History of Federal Appliance Standards
The movement for federal appliance efficiency standards started in the 1970s. At that time, several states, including California, were adopting state appliance efficiency standards. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) established a federal energy conservation program for major household appliances by calling for appliance efficiency targets. However, little progress was made to establish standards until the 1980s.
By 1986, appliance manufacturers realized that uniform federal standards were preferable to a variety of state standards. The National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 established minimum efficiency standards for many household appliances: refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers; room air conditioners; fluorescent lamp ballasts; incandescent reflector lamps; clothes dryers; clothes washers; dishwashers; kitchen ranges and ovens; pool heaters; television sets (withdrawn in 1995); and water heaters. Congress set initial federal energy efficiency standards and established schedules for DOE to review these standards.
Standards for some fluorescent and incandescent reflector lamps, plumbing products, electric motors, and commercial water heaters, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were added in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct). EPAct allowed for the future development of standards for many other products.
EPAct also provided for voluntary testing and consumer information programs for office equipment, luminaries, and windows. The existence of a federal standard for energy or water conservation products preempts state standards, unless the state standard is identical to the federal standard. States may petition DOE for an exemption from federal standards, under certain circumstances.
DOE sets priorities each year for standards activities based on feedback and funding.