THE PRODUCT:
Commercial dishwashers are used in places such as restaurants, bars, schools, hospitals, and institutional cafeterias.
THE STANDARD:
There are no national standards for commercial dishwashers. In May 2018, Vermont adopted the first state standards based on ENERGY STAR Version 2.0, which was in effect between 2013 and 2021. Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia have since adopted the same standards. The ENERGY STAR specification includes an idle energy rate requirement, which reduces energy use when a dishwasher is powered on but not actively running, and a water efficiency requirement. ENERGY STAR Version 2.0–qualified dishwashers use about 20–40% less water than standard models.
KEY FACTS:
Commercial dishwashers are designed in various configurations and include both “high temp” models, which use hot water to achieve sanitization, and “low temp” models, which use a chemical sanitizing solution. In 2020, 63% of total shipments of commercial dishwashers were ENERGY STAR qualified for Version 2.0.
