Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Efficiency Standards
Though it may be hard to believe given that parts of the Northeast had snow showers in recent
weeks and Denver is digging out from a major snowstorm, summer is right around the corner. It
wont be long before were looking for ways to beat the heat, whether its going for a dip in a
neighborhood pool, sitting under a shady tree, or (my favorite) hitting up the local ice cream stand.
For those of us in the energy efficiency world, summer is also synonymous with air conditioning and
higher electricity use.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) took the first step today to making portable air conditioners
more efficient, by releasing a determination that this equipment qualifies as a covered product
under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). This means that, for the first time ever, DOE
starts the process of setting standards for portable air conditioners, so that customers who use this
product to cool their homes can rest assured that theyre not wasting energy while staying
comfortable.
DOE already sets energy efficiency standards for central air conditioners and room air conditioners,
both of which are due for an update in 2017. But until now, portable air conditionersthe standalone,
moveable units that are not permanently installed in walls and windowshave not had to meet any
efficiency standards. Nearly a million portable air conditioners were purchased in 2012, and that
number is expected to increase by almost 80% by 2018. This means that the large (and growing)
number of Americans who use portable air conditioners to keep cool are likely doing so at a higherthan-necessary cost.
DOEs announcement marked the very first step in establishing an energy efficiency standard for
portable air conditioners. Read on to demystify the standards-setting process! Ill be back next week
with tips to save energy on your cooling bill this summer.
Why are some products covered by efficiency standards and others arent?
Since the first appliance and equipment standards were authorized by President Ronald Reagan in
1987, the legislation has been revised and DOE now establishes minimum efficiency standards for
more than 60 products accounting for 90 percent of home energy use. Since the initial guiding
authority specifying 19 products, DOE has added new consumer products (including portable air
conditioners) based on 2 main criteria: 1) is a standard necessary and 2) does the product consume a
minimum threshold of energy to warrant a minimum efficiency standard. If the answers to these two
questions are both affirmative, then the product is determined to be covered and the standards
process is initiated.
Demystifying the Standards-Setting ProcessWhats next for portable air conditioners?
Determining that a product is covered under the provisions of EPCA is where the standards-setting
process begins. Next, DOE has to determine whether the portable air conditioners warrant a
minimum energy efficiency standard, by analyzing the following:
average household energy use of the product,the total energy use of the product across the
country,whether a substantial improvement in energy efficiency is technologically feasible,
andwhether a labeling rule (rather than a full-blown energy standard) would be sufficient to induce