Energy Star to Label 'Most Efficient' Appliances

A new pilot program that adds a “Most Efficient” designation to Energy Star labels is expected to help raise the bar more quickly for appliance and equipment efficiency. The program, jointly announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in July 2011, identifies top energy-efficiency performers in seven categories: clothes washers, air-source heat pumps, central air conditioners, furnaces, geothermal heat pumps, refrigerator-freezers, and televisions.

Under the Most Efficient program, manufacturers that are in good standing with Energy Star can submit Energy Star-approved products to be considered for the new designation; they will be judged against different criteria in each product category. A refrigerator, for example, must be 30% more efficient than the minimum federal standard to qualify as Most Efficient, rather than the 20% required for an Energy Star rating. According to Kathleen Hogan, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency, “About the top 5% of products in each category are qualifying for Most Efficient.”

Because the baseline for selecting Most Efficient products is the pool of Energy Star products, the designation gets tougher to meet as manufacturers introduce more efficient models. Susan Wickwire, acting director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division, said, “Part of the value of the Most Efficient designation is to bring more efficient products to the market; then you can up the performance requirements.” In a press release, Energy Secretary Steven Chu reiterated this point: “The new Most Efficient designation is the next step toward encouraging new, more energy-efficient products to enter the market, so that consumers will have even more choices when it comes to high-performance, high-efficiency products that will save them energy and money.”

How often “Most Efficient” performance requirements will be increased, and under what mechanism, was not announced, and is worth watching: Energy Star has been notorious for not updating its standards frequently enough at times, leading to product categories where most products on the market qualify.

The Most Efficient listings will be available online and in retail locations, with 15 washers, 18 televisions, and 4 central air conditioners already listed as Energy Star Most Efficient.

For more information

Energy Star Most Efficient criteria

www.energystar.gov/me-criteria

Energy Star Most Efficient Products

www.energystar.gov/mostefficient