NGOs include: the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, the Alliance to Save Energy, and Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships.
The following table lists products covered in the agreement and projected energy savings.
| Appliance | Effective date | Projected Energy Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator/Freezers (ice maker energy included, built-in models recognized) | January 1, 2014 | 20-30% lower energy use |
| Clothes Washers | January 1, 2015 | ~40% average energy savings |
| Dryers | January 1, 2015 | 5% increase in efficiency (plus improved automatic dryer shut off capability to save additional energy) |
| Room Air Conditioners | January 1, 2014 | 10-15% lower energy use |
| Dishwashers | January 1, 2013 | 14% energy savings |
In addition to the energy savings objectives, the agreement includes:
- A proposed tax credit to manufacturers for producing "super-efficient" appliances that exceed federal requirements
- A petition to ENERGY STAR for a 5% credit to the required energy levels for smart appliances
- Recommendations to the DOE that they improve test methods for dryers and refrigerators to better represent actual product energy use
The overall projected energy savings of implementing the agreement is 9 quads of energy over the next 30 years. Tax savings to manufacturers could also boost job creation and incentivize earlier adoption of smart grid technology.
I'm curious to see how the DOE responds to all of this. Whatever the outcome, it is interesting to see this sort of "bottom-up" ownership of efficiency standards taking shape.
To download the agreement in its entirety or view a PowerPoint summary, visit the aham.org website.
MrGreen
