• About
• Laws & Regulations
• ENERGY STAR® Testing & Verification
• EPACT 2005 Test Procedures
• Information Resources
• Notices & Rules
• Certification & Enforcement
• Schedule Setting
• Public Workshops & Hearings
• State Petitions
• Useful Links
• Guidance & FAQs
• Commercial Equipment
• Residential Products

Appliance and Equipment Standards Translate to Huge Energy Savings

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building Technologies Program (BTP) has reduced energy costs for consumers and businesses by billions of dollars, as well as associated energy use and emissions, through setting minimum energy performance standards for appliances and commercial equipment. To date, every federal dollar spent has resulted in an average of $650 in net savings, and has also helped spur product innovation. As of 2010, consumers and businesses have saved $15 billion per year, and this annual amount is expected to nearly double by 2025. Savings from these standards free up money to be spent elsewhere, spurring economic growth.

Increasing Appliance and Equipment Efficiency

By covering a broad range of equipment—appliances, refrigeration, space heating and cooling, water heating, and other electrical equipment—the DOE's work with standards development and implementation increases energy efficiency in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. More than 50 kinds of appliances and equipment categories are covered, with these products representing an estimated 82% of home energy use, 67% of commercial building energy use, and about 50% of industrial energy use. Federal efficiency standards reduce the regulatory burden and associated costs for manufacturers by pre-empting a potential patchwork of state standards with a single federal standard.

• Mandatory energy efficiency standards: By law, DOE must set technically and economically feasible standards at the maximum level of energy efficiency.

• Test procedures: DOE prescribes the test procedures that manufacturers must follow to assess whether a product meets or exceeds the minimum energy standards required for all products sold in the U.S.

• Certification and enforcement: DOE seeks to ensure that manufacturers meet standard requirements, and helps consumers by verifying and supporting the enforcement of specifications to ensure that products meet promised energy standards.

• Support for ENERGY STAR® and other product labels: DOE provides ENERGY STAR verification testing to ensure these products meet the higher efficiency levels promised by ENERGY STAR labels.

Resources

• Complete listings of residential products and commercial equipment: These listings provide details about each product or equipment type, respectively, and include current regulations; certification, compliance, and enforcement requirements; test procedures; and rulemakings that are in progress.

• Public Participation: General information about getting involved, or go directly to meeting notices and updates on rulemakings, and the multi-year schedule of new standards rulemakings.