Department of Energy Updates Refrigerator Efficiency Standards

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released new minimum national energy efficiency standards for most new refrigerators, which will improve efficiency and cut energy use by refrigerators 25% by 2014. This is the fourth time that the standards have been strengthened. Since the first standards were implemented by the state of California in 1978, refrigerator efficiency has improved dramatically—a refrigerator that conforms to 2014 standards will use about one-fifth as much electricity as one from the 1970s.

Refrigerator efficiency standards are a prime example of government standards that actually benefit consumers. The precise savings for major categories are as follows:

• 25% for top-mount (i.e. freezer on top) and side-by-side refrigerator-freezers
• 20% for bottom-mount refrigerator-freezers
• 30% for automatic defrost freezers

Categories with lower sales volumes will require 10-25% savings.

Since the first standards were enacted, the price of refrigerators has dropped significantly, even though modern refrigerators are larger, have many more features and cost less to operate than previous models. In 1978, the average new model cost $1,566 in today’s dollars - almost three times as much as the $550 an average model retails for today. This trend is expected to continue, even as refrigerators grow in size and features.

Long-Term Savings for Consumers and the Environment

According to DOE, the new standards over 30 years would save 4.84 quads of energy, or roughly enough to meet the total energy needs of one-fifth of all U.S. households for a year. Over the same 30-year period, and taking into account up-front costs, consumers will save up to $36 billion.

DOE also estimates CO2 emissions will be cut by 344 million metric tons over 30 years, an amount equal to the annual emissions of about 67 million cars. Smog-forming NOx emissions and toxic mercury emissions would also be reduced dramatically.

Advanced Technologies Help Manufacturers Meet Efficiency Standards

Refrigerator manufacturers have been able to improve the efficiency of their new models with incremental design changes such thicker insulation, more efficient compressors and automatic defrost. Energy saving improvements like through-the-door ice and alarms that sound when a door remains open for an extended period are features on a number of refrigerators as well. Despite these changes, many features were not part of the efficiency equation. For example, current standards simply assume that ice makers use 84 kWh per year. Once DOE finalizes a method for testing icemaker energy use, the placeholder value of 84 kWh will be replaced by actual measured energy use. These benchmarks will help consumers understand the cost and savings potential of future purchases.

Information on the New Standards

The new standards will take effect in January 2014 and cut energy use by 25% for the most common refrigerator types. High-efficiency single-speed and variable-speed compressors and further insulation improvements, including vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), will contribute to even greater energy savings. VIPs use technology similar to a thermos where space between the two walls is evacuated, limiting the transfer of heat. VIPs are already in use in refrigerated trucks, commercial refrigeration and some residential refrigerators and freezers.

For More Information:

Appliance Standards Awareness Project

Alliance to Save Energy Press Release