Air cleaners

THE PRODUCT

Air cleaners are portable, electric appliances that remove fine particles, such as dust, smoke, and pollen, from indoor air.

THE STANDARD

DOE finalized the first national standards for air cleaners in 2023, based on a consensus agreement between manufacturers and efficiency advocates. The direct final rule established a tiered compliance regime, with compliance with Tier 1 of the standards required starting December 31, 2023, and compliance with the more stringent Tier 2 required starting December 31, 2025. The Tier 1 standard levels reflect the efficiency levels that were adopted by the District of Columbia, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York. The Tier 2 standards reflect the efficiency levels that were adopted by Washington. The new federal standards preempt the state-level efficiency standards.

*The energy efficiency metric, integrated energy factor (IEF), is PM2.5 (particulate matter) clean air delivery rate per watt (CADR/W). CADR is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM).

KEY FACTS

As of 2020, there were about 7 million annual shipments of air purifiers in the US. Air purifiers that meet the Tier 1 (2023) standards reduce energy use by 9-40%, depending on the product category, relative to the least efficient products on the market at the time the standards were established. Air purifiers that meet the Tier 2 (2025) standards save an additional 9-31% relative to Tier 1.

The most common type of air purifiers clean the air using filters and fans.