Commercial Refrigerators & Freezers Key Product Criteria

The ENERGY STAR criteria for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers was changed on October 1, 2014.  The new maximum daily energy consumption (MDEC) requirements are as follows:

Product Volume (in cubic feet)	Refrigerator	Freezer
Vertical Closed
Solid Door Cabinets	VCS.SC.M*	VCS.SC.L
0 < V < 15	0.02V+1.60	0.25V+1.55
15 ≤ V < 30	0.09V+0.55	0.20V+2.30
30 ≤ V < 50	0.01V+2.95 0.25V+0.80	0.25V+0.80
50 ≤ V	0.06V+0.45	0.14V+6.30
Transparent Door Cabinets	VCT.SC.M	VCT.SC.L
0 < V < 15	0.10V+1.07	0.56V+1.61
15 ≤ V < 30	0.15V+0.32	0.30V+5.50
30 ≤ V < 50	0.06V+3.02	0.55V-2.00
50 ≤ V	0.08V+2.02	0.32V+9.49
Horizontal Closed
Solid or Transparent Door Cabinets	HCT.SC.M, HCS.SC.M	HCT.SC.L, HCS.SC.L
All volumes	0.06V+0.60	0.10V+0.20

* DOE Equipment Class designations relevant to ENERGY STAR eligible product scope

1. Equipment family code  (HCS= horizontal closed solid, HCT=horizontal closed transparent, VCS= vertical closed solid, VCT=vertical closed transparent),
2. Operating mode (SC=self-contained), and
3. Rating Temperature (M=medium temperature (38 °F), L=low temperature (0 °F)).

Testing Procedures

When testing commercial refrigeration equipment, manufacturers must use 10 CFR Part 431 Subpart C, 10 CFR Part 431.64 and 10 CFR Part 431.66(d), to measure daily energy consumption of commercial refrigeration equipment eligible for ENERGY STAR. 

Additional third-party certification is required, to applicable requirements set forth in the following quality and safety standards:

• ANSI/NSF International Standard for Food Equipment - Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers (ANSI/NSF 7-2009); and,
• UL Standard for Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers (UL-471).

ENERGY STAR Certified Commercial Refrigerator & Freezer Eligibility

Products meeting the Commercial Refrigerator, Freezer, and Refrigerator-Freezer or the Commercial Hybrid Refrigerator, Freezer, and Refrigerator-Freezer definitions; and are among the equipment classes listed below are eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. Examples of product types that are eligible include: reach-in, roll-in, or passthrough units; merchandisers; under-counter units; hybrid units; milk coolers; back bar coolers; bottle coolers; glass frosters; deep well units; beer-dispensing or direct draw units; and bunker freezers.

Drawer cabinets, prep tables, service over counter equipment, horizontal open equipment, vertical open equipment, semi-vertical open equipment, convertible temperature equipment, and ice cream freezers are not eligible for ENERGY STAR under the Version 3.0 specification. 

Definitions

Commercial Refrigerator, Freezer, and Refrigerator-Freezer

Refrigeration equipment that: (a) is not a consumer product (as defined in §431.2 of part 430); (b) is not designed and marketed exclusively for medical, scientific, or research purposes; (c) operates at a chilled, frozen, combination chilled and frozen, or variable temperature; (d) displays or stores merchandise and other perishable materials horizontally, semi-vertically, or vertically; (e) has transparent or solid doors, sliding or hinged doors, a combination of hinged, sliding, transparent, or solid doors, or no doors; (f) is designed for pull-down temperature applications or holding temperature applications; and (g) is connected to a self-contained condensing unit or to a remote condensing unit.

Commercial Hybrid Refrigerator, Freezer, and Refrigerator-Freezer

A commercial refrigerator, freezer, or refrigerator-freezer that has two or more chilled and/or frozen compartments that are: (a) in two or more different equipment families, (b) contained in one cabinet, and (c) sold as a single unit.¹

Equipment Classes

• Horizontal Closed Solid Self Contained Low Temperature (HCS SC L),
• Horizontal Closed Solid Self Contained Medium Temperature (HCS SC M),  
• Horizontal Closed Transparent Self Contained Low Temperature (HCT SC L),
• Horizontal Closed Transparent Self Contained Medium Temperature (HCT SC M),
• Vertical Closed Solid Self Contained Low Temperature (VCS SC L),
• Vertical Closed Solid Self Contained Medium Temperature (VCS SC M),  
• Vertical Closed Transparent Self Contained Low Temperature (VCT SC L), and/or
• Vertical Closed Transparent Self Contained Medium Temperature (VCT SC M).

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