Commercial Clothes Washers Added to Energy Star List

On June 1

commercial clothes washers with volumes of 3.5 ft

³ (100 l) or less were added to the list of Energy Star®-qualified products. Until then, the program was limited to residential washers. To qualify, a washer must have a Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 1.26 or higher—the same as the standard for residential washers. This measure includes both the water (and energy) required for washing and the energy required to remove residual water from the clothes after spin-drying. Currently, the Energy Star Web site shows 44 models of commercial washers from Speed Queen, Maytag, Huebsch, Staber, Unimac, and General Electric. Most are approximately 2.85 ft

³ (80 l) in volume, and MEFs range from 1.43 to 2.04. For further details, visit

www.energystar.gov (click on

Products, then

Appliances).