3

- i CHAPTER 3. MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3.1 INTRODUCTION

................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3

- 1

3.2 PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

................................ ................................ ......................... 3

- 1

3.3 PRODUCT CLASSES

................................ ................................ ................................ . 3

- 2

3.4 PRODUCT TEST PROCEDURES

................................ ................................ .............. 3

- 3

3.5 MANUFACTURER TRADE G ROUPS

................................ ................................ ...... 3

- 5

3.6 MANUFACTURER INFORMA TION

................................ ................................ ........ 3

- 5

3. 6.1 Manufacturers and Market Shares

................................ ................................ ................ 3

- 5

3.6.2 Mergers and Acquisitions

................................ ................................ ............................ 3

- 8

3.6.3 Small Business Impacts

................................ ................................ .............................. 3

- 10

3. 6.4 Distribution Channels

................................ ................................ ................................ . 3

- 10

3.7 REGULATORY PROGRAMS

................................ ................................ ................... 3

- 11

3.7.1 Federal Energy Conservation Standards Prior to EISA 2007

................................ ....... 3

- 11

3.7.2 Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

................................ .......................... 3

- 12

3.7.3 State Energy Conservation Standards

................................ ................................ .......... 3

- 12

3.7.4 Canadian Energy Conservation Standards

................................ ................................ ... 3

- 13

3.7.5 Mexican Energy Conservation Standards

................................ ................................ .... 3

- 14

3.7.6 International Energy Performance Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

............ 3

- 14

3.7.7 International Standby Power Regulatory Programs

................................ ..................... 3

- 15

3.8 VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS

................................ ................................ ..................... 3

- 17

3.8.1 Consortium for Energy Efficiency

................................ ................................ .............. 3

- 17

3.8.2 ENERGY STAR

................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 3

- 17

3.8.3 Federal Energy Management Program

................................ ................................ ........ 3

- 18

3.8.4 Manufacturer Tax Credits for Energy

- Efficient Appliances

................................ ........ 3

- 18

3.8.5 Consumer Tax Credits for Energy

- Efficient Appliances

................................ .............. 3

- 19

3.8.6 Rebates for Highly Energy

- Efficient Products

................................ ............................ 3

- 19

3.9 HISTORICAL SHIPMENTS

................................ ................................ ...................... 3

- 20

3.9.1 New Home Starts

................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 3

- 20

3.9.2 Unit Shipments

................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3

- 21

3.9.3 Value of Shipments

................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3

- 23

3.9.4 Imports and Exports

................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3

- 24

3.10 HISTORICAL EFFICIENC IES

................................ ................................ .................. 3

- 25

3.11 MARKET SATURATION

................................ ................................ ......................... 3

- 25

3.12 PRO DUCT RETAIL PRICES

................................ ................................ .................... 3

- 26

3.13 INDUSTRY COST STRUCT URE

................................ ................................ ............. 3

- 28

3.14 INVENTORY LEVELS AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION RATES

......................... 3

- 32

3.15 TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMEN T

................................ ................................ ............... 3

- 34

3.15 .1 Product Operations and Components

................................ ................................ .......... 3

- 34

3.15.2 Technology Options

................................ ................................ ................................ ... 3

- 36

3.15 .3 Energy Efficiency

................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3

- 483

- ii LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.6.1 Major and Other Residential Clothes Washer Manufacturers

................................ 3

- 6

Table 3.6.2 2000

– 2008 Clothes Washer Market Share

................................ ............................. 3

- 7

Table 3.6.3 Major Appliance Sales by Channel (Purchased between 2001 and 2005)

............. 3

- 10 Table 3.7.1 Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers Established by the January 2001 Final Rule

................................ ................................ ....... 3

- 12 Table 3.7.2 Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers Established by EISA 2007

................................ ................................ ................................ . 3

- 12

Table 3.7.3 California Water Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

.......... 3

- 13

Table 3.7.4 Canadian Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

......... 3

- 13 Table 3.7.5 Mexican Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

............... 3

- 14 Table 3.7.6 International Energy Efficiency Standards and Labels for Residential Clothes

Washers

................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 3

- 15 Table 3.7.7 Proposed EU Ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode

.......................... 3

- 16

Table 3.8.1 CEE Criteria for Residential Clothe s Washers

................................ ...................... 3

- 17

Table 3.8.2 ENERGY STAR Criteria for Residential Clothes Washers

................................ .. 3

- 18

Table 3.8.3 FEMP Recommendations for Residential Clothes Washers

................................ .. 3

- 18 Table 3.8.4 Consumer Tax Credits Offered for Energy Efficient Clothes Washe rs

.................. 3

- 19 Table 3.8.5 Rebates Offered for Highly Energy

- Efficient Clothes Washers in 2008

................ 3

- 19 Table 3.9.1 New Privately Owned Single

- Family and Multi

- Family Housing Unit Starts

in the United States from 1998

– 2010

................................ ............................. 3

- 20 Table 3.9.2 Industry Shipments of Residential Clothes Washers 1992

- 2010 (Domestic and Import, in Thousands of Units) ,

................................ ................................ 3

- 21

Table 3.9.3 E NERGY STAR Clothes Washer Shipments and Market Share, 1998

- 2009 (Domestic and Import) ,,

................................ ................................ .................. 3

- 23 Table 3.9.4 Annual Value of Shipments of Household Laundry Equipment

............................ 3

- 24 Table 3.10.1 Residential Clothes Washer Tub Volume, Energy Consumption, and Energy Efficiency Trends (Shipment Weighted Averages)

................................ .......... 3

- 25 Table 3.11.1 Clothes Washer Saturation Rate for U.S. Households, 2000

- 2008

...................... 3

- 26 Table 3.12.1 Residential Appliance Retail Prices

................................ ................................ ... 3

- 26 Table 3.13.1 Major Appliance Manufacturing Industry Employment and Earnings

............... 3

- 28 Table 3.13.2 Household Laundry Industry Employment and Earnings

................................ .... 3

- 29 Table 3.13.3 Major Appliance Manufacturing Industry Materials and Wages Cost

................. 3

- 30 Table 3.13.4 Household Laundry Industry M aterials and Wages Cost

................................ .... 3

- 31 Table 3.13.5 Industry Cost Structure Using SEC Data, Average 2005

- 2008

........................... 3

- 31 Table 3.14.1 Major Appliance Manufacturing Industry Inventory Levels

............................... 3

- 33 Table 3.14.2 Household Laundry Industry Inventory Levels

................................ ................... 3

- 33 Table 3.14.3 Full Production Capacity Utilization Rates

................................ ......................... 3

- 34 Table 3.15.1 Technology Options for Residential Clothes Washers

................................ ........ 3

- 373

- iii LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.6.1 2008 Residential Clothes Washer Market Shares

................................ ................. 3

- 7 Figure 3.6.2 2000

– 2008 Clothes Washer Market Share

................................ ........................... 3

- 8 Figure 3.6.3 2008 Core Appliance Market Sha res

................................ ................................ .... 3

- 8 Figure 3.9.1 Single

- Family and Multi

- Family Housing Unit Starts, 1998

- 2010

...................... 3

- 20 Figure 3.9.2 Annual Shipments of Residential Clothes Washers, 1992

- 2010

.......................... 3

- 21 Figure 3.9.3 Market Share of Top

- Load ing and Front Load ing Resident ial Clothes

Wash ers, 2006

- 2008

................................ ................................ ........................ 3

- 22 Figure 3.9.4 ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Shipments and Market Share, 1998

- 2009

....... 3

- 23 Figure 3.9.5 Annual Shipment Value of Household Laundry Appliances, 2004

- 2010

............. 3

- 24 Figure 3.9.6 Im ports and Exports of Residential Clothes Washers, 2005

- 2010

....................... 3

- 24 Figure 3.10.1 Tub Volume, Energy Consumption, and Energy Efficiency Trends for

Residential Clothe s Washers, 1990

- 2008

................................ ......................... 3

- 25 Figure 3.12.1 Residential Clothes Washer Retail Price as a Function of MEF, December

2009

................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 3

- 27 Figure 3.12.2 Residential Clothes Washer Retail Prices as a Function of Location of Access, December 2009

................................ ................................ .................. 3

- 27

F igure 3.13.1 Major Appliance Industry Employment and Earnings, 1999

- 2009

.................... 3

- 28 Figure 3.13.2 Household Laundry Industry Employment and Earnings, 1999

- 2009

................ 3

- 29 Figure 3.13.3 Materials and Wages Cost as a Percentage of Shipments Value for Major Appliances, 1999

- 2009

................................ ................................ ................... 3

- 30 Figure 3.13.4 Materials and Wages Cost as a Percentage of Shipments Value for Household Laundry, 1999

- 2009

................................ ................................ ...... 3

- 31 Figure 3.13.5 Appliance Industry Aver age Gross Margin Derived from SEC Data

................. 3

- 32 Figure 3.14.1 Major Appliances Manufacturing End

- of

- Year Inventory, 1999

- 2009

.............. 3

- 33 Figure 3.14.2 Household Laundry Equipment Manufacturing End

- of

- Year Inventory,

1999

- 2009

................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3

- 33 Figure 3.14

. 3 Plant Capacity Utilization, 1998

- 2010

................................ .............................. 3

- 34 Figure 3.15.1 Standard

- Sized Residential Clothes Washer MEFs from DOE Market Survey, December 2009

................................ ................................ .................. 3

- 49 Figure 3.15.2 Standard

- Sized Residential Clothes Washer WFs from DOE Market Survey, December 2009

................................ ................................ .................. 3

- 503-1 CHAPTER 3. MARKET AND TECHNOLOG Y ASSESSMENT

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides a profile of the residential clothes washer industr y in the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) developed the market and technology assessment presented in this chapter primarily from publicly available information. This assessment is helpful in identifying the major manufacturers and their product characteristics, which form the basis for the engineering and the life

- cycle cost (LCC) analyses. Present and past industry structure and industry financial information help DOE in the process of conducting the manufacturer impact analysis.

3.2 PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

DOE defines “clothes washer” under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, Pub. L. 94

- 163, (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 6291

– 6309) as follows:

• Clothes washer means a consumer product designed to clean clothes, utiliz ing a water solution of soap and/or detergent and mechanical agitation or other movement, and must be one of the following classes: automatic clothes washers, semi

- automatic clothes washers, and other clothes washers.

• Automatic clothes washer means a clas s of clothes washers which has a control system which is capable of scheduling a preselected combination of operations, such as regulation of water temperature, regulation of water fill level, and performance of wash, rinse, drain, and spin functions witho ut the need for user intervention subsequent to the initiation of machine operation. Some models may require user intervention to initiate these different segments of the cycle after the machine has begun operation, but they do not require the user to inte rvene to regulate the water temperature by adjusting the

external water faucet valves.

• Semi

- automatic clothes washer means a class of clothes washer that is the same as an automatic clothes washer except that user intervention is required to regulate the water temperature by adjusting the external water faucet valves.

• Other clothes washer means a class of clothes washer which is not automatic or semi

automatic clothes washer.

( 10 CFR 430.2 )3-2 3.3 PRODUCT CLASSES

DOE separate d residential clothes washers into product classes and has formulated separate energy conservation standard s for each class . The criteria for separation into different product classes are: (1) type of energy used; (2) capacity; or (3) other performance

- rela ted features such as those that provide utility to the consumer, or others deemed appropriate by the Secretary that would justify the establishment of a separate energy conservation standard. (42 U.S.C. 6295 (q))

Currently, DOE divides residential clothe s washers into five product classes based on location of access, capacity and features, such as suds saving. For the existing energy conservation standards, DOE defines residential clothes washers in the following classes:

**•** Top

- loading, compact (less than 1.6 cubic feet capacity);

**•** Top

- loading, standard (1.6 cubic feet or greater capacity);

**•** Top

- loading, semi

- automatic;

**•** Front

- loading; and

**•** Suds

- saving.

In a supplemental advance notice of proposed rulemaking ( ANOPR ) for clothes washers published on November 19, 1998 (hereafter, the “November 1998 Supplemental ANOPR”), DOE proposed to eliminate the top

- loading semi

- automatic and suds

- saving product classes because they do not offer any added utility which is inherently less energy efficient and therefore

woul d require protection from the energy conservation standards. 63 FR 64348. Interested parties did not provide any comment in response to this proposed elimination. In the final rule published on January 12, 2001 (hereafter, the “January 2001 Final Rule”), d ue to the continued absence of information available to analyze these classes and ensure that they could meet the proposed standard levels, DOE maintained these product classes but did not subject them to minimum energy conservation standards. 66 FR 3322.

On August 21, 2009, DOE published a framework document (hereafter, the “Framework Document”), in which it considered, and solicited comment on, the validity of retaining the top

loading semi

- automatic and suds

- saving product classes. DOE is unaware of any top

- loading

semi

- automatic or suds

- saving clothes washers currently on the market. Also, the current DOE test procedure cannot measure the possible energy savings associated with suds savings. Interested parties generally agreed with the elimination of these two product classes , and therefore, DOE is proposing to eliminate these two product classes.3-3 The Joint Stakeholder agreement (the “Joint Petition”) bet ween manufacturers and advocates a (the “Joint Petitioners”) recommends splittin g the current front

- loading product class into two separate product classes based on capacity:

**•** Front

- loading, compact (less than 1.6 cubic feet capacity)

**•** Front

- loading, standard (1.6 cubic feet or greater capacity)

DOE is currently un aware of any front

- loading clothes washer s on the market that meet the definition of a compa ct front

- loading product class.

DOE believes the product classes proposed in the Joint Petition represent the results of extensive negotiations among all interested parties, i ncluding manufacturers with full knowledge of products on the market and potential capabilities of products not currently manufactured. Therefore, DOE has chosen to separate residential clothes washers into the following four product classes:

**•** Top

- loading, compact (less than 1.6 cubic feet capacity);

**•** Top

- loading, standard (1.6 cubic feet or greater capacity);

**•** Front

- loading, compact (less than 1.6 cubic feet capacity); and

**•** Front

- loading, standard (1.6 cubic feet or greater capacity).

3.4 PRODUCT TEST PROCEDU RES

Test procedures exist for clothes washers to determine energy efficiency and annual energy use as the basis for representation and determination of compliance with energy conservation standards. The U.S. government established the first Federal test proce dure for

clothes washers in 1977. In the 1990’s, DOE began revising the clothes washer test procedure because the existing test procedure did not cover new clothes washer technologies such as high spin speed and adaptive fill control

, and because comments submitted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers ( AHAM ) stated that consumer habits showed a reduction in the use of hot water and energy. In 1997, DOE published a final rule establishing a new test procedure for clothes w ashers to more accurately establish their efficiency and energy use; the new test procedure became effective on January 1, 2004 (hereafter, the “1997 Final Rule.) The key changes made from the original to new test procedure include: (1) replacing the energ y factor (EF) descriptor, which only calculated the energy use of the clothes washer itself, with a modified energy factor (MEF), which accounts for the remaining moisture content (RMC) of clothes leaving the washer, thereby crediting a reduction in clothe s drying energy use; (2) specifying different water temperatures for testing; (3) specifying test cloth loads for all classes

a “Agreement on Minimum Federal Efficiency Standards, Smart Appliances, Federal Incentives and Related Matters for Specified Appliances,” DOE Docket No. EERE

– 2008

– BT

– STD

– 0019, Comment 32. DOE considered the Joint Petitioners’ comments to supersede earlier co mments by the listed parties regarding issues subsequently discussed in

the Joint Petition.3-4 of clothes washers; and (4) revising the average number of use cycles in a year to reflect current consumer usage patterns. 62 FR 45484 (August 27, 1997). In 1998, DOE published a correction to the 1997 Final Rule, correcting the introductory note to the new clothes washer test procedure. 63 FR 16669 (April 6, 1998).

In 2001, as part of its energy conservation standards rulemakin g for clothes washers, DOE amended its clothes washer test procedure, incorporating changes to the energy test cloth, RMC, and extractor testing. 66 FR 3330 (January 12, 2001) . Again in 2003, DOE amended its clothes washer test procedure, including the fol lowing revisions: (1) replacing the lowest spin cycle speed of 50 gravitation (g) force with a spin cycle of 100 g for testing the cloth used in the extraction phase of the test procedure; and (2) specifying the use of additional statistical analysis
to qu alify the interactive effect between different lots of the test cloth and spin speeds to improve consistency with the baseline data. 68 FR 62198 (October 31, 2003)

.

Standby power measurement was not incorporated into the DOE test procedure for

resident ial clothes washers established by the 2003 final rule . Section 310 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), Pub. L. No. 110

- 142 amends Section 325 of EPCA to require that the test procedure for residential clothes washers be amende d to include measurement of standby mode and off mode energy use , taking into consideration the most

current version of the International Electrotechnical Commission ( IEC ) Standard 62301 Household electrical appliances

– Measurement of standby power (IEC S tandard 62301) and

IEC Standard 62087 Methods of measurement for the power consumption of audio, video and related equipment

. b EPCA, as amended by EISA 2007 , also states that the final rule for this test procedure shall be published no later than June 30, 2009. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)) DOE notes that

the current version of IEC Standard 62301 is designated IEC Standard 62301, Second Edition,

2011. The Second Edition amended the definitions of modes to include off mode(s), network connected standby mode(s), and d isconnected mode as well as standby mode(s). DOE also notes that EISA 2007 amends EPCA to require that standby mode and off mode energy consumption be integrated into the overall energy efficiency, energy consumption, or other energy descriptor

unless the Secretary determines that

– (i) the current test procedures for a covered product already fully account for and incorporate standby mode and off mode energy consumption of the covered product; or (ii) such an integrated test procedure is technically infeas ible for a particular covered product, in which case the Secretary shall prescribe a separate standby mode and off mode energy use test procedure for the covered product, if technically feasible. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A))

To support this rulemaking, a t est procedure change to incorporate standby mode and off mode energy consumption in residential clothes washers was initiated in parallel with the current rulemaking

. DOE integrated standby and off mode energy use into the revised test procedure by establishing an “integrated modified energy factor” (IMEF), which also includes amended calculations of energy use in the active mode. The revised test procedure also establi shes an

b IEC Standard 62087 does not cover any products for this rulemaking, and therefore was not considered.3-5 “integrated water factor” (IWF), a metric that incorporates water usage from all cycles included in the energy test cycle rather than just the cold wash cycle. 77 FR 13888 (March 7, 2012).

In developing the amended rule, DOE also investigated tes t procedures used by countries that are considered leaders in reducing standby power. Those countries, which include Japan, Korea, and Australia/New Zealand, all follow and/or reference IEC Standard 62301.

3.5 MANUFACTURER TRADE G ROUPS

DOE recognizes the importance of trade groups in disseminating information and promoting the interests of the industry that they support. To gain insight into the residential

clothes washer industr y , DOE researched various associations available to manufacturers, suppliers, and users of such equipment. DOE also used the member lists of these groups in the

construction of an exhaustive database con taining domestic manufacturers.

DOE identified the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers ( AHAM ) as a trade group that suppor ts, or has an interest in, the residential clothes washer industry. AHAM, c

3.6 MANUFACTURER INFORMA TION formed in 1967, aims to e nh ance the value of the home appliance industry through l eadership, public education and advocacy. AHAM provides services to its members including governmen t relations; certification programs for room air conditioners, dehumidifiers and room air clean ers; an active communications program; and technical services and research. In addition, AHAM conducts other market and consumer research studies and publishes a biennial Fact Book

. AHAM also develops and maintains technical standards for various appliances to provide uniform, repeatable procedures for measuring specific product characteristics and performance

features

.

The following sect ion details information regarding domestic manufacturers of residential clothes washers, including estimated market shares (section 3.6.1 ), industry mergers

and ac quisitions (section 3.6.2 ), potential small business impacts (section 3.6.3 ), and product distribution channels (section 3.6.4 ).

3.6.1 Manufacturers and Market Shares

Using publi cly available data ( e.g. , Appliance Magazine and market assessments performed by third parties), DOE estimates the market shares for domestic manufacturers of residential clothes washers. Manufacturers may offer multiple brand names. Some of the brand

name s originated from independent appliance manufacturers that have been acquired over time, and domestic manufacturers may use their brand on product s manufactured overseas. This

c For more information, visit www.aham.org

.3-6 analysis may also include off

- shore manufacturers that maintain a significant do mestic presence via a U.S. entity.

DOE estimates that there are 1 7 residential clothes washer manufacturers selling into the domestic market, of which several are foreign

- owned companies with manufacturing facilities

outside of the United States. The ma jority of market share is held by four major manufacturers, including Whirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool) / Maytag Corporation (Maytag), GE Consumer & Industrial (GE), AB Electrolux (Frigidaire) , and LG Electronics (LG)

. 1

3.6.2 As discussed in section , Maytag and Whirlpool merged in 2006 but have continued to maintain both product lines to this date. The combined Maytag

- Whirlpool entity accounts for appr oximately 6 4 percent of

the residential clothes washer market. T ogether, t he four main manufacturers comprise 9 2
percent of the residential clothes washer market. Other manufacturers include Alliance Laundry Systems LLC (Alliance), AM Appliance Group (formerly ASKO, Inc.), BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Bosch

- Siemens), Equator Corporation (Equator), Fagor America, Inc. (Fagor), Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited (Fisher & Paykel), Haier America Trad ing, LLC (Haier), Indesit Company (Indesit)

, Miele Inc. (Miele), Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung), Staber Industries, Inc. (Staber), and Felix Storch, Inc. (Summit ). Table 3.6

. 1 lists these

man ufacturers. Figure 3.6

. 1 illustrates the 2008 market shares for the domestic residential clothes

washer market.

T he U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 Annual Survey of Manufactures reports one U.S. company engaged primarily in the manufacture of household laundry equipm ent ( North American Industry Classification System ( NAICS ) code 335224). In 2006

, that company employed 13,298 workers and shipped more than $4.9 billion of products. 2

Table 3.6

. 1 Major and Other Residential Clothes Washer Manufacturers

Major Manufacturers Other Manufacturers Whirlpool /Maytag Alliance

GE Asko Electrolux (Frigidaire) Bosch

- Siemens

LG Equator Fagor Fisher & Paykel

Haier

Indesit

Miele Samsung

Staber

Summit3-7 Figure 3.6

. 1 2008 Residential Clothes Washer Market Shares 3

Table 3.6

. 2 shows the market share for residential clothes washer manufacturers between

200 0 and 200 8

. Figure 3.6

. 2 shows this data graphically. The market share for Whirlpool and GE has remained relatively stable since 2000 , while Electrolux and Maytag ’s market share has decreased by 6 perce n t over that period

. LG has grown from a negli gible market share in 2006 to

a 6

- percent market share in 2008

. According to ENERGY STAR, foreign manufacturers such as

Bosch

- Siemens, LG, Samsung, and Fisher & Paykel are beginning to gain traction in the U.S. market, expanding floor space with national a ppliance retailers

. 4

Table 3.6

. 2 2000

– 200 8 Clothes Washer Market Share 5

Company Market Share (%)

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Whirlpool 64 51 51 51 51 51 51 50 50 Maytag * 16 18 19 20 21 23 22 22

GE 16 17 18 17 17 17 18 18 16 Electrolux (Frigidaire) 6 6 9 9 9 9 8 8 10

LG 6 2

- - - - - - - Others 8 10 4 4 3 2 0 2 2

* Maytag market share for 2008 included in Whirlpool data

.3-8 Figure 3.6

. 2 2000

– 200 8 Clothes Washer Market Share

3.6.2 Mergers and Acquisitions

Due to mergers and acquisitions, the home appliance industry as a whole continues to consolidate. While this phenomenon varies from product to product within the industry, the large

market shares of a few companies provide evidence in support of this characterization.

According to the September 200 9 issue of Appliance Magazine

, Whirlpool (including Maytag), GE, and Electrolux comprise 8 5 percent of the core appliance market share. “Core

ap pliances” include dishwashers, clothes dryers, freezers, ranges, refrigerators, and clothes

washers

. Figure 3.6

. 3 i llustrates the breakdown of 200 8 market shares in the core appliance

category.

Figure 3.6

. 3 2008 Core Appliance Market Shares 6

On August 22, 2005, Whirlpool, headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Maytag, based in Newton, Iowa, announced plans to merge in a deal worth $2.7 billion. 7 Maytag shareholders approved th e merger on December 22, 2005. Shortly after announcing the merger, Whirlpool submitted a pre

- merger notification to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ3-9 Antitrust Division initiated an investigation into the effects of the merger, including poten tial lessening of competition or the creation of a monopoly.

Opponents of the merger asserted that the combined companies would control as much as 70 percent of the residential laundry market and as much as 50 percent of the residential

dishwasher market. 8 Industry analysts noted that Whirlpool’s large potential residential laundry market share was skewed because the company produces clothes washers for Sears, which sells

them under their Kenmore in

- house brand. Whirlpool must periodically bid with other manufacturers to keep the Kenmore contract

, and Sears controls the pricing of the Kenmore

units

. Without Kenmore, the market share of share of a com bined Maytag

- Whirlpool company would be slightly less than 30 percent in U.S. major appliances, Whirlpool claimed

. 9

In early January 2006, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell, both of Iowa, called upon the DOJ to block the merger, claiming it would give Whirlpool an unfair advantage in the home appliance industry. The Congressmen wrote that if the DOJ does not block the deal, the agency should at least “ require that Whirlpool divest the washer and dryer portions of Maytag to a viable purchaser who will have the financial capability and desire to continue to operate that business .” 10

On March 29, 2006, DOJ closed its investigation and approved the merger. DOJ claims “that the proposed transaction is not likely to reduce compet ition substantially. The combination of strong rival suppliers with the ability to expand sales significantly and large cost savings and other efficiencies that Whirlpool appears likely to achieve indicates that this transaction is not likely to harm consu mer welfare.” 11

The DOJ Antitrust Division focused its investigation on residential laundry, although it considered impacts across all products offered by the two companies. DOJ determined that the merger would not give Whirlpool excessive market power in the sale of its products and that any attempt to raise prices would likely be unsuccessful. In support of this claim, DOJ noted that (1) other U.S. brands, including Kenmore, GE, and Frigidaire, are well established; (2) foreign manufacturers, including LG and Samsung, are gaining market share; (3) existing U.S. manufacturers are below production capacity; (4) the large home appliance retailers have alternatives available to resist price increase attempts; and (5) Whirlpool and Maytag substantiated large co st savings and other efficiencies that would benefit consumers. 12

Whirlpool and Maytag completed the merger on March 31, 2006. This large merger follows several other mergers and acquisitions in the home appliance industry. For example, Maytag acquired Je nn

- Air Corporation (Jenn

- Air) in 1982, Magic Chef, Inc. (Magic Chef) in 1986, and Amana Appliances (Amana) in 2001. Whirlpool acquired the KitchenAid division of Hobart Corporation (KitchenAid) in 1986. White Consolidated Industries (WCI) acquired the Frig idaire division of General Motors Corporation in 1979, and AB Electrolux acquired WCI (and therefore Frigidaire) in 1986.3-10 3.6.3 Small Business Impacts

DOE considers the possibility of small businesses being impacted by the promulgation of energy conservation st andards for residential clothes washers. The Small Business Association

c onsiders an entity to be a small business if, together with its affiliates, it employs less than a threshold number of workers specified in 13 CFR part 121, which relies on size stand ards and codes established by the NAICS. The threshold number for NAICS classification for 335224, which applies to household laundry equipment manufacturers and includes clothes washer manufacturers, is 1,000 employees. At this time, DOE is aware of one s mall manufacturer of residential clothes washers who would be impacted by a minimum efficiency standard. For th is small manufacturers, DOE will study the potential impacts on the small businesses in greater detail during the manufacturer impact analysis (M IA)

.

3.6.4 Distribution Channels

Understanding the distribution channels of products covered by this rulemaking is an important facet of the market assessment. DOE gathered information regarding the distribution channels for residential clothes washers from pub licly available sources. This section contains distribution channel information for residential appliances.

For residential appliances, including residential clothes washers, the majority of consumers purchase their appliances directly from retailers. Table 3.6

. 3 identifies the types of retail stores through which major appliances, including residential clothes washers, are sold

based on data from the AHAM Fact Book 2005

. 13

Table 3.6

. 3 Major Appliance Sales by Channel (Purchase d between 2001 and 2005 ) 14

Type of Store Appliance Purchases ( %) Department Store (such as Sears or Kohls) 34.7 Appliance Store or Consumer Electronics Store 30.9 Home Improvement Store (such as Lowe’s or Home Depot) 23.8
Discount Store (such as Wal

- Mart or K

- Mart) 2.0 Membership Warehouse Club/Store (such as Sam’s or Costco) 1.8 Another type of store 6.8

Home appliance retailers generally obtain products directly from manufacturers. The

AHAM Fact Book 2003 shows that over 93 percent of residential appliances are distributed from the manufacturer directly to a retailer. 15 A 2000 Consortium for Energy Efficie ncy (CEE) report

determined that 5

– 10 percent of major appliance sales were made to commercial consumers such as builders, contractors, government sales, and property managers through distributors or wholesalers. 163-11 3.7 REGULATORY PROGRAMS

The following section details current regulatory programs mandating energy conservation

standards for residential clothes washers. Section 3.7.1 discusses Federal energy conservation

s tandards prior to EISA 2007 ; section 3.7.2 reviews new standards issued by EISA 2007 ; section

3.7.3 provides an overview of existing State standards ; section s 3.7.4 and 3.7.5 review standards

in Canada and Mexico, respectively, that may impact the companies servicing the North

American market ; section 3.7 .6 reviews international energy performance standards for residential clothes washers; and section 3.7.7 reviews foreign regulatory programs for standby

power.

3.7.1 Federal Energy Conservation Standards Prior to EISA 2007

The Nationa l Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1978 (NAECA) amended EPCA to establish the first prescriptive standards for residential clothes washers

, requiring that all rinse cycles of clothes washers manufactured after January 1, 1988, shall include an unheated water option, but may have a heated water rinse option, and further required that DOE conduct two cycles of rulemakings to determine if more stringent standards are justified. d

Table 3.7

. 1 (42 U.S.C. 6295 (g)(2) and (4)) On May 14, 1991, DOE published a final rule in the Federal Register (FR) establishing the first set of performance standards for residential clothes washers; the new standards became effective on May 14, 1994 (hereafter, the “May 1991 Final Rule”.) 56 FR

22279. DOE conducted a second standards rulemak ing for residential clothes washers, publishing the January 2001 Final Rule revising the energy conservation standards; the revised standards became effective in two phases, on January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2007. 66 FR 3314. provides energy conservation standards for residential clothes washers established by the January 2001 Final Rule.

d DOE defines “clothes washer” under EPCA as “a consumer product designed to clean clothes, utilizing a water solution of soap and/or detergent and mechanical agitation or other movem ent, and must be one of the following
classes: automatic clothes washers, semi

- automatic clothes washers, and other clothes washers.” 10 CFR 430.2.3-12 Table 3.7

. 1 Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers Established by the January 2001 Final Rule

Clothes Washer Product Class Standards Effective Date January 1, 2004 January 1, 2007 Top

- loading standard and front

- loading 1.04 MEF* 1.26 MEF Top

- loading compact 0.65 MEF

- *The Modified Energy Factor ( MEF ) is a measure of how many kilowatt

- hours ( kWh ) are required to wash each

c ubic f oo t (ft 3 ) of washer capacity. It measures the total energy consumption of the washer and also accounts for the amount of energy required to dry clothes based on the remaining moisture content of the clothes.

3.7.2 Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), Pub. L. No. 110

- 142, revised the energy conservat ion standards for residential clothes washers; the revised standards become effective on January 1, 2011. EISA 2007 further required that DOE publish a final rule no later than December 31, 2011 determining whether to amend the standards in effect for

clot hes washers manufactured on or after January 1, 2015. (42 U.S.C. 6295 (g)(9)) Table 3.7

. 2 provides the energy conservation standards for residential clothes washers established by EISA

2007.

Table 3.7

. 2 Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers Established by EISA 2007

. Clothes Washer Product Class Standards Effective January 1, 2011

MEF ( ft

3 /kWh/cycle ) WF* ( gallons/ ft 3 /cycle ) Top

- loading standard and front

- loading 1.26 9.5 * Water Factor (WF) is measured in gallons of water required per cycle per cubic foot of washer capacity.

3.7.3 State Energy Conservation Standards

Federal standards , which preempt any State efficiency standards have exist ed for the energy consumption of residential clothes washers since 1994. However, no such standard

exist ed for the water efficiency prior to those established by EISA 2007, which become effective January 1, 2011

. On October 19, 2005, California issued minimum water conservation standards for residential clothes washers. On September 16, 2005, the California Energy Commission (CEC) issued a petition for an exemption from Federal preemption to seek to apply its own State regulation for residential clothes washer WF. DOE accepted written comments regarding this California petition until April 7, 2006. Table 3.7.3 provides the State’s proposed res idential clothes washer water conservation standards and their respective effective dates.3-13 Table 3.7

. 3 California Water Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

Clothes Washer

Classification Max imum WF ( gallons/ ft 3 /cycle ) Effective January 1, 2007 Effective January 1, 2010 Top

- loading 8.5 6.0

Front

- loading 8.5 6.0

On December 28, 2006, DOE issued a decision denying the California petition. (71 FR at 78157) The denial of the petition was based on three factors. First, DOE determined that it does not have the statutory authority to prescribe a rule for California that would become effective by January 1, 2007, the first of two compliance dates contained in Title 20, section 1605.2(p)(1) of the California Code of Regulations. Second, DOE ruled that the CEC had not established by a preponderance of the evidence that the State of California has unusual and compelling water interests, a condition required by EPCA for DOE to grant California a wa iver from Federal preemption. (42 USC 6297(d)(1)(B)) Finally, a preponderance of evidence showed that the California regulation would likely result in the unavailability of a class of residential clothes washers, specifically top

- load ing machines, in Calif ornia.

The State submitted to DOE a R equest for R econsideration on January 29, 2007

. 17 By failing to respond to the request by February 28, 2007, DOE effectively denied California’s Request for Reconsideration. 18 On April 20, 2007, the CEC petitioned the U S Court of Appeals

for the Ninth Circuit for review of the Denial by the DOE. 19 In its decision on October 28, 2009, the Court of Appeals overturned DOE’s denial of the waiver request and ordered DOE to reconsider its action, ruling that DOE’s stated justif ications [for denial] “ demonstrate an arbitrary and capricious failure meaningfully to address the CEC’s application for a waiver .” 20

3.7.4 Canadian Energy Conservation Standards

The Canadian government regulates the efficiency of residential clothes washers

. This Regulation applies to standard or compact electrically operated household clothes washers that
are top

- or front

- loaded, and that have an internal control system that regulates the water temperature without the need for user intervention subsequent to initiation of machine operati on. Table 3.7

. 4 lists the current standards that went into effect January 1, 2007, along with the previous standards that went into effect January 1, 2004.

Table 3.7

. 4 Canadian Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

Clothes Washer Classification Minimum MEF ( L/kWh/cycle ) January 1, 2004 January 1, 2007

Vertical

- axis compact (< 45 liter capacity) 18.40 18.40

Vertical

- axis standard ( ≥ 45 liter capacity) 29.45 35.68

Horizontal

- axis* 29.45 35.68

Suds

- saving* NA NA * These product classes shall be equipped with an unheated rinse water option.3-14 3.7.5 Mexican Energy Conservation Standards

The Mexican Official Standard (NOM

- 005

- ENER

- 2000) establishes maximum energy consumption limits for residential clothes washers sold in Mexico. In effect since 2000, Maximum Energy Performance Standards are based on the assumption of 416 wash cycles per

ye ar and a water temperature of 20 °C ± 5 °C. Table 3.7

. 5 shows the mechanical energy used in the wash stages as specified for clothes washers sold in Mexico. 21

Table 3.7

. 5 Mexican Energy E fficiency Standards for Residential Clothes Washers 22

Washer Action Washer Capacity ( pounds of

clothes ) Energy Consumption ( kWh/year )

Impulsor Less than 4 70

4 to less than 6 70

6 to less than 10 120 Equal to or greater than 10 120

Agitator Less than 4 100

4 to less than 6 100

6 to less than 8 175

8 to less than 10 218 Equal to or greater than 10 250

Drum Less than 4 120

4 to less than 6 150 Equal to or greater than 6 200

Drum with heating

element Less than 4 360

4 to less than 6 450 Equal to or greater than 6 600

3.7.6 International Energy Performance Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

According to the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP), eight other countries outside of North America have mandatory minimum energy performance standards for

residential clothes washers. 23 The se standards, whether mandatory or voluntary, may be accompanied by a label. A mandatory label must include a washer’s energy consumption under a specified test standard. Some countr ies require that manufacturers affix a performance label without requiring that they adhere to a minimum energy performance standard. Voluntary labels also exist for programs such as the ENERGY STAR program in Canada. Table 3.7

. 6 notes the presence of mandatory or voluntary performance standards and labeling programs where applicable.3-15 Table 3.7

. 6 International Energy Efficiency Standards and Labels for Residential Clothes

Washers 24

Country Minimum Energy

Performance Label Mandatory Voluntary Mandatory Voluntary Algeria X Argentina X

Australia X X

Austria X

Brazil X X X

Canada X X X

Chile X

Colombia X X Czech Republic X Egypt X X

EU Member Countries X X X Germany X Hong Kong, China X

Indonesia X

Iran X

Israel X X

Jordan X Malaysia X

Mexico X X X

New Zealand X

Nordic Member Countries X People’s Republic of China X X

Peru X X Republic of Korea X X

Russia X X Singapore X

Slovakia X

South Africa X

Switzerland X X Taipei X

Thailand X Turkey X

UK X

USA X X X

Viet Nam X

3.7.7 International Standby Power Regulatory Programs

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has raised awareness of standby power through publications, international conferences, and policy advice to governments. In 1999, the IEA developed the “1

- Watt Plan,” which proposed reducing standby power internationally in3-16 electronic devices and which advocates that all countries harmonize energy policies and adopt the same definition and test procedure. The IEA has advocated a 1 watt (W) requirement for all consumer electrical products (unless specifically excluded) in standby mode. The IEA also stated

that IEC 6230 1 provides an internationally sanctioned definition and test procedure for standby power which is now widely specified and used. e

A number of countries have implemented regulatory approaches to standby power in

clothes washers. Australia has announced plans to implement a mandatory horizontal 1 W requirement for all consumer electrical products by 2012, including top loading and front loading

clothes washers. 25 The Korea Energy Management Corporation developed their “e

- standby” program, which currently h as a mandatory labeling program for clothes washer standby power, as measured by IEC Standard 62301. The program is currently transitioning to a mandatory 1 W standard by the year 2010. 26

The European Union passed the Ecodesign Directive in 2005 which call s for an implementing measure to reduce standby power for a specified list of energy using products,

which include clothes washers. On December 18, 2008, the Commission of the European Communities published Commission Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008 containin g Ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode electric power consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment

. Table 3.7

. 7 presents the requ irements for energy consumption in standby and off mode power

. 27

Table 3.7

. 7 Proposed EU Ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode

Mode Maximum Power ( Watts ) Tier 1 ( effective January 07, 2010 )

Off (no function) 1.0 W Standby (only reactivation function) 1.0 W Standby (information or status display plus reactivation function ) 2.0 W Tier 2 ( effective January 07, 2013 ) Off (no function) 0.5 W Standby (only reactivation function) 0.5 W Standby (information or status display plus reactivation function ) 1.0 W

e For more information visit http://www.iea.org/

.3-17 3.8 VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS

DOE reviewed several voluntary programs promoting residential clothes washers in the United States. Many programs, including the CEE, ENERGY STAR, and FEMP, establish voluntary energy conservation standards for these products.

3.8.1 Consortium for Energy Efficiency

The CEE f develops initiatives for its North American members to promote the

man ufacture and purchase of energy efficient products and services. The goal of the or ganization is to induce lasting struc tural and behavioral changes in the marketplace, resulting in the increased adoption of energy efficient technologies

. The CEE has a Residential Clothes Washer

Initiative that encourages the purchase and use of energy and water efficient clothes washers.

Table 3.8

. 1 shows the three CEE Tiers for residential clothes washers as of January 1, 2011.

Table 3.8

. 1 CEE Criteria for Residential Clothes Washer s

Level MEF WF

Tier 1 2.00 6.0

Tier 2 2.20 4.5

Tier 3 2.40 4.0

3.8.2 ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR, a voluntary labeling program backed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOE, identifies energy efficient products through a qualification

process. g To qualify, a product must exceed Federal minimum standards by a specified amount, or if no Federal standard exists, exhibit selected energy saving features. The ENERGY STAR program works to recognize the top quartile of products on the market, meaning t hat approximately 25 percent of products on the market meet or exceed the ENERGY STAR levels. ENERGY STAR specifications exist for several products, including residential clothes washers.

ENERGY STAR criteria exist for top

- and front

- loading residential clothes washers with capacities greater than 1.6 cubic feet. New ENERGY STAR criteria for residential clothes washers, which include energy and water consumption rating s , became effective January 1,

2011. Table 3.8

. 2 shows t he previous and current ENERGY STAR criteria for residential clothes

washers.

f For more information visit http://www.cee1.org

.

g For more information visit http://www.energystar.gov

.3-18 Table 3.8

. 2 ENERGY STAR Criteria for Residential Clothes Washers

Clothes Washer

Classification Criteria Level

Jan. 1, 2001 Jan. 1, 2004 Jan. 1, 2007 July 1, 2009 Jan. 1, 2011 (Current) Top

- and front

- loading

clothes washers MEF ≥ 1.26 MEF ≥ 1.42 MEF ≥ 1.72

WF ≥ 8.0 MEF ≥ 1.8

WF ≥ 7.5 MEF ≥ 2.0

WF ≥ 6.0

3.8.3 Federal Energy Management Program

DOE’s FEMP h works to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the Federal government by advancing energy efficiency and water conservation, promoting the use of distributed and renewable energy, and improving utility management decis ions at Federal sites

. FEMP helps Federal buyers identify and purchase energy efficient equipment, including

residential clothes washers.

The National Energy Conservation Act (P.L. 95

- 619), Executive Order 13423

, and Federal Acquisition Regulations Subpa rt 23.2 and 53.223 require that Federal agencies purchase

ENERGY STAR

- qualified products. Table 3.8

. 3 presents the FEMP clothes washer

recommendations as of January 1, 2011

.

Table 3.8

. 3 FEMP Recommendations for Residential Clothes Washers

Clothes Washer Tub

Volume MEF WF

1.6 cubic feet or greater 2.0 or more 6.0 or less

3.8.4 Manufacturer Tax Credits for Energy

- Efficient Appliances

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005, Pub. L. 109

- 58) provides tax credits to manufacturers for energy

- efficient residential clothes washers. These credits were intended to help manufacturers meet the costs of producing appliances that exceeded the Federal standards.

The total credit for residenti al clothes washers is equal to the applicable credit amount multiplied by the eligible production, subject to credit limitations. For residential clothes washers manufactured in 2006 or 2007 that meet the requirements of the ENERGY STAR program which

are i n effect for clothes washers in 2007, the applicable amount is $100. The eligible production for residential clothes washers in a calendar year is the excess of the number of residential clothes washers which are produced by the taxpayer in the United Stat es during such calendar year over the average number of residential clothes washers which were produced by the taxpayer (or any predecessor) in the United States during the preceding 3

- calendar year period. (section 1334 of EPACT 2005; codified at 26 U.S.C . 42M)

h For more information visit htt p://www.eere.energy.gov/femp

.3-19 3.8.5 Consumer Tax Credits for Energy

- Efficient Appliances

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Pub L. 110

- 343) provides tax credits for energy efficient appliances purchased in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The amount of the tax credit depends on th e efficiency level of the clothes washer and the year of manufacture of the clothes

washer

. Table 3.8

. 4 lists the program requirements for the residential clothes washer tax credits. (26 U.S.C. 45M)

Table 3.8

. 4 Consumer Tax Credits Offered for Energy Efficient Clothes Washers

Year of Manufacture Efficiency Level 2008 2009 2010

MEF 1.72 / WF 8.0 $75

- - MEF 1.8 / WF 7.5 $125 $125

- MEF 2.0 / WF 6.0 $150 $150 $150

MEF 2.2 / WF 4.5 $250 $250 $250

3.8.6 Rebates for Highly Energy

- Efficient Products

Electric utilities and other organizations promote the purchase of highly energy

- efficient residential clothes washers through consumer rebates. Typically, these programs offer rebates for products meeting existing ENERGY STAR efficiency levels. Table 3.8

. 5 lists some r ebates that

were offered in 2008

. Some utilities also offer incentives to retire old and inefficient appliances.

Table 3.8

. 5 Rebates Offered for Highly Energy

- Efficient Clothes Washers in 2008 28

Utility/Organization* Rebate Level

Alliant Energy (Iowa and Minnesota) $100 ( ENERGY STAR ) Efficiency Vermont $50 ( ENERGY STAR )

Energy Trust of Oregon $75 (2.0

– 2.19 MEF) $100 (2.2 MEF or higher)
Long Island Power Authority $50 (2.2 MEF or higher, 4.5 WF or lower)

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Northern California) $35 (CEE Tier 2) $75 (CEE Tier 3)

Puget Sound Energy (Washington) $50 (CEE Tier 1) $75 (CEE Tier 2) $100 (CEE Tier 3)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (CA) $100 (CEE Tier 1) $200 (CEE Tier 2 and 3) Additional $50

- 75 (WF 6.0 or lower) Southern California Gas Company $35 ( ENERGY STAR )

* The table includes a survey of a limited number of rebate programs

. Additional programs may exist.3-20 3.9 HISTORICAL SHIPMENTS

Awareness of annual product shipment trends is an important aspect of the market assessment and in the development of the standards rulemaking. DOE reviewed data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, EPA, and AHAM to evaluate residential appliance product shipment trends and the value of these shipments, which were used during the shipments analysis (chapter

9 of this TSD .)

3.9.1 New Home Starts

Trends in new home starts may directly affect shipments of certain home appliances. While there is certainly both a replacement and remodeling market for some appliances including cooking products, these products are also fixtures in vi rtually all new homes. Multi

family unit starts can also affect shipments of residential clothes washers.

Table 3.9

. 1 and Figure 3.9

. 1 show the number of new single

- family and multi

- family housing units started in the United States from 1998

– 20 10

. Over the 5

- year period from 2000

– 2005, single

- family home starts increased 3 9 percent, to 1,716,000 units annually. However,

between 2005 and 200 9 , single

- family home starts decreased 74 percent, to 445 ,000 units

annual ly. Multi

- family unit starts remained relatively stable during the period 1998

- 2005 at around 350,000 units annually. Between 2005 and 200 9 , multi

- family units decreased 30.8
percent to 109 ,000 units annually . Both single

- family and multi

- family housing st arts increased by approximately six percent in 2010 compared to 2009

. 29

Table 3.9

. 1 New Privately Owned Single

- Family and Multi

- Family Housing Unit Starts in

the United States from 1998

– 20 10 30

Year Single

Unit ( 1000 ) Multi

Unit ( 1000 )

Figure 3.9

. 1 Single

- Family and Multi

- Family Housing Unit Starts

, 1998

– 20 10 1998 1271 346

1999 1302 339

2000 1231 338

2001 1273 329

2002 1359 346

2003 1499 349

2004 1611 345

2005 1716 353

2006 1465 336

2007 1046 309

2008 622 284

2009 445 109

2010 471 116 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Housing Units Started (thousands) Single

- Family and Multi

- Family Housing Unit Starts

Single Unit

Multi

- Unit3-21 3.9.2 Unit Shipments

AHAM’s Fact Book 2003 and 2005 provide annual unit shipments for residential clothes

washers from 1992 to 2005. Shipments for 2006 through 20 10 were obtained from Appliance Magazine. Table 3.9

. 2 and Figure 3.9

. 2 below show the annual shipments of residential clothes washers for the period from 1992 to 20 10

. Shipments of residential clo thes washers increased by

69 percent from 1992 to 200 6

. After an extended period of steady growth, residential clothes washer shipments declined in 200 9 to around 7.9 million units

, largely coinciding with the decrease in new housing starts.

Table 3.9

. 2 Industry Shipments of Residential Clothes Washers 1992

– 2010 (Domestic and Import, in Thousands of Units) 31

, 32

Year No. Clothes

Washers ( Thousands )

Figure 3.9

. 2 Annual Shipments of Residential Clothes Washers

, 1992

– 20 10 1992 5,632

1993 5,923

1994 6,161

1995 6,080

1996 6,225

1997 6,326

1998 6,835

1999 7,313

2000 7,495

2001 7,362

2002 7,745

2003 8,146

2004 8,832

2005 9,394

2006 9,500

2007 9,002

2008 8,292

2009 7,865

2010 7,999

Figure 3.9

. 3 shows the market share of top

- load ing and front

- load ing residential clothes

washers from 2006

– 2008 according to data submitted by AHAM for this rulemaking

. 33 The market share of top

- load ing clothes washers has dropped from 74.2 percent in 2006 to 63.6 percent in 2008, while the market share of front

- load ing clothes washers has risen from 25.8 percent in 2006 to 36.4 percent in 2008. 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000No. of Clothes Washers (thousands) Annual Shipments of Residential Clothes Washers3-22 Figure 3.9

. 3 Market Share of Top

- Loading and Front

- Loading Residential Clothes

Washers
, 2006

– 2008

ENERGY STAR market share data are an indicator of the demand for highly energy

efficient appliances

. Table 3.9

. 3 and Figure 3.9

. 4 show the ENERGY STAR

- qualified clothes washer shipments and market share from 199 8 to 200 9 from the ENERGY STAR website. 34

Sales of ENERGY STAR

- qualified clothes washers gr ew faster than the overall total sales of clothes washers during the period 1998

– 2006. However, sales of ENERGY STAR

- qualified clothes washers decreased by almost 50 percent from 2006 to 2008, while total sales decreased by only 13 percent during the same period. Part of the disproportionate decrease may be d ue to the implementation of new ENERGY STAR criteria in 2007 , which increased the MEF by 21
percent and added a new WF requi rement. Under the new criteria, many previously qualified models, particularly traditional top

- load ing clothes washers , no longer qualified for the

ENERGY STAR label

. Pa rt of the disproportionate decrease may also be due to the deteriorating U.S. economy during that period; consumers may have opted for lower

- priced, less energy

effi cient clothes washer models. ENERGY STAR sales increased sharply in 2009 to 48 percent

of total s hipments

.3-23 Table 3.9

. 3 ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Shipments and Market Share , 1998

– 2009 (Domestic and Import) 35

, 36

, 37

Shipments ( thousand units )

Figure 3.9

. 4 ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Shipments and Market Share , 1998

– 200 9 Year %
ENERGY

STAR Total No.
ENERGY

STAR

1998 5.5% 6,835 376

1999 8.5% 7,313 622

2000 9.3% 7,495 697

2001 a 10.3% 7,362 758

2002 16.3% 7,745 1,262

2003 23.1% 8,146 1,882

2004 b 27.2% 8,832 2,402

2005 36.4% 9,394 3,419

2006 37.9% 9,500 3,601

2007 c 41.6% 9,002 3,745

2008 23.7% 8,292 1,965

2009 48.3% 7,865 3,800

a) Energy Star criteria changed to MEF ≥ 1.26

. b) Energy Star criteria changed to MEF ≥ 1.42. c) Energy Star criteria changed to MEF ≥ 1.72 and WF ≥ 8.0

. d) According to ENERGY STAR, t he validity of the clothes washer data for quarter one and quarter three in 2007 is questionable . It is expected that the incorrect coding of previously qualified units for these two quarters resulted in a higher than actual market share projection. Actual ENERGY STAR shipments are expected to have been closer to 30% , as indicated by the dashed line in the graph

.

3.9.3 Value of Shipments

Table 3.9.4 and Figure 3.9.5 provide the annual shipment value for the NAICS product

class fo r household laundry (product class code 335224) , which includes residential clothes washers and clothes dryer shipments, from 2004 to 20 10 based upon data from the U.S. Census

Bureau’s Current Industrial Reports (CIR) i and Annual Survey of Manufacturers (A SM) j

. The U.S. Census Bureau shipment values are expressed in nominal dollars; i.e. , 20 10 data are expressed in 20 10 dollars, and 2007 data are expressed in 2007 dollars. DOE converted each year’s value of shipments to 2010 dollars using producer price index (PPI) data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for NAICS 335224: Household laundry equipment manufacturing k

.

i Available online at http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/index.html

j Available online at h ttp://www.census.gov/manufacturing/asm/index.html

k PPI data available at http://www.bls.gov/ppi/ 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000Annual Sales (thousand units) Total

ENERGY STAR3-24 Table 3.9

. 4 Annual Value of Shipments of Household Laundry Equipment 38

Annual Shipment Value ($ millions )

Figure 3.9

. 5 Annual Shipment Value of Household Laundry Appliances, 2004

– 2010 Year Nominal

Dollars 2010

Dollars

2004 5,030.7 5,752.7

2005 5,268.2 5,829.8

2006 5,184.4 5,556.0

2007 5,231.6 5,446.3

2008 5,834.8 5,944.4

2009 4,820.0 4,865.9

2010 4,656.8 4,656.8

3.9.4 Imports and Exports

Each month AHAM publishes import and export data for certain home appliances, which includes year

- to

- date annual summaries. Figure 3.9.6 shows selected import/export data from

AHAM’s Import/Export Trade Reports for Dec ember 2005

– 20 10

. 39 Imports increased in 2006 compared to 2005, and then decreased substantially during 2007 through 20 10 . Exports increased

from 2005 to 2007 and decreased through 20 10

.

Figure 3.9

. 6 Imports and Exports of Residential Clothes Washers

, 2005

– 20 10 40 $0 $1,000 $2,000 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000 $6,000 $7,000$ millions

Nominal Dollars

2010 Dollars

0 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000 3,000,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010No. of Clothes Washers

Exports

Imports3-25 3.10 HISTORICAL EFFICIENCIES

The average efficiency of new residential clothes washers has increased greatly since

1990

. Table 3.10

. 1 and Figure 3.10

. 1 s ho w the shipment

- weighted trends in tub volume, energy consumption, and energy efficiency from 1990

– 2008. The data indicate the changes in efficiency resulting from Federal energy conservation standards that took effect in 1994 and 2004

.

Table 3.10

. 1 Residential Clothes Washer Tub Volume , Energy Consumption, and Energy Efficiency Trends (Shipment Weighted Averages) 41

Year Tub

Volume ( ft

3 ) Energy Consumption

( kWh /cycle ) Energy

Factor

Figure 3.10

. 1 Tub Volume, Energy Consumption, and Energy Efficiency Trends for Residential Clothes Washers, 1990

– 2008 2008 3.22 0.80 1.67

2007 3.16 0.82 1.66

2006 3.13 1.18 1.42

2005 3.08 1.13 1.37

2004* 3.05 1.22 1.35*

2003 3.01 1.97 1.83

2002 2.96 2.13 1.64

2001 2.96 2.19 1.55

2000 2.92 2.2 0 1.47

1999 2.89 2.17 1.47

1998 2.85 2.27 1.41

1997 2.83 2.21 1.34

1996 2.8 0 2.24 1.26

1995 2.72 2.22 1.23

1994 2.69 2.23 1.21

1993 2.71 2.71 1 .00

1992 2.71 2.67 1.02

1991 2.72 2.68 1.01

1990 2.63 2.67 0.99

*2004 energy descriptor changed from EF to MEF ; cannot be compared with previous years.

3.11 MARKET SATURATION

Appliance Magazine’s annual Portrait of the Appliance Industry presents the market

saturation for major appliances, including clothes washers

. Table 3.11

. 1 presents the clothes

washer saturation rate from 2000 to 2008 as reported in the September 200 8

– 2009 editions of Appliance Magazine. 42 According to the data, t he saturation rate of clothes washers has remained fairly constant at around 95 percent during this period.3-26 Table 3.11

. 1 Cl othes Washer Saturation Rate for U.S. Households , 2000

– 2008 43

Product 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Clothes Washers 93 % 94% 94% 94% 95% 93% 95% 95% 95%

3.12 PRODUCT RETAIL PRICE S

Table 3.12

. 1 presents the average retail prices (in nominal dollars) of residential clothes washers and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of each year (1982

– 84 = 100). Although prices for

automatic clothes washers increased from 1980 to 2002, the increase was at a much slower rate

than the annual rate of inflation. Since 2002, the average retail price has decreased, resulting in a net decrease in average retail price between 1980 and 2005.

Table 3.12

. 1 Residential Appliance Retail Prices 44

Product Average Retail Prices ( Nominal $ ) Percent Change

1980 1994 2002 2005 1980

– 2005

Automatic Clothes Washers 386 394 426 359

- 7.0%

Consumer Price Index * 82.4 148.2 179.9 195.3 137.0% * U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index: U.S. city average. 1982

– 84 = 100.

. DOE conducted an in

- depth survey of consumer retail prices for residential clothes

washers in December 2009. DOE aggregated consumer prices from three major appliance

retailers : Sears, Home Depot, and AJMadison.com website s . The Sears and Home Depot websites were used for this search. DOE identified a total of 174 models (74 standard

- size top

lo ading clothes washers , 100 front

- loading clothes washers ) , which encompassed 20 different

brands. For models that were available in multiple colors, or at multiple retailers, DOE used the least expensive full price, not including retail discounts. DOE used the CEC l and ENERGY

STAR m Figure 3.12

. 1 databases to match MEF and WF data with each clothes washer model.

and Figure 3.12

. 2 summarize the data collected by DOE. The figure shows that retail price is generally a function of location of access ( i.e ., top

- loading or front

- loadi ng) and efficiency, although there is a significant overlap of retail prices for higher

- efficiency top

- loading and

lower

- efficiency front

- loading clothes washers. The consumer retail prices for top

- loading ranged from $319 to $1,259, with an average of $63 6. The consumer retail prices for front

loading ranged from $519 to $2,449, with an average of $1,041. If the four top

- loading outliers are removed, the average front

- loading price is $993. Note that these do not represent shipment

weighted averages.

l CEC appliance efficiency database available online at: htt p://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/database/ . Data collected did not include retail prices for combination washer/dryer units.

m ENERGY STAR database available at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=clotheswash.search_clotheswashers3-27 Figure 3.12

. 1 Residential Clothes Washer Retail Price as a F unction of MEF , December

2009

Figure 3.12

. 2 Residential Clothes Washer Retail Prices as a Function of Location of Access

, December 2009

As discussed further in C hapter 8 of the TSD, DOE used manufacturing costs developed for specific standard levels in combination with manufacturer and distributo r markups, sales taxes, and installation costs to establish the total installed cost differences between baseline and

more efficient residential clothes washers. DOE used the above range in current retail price differences between top

- loading and front

- loa ding clothes washers as an indication of the reasonableness of the total installed cost estimates that it developed for residential clothes

washers.3-28 3.13 INDUSTRY COST STRUCT URE

DOE developed the household appliance industry cost structure from publicly availa ble

information from the ASM and Economic Census , ( Table 3.13.1 through Table 3.13

. 4 ) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 10

- K reports filed by publicly owned manufacturers (summarized in Table 3.13

. 5 ).

Table 3.13.1 and Figure 3.13

. 1 present the major appliance manufacturing i ndustry (NAICS code 33522) employment levels and earnings from 199 9

- 200 9

. The statistics illustrate a steady decline in the number of production and non

- production workers in the industry. DOE converted the payroll data to constant 20 09 dollars using the Gross Domestic Product Implicit Price Deflator published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis n Table 3.13.1

. shows that as industry employment levels decline, the industry payroll in constant 20 0 9 dollars is also decreasing. The percent decrease in total industry employees tracks closely with the percent decrease in pa yroll for all employees.

Table 3.13

. 1 Major Appliance Manufacturing Industry Employment and Earnings 45

Year Production

Workers All Employees Payroll for All Employees ( 20 09 $ Mil )

Figure 3.13

. 1 Major Appliance Indust ry Employment and Earnings, 1999

– 200 9 2009 32,875 37,905 1,511.3

2008 39,208 45,152 1,791.4

2007 46,572 53,162 1,969.4

2006 49,360 56,174 2,144.3

2005 54,586 63,535 2,232.3

2004 57,660 68,213 2,362.4

2003 58,289 68,593 2,328.3

2002 59,234 70,013 2,387.3

2001 60,669 70,938 2,417.5

2000 64,417 75,055 2,533.8

199 9 64,066 73,884 2,435.7

Table 3.13

. 2 and Figure 3.13

. 2 present the employments levels and payroll for just the household laundry portion of the major appliance industry. Statistics for both emplo yment level s and payroll show steady declines over the 10

- year period , with payroll and employment levels again showing a positive correlation.

n Available online at http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/SelectTable.asp $0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,500 $4,000

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000Payroll (2009 $ million)No. Employees

All Employees

Production Workers

Payroll3-29 Table 3.13

. 2 Household Laundry Industry Employment and Earnings 46

Year Production

Workers All Employees Payroll

for All Employees

( 20 0 9 $

Mil )

Figure 3.13

. 2 Household Laundry Indust ry Employment and Earnings, 1999

– 200 9 2009 7,326 7,927 315.6

2008 8,895 9,579 366.9

2007 10,864 11,741 440.6

2006 11,669 13,298 544.9

2005 12,590 14,468 517.1

2004 12,853 15,140 552.9

2003 13,137 15,510 572.1

2002 13,460 15,878 617.3

2001 12,833 14,918 541.0

2000 13,259 15,503 568.9

1999 14,034 15,915 554.1

Table 3.13

. 3 and Figure 3.13

. 3 present the cost of materials and industry payroll as a percentage of value of ship ments from 199 9

– 200 9

. Payroll data is indicated for production workers as well as all employees, which includes production workers. The cost of materials as a percentage of value of shipments has declined from 5 5

. 7 percent to 58.8 percent over the 10

- year period, with minor fluctuations

. The cost of payroll for production workers as a percentage of value of shipments has declined from 10. 7 percent to 6.4 percent over the 10

- year period. Similarly, the cost of total payroll as a percentage of value of shipme nts has declined from 1 3.9

percent in 199 9 to 8.3 percent in 200 9

. $0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 $900 $1,000

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000Payroll (2009 $ million)No. Employees

All Employees

Production Workers

Payroll3-30 Table 3.13

. 3 Major Appliance Manufacturing Industry Materials and Wages Cost 47

Cost as a Percentage of Value of Shipments ( % )

Figure 3.13

. 3 Materials and Wages Cost as a Percentage of Shipments Value for Major Appliances, 199 9

– 200 9 Year Materials Payroll for

Production

Workers Payroll for

All Employees a

2009 44.7% 6.4% 8.3%

2008 56.3% 7.4% 9.5%

2007 58.8% 8.1% 10.1%

2006 58.7% 8.5% 10.6%

2005 57.7% 8.5% 10.7%

2004 58.3% 9.3% 12.0%

2003 56.8% 9.5% 12.4%

2002 57.0% 10.2% 13.5%

2001 58.5% 10.7% 14.0%

2000 57.3% 10.8% 14.2%

1999 55.7% 10.7% 13.9%

a) Payroll for All Employees includes p ayroll for Production Workers

Table 3.13

. 4 and Figure 3.13

. 4 show the cost of materials and industry payroll as a percentage of value of shipments for the household laundry industry from 199 9

– 200 9

. Material prices as a percentage of value of shipments have fluctuated over the 10

- year period, decreasing

from 5 3

. 9 percent in 199 9 to 42.2 percent in 200 9

. DOE notes that fluctuations in raw material costs are common from year to year. The cost of payroll for production workers as a percentage of value of shipments has as declined from 10. 5 percent to 5.5 percent over the 10

- year peri od. The cost of total payroll as a percentage of value of shipments has followed the same general trend, decreasing from 1 3

. 3 percent in 199 9 to 6 .5 percent in 200 9

. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%Percentage of Value of Shipments All Other Employees

Production Workers

Materials3-31 Table 3.13

. 4 Household Laundry Indust ry Materials and Wages Cost 48

Cost as a Percentage of Value of Shipments ( % )

Figure 3.13

. 4 Materials and Wages Cost as a Percentage of Shipments Value for

Household Laundry, 199 9

– 200 9 Year Materials Payroll for

Production

Workers Payroll for

All Employees a

2009 42.2% 5.5% 6.5%

2008 47.7% 5.4% 6.3%

2007 53.2% 7.3% 8.4%

2006 52.6% b 8.5% 10.5%

2005 52.1% 7.7% 9.8%

2004 52.1% 8.4% 11.0%

2003 54.7% 9.1% 12.0%

2002 55.9% 10.3% 14.0%

2001 58.3% 9.6% 12.3%

2000 56.3% 10.1% 13.4%

1999 53.9% 10.5% 13.3%

a) Payroll for All Employees includes payroll for Production Workers b) Cost of Materials data not available for 2006; the average value from 2005 and 2007 was used as an estimate.

Table 3.13

. 5 presents the industry cost structure derived from SEC 10

- K reports of publicly owned home appliance manufacturers. DOE averaged the financial data from 200 5

– 200 8 of

U.S.

- based appliance manufacturers to obtain an industry average. Each financial statement entry is presented as a percentage of total revenues.

Table 3.13

. 5 Industry Cost Structure Using SEC Data, Average 2005

– 2008

Financial Statement Entry Percent of Revenues

Cost of sales 83.8 %

Net income 2.7 % Selling, general and administrative 11.2 % Capital expenditure 3.1 % Research and development 2.3% Depreciation and amortization 3.2 % Net plant, property and equipment 17.4 % Working capital 3.2 %

Figure 3.13.5 presents the industry

- average gross margin over the period from 200 2

– 200 8 for the same manufacturers from which the indus try cost structure is derived. The slope of the curve indicates the downward cost pressure facing manufacturers. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%Percentage of Value of Shipments All Other Employees

Production Workers

Materials3-32 Figure 3.13

. 5 Appliance Industry Average Gross Margin Derived from SEC Data

A detailed financial a nalysis is presented in the MIA ( s ee c hapter 1 3 of this TSD)

. This analysis identifies key financial inputs including cost of capital, working capital, depreciation, and capital expenditures.

3.14 INVENTORY LEVELS AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION RATES

Table 3.14

. 1 and Figure 3.14

. 1 show the year

- end inventory for the major appliance manufacturing industry. Table 3.14

. 2 and Figure 3.14

. 2 show the year

- end inventory for the household laundry manufacturing industr y. DOE used annu al data from the ASM and converted the inventory data to 2009 dollars using the PPI. Both in dollars and as a percentage of value of shipments, the end

- of

- year inventory for the major appliance industry steadily declined between

1999 and 200 5 . Inventor ies increased beginning in 200 6

, corresponding to the deterioration of the

U.S. economy during that period

. Household laundry equipment manufacturing generally experienced this same trend, with the rise in inventories beginning in 2005.3-33 Table 3.14

. 1 Major Appliance Manufacturi ng Industry Inventory Levels 49

Year End

- of

- Year Inventory ( 20 09 $ Mil ) EOY Inventory as a Percentage

of Value of Shipments ( % )

Figure 3.14

. 1 Major Appliances Manufacturing

End

- of

- Year Inventory, 199 9

– 200 9 2009 1,150 6.3%

2008 1,334 7.1%

2007 1,453 7.5%

2006 1,261 6.2%

2005 1,265 6.1%

2004 1,236 6.3%

2003 1,187 6.3%

2002 1,249 7.1%

2001 1,363 7.9%

2000 1,515 8.5%

1999 1,491 8.5%

Table 3.14

. 2 Household Laundry Industry Inventory Levels 50

Year End

- of

- Year Inventory ( 20 09 $ Mil ) EOY Inventory as a Percentage of

Value of Shipments ( % )

Figure 3.14

. 2 Household Laundry Equipment Manufacturing End

- of

- Year Inventory, 199 9

– 200 9 2009 240 5.0%

2008 263 4.5%

2007 274 5.2%

2006 273 5.3%

2005 217 4.1%

2004 193 3.8%

2003 210 4.4%

2002 232 5.3%

2001 265 6.1%

2000 241 5.7%

1999 360 8.7% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9%

$0 $200 $400 $600 $800 $1,000 $1,200 $1,400 $1,600 $1,800 $2,000Inventory Percent of Value of ShipmentsInventory ($ 2009 millions)

End

- of

- Year Inventory

% of Value of Shipments

0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10%

$0 $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 $350 $400 $450 $500Inventory Percent of Value of ShipmentsInventory ($ 2009 millions)

End

- of

- Year Inventory

% of Value of Shipments3-34 DOE obtained full production capacity utilization rates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Plant Capacity from 1999

– 2010

. Table 3.14

. 3 and Figure 3.14

. 3 present utilization

rates for the household appliance industry. Full production capacity is defined as the maximum level of production an establishment could attain under normal operating conditions. In the Survey of Plant Capacity report s , the full production utilization rate is a ratio of the actual level of operations to the full production level. The full production capacity utilizati on rate for all household appliances show s fairly steady utilization between 70

- 78 percent from 1998

– 2007

, with a significant decrease to less than 65 percent between 2008

– 2010

.

Table 3.14

. 3 Full Production Capacity Utilization Rates 51

Year Plant Capacity

Utilization Rates ( % )

Figure 3.14

. 3 Plant Capacity Utilization, 1998

– 2010 2010 64%

2009 59%

2008 69%

2007 76%

2006 77%

2005 74%

2004 76%

2003 78%

2002 72%

2001 70%

2000 70%

1999 75%

1998 73%

3.15 TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMEN T

This section provides a technology assessment for residential clothes washers. Contained in this technology assessment are details about product characteristics and operation (section

3.15.1 ), an examination of possible technological improvem ents for each product (section

3.15.2 ), and a characterization of the product efficiency levels currently residentially available (section 3.15.3 ).

3.15.1 Product Operations and Components

In preparation for the screening and engineering analyses, DOE prepared a brief description of the characteristics and operation of residential c lothes washers

. These descriptions provide a basis for understanding the technologies used to improve product efficiency. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%Utilization (%)3-35 Residential clothes washers are appliances designed to clean clothes using a solution of soap and/or detergent and water with mechani cal agitation. Clothes washers use electricity to operate one or more pumps and to power an electric motor that agitates and spins the clothes. Clothes are washed, rinsed, and spun within a tub that is inside a cabinet. Because clothes washers require heat ed water for hot and warm water cycles, a separate water heater is typically needed to supply hot water. Most of the energy used by clothes washers is for water heating. Water is fed into the clothes washer through electrically operated water valves : o ne c onnected to a hot water supply line and a second connected to a cold water supply line.

Traditional top

- loading clothes washers have an opening on the top of the cabinet, covered by a door, which gives access to the inner basket where the load to be washe d is placed

. The inner basket is typically perforated and is surrounded by a larger outer tub which holds the water when the machine is running. The inner basket typically contains an agitator along a vertical axis, which undergoes a reversing circular mot ion. The motion of the agitator, which is powered by an electric motor, circulates the clothes vertically from the bottom to the top of the basket. The spinning action of the inner basket and the drain pump are also powered by the motor. Traditional top

- lo ading clothes washers use more water than other types of washers, and therefore, consume more energy during heated wash cycles. They also typically extract less water from laundry during the spin cycle, which results in longer drying time and greater energ y consumption.

Non

- agitator top

- loading clothes washers may have a “wash plate” rather than an agitator to move the clothes within the basket. These top

- loading clothes washers function by partially filling the tub with water for wash and rinse cycles and using very high spin speeds to extract rinse water from the clothes during the spin cycle. These top

- loading clothes washers are more efficient in terms of water and energy than traditional top

- load ing clothes wash ers, but their high spin speeds that redu ce drying time (and thus dryer energy consumption) may wrinkle clothing more than traditional top

- load ing clothes washer spin speeds. These machines work best with

low

- foaming, high efficiency detergent.

Front

- loading clothes washers utilize a cylindrical tub or drum rotating on a horizontal or nearly

- horizontal axis to wash clothes. Clothes are usually loaded along the axis of the cylindrical drum, which has led to this type of clothes washer to be called front

- load ing . The clothes are cleaned by tumbling them in the water ( i.e ., clothes are lifted to the top of the drum by the rotation of the cylinder and then dropped into the water below.) The cylindrical drum is only partially filled with water for wash and rinse cycles. High spin speeds are used to ext ract the water from the clothes during the spin cycles. These clothes washers are typically more efficient in terms of water and energy than traditional top

- load ing clothe wash ers, but as for non

- agitator

top

- loading clothes washers, their high spin speeds may wrinkle clothing.

Although most clothes washers using a horizontal

- axis rotating drum are front

- loading, they can be designed to be top

- loading as well. In a top

- loading horizontal

- axis design, the cabinet has a door at the top that opens above the washer drum. Another door that slides or pivots open then provides access to the inner drum.3-36 3.15.2 Technology Options

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the technological i mprovements used to increase the efficiency of residential clothes washers, DOE identified several possible technologies and examined the most common improvements used in today’s market.

DOE consider ed technologies identified in its most recent analysis of amended energy conservation standards as well as from information published in recent trade publications, technical reports, and manufacturers’ literature. Most of the technologies listed in Table 3.15

. 1

— with exceptions noted below

— are taken from a 1996 report prepared for DOE entitled Design Options for Clothes Washers

. 52 I mproved horizontal

- axis

- washer drum design was identified in the September 2005 edition of App liance Magazine

. 53 Plastic particle cleaning was indentified in the September 2008 edition of Appliance Magazine

. 54 DOE has included spray rinse and advanced agitator technology options based on comments to the most recent standards rulemaking for commercial clothes washers. DOE believes that residential and commercial clothes washer platform designs and technologies are similar, with the main difference being that commercial clothes washers are built for more rugged and frequent use. Based on a review of the International Standby Basket of Products Survey o

, which showed a wide range of standby power

for front

- loading clothes washers surveyed in the United States, and a review of controller and display options available for all residential clothes washers currently available on the market,

DOE added the low

- standby

- power design option. DOE also added hot water circulation loop based on a review of technical reports. Of the technologies listed below, the current DOE test procedure cannot measure the possible energy savings of adaptive control systems (other than adaptive

- water

- fill control systems).

o International Basket of Products Survey

, Funded by the Asia

- Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and

Climate. Available online at: http://www.energyrating.gov.au/standbydata/app/Default.aspx3-37 Table 3.15

. 1 Technology Options for Residential Clothes Washers

1. Adaptive control systems

2. Added insulation

3. Advanced agitation concepts for vertical

- axis machines

4. Automatic fill control

5. Bubble action

6. Direct

- drive motor

7. Electrolytic disassociation of water

8. Horizontal

- axis design

9. Horizontal

- axis design with recirculation

10. Hot water circulation loop

11. Improved fill control

12. Improved horizontal

- axis

- washer drum design

13. Improved water extraction to lower remaining moisture content

14. Increased motor efficiency

15. Low standby

- power design

16. Ozonated laundering

17. Plastic particle cleaning

18. Reduced thermal mass

19. Silver ion injection

20. Spray rinse or similar water

- reducing rinse technology

21. Thermostatically

- controlled mixing valves

22. Tighter tub tolerance

23. Ultrasonic washing

As described in the 1996 report on Design Options for Clothes Washers , DOE at that

time eliminated the following technologies from further analysis: bubble action, electric disassociation of water; ozonated laundering; reduced thermal mass; suds savings; and ultrasonic washing. DOE will re

- examine whether the basis for eliminating these techn ologies from further analysis is still valid.

Adaptive control system

According to the current DOE test procedure (10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J2 ), “an adaptive control system refers to a clothes washer control system which is capable of

automa tically adjusting washer operation or washing conditions based on characteristics of the clothes load placed in the clothes container, without allowing or requiring consumer intervention

or actions.” This technology option uses sensors to measure the soil load to adjust the wash temperature, agitation and/or tumble cycle time, number of rinse cycles, spin speed, and other
parameters. Modular design also enables packaging multiple sensors into one probe, thereby reducing installation costs and decreasing the potential for leak points. 55 Water and energy use can then be tailored to the load, thereby avoiding washing the clothes more than necessary. Although the DOE test procedure does not provide a means for determining the energy consumption of a clothes washe r with an adaptive control system, the t est procedure does allow for specific field test procedures to measure energy consumption.3-38 Residential clothes washers have used fuzzy logic to weigh laundry loads and regulate the length of the cycle, water level, number of rinses, and drying time

. 56 Specific clothes washer designs have incorporated fuzzy logic to optimize the washing process while conserving water

usage. The fuzzy

- logic control determines the absorbency of the items being washed at the

earliest stage possible after the start of the washing cycle. The system determines the correct water quantity for clear

- water washing and subsequent rinsing

. 57

Added insulation

This technology option adds insulation around the outer wash tub. Because some heat

e nergy is lost through the shell of the clothes washer, adding insulation around the outer tub slightly reduces the water temperature needed for a hot wash. However, since the wash cycle is relatively short and the thermal mass of the water is very high, th ere is very little change in water temperature from adding insulation. Computer simulations performed on a traditional top

loading vertical

- axis clothes washer for a 20

- minute wash cycle at 140 degrees Fahrenheit ( °F ) showed that adding 1 inch of fiberglas s insulation relative to no insulation resulted in only a 1

– 2 °F increase in water temperature during parts of the wash. 58

Advanced agitation concepts for vertical

- axis machines

Advanced agitation concepts replace the standard agitator found in traditional top

- loading

vertical

- axis machines with an alternative manipulator to agitate clothes and thus mechanically

remove soil

. In the residential clothes washer market, these alternatives to agitators have taken different forms, including nutating pl ates, rotating disks, and side

- mounted agitators. In some instances, such agitation concepts allow a vertical

- axis washer to avoid the need to cover all clothes completely with water, rotating them in and out of the water

- filled portion of the basket,

much like horizontal

- axis washers. Haier manufacturers a clothes washer in which the tub and pulsator spin in one direction while the inner tub and agitator spin in the opposite direction. Whirlpool manufacturers a clothes washer with a washplate that can adju st the amount of motion

based on fabric saturation levels. Advanced agitation systems add considerable complexity to a

vertical

- axis clothes washer, and residential clothes washers that feature these technologies are sold for prices comparable to horizonta l

- axis clothes washers.

Since the DOE test procedure captures the amount of water that a clothes washer consumes, the benefits of an advanced agitation concept washer can be directly measured and quantified via the WF. Potential energy savings are captu red by the MEF as long as a portion of the washing cycle consumes heated water.

Automatic fill control

This technology option incorporates advanced control technologies to sense the clothes load and adjust the water level accordingly. For a traditional top

- loading vertical

- axis machine, this may mean setting the water level to just submerge the clothes load. This technology option can overcome the tendency of consumers to manually select a water level greater than required3-39 for a given load. Different typ es of sensors are available for controlling water volume including liquid

- level sensors, which measures water levels at the tub bottom, or thermal

- based water flow sensors, which are also known as thermo

- anemometers. 59

The implementation of this feature va ries. While this feature is inexpensive to implement

in all horizontal

- axis washers, vertical

- axis washers do not benefit from the same advantages regarding drum geometry and rotation axis. p As a result, automatic fill control is typically only

found in higher

- end vertical

- axis models that have electronic controls and proprietary designs, limiting adoption to a small percentage of the vertical

- axis market. Energy is saved in either

vertical

- or horizontal

- axis designs by reducing the amount of hot water u sed in the wash cycle.

Bubble action

Daewoo has developed an air

- bubble washing machine. This machine uses a low

- profile impeller typical in Asian

- style vertical

- axis washers and combines it with a six

- winged, rotating pulsator shaped to direct water i n four directions. This pulsator also distributes air bubbles in

different directions. The bubbles are generated by a vibrating bellows, which is driven by an electromagnet. Bubbles are reported to increase the cleaning power of the washer in several

ways: (1) by inducing a high

- frequency pressure fluctuation near the clothes, (2) by increasing the dissolution of detergent, (3) by increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen which increases the activity of the detergent, and (4) by lowering the viscosity of th e wash water. 60

, 61 Daewoo

washers that utilize air

- bubble washing action are available in the European market, but are not

available to U.S. consumers. 62

Sharp also developed a bubble washer in which the bubble

- generating device uses neuro

fuzzy

- logic cont rols. From a nozzle located at the bottom of the washer, air bubbles are generated by a computer

- controlled pulsator and circulated upward in vertical and horizontal swirling motions. The controls adjust the amount of water used, so that a single

- tub desig n that

washes the same load size as a conventional dual

- tub (inner and outer) configuration uses only. 70 percent as much water and detergent. 63 Although it is mentioned on the manufacturer’s website, this washer is not available in the United States

. 64 Sany o released a washer in Japan in 2002 that used an ultrasonic wave generator, along with electrodes on the side of the tub to electrolyze the water, as a bubble

- generating device. 65 Standardized and independent tests have yet to be conducted on the performan ce of the bubble

- action system; therefore, the energy savings potential and wash performance of the bubble

- action technology option is unknown.

Although bubble washing has been incorporated into residential clothes washers in Europe and Asia, production is still extremely limited and further commercialization in the

United States would require manufacturers to develop entirely new platforms.

p Horizontal

- axis washers can incorporate a fill switch in the sump to monitor water levels as the wash basket and its contents are rotated slowly at the beginning of the wash cycle. As dry clothes drop into the wash water, they absorb some of it and the water level in the sump drops. The fill switch then opens the fill valve(s) to raise the water level until the sump is full again. This approach does not work with vertical

- axis washers because the clothes are always immersed in the water. Proprietary solutions have been implemented on some vertical

- axis washers, however.3-40 Direct

- drive motor

This technology option is primarily intended for use in traditional top

- loading vertical

axi s machines. A traditional top

- loading vertical

- axis clothes washer uses an induction motor, a mechanical transmission, and sometimes a pulley belt. A direct

- drive motor can replace this conventional motor/transmission system. Rather than using a belt and/o r transmission, a motor could be directly connected to the agitator, thereby avoiding transmiss ion (gearbox) losses. In the past, Eaton, a motor manufacturer, claimed that this will result in less mechanical energy required, i.e. , less energy needed to run the agitator motor. This is accomplished by using a

brushless direct

- current (BLDC) motor with electronic controls.

Potential differences in cleaning performance due to the direct

- drive substitution were not measured by Eaton. In addition, other parameters such as cycle time or spin speed were not held constant in a comparison test with a conventional washer. For the machines tested, Eaton found savings of about 140 watt

- hours ( Wh ) per cycle, or 64 percent of motor energy use. When adjusted for th e direct

- drive standby power, this difference drops to about 35 Wh per cycle, or 16 percent of motor energy use. The direct

- drive standby power is the energy consumption when the

machine is “off”. In the “off” mode, the direct

- drive motor system has a powe r drain of 4.78 W. While the current DOE test procedure does not account for standby and off mode power use, DOE has initiated a test procedure change in parallel with the current rulemaking to incorporate standby mode and off mode power

. 66 Energy savings c ould be improved if the standby/off mode power loss was reduced.

In the past, some manufacturers have stated that a limiting performance factor for this technology option was physical siz e. However, GE, Haier, and Whirlpool use direct

- drive motors

on so me of their vertical

- axis washers. 67

, 68

, 69 Fisher & Paykel also manufactures four top

loading, vertical

- axis direct

- drive washing machines available in the U.S. market. 70 Some front

loading, horizontal

- axis machines also use a direct

- drive motor, including mo dels manufactured by LG and Whirlpool. 71

, 72

Electrolytic disassociation of water

The goal of electrolytic dis as sociation of water is to reduce hot water usage by substituting the electrolytic production of bleaching agents for the activation of bleaching

chemical reactions in detergents by hot water. A prototype clothes washer with electrolytic

dis as sociation of water has been successfully tested

. 73 Although commercial detergents perform better at high temperatures, the same hypochlorite concentration s obtained by adding bleaching agents to water can be achieved at low temperatures if the agents are produced by electrolytic

disassociation within the machine. The bleaching action is due to the chemical reaction of the oxygen (d erived from the chemical decomposition of the hypochlorite) with the insoluble organic compounds that constitute the soil in the clothes. Together they make soluble compounds

that are dissolved in the water.3-41 Electrolytic dis as sociation was tested in a la boratory electrochemical cell. Medium

- soiled

clothes and white materials were used in the test. The washing cycle test compared the energy consumption of electrolytic cleaning versus conventional detergents

. The first test cycle, utilizing electrolytic act ion, was performed by adding four grams per liter of salt to the room

- temperature
wash water in the machine

. The second test cycle was run with a commercial detergent at a wash

water temperature of 95 °F to 113 °F. For both wash methods, a normal cycle was run

. Initial tests showed that energy use dropped from about 2.65 kWh/cycle for a typical washing machine to 1.35 kWh/cycle for the new electrochemical method. The Haier WasH2o is a detergentless washer that uses electrolysis to separate water into ions. It is only available in China and France

and was released in 2008.

In the past, manufacturers have stated that electrolytic dis as sociation is not a workable approach. Primary concerns are negative effects on garments resulting from the bleaching

process and poor consumer acceptance due to their inability to control the chemistry and temperature in the wash portion of the cycle

. 74

Horizontal

- axis design

Front

- loading horizontal

- axis machines rotate the drum (wash basket) and clothes about a

horizontal axis. With this design, the drum does not have to be filled with water to cover the top

of the clothes. Therefore, horizontal

- axis machines use much less water than traditional top

loading vertical

- axis machines. At the beginning of each wash or rinse cycl e, the washer is filled to a specified level and the drum then rotates a few times. As dry clothes absorb the water, a water level sensor and the washer controller add water and keep rotating the drum slowly until the water level no longer changes, which s ignals that all clothes are saturated with water.

Thus, the water level is matched to the laundry load. Washing performance appears to be equal to that of vertical

- axis machines. In laboratory testing, horizontal

- axis machines used on average 40 percent less energy and 25 percent less water than traditional vertical

- axis washers

when normalized to clothes container volume. The horizontal

- axis machines also had greater soil

removal effectiveness 75

. Although water savings are realized with horizontal

- axis ma chines, DOE assumes that detergent use remains unchanged

. 76 77

In the previous residential clothes washer rulemaking, AHAM submitted comments in which some manufacturers stated that factors limiting performance include: (1) soil removal, (2)

consumer inter face (ergonomics), (3) tangling, (4) cycle time, (5) rinsing and (6) suds sensitivity 78

. Although these performance

- limiting factors may exist, every major manufacturer

of clothes washers offers horizontal

- axis machines for sale in the United States.

Hori zontal

- axis design with recirculation

This technology option is a variation on the horizontal

- axis technology option, using a small pump to recirculate water out of the sump and spray it into the drum. The small amount of standing water in a standard hor izontal

- axis washer is thus further minimized. Less hot water is needed per wash cycle, thereby saving energy.3-42 In the previous residential clothes washer rulemaking, manufacturers commented that they have not been able to verify that a savings exists wit h recirculation. 79 Limiting factors mentioned by these manufacturers include (1) soil removal, (2) tangling, (3) cycle time, (4) rinsing, and (5) suds sensitivity.

In the past, Electrolux had produced models that sprayed 8 liters per minute of

water/dete rgent solution into the drum by means of a supply valve above the door. 80

Hot water circulation loop

This technology option uses the hot water line running through a heat exchanger to heat

cold water for use in a clothes washer. Prototype testing of machines that heat water using a hot water circulation loop used significantly less to no energy for heating if supply water was 65

- 70 degrees C. Previous studies have been done on clothes washers with a hot water circuit and tube heat exchanger built into to the bottom of the wash drum, which decreased electricity demand from 3.78 MJ to 0.83 MJ for a cycle. However, this design uses more water while decreasing energy demand. To avoid this extra water usage, a prototype was developed using a pipe in pipe

ex changer that does not require extra water. Further improvements to this option could include heat recovery from wastewater, or developing detergents that clean at lower wash

temperatures. 81

Improved fill control

This technology option is defined as improving the tolerance on existing wash

- water fill sensing , which can be accomplished by reducing tolerances of presently used pressure sensors or improving switch desi gn. This technology option relates primarily to top

- loading verti cal

- axis design washers, although it is sometimes applicable to front

- loading horizontal

- axis washers, depending on the fill control used on the washer design.

In a traditional top

- loading vertical

- axis washer, one end of an air hose is connected to an

a ir chamber near the bottom of the washer tub and the other end is connected to a pressure

switch. As water fills the tub, air in the hose and chamber is forced into a smaller volume, thereby increasing th e air pressure. The air pressure increases until it activates a pressure switch,

which in turn shuts off the water inlet valve. A more accurate water

- level

- setting system would avoid overfilling the wash tub, thereby reducing the amount of water and energy used. In the past, manufacturers have stated that t hey were not aware of any opportunity to reduce tolerances of pressure sensors , but were still able to provide cost and efficiency data for improving the fill

control. 82

Improved horizontal

- axis

- washer drum design

Manufacturers of horizontal

- axis washer s continue to research and modify existing drum designs to improve wash performance, reduce mass, and increase spin speeds

. With each drum revision, manufacturers frequently make claims that their drum designs increase consumer utility3-43 by being gentler on clothes or by reducing the cycle time through better agitation of the clothes

in the washer. A reduction in cycle time would have a measurable impact on washer power consumption, just as drums that can sustain higher spin speeds can reduce the remaining

mo isture content (RMC) (see the I mproved water extraction technology option below for the definition of RMC) and thus raise the MEF of a washer. Implementation of this technology option varies, with drums featuring special paddles, drum

- wall textures, or sim ilar

enhancements.

Improved water extraction to lower remaining moisture content

RMC is defined as:

WI WI WC RMC ) (

**−**

**=**

where WC is the weight of the test cloth immediately after completion of the washer spin cycle, and WI is the “bone dry” weight of the test cloth. There are several ways to reduce the RMC, including (1) increasing the spin speed of the wash basket for the final spin cycle, (2) changing the direction of rotation to more evenly distribute clothes, (3) having a longer spin cycle, and (4) increasing the size or number of drainage holes in the washer drum. Since mechanical water removal is more energy efficient than using heat to dry, energy consumption for the combined wash and dry process is reduced.

The DOE test procedure assumes that the improved

- water

- extraction feature will not be used for 25 percent of all wash cycles. Since this feature can be consumer selec table, clothes subject to wrinkling can be washed with a conventional spin

- cycle option to avoid a wrinkling problem. Some manufacturers in the past were doubtful that RMCs of 35 percent and 30 percent could be practically obtained

.

At the time of the 20 01 TSD, laboratory testing was conducted to ascertain RMCs on commercially available front

- loading horizontal

- axis clothes washers. Measured RMCs ranged from 49 percent to 36 percent with a 50/50 cotton/polyester cloth load. For the same test load, a

verti cal

- axis machine had a 52

- percent RMC. The washers for the above testing were loaded at 3

lb/ft 3 of basket capacity. 83 The DOE test procedure, however, specifies the test load as being

closer to 4 lb/ft 3 of basket capacity. Since the size of the cloth test load has an effect on the RMC achieved, it is unknown whether the above laboratory

- tested machines can achieve their stated

RMC values under DOE test conditions. As of the 2001 TSD, clothes washers with a certified RMC of up to 40 percent were available. 84

RMC data are no longer required to be published because the current test procedure requires the publication of only the MEF and WF for clothes washers. However, RMC data can be found in the CEC residential clothes washer database, but this database does not cover all

residential clothes washers on the marke t. DOE observed RMC values as low as 30 and 35 percent for front

- loading washers and top

- loading washers, respectively, according to the DOE3-44 test procedure. For front

- loading washers, RMC values ranged from 30 to 47 percent, with an average RMC of 38 percent. For top

- loading washers, RMC values ranged from 35 to 61 percent, with an average RMC of 50 percent.

Increased motor efficiency

About 10 percent of the total electrical energy consumed by a typical clothes washer is used by the electric motor. The typical washing machine has a 1⁄2

– 2⁄3 horsepower motor. In the past, a residential clothes washer manufacturer stated that replacing a split

- phase motor with a capacitor

- start motor may increase the ef ficiency of the motor by 10 percent. 85 Permanent magnet motors offer even higher efficiencies, though the benefit of a higher efficiency motor has to be balanced with the higher cost and the relatively small contribution to the overall energy consumption pe r wash cycle from the motor itself.

Drive system efficiency can also be increased by using a buck

- boost power factor correction circuit (PFC). This reduces inverter complexity and cost by controlling inverter output voltage through changing DC bus volta ge without affecting performance. Using a PFC circuit can improve efficiency by more than 1.5 times from that of a single

- phase induction motor. 86

Three

- phase induction motors have also been shown to consume 50 percent less power than

universal commutator m otors through better control of motor slip. 87

Low

- standby

- power electronic controls

Electronic controls may consume power even when the clothes washer is not performing

its intended function. Depending on the implementation of the controller, standby p ower is required to enable the electronic controls to detect user input without the user first having to turn on a mechanical power switch or to enable displays, illuminate switches, etc. Reducing the standby power consumption of electronic controls would reduce the annual energy consumption of the clothes washer, but would not impact the energy consumption of the clothes washer during operation. Low

- standby

- loss electronic controls can be implemented in a wide variety of ways. DOE is unaware of any data de monstrating energy savings associated with low

- standby

- power designs for residential clothes washers.

Ozonated laundering

Ozonated laundering systems are available for large

- scale commercial or institutional

use. The ozone, manufactured from ambient air , is injected into the water. There is some debate as to how the process of the ozonated cleaning exactly works. Some claim the ozone reacts with soluble soils, making them insoluble, after which the mechanical action of the washing separates

the soils fro m the fabric. One manufacturer proposed that the energy inherent in ozone reduces water tension, making the water a better solvent. Energy is saved with this system because the water is not heated for lightly to moderately soiled laundry. In fact, colder w ater retains a higher concentration of ozone for a longer time than warmer water. For heavily soiled laundry, temperatures of 100

– 110 °F are used, which are lower than the temperatures required in a

conventional washer. Also, since fewer chemicals are used , the rinse time is minimized, thereby3-45 reducing the total cycle time and water consumption. Economical ozone production is critical to the potential energy savings. One manufacturer estimates savings of 25 percent on “utility expenses” with installation of its system. 88 However, in addition to the ozone generator, a new or reprogrammed controller would be required, adding to the cost of this technology option.

Sanyo has developed a residential clothes washer which uses ozone to disinfect and clean

water t hat is held in a storage tank and used in the final rinse. This allows water to be recycled and reduces the amount of water required for the wash cycle. Although this clothes washer is currently sold in Japan, it has not yet been marketed in the United Sta tes. 89

Plastic particle cleaning

This technology option uses the absorbent properties of plastic to clean clothes. The clothes are tumbled in with polymer granules, which absorb the dirt, for up to 30 minutes. This technology is currently in development by Xeros Ltd. in the United Kingdom, which hoped to have the technology on the market as early as 2009. q Research conducted in the United Kingdom has shown that this technology would require less than 2 percent o f the water used by a conventional washing machine. The design would still require about a cup of water and detergent to loosen the dirt or stain in clothing. Another feature of this technology option is that the clothes would emerge from the clothes washe r almost dry, reducing the energy required for drying the

clothes. 90

Reduced thermal mass

This technology option uses a plastic tub specially designed to minimize the thermal mass that is heated by the water. Tests by manufacturers indicate that very l ittle energy can be saved this way because the bulk of the thermal mass is contained in the hot water itself. One manufacturer compared the impact of both porcelain

- enameled steel and polypropylene outer tubs on water temperature. Both machines were filled with 16 gallons of 140 °F water and agitated for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, there was no significant difference in water temperature between the two machines. Calculations show that if there were no heat losses through the outer tub, the equilibrium te mperature for the tested steel tub described above would

be 138.9 °F. Therefore, there is little to be gained by decreasing the thermal mass of the outer

tub. 91

Plastic outer tubs are commonly used by manufacturers and can be considered as part of

the bas eline model. There is no practicable way to manufacture washing machines with plastic tubs with a lower thermal mass beyond the current practice.

Silver ion injection

q For more information, visit http://www.xerosltd.com/

.3-46 Samsung offers silver ion injection as an alternative to the traditional hot water sanitization cycle in its SilverCareTM line of front

- loading residential clothes washers. Sil ver is electrolyz ed during the wash and rinse cycles , and, according to Samsung, t he released silver ions penetrate into the fabric , killing bacteria and sanitizing the clothes. Samsung also states that

t he silver ions eradicate bacteria and mold from inside the clothes washer

, disinfecting the drum

and other internal parts

. 92

B ecause the silver ion injection feature can be use d for sanitization in cold water, energy savings can be achieved compared to a hot water or steam sanitization cycle

. 93 The sanitization

of the machine may also eliminate the need for period self

- cleaning cy cles commonly

recomm ended for front

- loading clothes washers.

The long

- term health effects of human and environmental exposure to nanoscale silver particles are unknown

. In September 2007, the EPA issued a Federal Register notice in which it

determined that clothes washers will be regulated as pesticides if the machines contain silver or other substances, and if they generate ions of those substances for express pesticidal purposes. 94
According to this decision, a manufacturer would be required to register a clothes washer with EPA as a pesticide if the product is marketed with claims that it will kill bacteria on clothing

.

In May 2008, a group of advocacy organizations s ued the EPA asking the agency to issue new rules regulating products cont aining nanoscale silver particles . The petition claimed t h at EPA failed to adequately regulate products containing or using nanoscale silver particles

. The petition asks EPA to : (1) classify nanoscale silver as a new pesticide; (2) require detailed product registration and data submissions under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act;

and (3) analyze the potential environmental, health, and safety risks of nanoscale silver. 95

Since EPA currently permits the sale of registered clothes washers using silver ion injection, DOE concludes that silver ion injection does not pose any significant adverse impacts on health or safety , and thus is eligible to be considered as a design option at this time

.

Spray rinse or similar water

- redu cing rinse technology

Traditional vertical

- axis clothes washers immerse the clothing completely in water during the wash and rinse phases of the cleaning cycle. Spray

- r inse systems eliminate the immersion requirement by spraying rinse water into the drum while the wash basket is rotating. The centrifugal force of the rotating basket pins the clothes against the outer walls and subsequently forces the rinse liquid through the clothes. In the process, the rinsing liquid picks up remaining suds and transport s them into the sump, from which they are drained. Since immersion or partial immersion is no longer necessary, less rinse water is required. When using hot rinse water, this reduces energy consumption by reducing the amount of hot water required for the r inse cycle.

AHAM may develop a rinse performance standard for clothes washers that could preclude the use of rinse

- water reduction technologies. The current DOE test procedure, though, captures the benefit of this technology option, as any reduction in w ater consumption improves WF and any reduction in heated water consumption improves MEF.3-47 Thermostatically controlled mixing valves

Thermostatically controlled water valves (TCWVs) are defined by the DOE test procedure as “clothes washer controls that have the ability to sense and adjust the hot and cold supply water.” This technology option achieves energy savings by more accurately controlling inlet water temperature for hot and warm fills. In a typical non

- thermostatically

- controlled water inlet syst em, two solenoid valves are used; one valve opens for hot water fills while the other opens for cold water fills. Both solenoid valves are opened if a warm water setting is selected. In the warm wash mode, fixed fractions of hot and cold water are controll ed by flow

- control

devices. For example, a manufacturer may decide to specify warm water as 50

- percent hot water

and 50

- percent cold water. To reduce hot water energy use, some manufacturers have reduced the warm water temperature by using other ratios suc h as 40

- percent hot and 60

- percent cold.

Energy can be saved with a TCWV by either reducing the hot water temperature and/or reducing the warm water temperature. For example, the TCWV could be used to lower the hot wash temperature from 135 °F to 130 °F by mixing hot water (at 135 °F test inlet conditions)

with cold water. Warm water temperature could be similarly reduced. The energy savings can vary widely depending on the test standard’s specified inlet hot water temperature and the selected temperature of the warm water.

The TCWV technology option has the potential to overstate the real

- world energy savings, depending on the proximity of the water heater to the installed clothes washer. When tested under laboratory conditions, the clothes washer is ty pically close to the hot water source, whereas this is generally not the case in a home laundry setting. As a result of the distance between the hot water source and the clothes washer, there is a temperature drop due to line

losses. Because of these line losses, a clothes washer with a TCWV may use more hot water than predicted on the basis of laboratory testing. Similarly, in a real

- world application, savings will also vary with the temperature of incoming cold water. The unheated water temperature will v ary with both geographic location and time of year. More energy would likely be saved in cases of warmer “cold” supply water, as a TCWV would then reduce the amount of time a hot water valve is open. The amount of savings is also dependent on the set point of the TCWV, the water heater set point, the temperature selection of the wash (hot or warm cycle), and the location of the sensing thermostat controlling the inlet water valves. A limiting performance factor mentioned by more than one manufacturer is soi l removal with lower wash temperatures.

Tighter tub tolerance

This technology option reduces the annular volume between the inner wash basket and

the outer tub. This annulus fills with water, but does not add to the clothes washer capacity. Having less space between the inner wash basket and the outer tub reduces the amount of water required for a fill, thereby saving the energy required to h eat that water. This option applies primarily to traditional top

- loading vertical

- axis washers. In a high

- efficien cy top

- loading or

horizontal

- axis clothes washer, water only occupies the lower portion of the annulus. Since most3-48 of the annulus in a high

- efficiency top

- loading or horizontal

- axis clothes washer is filled with air, a smaller annulus does not yield signif icant energy savings.

Other considerations are also important in determining an appropriate clearance between

basket and tub. In the past rulemaking, residential clothes washer manufacturers stated that if the annulus is too small there may be problems with “suds lock”, where suds from the wash water

remain between the inner wash basket and outer tub. Clearance is also needed to drain water during the spin

- dry cycle and to allow for deflection of baskets with out

- of

- balance loads. Increasing the spin spe ed of the washer basket during the spin dry cycle may also require a larger space between tub and basket to allow for greater deflection at higher spin speeds. For this latter reason, tighter tub tolerance was not combined with the improved

- water

- extractio n technology option. Other limiting performance factors mentioned by residential clothes washer manufacturers in the past include: (1) noise, (2) vibration, and (3) sand removal.

Ultrasonic washing

The addition of mechanical energy to the wash cycle can reduce the need for hot water (or chemical energy) in the cleaning action of clothes washers. One potential method of delivering the mechanical energy is through ultrasonic vibrations that loosen and remove some

of the dirt on the soiled clothes. Such was hing machines have been produced by a Japanese firm

and were to be marketed in the United States

. One U.S. clothes washer manufacturer investigated the Japanese product and found that it did not successfully clean clothes. The U.S. firm stated that the Jap anese company is an excellent manufacturer of ultrasonic transducers, but does not have experience with clothes washing. In 2002, Sharp Corp oration unveiled a clothes washer in Japan with a spot washing feature, which uses an ultrasonic generator, along with electrodes on the side of the tub to electrolyze the water, to generate tiny air bubbles to loosen dirt or remove

stains. 96

One of the problems with ultrasonic washing is that clothes are not uniformly exposed to the vibrations generated by the transd ucers, which means that some areas may remain soiled. Additionally, the wash solution and the submerged clothes appear to dissipate much of the energy without the clothes being cleaned.

3.15.3 Energy Efficiency

In preparation for the screening and engineering analyses, DOE gathered data on the energy efficiency of residential clothes washers available in the marketplace in December 2009

. DOE conducted an in

- depth search of residential clothes washers by gathering consumer data from three major appliance retaile rs: Sears, Home Depot, and AJMadison.com website s . These

three sources are considered major retailers and are representative of the most important retail

sales channels for residential clothes washers. DOE identified a total of 174 models (74 standard

size top

- load ing clothes washers , 100 front

- load ing clothes washers ), which encompassed 20 different brands. For models that were available in multiple colors, or at multiple retailers, DOE used the least expensive full price, not including retail discounts. D OE used the CEC and

ENERGY STAR databases to match MEF and WF data with each clothes washer model.3-49 While this section is not intended to provide a complete characterization of the energy efficiency of all residential clothes washers currently available an d in use, it does provide an

overview of the vast majority of units available currently on the market. Figure 3.15

. 1 displays

the distribution of stan dard

- sized (capacity of 1.6 ft. 3 or higher) residential clothes washers as a

function of MEF. Figure 3.15

. 2 displays the distribution of standard

- sized (capacity of 1.6 ft. 3 or higher) residential clothes washers as a function of WF.

Figure 3.15

. 1 Standard

- Sized Residential Clothes Washer MEFs from DOE Market Survey, December 20093-50 Figure 3.15

. 2 Standard

- Sized Residential Clothes Washer WFs from DOE Market Survey,

December 2009

Figure 3.15

. 1 illustrates the difference in MEF between top

- loading and front

- loading residential clothes washers. While the majority of top

- loading units have an MEF below 1.80, there are an increasing number of high

- efficiency top

- loading units with MEFs between 1. 80 and

2.29. All of the clothes washers with an MEF above 2.3 are front

- loading units.

Figure 3.15

. 2 illustrates the difference in WF between top

- loading and front

- loading residential clothes washers. All of the residential clothes washers with a WF greater than 8.0 are
top

- loading units, wh ereas all of the clothes washers with a WF less than 4.0 are front

- loading. The majority of clothes washers with a WF between 4.0 and 8.0 are front

- loading.3-51 REFERENCES

1 “The Share

- of

- Market Picture for 2008.” Appliance Magazine , September 2009.

2 U.S. Census Bureau. 2006 Annual Survey of Manufactures , Sector 31. Release Date 18 Nov

2008. http://factfinder.census.gov . Accessed 30 April 2009.

3 “The Share

- of

- Market Picture for 2008.” Appliance Magazine , September 2009.

4 ENERGY STAR. 2008 “Clothes Washer Product Snapshot”. Prepared by D&R International, Ltd. On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy , May 2008. Available online

at: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=manuf_res.pt_appliances . (Accessed September 4, 2008.)

5 “The Share

- of

- Mark et Picture” Appliance Magazine , September 2005

– 2009.

6 Appliance Magazine , September 2009. Op. cit.

7 Maytag. 2005. “Whirlpool Corporation and Maytag Corporation Sign Definitive Merger Agreement.” Maytag Press Release , August 22, 2005.

8 P. Hussmann. 2006. “Justice to Extend Maytag

- Whirlpool Merger Review.” Newton Daily

News Online , February 14, 2006.

9 W. Ryberg. 2006. “Purchase may face antitrust trouble.” Des Moines Register, August 20,

2005.

10 Appliance Magazine . 2006. “Harkin, Bos well want Maytag sale blocked.” Appliance Magazine , January 15, 2006. www.appliancedesign.com/Articles/Latest_News/8c86218cb13d8010VgnVCM100000f932a8

c0

. (Accessed 15 December 2009.)

11 U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ). 2006. Department of Justice Antitrust Division Statement on the Closing of its Investigation of Whirlpool’s Acquisition of Maytag , March 29, 2006.

12 Ibid.

13 Association of Home App liance Manufacturers (AHAM) Fact Book 2005.

14 Ibid.

15 AHAM Fact Book 2003

.3-52 16 CEEE. 2000. National Residential Home Appliance Market Transformation Strategic Plan

. December, 2000.

17 DOE Docket No. EE

- RM

- PET

- 100, California’s Request for Reconsideration , submitted by the California Energy Commission (CEC), January 29, 2007. Available online at: www.energy.ca.gov/ appliances/clotheswashers/cec_reconsideration_request.pdf

18 CEC. 2007. Notice of Civil Suit Under 42 USC Sections 6295(g)(2), 6297(d), and 6305(a)(2), Challenging DOE’s Denial of California’s Clothes Washer Waiver Petition , April 20, 2007.

Available online at: www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/clotheswashers/2007

- 04

- 20_NOTICE_OF_CIVIL_SUIT.PDF . (Accessed March 11, 2010).

19 CEC. 2007. Petition for Review to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit , April 20,

2007. Available online at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/clo theswashers/2007

- 04

- 20_PETITION_FOR_REVIEW.PDF

20 California Energy Commission v. DOE, No. 07

- 71576 (9 th Cir. 2009) Available online at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/clotheswashers/2009

- 10

- 28_Ninth_Circuit_Opinion.pdf

21 Official Mexican Standard NOM

- 005

- ENER

- 2000, “Energy efficiency of household electric washing machines. Limits, testing and labeling method.” (document in Spanish) Accessed

online at http://www.conae.gob.mx/work/sites/CONAE/resources/LocalContent/4523/7/NOM005ENE R2000.pdf (Accessed December 15, 2009).

22 Ibid.

23 Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program. 2008. “Standards and Labeling Worldwide Summary for Clothes Washers.” Available online at http://www.clasponline.org/cla sp.online.worldwide.php?product=11 . Accessed December 16,

2009.

24 Ibid.

25 Tiele, Simone. 2008. Australia’s Approach to Standby Power. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australia, April 2, 2008. Available online at: http://www.iea.org/textbase/work/workshopdetail.asp?WS_ID=352 . (Accessed August, 2008)

26 Yungrae, K. 2008. New Energy Efficiency Policy Tool: Standby Warning Label . Korea Energy Management Corporation, April 2, 2008. Available online at:3-53 http://www.iea.org/textbase/work/workshopdetail.asp?WS_ID=352. (Accessed August, 2008.)

27 Commission of the European Communities. 2008. “Commission Regulation (EC) No.

1275/2008 o f 17 December 2008 implementing Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for standby and off mode electric power consumption of electrical and electronic household and office equipment.” Decem ber 18, 2008. Available online at http://eur

lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:339:0045:0052:EN:PDF (Accessed December 2009)

28 Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. 2008. “Incentives for Clothes Washers/Dryers.” September 22, 2008. Available online at: http://www.dsireusa.org/ (Accessed September 22, 2008)

29 U.S. Census Bureau. 2009. “ New Privately Owned Housing Units Started, Annual Data .”

Accessed online at http://www.census.gov/const/startsan.pdf (Accessed December 16, 2009).

30 Ibid.

31 AHAM Fact Book 2003 and 2005.

32 “The Share

- of

- Market Picture” Appliance Magazine, September 2007

- 2009.

33 Department of Energy. 2009. AHAM Data Submittal . “Table A

- 1: Residential Clothes Washer Shipments.” DOE Docket No. EERE

- 2008

- BT

- STD

- 0019.

34 ENERGY STAR Annual Sales Data. 2009. Available online at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=manuf_res.pt_appliances (Accessed December 18, 2009).

35 ENERGY STAR. 2008 “Clothes Washer Product Snapshot”. Prepared by D&R International, Ltd. On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy , May 2008. Available online

at: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=manuf_res.pt_appliances . (Acce ssed September 4, 2008.)

36 AHAM Fact Book 2005.

37 “ ENERGY STAR Update on Appliances and Water Heaters .” 2 010 ENERGY STAR Partner Meeting. Steve Ryan & Kristen Taddonio (US EPA)

. October 6, 2010 Available online at http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/downloads/meetings/2010/Update%20on%20Appl%2 0and%20Water%20Heaters.pdf3-54 38 U.S. Census Bureau. 1997

- 2008. “Table 1. Value of Shipments of Major Household Appliances by Product Class.” Current Industrial Reports: 1997

- 2008. Issued annually. http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/historical_data/ma335f/

39 AHAM . 2009. Import/Export Trade Reports

– December 2005

- 2008 (preliminary year end)

. Available online at: http://www.aham.org/industry/ht/d/Items/cat_id/5573/cids/425,522,5573/pid/5574 (Accessed December 16, 2009).

40 Ibid.

41 AHAM Fact Book . 2005.

42 “The Share

- of

- Market Picture” Appliance Magazine, September 2007

- 2009.

43 Ibid.

44 AHAM Fact Book . 2005.

45 U.S. Census Bureau. 1997

- 2007. Statistics.

46 Ibid

.

47 Ibid.

48 Ibid.

49 Ibid.

50 Ibid.

51 U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Plant Capacity: 2006 to 1994

.

52 P. Biermayer et al

.. 1996. Design Options for Clothes Washers . Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA, LBL

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53 Appliance Magazine , September 2005.

54 L. Bonnema. 2008. “Playing with Water,” 61 st Annual Laundry Appliances Report

– Appliance Magazine, September 2008. Available online at http://www.appliancemagazine.com/zones/consumer/04_laundry/editorial.php?article=2055

&zone=4&first=1 (Accessed September 22, 2008.)3-55 55 Zimmerman, B ernd. “Appliance sensors become hot stuff.” Machine Design . Vol. 77, No. 20, pp. 13

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56 Appliance Manufacturer , April 1995, p. 27.

57 Appliance Manufacturer , February 1995, p. E

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58 Science Applications Inc. 1977. Energy Efficiency Program for Clothes Washers, Clothes Dryers and Dishwashers , SAI

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59 Zimmerman, B. 2005. Op. cit.

60 “Big Plans for Tiny Bubbles.” Appliance Manufacturer , December 1994, p. 32.

61 “Sorting Through Laundry.” Appliance Manufacturer , September 1994, p. 35.

62 Daewoo Product Literature. Available online at http://www.daewoo

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63 I. Turiel, et al . 1995. Evaluation of Advanced Technologies for Residential Appliances and Residential and Commercial Lighting . LBNL, Berkeley, CA, LBL

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64 Sharp Product Timeline. Available online at http://sharp

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65 D. Normille. 2002. "Ultrasound turns clothes ‘ultraclean’." Global Design News

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66 S. Kristic et al . 1993. “Direct Comparison: Assessing the Energy Efficiency Impact of a Transmissionless Motor/Drive System for Conventional Clothes Washers.” Proceedings of

the 44 th Annual International Appliance Technical Conference , May 1993, p.101.

67 GE Product Literature. Available online at http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=RESULTSPAGE&C

ATE GORY=CA0096&CATEGORY=CA0095&SITEID=GEA . (Accessed March 5, 2010)

68 Haier Product Literature. Available online at http://www.haieramerica.com/en/category/Home_Appliances/Laundry/Washers (Accessed September 12, 2008.)3-56 69 Whirlpool Product Literature. Available online at http://www.whirlpool.com/catalog/category.jsp?parentCategoryId=113&categoryId=115 (Accessed September 12, 2008.)

70 Fisher & Paykel Product Literature. Available online at http://www.fisherpaykel.com/product/laundry/clotheswashers (Accessed March 5, 2010.)

71 LG Electronics Product Literature. Available online at http://us.lge.com/download/product/file/1000003879/WM2688Hss.pdf (Accessed March 5, 2010.)

72 Whirlpool Product Literature. Op. cit.

73 R. Bertolino. 1982. “Washer with electrolytic water dissociation”, Conference o n Energy Conservation in Buildings. Proceedings . D. Reidel Publishing Company (October).

74 Ibid.

75 ADL. 1995. Laboratory Testing of Clothes Washers

, pp 3

- 8, December, 1995, EPRI Report

No. TR

- 105098.

76 A. Cahn. 1994. The Laundering Process , handout presented at the Workshop on Home Laundry Energy Standards Regulatory Issues, Washington, D.C., November 11, 1994.

77 Procter & Gamble. 1995. Comments on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

, DOE

Docket No. EE RM

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78 AHAM. 1995. Comments on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking . DOE Docket No.

EE RM

- 94

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79 Ibid

.

80 “New for ’93.” Electrolux Product Literature

, Domotechnica

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81 Persson , Tomas. “Dishwasher and Washing machine Heated by a Hot Water Circulation Loop.” Applied Thermal Engineering . Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 120

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82 Biermayer et al

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83 ADL. 1995. Op. cit.

84 Biermayer et al

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85 AHAM. 1995. Op. cit.3-57 86 Hoghani, J.S. and Heidari, M. “High Efficient Low Cost Induction Motor Drive for
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87 Bourgeois, J.

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88 EPRI. 1996. Ozone Laundering: A Better Wash Process for Commercial Laundries

. Technical Brief RP2890 , March 1996.

89 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. 2006. “Sanyo Announces the World

- First Drum Type Washing Machine with ‘Air Wash’ Function,” News Release, February 2, 2006. Available online at http://www.sanyo.c om/news/2006/02/02

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90 L. Bonnema. 2008. Op. cit.

91 U.S. DOE. 1990. Op. cit.

92 Samsung 2010. “Silver Nano Health System

– Frequently Asked Questions.” Samsung website. Accessed March 4, 2010. http://ww2.samsung.co.za/silvernano/silvernano/wash_faq_popup.html

93 “Ions and Free Radicals.” Appliance Magazine, September 2007. Accessed online at http://www.appliancemagazine.com/editorial.php?article=1820&zone=1&first=1

94 EPA Announcement. “Pesticide Registration: Clarification for Ion Generating Equipment.”

Se ptember 21, 2007. Accessed online at http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/ion_gen_equip.htm

.

95 Monica, John C. “EPA Sued Over Nanoscale Silver.” Nanotechnology Law Report. May 3,

2008. Accessed online at http://www.nanolawreport.com/2008/05/articles/epa

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96 D. Normile. 2002. Op. cit.