December 2016

On December 28, 2016, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued five new efficiency standards, culminating a decade of energy efficiency progress that began under President George W. Bush. The new standards will save consumers money, help meet the nation’s energy needs and reduce environmentally harmful emissions, including greenhouse gases.

On December 28, 2016, the US Department of Energy issued a direct final rule establishing the first-ever national energy efficiency standards for swimming pool pumps.

On December 28, 2016, the US Department of Energy (DOE) issued new energy efficiency standards for certain types of walk-in cooler and freezer equipment based on an agreement negotiated by a stakeholder working group.

On December 28, 2016, the US Department of Energy (DOE) issued new energy efficiency standards for the relatively obscure, but important, class of products know as uninterruptible power supplies or UPS.  UPS provide critical protection from outages or fluctuations in electricity supply for sensitive electronic devices, particularly desktop computers (laptops usually have their own batteries built in).

On December 28, 2016, the US Department of Energy issued the first-ever energy efficiency standards for portable air conditioners (ACs). The new standards will reduce energy use more than 20% relative to the least-efficient products available today.

On December 28, 2016, the US Department of Energy (DOE) issued new energy efficiency standards for commercial boilers, which are commonly used to heat schools, offices, apartments, and hospitals, among other building types. The new standards will reduce commercial boiler energy consumption by about 2-6% relative to the current standards.

This week, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved first-in-the-nation energy efficiency standards for computers and computer displays, or monitors (CEC factsheet).

Today the US Department of Energy (DOE) released new energy efficiency standards for rotary air compressors. These large air compressors power a range of commercial and industrial equipment such as manufacturing robots, pneumatic tools, and paint sprayers and use about 6 percent of all motor-driven electricity consumption in the industrial sector.[1]

The US Department of Energy (DOE) published new minimum energy efficiency standards for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps today. The new standards, which are based on a negotiated agreement, will reduce air conditioner and heat pump energy use by about 7%, translating into hundreds of dollars in electricity bill savings for consumers over the life of their equipment.