Update: Energy Star To Provide Key Spec Updates

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating its Energy Star specifications and seeking insights from stakeholders and partners to help it anticipate important market trends. For more information, you can view EPA’s Energy Start specification Standard Operating Procedure on Revising or Establishing an Energy Start Product Specification.

Recent and upcoming specification activities include:

• Energy Star Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwashers final specification EPA plans to publish the Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwasher final specification in the coming days, which is expected to include updated references to the ASTM F1696-20 and F1920-20 standard test methods. For more information on activities performed to date in preparation for this revision, please visit the product development webpage. Contact CFS@energystar.gov with any questions or comments.
  UPDATE: Oct. 27, 2020: The EPA released the Final Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Commercial Dishwasher product specification. In a statement, it said: “Energy Star-certified commercial dishwashers under the Version 3.0 specification will offer consumers, on average, energy savings of up to 17 percent. This specification establishes updated performance levels, including the introduction of a wash energy metric; recognizes products with innovative heat recovery technologies; and aligns with updated industry test methods, terms and definitions. If all commercial dishwashers sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR certified to Version 3.0, the energy cost savings would grow to more than $230 million each year, and more than 4.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.”
• Energy Star Version 5.0 Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers Discussion Guide Energy Star Version 5.0 Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers Discussion Guide development is underway with an anticipated release this fall. For more information, please contact CFS@energystar.gov.
• Energy Start Version 3.0 Commercial Ovens Draft 1 Energy Star Version 3.0 Commercial Ovens Draft 1 development is underway with an anticipated release this fall. The revision is in response to the relatively high Energy Start market penetration for commercial ovens and significant stakeholder interest in expanding scope to include large electric combination ovens (greater than 20 pans), small electric combination oven (less than 5 pans), and electric “mini” 2/3^rd size pans, as well as small gas combination ovens (less than 6 pans). Additionally, EPA anticipates changes to the performance levels for select classes of commercial ovens, potentially including combination, convection, and rack. For more information, please contact CFS@energystar.gov.
• Electric Cooktops Discussion Guide The EPA is in the process of scoping induction technology as a potential new CFS Energy Start product category. Over the last several months, EPA has been compiling and analyzing market and energy performance information and data to determine if there is an opportunity to expand the Energy Star program to include commercial induction cooking technology. EPA is developing a discussion guide to further explore commercial induction technology with stakeholders. For more information, please contact CFS@energystar.gov.