Deadlines Approach for New Energy Star Requirements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new Energy Star specifications for commercial refrigerators, freezers and ovens earlier this year, and deadlines are approaching for manufacturers’ certification bodies (CBs) to stop certifying to the former specs.

For Version 5.0 Energy Star Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers product specification, which become effective Dec. 22, manufacturers’ CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 4.0 on Aug. 6. However, existing certifications will remain valid until Dec. 22.

Any commercial refrigeration products manufactured as of Dec. 22 must meet Version 5.0 requirements to bear the Energy Star mark.

The new specification establishes updated performance levels for a subset of product classes, expands the scope to include service over the counter and chef base classes and aligns with current industry test methods, terms and definitions.

The EPA says Energy Star-certified commercial refrigerators and freezers under Version 5.0 specification will deliver energy savings of up to 24%. Further, if all commercial refrigerators and freezers sold in the U.S. were certified to this version, the energy cost savings would exceed $200 million annually and prevent more than 5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

Then, for Version 3.0 Energy Star specifications for commercial ovens, which take effect on Jan. 12, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 2.2 on Aug. 29, though existing certifications will remain valid until Jan. 12.

Any commercial oven products manufactured as of Jan. 12 must meet Version 3.0 requirements to bear the Energy Star mark.

The EPA says the new specification will offer energy savings of up to 30 percent. Version 3.0 establishes updated performance levels for a subset of product categories previously in scope and expands the scope to include large electric combination ovens, small electric combination ovens, small gas combination ovens and electric two-third-size combination ovens.

It also includes newly proposed water consumption criteria for combination ovens in steam and convection modes during cooking periods.