# Presentation: 520608

## ENERGY STAR®

-  ENERGY STAR Refrigerators and Freezers
*Richard H. Karney, US DOE*
*July 18, 2001*

## Structure of Discussion

- For each category, discuss
- Should there be an ENERGY STAR specification?
- If so, at what level
- Categories
- Mid-size refrigerators
- Freezers
- Compacts
- Manual and partial-auto defrost models (refrigerator/freezers and freezers, all sizes)

## History of the ENERGY STAR Refrigerator Specification

## NAECA Standard

- Congress passed the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) in 1987
- NAECA set federal energy standards for products and allowed the Department of Energy to amend and set new energy standards

## NAECA set the maximum federal energy consumption for 18 different product classes of refrigerators
The original NAECA level applied to models manufactured after January 1, 1990
The standards were amended to be approximately 30% more restrictive for models manufactured after January 1, 1993
The standards were amended again to be approximately another 30% more restrictive for models manufactured after July 1, 2001

- The original NAECA level applied to models manufactured after January 1, 1990
- The standards were amended to be approximately 30% more restrictive for models manufactured after January 1, 1993
- The standards were amended again to be approximately another 30% more restrictive for models manufactured after July 1, 2001

- NAECA Refrigerator Level

## ENERGY STAR Specification

- The ENERGY STAR level was originally set at 20% below the NAECA standard in 1997
- ENERGY STAR covers product classes 3-7 (refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost)
- On January 1, 2001 the ENERGY STAR level changed to 10% below the 2001 NAECA standard
- On January 1, 2004, the ENERGY STAR level will change to 15% below the 2001 NAECA standard

## Refrigerator Categories

| Product Class | Current NAECA maximum energy use (kWh/year) |
| --- | --- |
| 3. Top Mount Freezer without through the door ice | 9.8 * AV + 276 |
| 4. Side Mount Freezer without through the door ice  | 4.91 * AV + 507.5 |
| 5. Bottom Mount Freezer without through the door ice | 4.6 * AV + 459 |
| 6. Top Mount Freezer with through the door ice | 10.2 * AV + 356 |
| 7. Side Mount Freezer with through the door ice | 10.1 * AV + 406 |

- AV = Adjusted Volume = Fresh Volume + 1.63 * Freezer Volume

## ENERGY STAR Coverage

- Top freezer models must be at least 12.5 cubic feet in total interior volume to qualify
- Bottom freezer and side-by-side models must be at least 18.5 cubic feet in total interior volume to qualify
- The EPA has a specification covering commercial solid door refrigerators and freezers

## Review of 
ENERGY STAR Specification Setting

- ENERGY STAR Specification Setting

## ENERGY STAR Purpose

- Preventing pollution through energy savings
- Section 103 of the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (EPA ENERGY STAR)
- Promoting development and commercialization of energy efficient appliances
- Section 127 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (DOE ENERGY STAR)
- Legislation directs agencies to establish voluntary programs that promote products more efficient than minimum Federal or State codes

## ENERGY STAR Fundamentals

- Voluntary
- Reduces Energy Use
- Prevents Pollution
- Profitable for partners

## National Energy Policy 

- Expand the ENERGY STAR program beyond office buildings to include schools, retail buildings, health care facilities, lodging, restaurants, and homes
- Extend the ENERGY STAR program to additional products, appliances and services
- Strengthen public education programs relating to energy efficiency

## Theory of Specification Setting

**R&D**

**Building Codes and**
**Standards**

**Increasing Energy Efficiency (Metrics)**

**Number of Unit Sales**

**ENERGY STAR**

**Market Transformation**

## Specification Setting Criteria

- Energy Efficiency
- product should be among the most efficient in its class
- Commercial Availability
- must be readily available in the market, cannot rely on proprietary technology owned by one manufacturer
- Cost effectiveness of price premium
- if there is a premium, should be justified to the consumer based on cost savings or other benefits
- Performance
- qualified models must perform as well or better than other models on the market

## Specification Setting in Practice

- Not all products will qualify...
- Clothes Washers were added to program in 1997 – only 6.5% of models, representing less than 1% of market share qualified
- Industry estimates that ENERGY STAR qualified central HVAC models will have only 4% market share when new specification takes effect in October 2002
- Current ENERGY STAR Appliances market share 10 – 30%

## Next Steps

- 8/2: Comments due to DOE
- 8/30: DOE issues final specification

## Review of 
Analysis Methodology

- Analysis Methodology

##  Why expand?

** **Why expand?
- Industry/Utility/Consumer interest
- New Models Available
- Provide motivation to increase product efficiency
- Provide more efficient option for common household purchase

- Expansion of Coverage and Eligibility

## Current Refrigeration Spec

- Standard size refrigerators only
- >12.5 ft3 for top-mount freezer
- >18 ft3 for side-by-side, bottom
- Initial specification intended to include most common sizes

## Proposed Addition to Specification Coverage

- Mid-sized refrigerators
- 6.5 to 18.5 ft3, all configurations
- Freezers (manual & auto)
- All residential sizes
- Compact refrigerators/freezers
- < 6.5 ft3
- Manual & partial defrost
- All sizes

## Proposed ENERGY STAR Levels for Expansion

- 10% below NAECA standard
- No change
- Maintain consistency with current specification
- Consistency aids consumer understanding
- Exception
- Compact refrigerators/freezers
- 20% below NAECA proposed

## Mid-size Refrigerators: Market Overview	

- Estimated annual sales: 1.9 million
- Top mount freezer most common

## NAECA and ENERGY STAR: Mid-size 

## Proposed ENERGY STAR Level:Mid-sized Refrigerators

- 10% below NAECA standard
- Consistent with current speciation

## Compacts: Market Overview	

- Annual Sales: 2.4 million
- Mostly Manual Defrost
- Sales Volume Doubled in Last Five Years

## NAECA and ENERGY STAR: Compacts

## Proposed ENERGY STAR Level: Compacts

- 20% below NAECA standard
- Why not 10%?
- 20% created better differentiation
- Greater energy savings

## Freezers: Market Overview

- 2 million units/year sales
- 36 million unit stock
- 1 in 3 households
- Two manufacturers have 99% of market

## NAECA and ENERGY STAR: Upright Freezers

## NAECA and ENERGY STAR: Chest Freezers

## Proposed ENERGY STARLevels: Freezers

- 10% below current NAECA standard
- Currently, freezers at 10% below NAECA do not exist
- Manufacturers stated they will produce more efficient product upon introduction of ENERGY STAR expansion

## Estimated Energy Savings	

- Assume 10% market penetration in first year
- Freezers:		13.6 GWh
- Compacts:		 8.2 GWh
- Mid-sized:	 	 8.7 GWh

## Estimated Energy Savings Formula

- Model technique:
- Weighted average size (ft3) *times* average unit energy consumption _improvement_ *times* annual shipments of Energy Star Units
- Give aggregate annual consumption

## Options to Improve Performance

- Improve insulation
- HCFC blown Ins. ends in 2004
- New materials being considered
- Improve compressor performance
- ECMs for condenser/evaporator
- Onboard demand management

## Conclusion

- These are proposed performance levels
- Please make comments today
- Reminder: Final comments due August 2

## Review of Comments Received

## Summary

- Received written comments from over a dozen stakeholders
- Overwhelming support for refrigerator and freezer expansion
- Majority support compact addition, but less consensus

## Refrigerators: Pro

- Respond to consumer preference while promoting energy efficiency
- Support regardless of size, type or defrost as long as it helps attain program goals

## Freezers: Pro

- Opportunity for significant energy savings
- Any product with FTC EnergyGuide should have ENERGY STAR label

## Compacts: Con

- Technology not available to meet 20% goal
- Dilutes program and loses credibility due to limited savings on consumer utility bill (annual and lifetime)
- Products not as durable, inherently less efficient

## Compacts: Pro

- Without label, no incentive for mfrs to produce or consumers to buy most energy efficient product
- Consumers should consider energy efficiency
- Mfrs would like to promote most efficient products

## Manual/Partial Auto Defrost: Pro

- Achieve substantial energy savings
- Deserve to be able to market energy efficiency
- Manual defrost chest freezers constitute 50%+ of market

## ENERGY STAR®

-  ENERGY STAR Refrigerators and Freezers
*Richard H. Karney, US DOE*
*July 18, 2001*