10A-i

APPENDIX 10-A. USER INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHIPMENTS AND NATIONAL 

IMPACT ANALYSIS SPREADSHEETS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

10-A.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................10-A-1

10-A.2 BASIC INSTRUCTIONS .................................................................................10-A-3
10-A-1

APPENDIX 10-A. USER INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHIPMENTS AND NATIONAL

IMPACT ANALYSIS SPREADSHEETS

10-A.1 INTRODUCTION

The interested reader can examine and reproduce detailed results of the U.S. Department 

of Energy’s (DOE’s) shipments and national impact analysis (NIA) for residential clothes 

washers using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that are available on DOE’s website.

<www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/clothes_washers.html> 

The latest version of the Microsoft Excel shipments and NIA workbook, which is posted 

on the DOE website, was tested using Microsoft Excel 2007. To execute the spreadsheet requires 

Microsoft Excel 2003 or a later version. The NIA spreadsheet performs calculations to forecast 

the change in national energy use and net present value due to an energy conservation standard. 

The energy use and associated costs and savings attributable to a given standard are determined 

first by calculating the shipments and then the energy use and costs for all products shipped 

under that standard. The differences between results under the standard case and the base case

then can be compared and the nationwide energy savings and net present values (NPVs) 

determined. 

The shipments and NIA workbook for both front- and top-loading residential clothes 

washers comprises the following worksheets.

Charts Contains tables and graphs showing summary results of the NIA: 

product purchase prices, market shares of front- and top-loading 

washers, and historical and forecasted shipments under each trial

standard level (TSL). Tables present total savings in energy and 

water, discounted incremental product prices, and discounted 

operating cost savings.

Efficiency Distributions Provides efficiency distributions through year 2044, in terms of 

shipment-weighted energy factor, under the base case and each 

standard level being considered for both front- and top-loading 

clothes washers.

Input and Summary Contains user input selections under “User Inputs” and summary

tables for the NIA under the chosen CSL. A summary table gives 

energy and water savings and those values discounted 7 percent 

and 3 percent (cumulative to 2044). The worksheet provides 

discounted incremental product prices and operating cost savings 

and their NPV, along with market shares of front- and top-loading 

washers. Data is also provided regarding weighted average energy 

and water use and price for base and standards cases, along with 

values for machine, standby, water heating, and dryer energy use.
10-A-2

The worksheet enables the user to stipulate two parameters for the 

calculations: a relative price elasticity effect of -0.34, which is the 

default setting, or no impact; and whether the DOE Energy 

Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) 2010

energy price trend reflects an economic case that is reference

(default), low-growth, or high-growth.

Historical Shipments Contains historical shipments of front- and top-loading

clothes washers, 1972–2008.

RCW Shipments Base Case Provides data and two graphs related to annual historical and 

projected shipments of clothes washers through 2044 under the 

base case (the case with no new efficiency standards). The top 

chart shows data from 1990 – 2044 and the bottom chart shows 

data from 1986 – 2044. Also provides market shares of

replacements and units for new housing, plus the saturation of 

clothes washers in households nationwide.

RCW Shipments Standards Provides data and a graph related to the annual historical and 

Case projected shipments of clothes washers through 2044 under the 

chosen CSL. Provides market shares of replacements and units for 

new housing. plus the saturation of clothes washers nationwide.

Base Calc PC Contains shipments (replacement, new, and total), product costs,

unit and total energy and water consumption, and operating costs 

for the base case. The sheet starts with a stock accounting of the 

chosen product and uses the survival function DOE developed to 

calculate the surviving stock each year.

Standards Calc PC Contains shipments (replacement, new, and total), product costs, 

unit and total energy and water consumption, and operating costs 

for the chosen CSL. Also gives discounted values for costs and 

savings.

Housing Projections Contains the projected housing stock, construction starts, and 

demolitions for the three AEO economic scenarios (reference, low 

growth, and high growth).

Fuel & Water Prices Contains projected average energy (electricity, gas, and oil) and 

water prices to 2072 under each of the three AEO economic 

scenarios. 

Heat Rates Contains the marginal site-to-source conversion factors for both 

electricity and gas DOE used in the calculation of source energy 

savings.
10-A-3

Lifetime Contains data and the survival function DOE used to calculate 

clothes washer lifetimes. Presents a graph showing clothes washer 

lifetimes and gives the current average lifetime (14.2 years).

10-A.2 BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

Basic instructions for operating the NIA spreadsheets are given below.

1. After downloading the NIA file from DOE’s website, use Microsoft Excel to open it. At 

the bottom of the workbook, click on the tab for the sheet labeled Input and Summary.

Ensure that calculation options are set to “Automatic.”

2. Use Excel’s “View/Zoom” command in the top menu bar to change the size of the

display so that it fits your monitor.

3. The user can change two of the model parameters listed in the white box labeled “User 

Inputs.” The parameters are:

a. Relative Price Elasticity: Use the drop-down arrow if you wish to change the 

default value of -0.34 to “No impact.”

b. Economic Growth: To the change from the default AEO reference case, use the 

drop-down arrow and select the desired growth level (low or high).

4. After selecting the parameters, use the cell labeled “TSL Level” to select the trial

standard level to analyze. The associated efficiency distributions and growth trends are 

fixed as specified in Chapter 10 of this preliminary technical support document. After 

selecting the CSL level, click the “Enter” button to make your selected CSL effective.

5. The results are automatically updated for both product classes and are reported in the 

summary table to the right of the “User Inputs” box.