Dear ENERGY STAR® Water Cooler Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to distribute the ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Water Cooler Final Specification. EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have devoted time and effort to informing this specification revision process. Version 3.0 requirements will be effective March 23, 2022.

This specification revision has the potential to deliver significant savings. Over its lifetime, a water cooler certifying to ENERGY STAR under this specification could save up to $378 in energy costs. If all water coolers sold in the US met these criteria, the energy cost savings would grow to over $250 million per year and 4.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.

This specification was developed through a process that included release of a discussion guide and three draft specifications, along with multiple stakeholder meetings. This final specification not only raises the bar on energy efficiency but includes updates that will help consumers select the best water cooler for their use.  The Version 3.0 will differentiate conditioned storage hot and cold as well as hot, cook, and cold water coolers based on their capacity, creating distinct categories for high-traffic locations like offices or commercial spaces and low-capacity environments like homes or small offices.  The specification also adds reporting of energy consumption during and after hot and cold water draws, giving a more complete picture of a product’s energy consumption.

Stakeholder comments, previous drafts of the specification, and related materials are available on EPA's ENERGY STAR website at www.energystar.gov/specifications. Click on the “View the Version 3.0 Development Process” link for Water Coolers.

Timeline and Next Steps
EPA shares partners’ desire for a smooth transition from one ENERGY STAR specification to the next, so that consumers can expect ENERGY STAR labeled products to fully meet the latest requirements upon their effective date. With this in mind, EPA has established the following timeline:

• Effective immediately, manufacturers may elect to have their Certification Body (CB) certify their eligible products to the Version 3.0 requirements.
• As of October 13, 2021, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 2.0. Note that existing certifications will remain valid for purposes of ENERGY STAR certification until March 23, 2022.
• Any water cooler manufactured as of March 23, 2022, must meet Version 3.0 requirements to bear the ENERGY STAR mark. All certifications of products to the Version 2.0 specification will be invalid for purposes of ENERGY STAR certification and the product finder will only include models certified to Version 3.0. After March 23, 2022, products placed under new contracts as ENERGY STAR should be certified to the Version 3.0 specification.

ENERGY STAR partnership as a manufacturer is limited to organizations that own and/or license a brand name under which they sell eligible products in the United States and/or Canada. Partnership is not available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that do not sell directly to consumers or end users. OEMs may certify products on behalf of the ENERGY STAR brand owners/licensees; however, the brand owner must be the ENERGY STAR partner associated directly with the certified product models, since only partners are authorized to use the ENERGY STAR certification mark.

EPA thanks the many stakeholders who provided feedback during the specification revision process and looks forward to working with you as you certify and market your energy-efficient water coolers. Please direct any specific questions to Tanja Crk, EPA, at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or 202-862-1163.  

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service, Vending, and Water Coolers

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Water Cooler Final Specification
ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Water Cooler Final Data Package
ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Water Cooler Final Draft Comment Response Matrix

The purpose of this letter is to present a proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to sunset the ENERGY STAR specification for Small Network Equipment (SNE) products. Relevant background and the rationale for sunsetting are provided below.  The Agency requests feedback on this proposal no later than June 22, 2021.

ENERGY STAR SNE Products Background
Recognizing the potential to advance energy efficiency in this ubiquitous product, EPA began working with stakeholders in 2009 and through a multi-year, engaged process developed both the first test method to evaluate efficiency and the first recognition program for leadership in efficiency.  The ENERGY STAR SNE product specification was introduced in 2013 with the intention to increase energy efficiency primarily in the home and small office networking space. These products were of interest due to their 24/7 activity and large sales. EPA developed a specification to recognize SNE products that were efficient when connected to a network and passing minimal traffic, the most common operating condition in residential environments.

Rationale for Proposed Sunset SNE
Under certain circumstances, EPA makes the determination that an ENERGY STAR specification for a particular product category should be sunset rather than revised for one or more of these reasons:

• A standard exists or is forthcoming at the current ENERGY STAR level that will serve as a backstop so efficiency gains are maintained.
• Additional, cost-effective efficiency gains are not available or anticipated.
• The market has evolved such that the product type is being discontinued.

The Small Network Equipment Voluntary Agreement (VA), designed to serve as a back stop, was introduced in 2015 leveraging the ENERGY STAR Test Method for Small Network Equipment as well as the program’s definitions and structure to set minimum levels that all signatories commit to meeting. The VA has been signed by all major internet providers, estimated to provide approximately 60% of SNE products to the market with continued growth expected.

In addition, a recent review showed that the opportunity for further efficiency gains beyond ENERGY STAR’s current requirements may be constrained by the energy needs associated with product features that are valued by consumers. In particular, we anticipate the industry will be evolving products to accommodate functionality such as increased range, speed, and the ability to support more clients. EPA will, however, continue to monitor the SNE landscape and will revisit this decision if the technology or market changes and significant energy savings become available.

Proposed Milestones for Sunsetting the ENERGY STAR for SNE Products
EPA proposes the following milestones associated with implementing this proposal:

• Existing certifications of ENERGY STAR SNE products will remain valid until July 13, 2022.
• Certification Bodies will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals as of January 13, 2022.
• No new promotional materials for SNE products (printed and electronic) that use the ENERGY STAR mark may be produced after January 13, 2022. Brand owners are permitted to use up existing printed material, including packaging to minimize waste.
• Brand owners must stop using the ENERGY STAR name and ENERGY STAR mark in association with all SNE products manufactured on or after July 13, 2022.
• To minimize the cost of labeling changes and be in compliance by July 13, 2022, brand owners of SNE products are encouraged to remove ENERGY STAR references on Web sites or in other collateral materials as these materials are reprinted or changed.

Stakeholders are invited to comment on this proposal to sunset the ENERGY STAR for SNE products. Any feedback or data you wish to share with EPA may be submitted via email to networking@energystar.gov, no later than June 22, 2021. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR SNE page, unless the stakeholder requests otherwise.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products

Dear ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems stakeholders:

In the interest of helping stakeholders navigate the new ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems specification and certify their SHEMS, EPA is sharing a few clarifications. Have a question? Please contact smarthomesystems@epa.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Dear ENERGY STAR® CFS Partner or Other Interested Party,

The purpose of this announcement is to provide clarification to the referenced American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1920-20 Standard Test Method for Performance of Rack Conveyor Commercial Dishwashing Machines for ENERGY STAR certification purposes.

As a reminder, EPA finalized the ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwashers product specification on October 27, 2020, which goes into effect July 27, 2021. Since publication of this specification, EPA was notified of an oversight in the latest F1920 standard test method revision that may impact certification eligibility for certain commercial dishwashers.

Section 10.8.3. of F1920-20, which falls under the Washing Energy Performance Test, states: “Confirm that the minimum wash tank temperature is above the manufacturer’s recommended setting.” Similar guidance was revised during the last iteration of the F1696-20 Standard Test Method for Energy Performance of Stationary-Rack, Door-Type Commercial Dishwashing Machines, but retained in F1920-20. Consistent with other referenced ASTM standards, Section 10.8.3 of F1920-20 should have been amended from “minimum” to “average.”

Considering this was an oversight during the last revision of the ASTM F1920 standard, and the guidance language was not updated to reflect this change, EPA will accept a deviation from the current guidance language in Section 10.8.3. of F1920-20 for eligible commercial rack conveyor dishmachines. If the UUT maintains an “average” wash tank temperature above the manufacturer’s recommended setting during the period of test, that is deemed acceptable for purposes of ENERGY STAR certification.

EPA has notified ASTM that this temporary deviation is allowed and is reflected in a notebox under Section 4. Test Requirements in the final ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwashers product specification available here. An amendment to the F1920-20 standard is anticipated in a subsequent iteration.  At which time, EPA will lift this temporary deviation allowance, along with publication of an amended Version 3.0 specification announcement.

Note that any ENERGY STAR commercial dishwasher model certified under this temporary deviation shall be verified to the same specification deviation upon verification testing, if nominated.

If you have any questions regarding this deviation allowance, please reach out to cfs@energystar.gov.  

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:
 
This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 2 Specification on April 22, 2021. Comments are due June 3, 2021 and may be submitted to televisions@energystar.gov.
 
Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Partners and Stakeholders:
 
Yesterday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan joined other members of the Biden cabinet to announce new initiatives supporting a whole of government approach to efficient decarbonization of U.S. buildings. In outlining EPA’s commitment, Administrator Regan emphasized the importance of partnership programs, highlighting recent updates to the ENERGY STAR specifications for CAC/ASHPs and water heaters, as well as the expansion of the ENERGY STAR EVSE specification to cover DC fast chargers.   

We look forward to continuing our important work, together, to advance an economy-wide transition to the efficient technologies that are critical in the fight against climate change. 

See EPA press release here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/through-public-private-partnerships-epa-helps-advance-efficiency-and-reduce-emissions

This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 2 Specification on April 22nd. Comments are due June 3rd, 2021 and may be submitted to televisions@energystar.gov.
 
EPA will host a stakeholder webinar to present details of the Draft 2 specification and address stakeholder questions on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time. If you wish to attend this meeting, please register here.
 
Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR

Dear ENERGY STAR® Imaging Equipment Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing an update to the ENERGY STAR Imaging Equipment (IE) specification to add criteria for professional imaging equipment. This proposal is based on data gathered per the Version 3.0 professional imaging equipment test method. Products that have been certified to Version 3.0 and Version 3.1 will not be affected by this change and will remain ENERGY STAR certified.

Over the past year, EPA has had ongoing discussions with stakeholders regarding appropriate criteria for differentiating professional imaging equipment. As part of these discussions, several manufacturers have tested their products per the Version 3.0 professional imaging equipment test method and submitted resulting data to EPA for consideration. After analyzing these data, EPA proposes to amend the ENERGY STAR criteria to incorporate new professional imaging efficiency metrics for active mode and ready mode, the two modes with the greatest effect on the overall energy consumption of these products. This proposal includes separate active mode criteria for color and monochrome products. Further, EPA has proposed levels that enable products of a variety of speeds to qualify.

EPA welcomes stakeholder input on this proposed amendment. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit any comments to imagingequipment@energystar.gov by June 1, 2021. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

The exchange of ideas and information between EPA, industry, and other interested parties is critical to the success of ENERGY STAR. Materials associated with this amendment are posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website.

Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 or Cody Niblett, ICF, at Cody.Niblett@icf.com or (202) 862-1245 with questions or concerns about this amendment. For other imaging equipment related questions, please contact imagingequipment@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products

Enclosures:
Draft, Version 3.2 Specification

 

Dear ENERGY STAR® Room Air Cleaner Partner, Certification Body, or Recognized Laboratory,
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been made aware of a 2020 update to the ANSI/AHAM AC-1 test procedure for measuring the performance of Room Air Cleaners. As a result, EPA is updating the referenced test procedure, for use in measuring the cigarette smoke Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) and operating power to determine certification for ENERGY STAR Room Air Cleaners, to the updated 2020 version of the ANSI/AHAM AC-1 test method.

For the purposes of ENERGY STAR certification, room air cleaners should be tested using ANSI/AHAM AC-1-2020 moving forward. Currently certified products are not affected. This update will be reflected in Table 2 of the specification (as shown below).

Please contact Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, or Emmy Feldman, ICF, at Emmy.Feldman@icf.com or (202) 862-1145, with any questions or concerns about the specification. For any other questions pertaining to Room Air Cleaners, please contact roomaircleaners@energystar.gov.

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® TV Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to share the ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 2 Specification, which includes revisions in response to stakeholder feedback on Draft 1. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback on this Draft 2 by June 3, 2021. In addition, EPA will host a stakeholder webinar to present details of the Draft 2 specification and address stakeholder questions on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time. If you wish to attend this meeting, please register here. 

In response to Draft 1, EPA received several sets of written comments as well as verbal feedback during a webinar hosted on September 30, 2020. The Agency has made a number of adjustments to the specification as a result. These changes and EPA’s rationale for them are highlighted in noteboxes throughout the specification and outlined below. Additionally, EPA’s responses to stakeholder feedback are reflected in the Draft 1 comment response document.
 

Version 9.0 Test Procedure

Since publishing the Draft 1 specification, EPA has begun to work with stakeholders in the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) R4 Working Group 13 to develop the CTA-2037C: Determination of Television Set Power Consumption and Average Luminance test procedure that is based on the same approach to measuring TV power and projected luminance as the additional test procedures outlined in Draft 1. As such, and as long as the working group continues to make timely progress towards the finalization of CTA-2037C, the Agency intends to reference it for use in this specification. This will allow ENERGY STAR to align with the industry accepted approach to measuring TV efficiency and reduce the test burden of having an additional test method.

EPA has continued to monitor the development of an updated approach to testing with an Automatic Brightness Control (ABC) feature enabled. At this time, the procedure as presented in the forthcoming CTA-2037C has been developed to the extent that the Agency feels it appropriate to include ABC-enabled metrics in Version 9.0. EPA believes that this will reinforce the Agency’s support of a well-programmed version of the ABC feature and allow for ENERGY STAR criteria to better reflect how TVs are typically used.

EPA developed the specification levels based on a dataset of TVs tested in accordance with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) test method being used as the starting point for developing CTA-2037C. EPA understands that as the CTA-2037C test procedure continues to be developed, some changes are likely to be made to the test method that may impact power measurements. As changes are made, the Agency will reevaluate the criteria presented in this specification to determine whether corresponding modifications to the specification levels are necessary.

Updated Dataset

The dataset used to inform Draft 1 criteria has been replaced with an updated dataset for Draft 2. The Draft 2 dataset includes 41 2020-2021 model year TVs. This assortment of TVs represents 10 manufacturers and a wide range of screen sizes, display technologies, and native resolutions of TVs available in the market today. Additionally, the data in this dataset were obtained through testing per the current iteration of the forthcoming CTA-2037C test procedure. This ensures that to the furthest extent possible, that the criteria presented in this Draft 2 reflect how TVs are expected to perform when tested for purposes of certification.   
 

Updated Certification Criteria

With a new dataset, EPA set out to assess whether the criteria presented in Draft 1 continued to provide a fair level of stringency across TV size bins, native resolutions, and display technologies. As such, Draft 2 includes the following updates in approach towards On Mode and Standby Mode criteria:

• To provide manufacturers more flexibility in designing each Preset Picture Setting (PPS), Draft 2 has replaced the On Mode Power requirements prescribed for each PPS with an On Mode Power Requirement that averages the power across the applicable PPSs. As such, the criteria evaluate a TV’s overall efficiency instead of the efficiency of individual settings.
• Draft 2 proposes that PPSs with ABC enabled by default test with ABC enabled. For PPSs with ABC enabled, EPA developed corresponding metrics that take the average dynamic luminance and power at several illuminance conditions to represent the PPS in calculating the power limit. EPA believes this will incentivize the persistence of a well-implemented ABC function across PPSs.
• To give manufacturers more freedom to program their brightness settings however they believe will deliver the best viewing experience while ensuring that ENERGY STAR in not providing an incentive to do otherwise, Draft 2 proposes the use of luminance thresholds to determine compliance with the specification. Essentially, if the dynamic luminance of a PPS is measured or calculated to be below the applicable threshold, the On Mode Power used to determine compliance will be the interpolated power value at the luminance threshold. It is important to note that manufacturers may still set their TV default settings to luminance values below the threshold and be eligible for ENERGY STAR, but compliance will be assessed assuming the product is at or above the luminance threshold. 
• In order to apply comparable stringency for models with an atypical resolution (e.g., 2k) or a resolution below 4K (e.g., 720p vs. 1080p), Draft 2 proposes a universal adjustment factor equation based on screen resolution instead of separate equations for specific screen resolutions, as was proposed in Draft 1.
• EPA has updated the approach towards TVs classified to receive the High Contrast Ratio (HCR) adjustment factor. This update broadens the applicability of the adjustment factor to beyond just 4K models and includes a new definition for what is considered an HCR TV to appropriately account for current and future technologies that offer this feature to receive the adjustment factor.
• Draft 2 proposes to lower the Standby-Active, Low Mode Power requirement from 2 W to 1 W. The current dataset shows that while the industry average is higher, several manufacturers have been able to configure their TVs to remain well below 1 W in this mode.

Upcoming Webinar

The exchange of ideas and information between EPA, industry, and other interested parties is critical to the success of ENERGY STAR. Stakeholder participation is key to the ENERGY STAR specification development process and is strongly encouraged. EPA plans to hold a webinar on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time to discuss the Version 9.0 Draft 2 specification. To participate in this webinar, please register here to attend.

Feedback

Given the current circumstances, EPA is extending the normal comment period deadline to allow stakeholders to provide any comments on the Version 9.0 Draft 2 Specification no later than June 3, 2021. Please send comments via e-mail to televisions@energystar.gov. All comments received will be posted to the Version 9.0 TVs Specification development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that his or her comments remain confidential. Stakeholder engagement is vital to the ENERGY STAR program and EPA looks forward to further work with stakeholders in the development of the TVs Version 9.0 specification.

Please contact me at (202) 564-8538 or Kwon.James@epa.gov, or Emmy Feldman at (202) 862-1145 or Emmy.Feldman@icf.com, with questions or to share feedback for this effort.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Best Regards,

James Kwon, EPA Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for Consumer Electronics

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 2 Specification
ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 2 Data Package
ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 1 Comment Response Document

Dear ENERGY STAR® Clothes Washer Manufacturers, ENERGY STAR Clothes Dryer Manufacturers, and Other Interested Parties,

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the ENERGY STAR Version 8.1 Clothes Washer specification. This amendment expands the scope to enable combination all-in-one washer-dryers with air-only drying to earn the ENERGY STAR. This update does not affect currently certified products.  Manufacturers may certify combination all-in-one washer-dryer products meeting the requirements of this amendment immediately upon this publication.

With this amendment, EPA both expanded the scope of the ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer specification to include combination all-in-one washer-dryers with air-only drying products and established tailored ENERGY STAR requirements for this special product type. Combination all-in-one washer-dryers must meet the relevant ENERGY STAR washer criteria and ENERGY STAR dryer criteria (excluding the cycle time requirement) and will be listed as certified on the ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Product Finder. Combination all-in-one washer-dryer products will continue to be listed as an excluded product type under the ENERGY STAR Clothes Dryer specification.

All stakeholder-submitted comments agreed with EPA’s overall proposal. These comments are summarized in the comment response document, along with the Agency’s responses. EPA thanks stakeholders for their comments in support of this amendment.

All materials related to this amendment are posted on the ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Version 8 development page. Please direct any specific questions to Ga-Young Park at Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, or Steve Leybourn at Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1566.
 
Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Sincerely,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Version 8.1 Clothes Washer Final Specification
ENERGY STAR Version 8.1 Clothes Washer Draft Specification Comment Response Document

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to distribute the Final Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR® Water Heater specification and the Final ENERGY STAR Test Method to Validate Demand Response. EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have invested time and effort to contribute feedback that has informed this specification revision process. Version 4.0 requirements will be effective on January 5, 2022.

The savings associated with this specification revision are significant at the product level and nationally. Electric water heaters under 55 gallons certifying to the new requirements will save consumers $315 a year, on average. If all electric water heaters sold in the US met these criteria, the energy cost savings would grow to $8 billion per year, and 150 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented. In addition, this revision offers the option for products to be recognized as connected, with a tested ability to shift electrical load for grid stability without sacrificing consumer performance.

This specification was developed through a process that included release of two draft specifications, along with multiple stakeholder meetings and input from stakeholders. Several themes from Draft 1 comments were repeated in the latest comment period, including requests to require a physical CTA-2045 port on all connected water heaters. EPA also received suggestions about the levels proposed for the new split and 120V product classes. Further details and EPA’s responses can be found in the Final Draft Comment Response Matrix.

EPA made two changes in the final specification. The first is a clarification to the definition for split system water heaters, to specify that these products must include a tank that is supplied or specified by the manufacturer and rated with the product. This change to the definition is in line with the intent of the current specification and previously proposed drafts, which excluded add-on heat pump units. EPA also amended the definition of a “loss of connectivity” event based on stakeholder concerns that the previous definition and test method was not applicable to water heaters with an OpenADR 2.0b implementation. The change to the specification language and test method will allow for products with either protocol to meet the requirements for loss of connectivity.

In addition, EPA received extensive feedback about the maintain the current levels for gas-fired water heaters. While some stakeholders supported EPA’s choice, the majority commented that the current levels do not reflect ENERGY STAR guiding principles, and the wide choice of labeled models will mislead consumers and manufacturers about the environmental impact of their choices. EPA understands these concerns and plans to revisit gas water heaters with a proposal later this year.

Stakeholder comments, previous drafts of the specification, and related materials are available on EPA's ENERGY STAR website at www.energystar.gov/specifications. Click on the “View the Version 4.0 Development Process” link for Water Heaters.

Test Method to Validate Demand Response
The Final Test Method to Validate Demand Response includes a minor change to the testing of loss of connectivity, aligned with the change in the specification. It is otherwise unchanged.

Timeline and Next Steps
EPA shares Partners’ desire for a smooth transition from one ENERGY STAR specification to the next, so that consumers can expect ENERGY STAR labeled products to fully meet the latest requirements upon their effective date. With this in mind, EPA has established the following timeline:

• Effective immediately, manufacturers may elect to have their Certification Body (CB) certify their eligible products to the Version 4.0 requirements, including recognition as connected.
• As of July 26, 2021, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 3.0. Note, however, that existing certifications will remain valid for purposes of ENERGY STAR qualification until January 5, 2022.
• Any water heater manufactured as of January 5, 2022, must meet Version 4.0 requirements to bear the ENERGY STAR mark. All certifications of products to the Version 3.0 specification will be invalid for purposes of ENERGY STAR qualification and the product finder will only include models certified to Version 4.0.

ENERGY STAR partnership as a manufacturer is limited to organizations that own and/or license a brand name under which they sell eligible products in the United States and/or Canada. Partnership is not available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that do not sell directly to consumers or end users. OEMs may certify products on behalf of the ENERGY STAR brand owners/licensees; however the brand owner must be the ENERGY STAR partner associated directly with the certified product models, since only partners are authorized to use the ENERGY STAR certification mark.

EPA thanks stakeholders who provided feedback during the specification revision process and looks forward to working with you as you certify and market your energy-efficient water heaters. Please direct any questions regarding the specification and its timeline to Abigail Daken, EPA, at daken.abigail@epa.gov or (202) 343-9375, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or (202) 862-1163. For marketing or webpage questions, please contact Nate Jutras at jutras.nathaniel@epa.gov or (202) 738-3515. For test procedure inquiries, please contact Catherine Rivest, U.S. Department of Energy, at Catherine.Rivest@ee.doe.gov or (202) 586-7335. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Version 4.0 Water Heaters Final Specification and Partner Commitments
ENERGY STAR Connected Residential Water Heaters Test Method to Validate Demand Response
ENERGY STAR Version 4.0 Water Heaters Final Draft Comment Response Matrix
ENERGY STAR Version 4.0 Water Heaters Final Data Package

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to distribute the ENERGY STAR® Version 6.0 Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump (CAC/HP) Final Specification and the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump Final Controls Verification Procedure (CVP). EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have devoted time and effort to informing this specification revision process. Version 6.0 requirements will be effective January 1, 2023, although EPA encourages early certification. 

This specification revision has the potential to deliver significant savings.  Over its lifetime, a central air conditioner certifying to ENERGY STAR under this specification could save $800 in household energy costs, and a heat pump could save up to $2000.  If all central air conditioners and heat pumps sold in the US met these criteria, the energy cost savings would grow to $3 billion per year and 105 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented. In addition, this revision offers the option for products to be recognized as connected, providing expanded ability to respond to grid needs with minimal impact to consumers.

This specification was developed through a process that included release of a discussion guide, three draft specifications and two limited topic proposals, along with multiple stakeholder meetings. Several themes were repeated throughout the process, including industry concerns with the burden of preparing to comply with the 2023 Federal minimum efficiency standards and test method as well as California refrigerant standards. As a result, EPA has aligned the effective date of the Version 6.0 specification with the effective date of the new Federal standards.

Stakeholder comments, previous drafts of the specification, and related materials are available on EPA's ENERGY STAR website at www.energystar.gov/specifications. Click on the “View the Version 4.0 Development Process” link for Central Air Conditioners or Heat Pumps.

Translation to EER2
From comments and discussions with stakeholders, EPA  understands that the proposed translation of EER to EER2 may not be accurate for high efficiency products. In the absence of better information, EPA has maintained the proposed EER2 criteria, but encourages partners to share any test data they may have to support a lower EER2 criteria that would be equivalent to the 12.5 EER criteria. Should a better understanding of the conversion arise, EPA will revise the EER2 criteria before 2023 when that metric is required.

Installation Capabilities
As proposed in the Limited Topic Proposal on Installation Criteria, EPA has limited the applicability of the installation criteria to variable capacity products only. This decision allows for a wider set of products to meet the Version 6.0 criteria, while encouraging products with advanced controls and communicating software to improve installation quality. EPA has also made small adjustments to some features based on conversations with stakeholders.

Controls Verification Procedure
The final version of the CVP includes changes from the draft that are in line with stakeholder feedback. As the CVP will not be required for new certifications until January 1, 2022, EPA encourages stakeholders to report any substantive issues with the CVP so that it may be improved as appropriate, but the Agency believes the procedure accomplishes the goal of confirming cold climate heat pump operation under native controls in its current form.

Timeline and Next Steps
EPA shares partners’ desire for a smooth transition from one ENERGY STAR specification to the next, so that consumers can expect ENERGY STAR labeled products to fully meet the latest requirements upon their effective date. In addition, the Appendix M1 test method and associated metrics will become effective on January 1, 2023. With this in mind, EPA has established the following timeline:

•    Effective immediately, manufacturers may elect to have their Certification Body (CB) certify their eligible products to the Version 6.0 requirements, including recognition as connected and the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump label. These certifications can be made according to the current Appendix M test method and associated metrics until January 1, 2022. 

•    As of January 1, 2022, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 5.0. Note, however, that existing certifications will remain valid for purposes of ENERGY STAR qualification until January 1, 2023. Beginning on January 1, 2022, early certifications to Version 6.0 must be made according to the Appendix M1 test method and associated metrics.
 
•    Any CAC/HP manufactured as of January 1, 2023, must meet Version 6.0 requirements to bear the ENERGY STAR mark. All certifications of products to the Version 5.0 specification will be invalid for purposes of ENERGY STAR qualification and the product finder will only include models certified to Version 6.0. Products that certified early using the Appendix M compliance pathway must submit data according to the Appendix M1 test method by this date.

ENERGY STAR partnership as a manufacturer is limited to organizations that own and/or license a brand name under which they sell eligible products in the United States and/or Canada. Partnership is not available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that do not sell directly to consumers or end users. OEMs may certify products on behalf of the ENERGY STAR brand owners/licensees; however the brand owner must be the ENERGY STAR partner associated directly with the certified product models, since only partners are authorized to use the ENERGY STAR certification mark.

EPA thanks the many stakeholders who provided feedback during the specification revision process and looks forward to working with you as you certify and market your energy-efficient central air conditioners and heat pumps. Please direct any questions regarding the specification and its timeline to Abigail Daken, EPA, at daken.abigail@epa.gov or (202) 343-9375, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or (202) 862-1163. For marketing or webpage questions, please contact Dan Lawlor at Lawlor.Daniel@epa.gov or (202) 564-8561. For test procedure inquiries, please contact Catherine Rivest, U.S. Department of Energy, at Catherine.Rivest@ee.doe.gov or 202-586-7335. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Enclosures:
Final Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR CAC-HP Specification
Final Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR CAC-HP Data Package
Final Controls Verification Procedure
Final Draft Version 6.0 and CVP ENERGY STAR CAC-HP Comment Response Matrix

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites you to participate in its next installment of the commercial food service (CFS) webinar series!

This webinar series occurs monthly and covers a range of topics which highlight strategies to leverage the ENERGY STAR logo, tools, and resources, ENERGY STAR partner success stories, and more! The April webinar will spotlight another EPA voluntary program, the Green Power Partnership, and opportunities to leverage both programs.

Webinar information:

Title: Spotlight on EPA’s Green Power Partnership 
Date and Time: Tuesday April 13; 1 PM – 2 PM EDT
Please register for the webinar here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partnership (GPP) was established in 2001. The goal of the GPP is to protect human health and the environment by increasing organizations’ voluntary green power use. The program provides technical assistance to organizations as they either start or expand their green power use. The GPP also provides public recognition and promotion for companies and other organizations that use green power. In return for technical assistance and recognition, Partners commit to using green power for all, or a portion, of their annual electricity consumption.

This webinar will:

• Celebrate this year’s Earth Day theme by introducing partners and stakeholders to EPA’s Green Power Partnership program and the combined benefits of energy efficiency and green power
• Demonstrate how other organizations have leveraged both ENERGY STAR and the Green Power Partnership program to meet their clean energy goals

Questions may be directed to CFS@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your support of ENERGY STAR

Dear ENERGY STAR® Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to share the Final ENERGY STAR Version 1.1 EVSE Specification. EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have invested time and effort to contribute feedback that has informed this specification revision process. These Version 1.1 requirements will become effective immediately. EPA will host a webinar on Thursday, April 8, 2021 from 3 – 4 PM Eastern Time to outline the process for certifying DC EVSE and answer any stakeholder questions. Please register for the webinar.

With this Version 1.1, EPA expanded the scope of the ENERGY STAR EVSE specification to include DC charging products. This updated specification establishes requirements to recognize the most efficient DC-output products. Due to the potential for DC chargers to increase the range of EVs and the efforts to establish EV charging corridors for cross-country EV transportation, there has been an increase in demand for this product type. Adding DC charging stations to the ENERGY STAR scope will bring additional value to stakeholders by recognizing the safe and efficient models with the ENERGY STAR label. 

This specification was developed through a multi-year process that began with the development of a test method to ensure there was a repeatable and appropriate procedure for testing DC-output EVSE for energy efficiency. The test method development process included the release of a discussion guide, two working session memos, and three draft test methods, along with multiple stakeholder meetings and input from stakeholders. EPA then began to develop energy efficiency criteria for DC-output EVSE with the release of two draft specifications. Stakeholder comments, previous drafts of the specification and test method, and related materials are available on the ENERGY STAR Version 1.1 EVSE Specification Development webpage.

Feedback on the Final Draft Specification
EPA received a few stakeholder comments in response to the Final Draft specification. These comments are summarized in the enclosed comment response document, along with the Agency’s responses. EPA made modest updates to the Final specification in response to these comments:

• EPA removed the term ‘portable’ from describing DC-output EVSE with integrated batteries that cannot be disabled, as a stakeholder noted it would inadvertently prevent equipment that have integral batteries that are intended to be installed from claiming a battery management system allowance.
• EPA received stakeholder feedback that the requirement to report compliance with ISO-15118 was vague and other standards should also be considered. EPA updated the reporting requirement to emphasize advanced energy management functionality, while ensuring that ENERGY STAR program requirements are durable enough to evaluate these protocols as they evolve over time. As a result, the criteria will allow for reporting of additional protocols beyond ISO 15118, such as SAE J1772, IEC 61851-1, CHAdeMO 2.0, that are being leveraged by the EV charging industry to enable smart charging.
• Stakeholders requested that EPA allow for flexibility in the frequency allowed during testing to the ENERGY STAR DC-output EVSE Test Method to accommodate testing in in-house testing laboratories that may not be located in the United States. EPA has updated the AC-input supply requirements in the final ENERGY STAR DC-output EVSE Test Method (now marked revised as of March 2021) to allow testing at either 50 or 60 Hz, although it is still preferred that the unit be tested at the highest rated voltage and frequency combination listed.

Testing and Certifying DC-output EVSE for ENERGY STAR
Manufacturers should pursue testing through a third party testing laboratory, or enroll an in-house laboratory as a witnessed or supervised manufacturer test laboratory through a recognized Certification Body to begin testing and certifying products to the ENERGY STAR DC-output EVSE criteria. Currently UL Verification Services Inc., TUV SUD America, Inc., and Intertek Testing Services NA are recognized Certification Bodies for EVSE with approved W/SMTL programs. All EPA recognized test labs and certification bodies for EVSE can be found here.

Again, EPA will be hosting a webinar to outline the process for certifying DC EVSE on Thursday, April 8, 2021 from 3 – 4 PM Eastern Time. Please register for the webinar.

ENERGY STAR partnership as a manufacturer is limited to organizations that own and/or license a brand name under which they sell eligible products in the United States and/or Canada. Partnership is not available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that do not sell directly to consumers or end users. OEMs may certify products on behalf of the ENERGY STAR brand owners/licensees; however, the brand owner must be the ENERGY STAR partner associated directly with the certified product models, since only partners are authorized to use the ENERGY STAR certification mark.

Please contact me at (202) 564-8538 or Kwon.James@epa.gov, or Emmy Feldman at (202) 862-1145 or Emmy.Feldman@icf.com, with questions or to share feedback for this effort.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.
 
Best Regards,  James Kwon, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for EVSE

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR EVSE Version 1.1 Final Specification
ENERGY STAR EVSE Version 1.1 Final Test Method
ENERGY STAR EVSE Version 1.1 Final Draft Specification Comment Response Document

ENERGY STAR® Spring HVAC Newsletter

Change the World. Start with ENERGY STAR.

Promotional Opportunities

Educational Materials

Partner Meeting 2020

Earth Day

Smart Thermostat Best Practices Guide
HVAC Guide
HVAC Fact Sheets

Session Descriptions 
Presentation Decks

New ENERGY STAR Initiatives in HVAC Markets 
EPA is expanding efforts in the HVAC product category and developing new tools, resources, and campaigns for partners. In this session, EPA presented tools and resources, including a dynamic new customer facing ENERGY STAR HVAC Guide as well as describe future promotional plans for this category (with an emphasis on heat pumps). They also discuss updates on the ENERGY STAR HVAC Specification 6.0 revision process.

Helpful Links for Partners

• Product Finder
• Rebate Finder
• Federal Tax Credit Information
• Smart Thermostat Infographic
• Mini Split Heat Pump Fact Sheet
• Air Source Heat Pump Fact Sheet
• How to Choose the Right Sized Window AC
• How to Keep Your HVAC System Working Efficiently
• Are There Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Upgrades?

ENERGY STAR is the simple choice for energy efficiency.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the final ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award criteria for a new 2021 product category: Residential Induction Cooking Tops. With this letter EPA is also extending the 2020 product category, Refrigerators with Advanced Adaptive Compressors, for another year.

After reviewing input from stakeholders, EPA has maintained the criteria presented in the initial draft that EPA released on January 13th. All documents associated with the development of the Residential Induction Cooking Tops criteria, including stakeholder comments and the U.S. Department of Energy’s response regarding the use of the referenced test procedure, can be found on the ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology for Industry Stakeholders webpage.

Award Application Process
Manufacturers with products that meet the Award criteria may immediately begin submitting the necessary documentation to emergingtech@energystar.gov for EPA review. Award-winning products will be recognized upon determination that all Award criteria have been satisfied. Note that multiple products are eligible for the Award. All recognized, Award-winning products will be listed on energystar.gov on the list of ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award winners for Residential Induction Cooking Tops.

2020 Refrigerators with Advanced Adaptive Compressors Category
This letter also serves as notice that EPA is extending recognition of the 2020 Award category – Refrigerators with Advanced Adaptive Compressors – into 2021. No changes to the criteria have been made for 2021. The performance criteria and list of award-winning products can be found on the Advanced Adaptive Compressors webpage.

If you have any questions about the Award, the criteria development process, or marketing and promotion of Award-winning products, please contact me, Peter Banwell, at banwell.peter@epa.gov and (202) 343-9408, or Emmy Feldman at emmy.feldman@icf.com and (202) 862-1145.

Sincerely,

Peter Banwell
Senior Manager, ENERGY STAR Product Marketing

Enclosures:
Final Criteria for Residential Induction Cooking Tops

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind stakeholders that the effective date for the Version 2.0 ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage Program Requirements is March 15, 2021. On this date, only products certified to Version 2.0 and submitted by EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs) to EPA using the Version 2.0 web service will display on our list of certified models.
 
Please contact EPA at storage@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. CBs should direct questions concerning the submittal of Version 2.0 certified Data Center Storage products to Certification@energystar.gov.
 
Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.
 

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholders:

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing an ENERGY STAR Commercial Electric Cooktops Discussion Guide. The purpose of this discussion guide is to engage with manufacturers and other interested stakeholders to further inform a potential ENERGY STAR Version 1.0 specification for the commercial electric cooktop product category. During the comment period, the Agency will host a webinar to discuss the questions and general topics outlined in the discussion guide.

EPA reviewed existing research and engaged with manufacturers and other stakeholders. The initial formal notification of this effort was presented during a meeting of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee F26 on Food Service Equipment on October 28, 2020. Upon initial suggestion, EPA’s proposal received broad support and the Agency is encouraging further input from industry in response to this proposed expansion covering this product category.

Discussion Guide Summary
The discussion guide highlights multiple topics for further discussion which are summarized below. More details regarding these topics as well as specific questions are included in the discussion guide.

• Scope: Develop ENERGY STAR specification scope definitions and terminology for the new equipment classes not currently covered under the ENERGY STAR program.
• Test Methodology: Reference the forthcoming revised ASTM F1521 Standard Test Methods for Performance of Range Tops leveraging energy performance testing and available data to set ENERGY STAR minimum efficiency criteria.

Comment Submittal
Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written comments for EPA consideration to cfs@energystar.gov no later than Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

As a reminder, all submitted comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR product development website unless the submitter specifically requests their respective comments remain confidential.

Stakeholder Meetings
EPA plans to host a stakeholder webinar on March 17, 2021 to cover topics outlined in the discussion guide. Stakeholders interested in participating in these discussions may register here.

Please contact me at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037 and Brian Ward, ICF, at Brian.Ward@icf.com or (224) 622-4068 with questions or concerns. For any commercial food service equipment related questions, please contact CFS@energystar.gov. 

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service

Enclosures:Commercial Electric Cooktops Version 1.0 Discussion Guide

Dear ENERGY STAR® Commercial Dishwashers Stakeholders:
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind stakeholders that as of March 11, 2021, EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs) are required to cease certification of new Commercial Dishwashers to the Version 2.0 specification and may only certify Commercial Dishwashers to the Version 3.0 specification. Certification bodies may continue submitting administrative modifications to existing Commercial Dishwashers certifications to the Version 2.0 specification until July 27, 2021. After this date, only Commercial Dishwashers certified to the Version 3.0 specification will appear on the ENERGY STAR website and certified products list.

CBs must notify EPA by March 10, 2021 of models certified to Version 2.0, but not yet submitted to EPA, along with information on when data will be submitted. Failure to do so will result in QPX blocking submissions of these products to EPA.

Please contact EPA at commercialdishwashers@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. CBs should direct questions concerning the submittal of certified Commercial Dishwashers to Certification@energystar.gov.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Smart Home Energy Management Systems Partner or Other Interested Party:

With this letter, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing an amendment to the ENERGY STAR specification for Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS), to clarify lighting vacation mode requirements and expand flexibility in meeting lighting device requirements. These changes do not impact the eligibility of SHEMS that meet the original requirements to certify to the specification.

Please contact Taylor Jantz-Sell at (202) 343-9042 or Jantz-Sell.Taylor@epa.gov and Théo Keeley-LeClaire at (571) 373-5471 or Theo.Keeley-LeClaire@icf.com with any specific questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Taylor Jantz-Sell & Abigail Daken

Co-Leads, ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems Version 1.1 Specification

ENERGY STAR SHEMS Updates

• ENERGY STAR SHEMS Update
• News You Can Use

• ENERGY STAR SHEMS on the Road
• ENERGY STAR SHEMS Checklist

Since releasing the ENERGY STAR specification for Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received valuable feedback leading the team to propose further clarification and flexibility through an amendment, Version 1.1. The changes allow service providers that prefer to control lighting loads through smart switches to participate, enabling additional device and system design options to be eligible for the ENERGY STAR certification. SHEMS meeting the original requirements (published in September 2019) will continue to be eligible for certification.

For more information you can review the Version 1.1 announcement.

Learn about certifying a SHEMS package using the ENERGY STAR SHEMS Checklist or check out the SHEMS for Partners page.

SHEMS RESOURCES

• Past Webinars
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Key Product Criteria
• Version 1.0 specification

Certification Bodies

• UL Verification Services: Joseph Getner, Joseph.W.Getner@ul.com

News You Can Use

Smart Home Energy Solutions Gain Traction With Users

According to Parks Associates data, 11% of US broadband households own at least one smart light bulb and 9% own a smart plug or adapter module. This reflects an additional 3% of US broadband households adopting each device type since 2018. Read more

Energy Management Drives Smart Home Appeal

In a recent E Source consumer survey, saving energy and money through optimization emerged as the top two most appealing benefits of smart home systems (Figure 1). The survey also found that incentives such as rebates may be more effective than online marketplaces and other strategies in encouraging customers to purchase smart home technology from their energy utility. Members of the E Source Technology Assessment Service can find many more details in the new report US utility customers’ preferences for smart home technologies.

Figure 1: Most appealing benefits of smart home systems

Source: E Source. Survey respondents showed a clear preference for energy savings when considering benefits from smart home systems. Utilities are ideally suited to help customers realize these benefits.

According to E Source DSMdat (a database of over 6,000 utility demand side management and renewable energy programs throughout North America), there are more than 20 utilities currently offering incentives for customers to acquire smart home technology and systems (excluding programs that offer rebates for individual devices like smart thermostats), and E Source expects that number to increase once ENERGY STAR-qualified SHEMS become available on the market and energy and demand savings are demonstrated. Finally, more than 50 utilities currently have online marketplaces where they’re promoting and selling smart devices, and many of those utilities may also be likely to consider creating rebates or incentives for ENERGY STAR-qualified SHEMS going forward to promote adoption. Contact Essie Snell at essie_snell@esource.com for more information on E Source’s smart home research.

ENERGY STAR SHEMS On The (Virtual) Road

Upcoming

Save the date! Taylor Jantz-Sell, U.S. EPA, will be featured in an Executive Spotlight as part of the Parks Associates 2021 Smart Energy Summit. The Q&A is part of the “Energy Management Platforms: Accelerating Growth” track and will take place on February 24, 2021 at 12:45pm ET.

Past

The 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting was held virtually from October 27-29 and featured dedicated SHEMS content in two sessions:

• SHEMS Pilots Update: The latest updates from utilities and supporting service providers that are conducting pilots and programs that intersect with the ENERGY STAR smart home energy management systems specification. Speakers discussed key insights on automated energy savings and consumer engagement and education from pilots across the country. Insights touched on segmentation from low income to multi-family and covered successful leveraging of partnerships and utility marketplaces.
• SHEMS Pitch Party: Looking for innovative new ideas in the smart home energy management space? Review this series of short pitches covering topics from integration with distributed energy resources to messaging strategies for security and consumer privacy. Speakers included service providers working toward ENERGY STAR certification, device manufacturers, and researchers.

Your Smart Home System May Be Closer To An ENERGY STAR SHEMS than you think

If you operate a smart home system and can answer “yes” to all ten questions below you’re probably ready to start certifying your smart home system! Just review the current specification and data collection template to see all the detailed requirements and contact an ENERGY STAR recognized certification body to get started! If you have any questions, contact smarthomesystems@energystar.gov. Please note that the checklist is based on the proposed Version 1.1 specification.

Can Your System . . .

Control an ENERGY STAR certified Smart Thermostat?

Control either a smart light switch (standby power ≤ 0.5 W) that can report energy, or an ENERGY STAR certified smart lighting product?

Connect to a smart plug, outlet, power strip, home energy monitor, smart breaker panel, or other device (standby power ≤ 1.0 W) that controls miscellaneous loads or reports circuit-level energy use data?

Control a smart water heater add-on controller?

Detect room, apartment, or home occupancy based on a non-battery-powered occupancy sensor (may be integrated in other devices) or with two battery operated occupancy detectors?

Provide energy saving tips?

Report estimated or actual energy use of connected devices in a dwelling to the user?

Perform a demand response event on at least one smart device?

Allow a user to integrate with a utility time of use program?

Aggregate 6 months of system data from ≥ 30 installations with devices from questions 1-3?

Looking forward to helping our future get energy smart together! Have SHEMS insights to share from a pilot or research? Please contact SmartHomeSystems@energystar.gov or Taylor Jantz-Sell at jantz-sell.taylor@epa.gov.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce the final recognition criteria for Dishwashers for ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 and to inform stakeholders that televisions will not be recognized as ENERGY STAR Most Efficient in 2021. This letter outlines the final criteria for dishwashers and summarizes EPA’s rationale with regard to TVs.

Please note that the criteria for 13 other product categories, which were finalized on September 2, 2020, are unchanged, and they and the dishwasher criteria can be found at www.energystar.gov/mostefficient.

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 Dishwasher Recognition Criteria

The Final 2021 Most Efficient criteria for dishwashers require an annual energy use of <240 kWh/yr and water consumption of <3.2 gallons per cycle for standard-sized models. Products must also meet a per cycle Cleaning Index of a minimum of 70 for each test cycle (heavy, medium, and light).

Dishwashers that meet the 2021 criteria will deliver 67 kWh/yr in annual savings, equivalent to 22% above the Federal Minimum and 387 gal/yr in annual water savings, 36% over the Federal Minimum, as compared to a conventional product.

EPA received two sets of comments on the dishwasher proposal. One commenter provided support for the proposed criteria for dishwashers for 2021, stating that the rationale EPA provided for both products is consistent with their understanding of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient.

A second commenter proposed that EPA discontinue recognition of dishwashers as ENERGY STAR Most Efficient and expressed concern with the abbreviated process used to develop Most Efficient criteria. Additionally, this commenter stated its opposition to the cleaning performance criteria and reporting for Most Efficient dishwashers because of its concern with repeatability and reproducibility of the cleaning performance test procedure.

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient identifies and advances cutting-edge efficiency among products otherwise eligible for the ENERGY STAR label. Annual reviews and revisions help to ensure that ENERGY STAR Most Efficient criteria stay current, consistent with the expectations of early-adopters, which are the intended audience.

In response to concern regarding the inclusion of minimum cleaning criteria, EPA notes that as a voluntary program, ENERGY STAR is successful only as long as consumers have a positive association with the label. On occasion, requirements are added to prevent trade-offs between efficiency and performance. The need to ensure performance takes on added significance in context of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient where the levels are more stringent. In regard to concerns relating to the cleaning performance test procedure, EPA and DOE view the test procedure as having acceptable repeatability and reproducibility.  EPA has seen a growth in the number of Most Efficient dishwasher models from 2019 to 2020 – from 101 to 116 models, demonstrating partner interest in this category. As such, EPA will maintain the cleaning performance minimum for Most Efficient criteria for dishwashers.

Pausing ENERGY STAR Most Efficient Criteria for TVs in 2021

EPA proposed that TVs not be recognized as ENERGY STAR Most Efficient in 2021. EPA received one set of comments supporting this decision and none arguing against it. EPA recently launched the Version 9.0 specification development process which proposes use of performance-based criteria to encourage more efficient product design through the adoption of efficient components and energy saving features. The Version 9.0 varies significantly from the Version 8.0 approach, which was the basis for the Most Efficient criteria since 2019. As a result of this proposed deviation from the current specification, and since these Version 9.0 criteria are not yet complete, EPA will not recognize TVs as Most Efficient in 2021.   

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 Recognition

ENERGY STAR certified products meeting ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 requirements are highlighted at www.energystar.gov/mostefficient. EPA will follow this letter with distribution of the 2021 ENERGY STAR Most Efficient designation to brand owners of eligible products. As a reminder, usage guidelines are available on the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 Criteria page. As new products are certified, EPA will invite partners to augment their product listing with the following:

• A product image. Product images can be in any common format (jpg, png, or gif), should include only one product – do not include other people and objects – be a minimum of 250 pixels wide, and for best results, be on a single-color background, preferably white;
• A product description for use on the web page (i.e., key features and functionalities). The first 50 words will be displayed beside the product photo on the web page; additional text will link to a separate web page; and
• The name of retail stores or online distributors where the product is available for consumer purchase. This information helps provide price and store location information to consumers on the web page.

To ensure the greatest utility of the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient webpage to consumers, EPA will only highlight products that are currently available for sale in the U.S. As such, EPA reminds partners that it is critical that they keep product availability information with their Certification Bodies current.

The ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 designation is intended for use at point-of-sale on point-of-purchase materials, product literature, and websites. It may not be factory-applied to products or product packaging. Failure to abide by these guidelines may result in loss of recognition. EPA will highlight recognized products on the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 web page through December 31, 2021.

We look forward to working with you to market ENERGY STAR Most Efficient products in 2021. Please e-mail mostefficient@energystar.gov with any questions. Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Ann Bailey, Director
ENERGY STAR Product Labeling

Dear ENERGY STAR® Clothes Washer Manufacturers, ENERGY STAR® Clothes Dryer Manufacturers, and Other Interested Parties,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is presenting a draft amendment to the ENERGY STAR Clothes Washers specification to expand the scope to enable combination all-in-one washer-dryers with air-only drying to earn the ENERGY STAR. Expanding the scope of the specification will allow consumers who seek these types of products to find those that deliver the best in energy efficiency.

To support this scope expansion, EPA proposes the addition of multiple definitions and edits to the scope exclusion list as highlighted in yellow below. Further, EPA is adding language to the certification criteria specifying that, in addition to meeting relevant washer criteria, combination all-in-one washer-dryers must meet the ENERGY STAR dryer criteria applicable for the product type it best matches if it were a stand-alone dryer. The proposal specifies any connected allowance may be applied to either the clothes washer criteria or the dryer criteria, but not both and exempts the dryer from the maximum dry-time requirement. This amendment to the clothes washer specification, when final, will be published as ENERGY STAR Version 8.1 Clothes Washers specification. Manufacturers will be able to certify products meeting the new definition immediately upon publication, and currently certified products will not be affected.
Stakeholders may provide comments to EPA on these proposed changes no later than April 2, 2021.
 

Key Proposed Definitions Edits

Combination All-in-One Washer-Dryer: A consumer product that meets the definition of a Residential Clothes Washer and Electric Clothes Dryer or Gas Clothes Dryer, which cleans and dries clothes in a single tumble-type drum; a drying cycle can be performed independently without first performing a wash cycle. 

a.Combination All-in-One Washer-Dryer with Air-Only Drying: A Combination All-in-One Washer-Dryer that uses circulated air (without the use of water) to cool and condense moisture from the dryer process air, during the dry cycle.

b.Combination All-in-One Washer-Dryer with Water-Cooled Drying: A Combination All-in-One Washer-Dryer that uses tap water to cool and condense moisture from the dryer process air, during the dry cycle.
 

Proposed Changes to the Excluded Products List

Excluded Products: The following products are not eligible for ENERGY STAR certification:
 

i. Products with a primary clothes washer drum volume of less than 1.6 cubic feet

ii. Products configured in any way other than a front- or top-loading design

iii.Combination All-in-One Washer-Dryers with Water-Cooled Drying

iv. Residential Clothes Washers with Heated Drying Functionality

v. Commercial Clothes Washers with a clothes container volume larger than 8.0 cubic feet

vi. Commercial Clothes Washer with top-loading design
 

Additional Certification Criteria for Combination All-In-One Washer-Dryers:
 

1. Product shall meet the requirements in this specification and also meet the requirements in Sections 3 and 5 of the ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria for Clothes Dryers applicable for the product type it best matches if it were a stand-alone dryer. Combination all-in-one washer-dryers are exempt from the 80-minute maximum cycle time requirement in Section 3.A of the ENERGY STAR dryer specification.
 

Additional Connected Criteria for Combination All-In-One Washer-Dryers:
 

a. A product meeting the definition of a clothes washer and the definition of a clothes dryer may only apply the Connected Allowance if:

i. the product meets the criteria in Section 4 of this specification,

ii. the product meets the criteria in Section 4 of the ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria for Clothes Dryers,

iii. certified using the ENERGY STAR Clothes Washer Test Method to Validate Demand Response (TBD), and

iv. is certified using the ENERGY STAR Clothes Dryer Test Method to Validate Demand Response (TBD).

b. Any connected allowance may be applied only once (i.e., either 𝐼𝑀𝐸𝐹𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑟_𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 in Equation 2 of this specification or 𝐶𝐸𝐹𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑟_𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 in Equation 1 of the ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria for Clothes Dryers must be set to zero).

Any comments on this proposal may be submitted by April 2, 2021 to appliances@energystar.gov. The draft specification and related materials are available on the clothes washers product development webpage. Please direct any specific questions to Ga-Young Park, EPA, at Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085 and Steve Leybourn at ICF, Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1566.  

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Sincerely,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® Water Heater Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to distribute the Final Draft Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR® Water Heater specification and the Final Draft ENERGY STAR Test Method to Validate Demand Response. Stakeholders may submit comments on the final draft to EPA no later than March 4, 2021. EPA plans to finalize this Version 4.0 Water Heater specification and the Test Method to Validate Demand Response before the second quarter of 2021.

With the Version 4.0 revision, EPA seeks to recognize a variety of products that have both excellent efficiency and advanced design features, including those products with demand response and connected capabilities. In light of stakeholder feedback to the Draft 1 specification, this draft incorporates some changes to recognize a variety of efficient water heating technologies. As for all revisions, products may certify to the new version as soon as it is final, and products currently certified remain so throughout the 9-month transition period. 

Final Draft Summary
The Final Draft Version 4.0 includes changes from the Draft 1 proposal that are in line with stakeholder feedback. In accordance with stakeholder recommendations, EPA has defined two new product subcategories – split-system heat pump water heaters and 120-volt integrated heat pump water heaters. Based on stakeholder feedback, these products will be unable to meet the criteria for electric storage water heaters as proposed in the Draft 1 specification. Because split-system and 120-volt products are well-suited to installations for which integrated 240 volt products would not be appropriate, EPA is proposing separate less stringent criteria to recognize these new categories.

EPA has also raised the efficiency criteria proposed for > 55 gallon heat pump water heaters to a Uniform Energy Factor of 3.30, thereby setting a single level for 240-volt integrated heat pump water heaters of all tank sizes. This change was suggested by several stakeholders who confirmed that currently certified products not meeting the more stringent level are being phased out and replaced by more efficient models. Thus, EPA does not expect this change will impact product availability.     

No major changes are proposed to the Connected Criteria. More details regarding all changes described above are included in note boxes throughout the specification document.

Test Method to Validate Demand Response
The Final Draft Test Method to Validate Demand Response includes changes from the Draft 2 proposal that are in line with stakeholder feedback.

In accordance with stakeholder recommendations, DOE and EPA amended the test method to provide explicit instruction on the time to wait to establish that a loss of connectivity has occurred and how to verify that the water heater accurately reports when it is heating water.  DOE and EPA also amended the criteria for determining when a water heater has fully finished heating water. Finally, DOE and EPA made a slight adjustment to the curtailment request to more closely align with how the request will be sent in the field.

More details regarding the changes described above are included in note boxes throughout the test method document.

Comment Submittal Process
Stakeholders may provide written comments for EPA consideration to WaterHeaters@energystar.gov by March 4, 2021. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Water Heaters Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

Please direct any specific questions to Abigail Daken, EPA, at daken.abigail@epa.gov or (202) 343-9375, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or (202) 862-1163.  For test procedure inquiries, please contact Catherine Rivest, U.S. Department of Energy, at Catherine.Rivest@ee.doe.gov or 202-586-7335. Thank you for taking the time to review these Final Draft documents. I look forward to continuing working with you.

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Final Draft Version 4.0 Water Heaters Specification
ENERGY STAR Final Draft Connected Residential Water Heaters Test Method to Validate Demand Response
ENERGY STAR Draft 1 Version 4.0 Water Heaters Comment Response Matrix
ENERGY STAR Final Draft Version 4.0 Water Heaters Data Package

Dear ENERGY STAR® Smart Home Energy Management Systems Partner or Other Interested Party:

With this letter, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is presenting a draft amendment to the ENERGY STAR specification for Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS), to clarify lighting vacation mode requirements and expand flexibility in meeting lighting device requirements. The proposed updates do not impact the eligibility of SHEMS that meet the original requirements to certify to the specification.

Vacation Lighting Mode Requirement
Certified Smart Home Energy Management Systems are required to provide a feature that operates lighting minimally at night or while the user is away. Based on feedback, EPA has further clarified the intent that service providers have flexibility in naming and deploying this feature. This feature is not intended to add lighting load to any lower energy away modes that a service provider may provide, but simply to offer a low energy option for users who like to leave a light on while away. Proposed updates to the Version 1.0 specification are highlighted with bold text below.

Section 4.1:
The SHEMS shall perform the following services:
G) Provide a vacation, nighttime safety, leave a light on, nightlight, or similarly identified mode to automate lighting load to operate one or multiple lights minimally at night or while away, using no more than 0.03 kWh per day while the feature is activated. This feature must be available to the user but need not be enabled by default and should not be a part of a default vacation mode if that setting does not operate lights.
Note: service providers may ensure that lighting energy does not exceed 0.03 kWh per day either by collecting lighting energy consumption data from connected devices or by limiting runtime based on the rated wattage of a given bulb.

Connected Lighting Device Requirement
EPA has heard from many service providers about market demand and preferences for controlling lighting load at the switch. In response, EPA is proposing to allow a pathway for SHEMS relying on smart switches to earn certification, as outlined below in bold. EPA strongly encourages service providers pursuing this option to select switches compatible with ENERGY STAR dimmable lighting for optimal energy savings and consumer experience. Making this change will accommodate service providers and consumers that prefer smart switches for reasons such as permanence; ease of installation in new construction; similarity to existing lighting controls; added flexibility in choosing communications protocols; power reliability; and lower overall standby power for lighting loads. EPA has also added the word “product” and clarified the definition of ENERGY STAR Certified Smart Lighting Product to address present and potential future device options.
 

Section 4.3 A):
Any package marketed as an ENERGY STAR certified SHEMS shall include the following devices. (Note: since actual installations may vary, only those installations that include the required devices will be analyzed as part of the compliant population.)

b) At least two connected lighting devices, consisting of:

·         Two ENERGY STAR certified smart lighting products;

·         One ENERGY STAR certified smart lighting product and one lighting load control device capable of measuring lighting load; or

·         Two lighting load control devices capable of measuring lighting load. Service providers using this option are strongly encouraged to select lighting load control devices compatible with ENERGY STAR certified dimmable lighting.

Please feel free to contact us with questions and submit any comments to smarthomesystems@energystar.gov by February 18.

All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development Webpage unless the submitter requests otherwise.

Please contact Taylor Jantz-Sell at (202) 343-9042 or Jantz-Sell.Taylor@epa.gov and Théo Keeley-LeClaire at (571) 373-5471 or Theo.Keeley-LeClaire@icf.com with any specific questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Taylor Jantz-Sell & Abigail Daken

Co-Leads, ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Smart Home Energy Management Systems Draft Version 1.1 Specification

The ENERGY STAR® Emerging Technology Award is given to innovative technologies that meet rigorous performance criteria to reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features or functionality.  The Award provides forward-thinking, environmentally conscious consumers and end users with a tool to identify and purchase cutting-edge technologies that offer energy savings and help to reduce their carbon footprint. Interested?  Check out the technologies below for more information on savings opportunities and product availability.  

Award Winning Technologies for 2021:

Residential induction Cooking Tops

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce the selection of Residential Induction Cooking Tops as a 2021 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award category with the goal of recognizing a promising residential cooking top technology that offers the consumer new ways to save energy and protect the environment. Conventional residential cooking tops typically employ gas or a resistive electrical element to generate heat, which is then transferred to cookware via thermal conduction. Through this process, gas cooking tops transfer energy with efficiencies of approximately 32% while electric cooking tops are 75-80% efficient. Residential induction cooking tops instead consist of an electromagnetic coil that creates a magnetic field when supplied with an electric current. When brought into this field, compatible cookware is warmed internally and transfers the energy with about 85% efficiency, providing energy savings and reduced cooking times, among other health and safety benefits.

Advanced Adaptive Compressors

The Award beginning in 2020 and continuing through 2021 recognizes the best available adaptive refrigerator compressor systems. An advanced adaptive compressor system in residential refrigeration products pairs an inverter compressor with a sensor-driven control system capable of cooling capacity modulation in response to a varying internal thermal load. As a result, the advanced adaptive compressor system allows for the refrigerator to save a significant amount of energy while regulating the temperature by minimizing wide temperature variations.

(Are you an Industry Stakeholder? See For Industry Stakeholders)

Dear ENERGY STAR® CAC/HP Brand Owner or Other Interested Party,

As part of the specification revision process for ENERGY STAR CAC/HP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking stakeholder input on a proposal regarding the installation criteria.  This proposal follows the release of the Final Draft Version 6.0 specification in October 2020. Feedback received in response to this letter, along with feedback provided on the Final Draft proposal, will inform the Final Version 6.0 specification. Stakeholders may provide comments on this limited topic proposal no later than February 23, 2021.

Proposed Amendment to the Installation Criteria

On October 22, 2020, EPA released the Final Draft Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Specification, which included several changes to the certification levels for CAC/HP products and removed the explicit requirement that all products must be variable or staged capacity. In light of feedback received on this draft and subsequent conversations with stakeholders, EPA is proposing refinements to the installation criteria through this limited topic proposal.

The conversation centered on two aspects of the criteria. First, for centrally ducted systems, criteria b and c below rely on sensor data from the main blower fan, which is typically not part of the CAC/HP. Second, criteria b, c, e, and f cannot be met unless there is two-way digital communication between the various components of the heating and cooling system. Variable speed products typically use such communication for basic control functions, but it is unusual in other systems. Even single- and two-speed systems that are capable of such communication are often installed without thermostats required to enable such a network. While EPA wants to encourage the adoption of capabilities supporting excellent installation in all products, EPA also wants to ensure that an appropriate percentage of models are eligible for ENERGY STAR, including models that are more competitively priced. As such, EPA will focus installation criteria on products that have three or more capacities or are continuously variable. 

This limited topic proposal for CAC/ASHP installation criteria adds text to the 3) Certification Criteria section from the CAC/ASHP Version 6 Final Draft specification.

3) Certification Criteria:

C. Installation Capabilities To certify as ENERGY STAR, all CAC/HPs that have three or more capacities, or are continuously variable, must be capable of providing at least three of the following capabilities to aid in quality installation. For purposes of this section, a thermostat or controller can be considered part of the system. Items a, b, and c are understood to be measured at maximum fan speed and capacity. Single-stage or two-stage CAC/HPs are exempt from this requirement but should report these features if they are available with some controllers.

a. Refrigerant charge – System can verify that the refrigerant charge is within manufacturer recommended tolerances at a range of conditions including outdoor temperatures at least as low as 55ºF.

b. Airflow measurement or external static pressure – System shall have some capability to display airflow and confirm that it is within the OEM recommended settings, or to display external static pressure and fan speed setting. For split systems, this capability may be contingent on the recognized product being paired with a specific furnace or air handler. (Not relevant to ductless units)

c. Blower fan power draw – System shall have the capability to measure and report the watt draw of the blower fan. For split systems, this capability may be contingent on the recognized product being paired with a specific furnace or air handler.

d. If systems DO NOT include any of the capabilities in a, b, or c, and have multiple or variable capacities, the system provides an easily accessible test mode that locks the system into the highest fan speed and compressor capacity setting available in that installation, such that a technician can measure the quantities in a, b, and c with external equipment.

e. Automatic system discovery – System is capable of automatically recognizing compatible communicating indoor/outdoor units, furnaces. Automatic discovery of humidifiers and dehumidifiers is encouraged.

f. Preprogrammed system tests – System shall automatically prompt the installer to run preconfigured system tests following the initial setup. These tests should verify, at a minimum, fan blower, cooling-mode, defrost mode, heat pump only heating, and auxiliary heating tests as applicable to the product. The test should require installer verification of the results before exiting test mode.

Note: Limiting the installation criteria to variable capacity products in Version 6 reflects the current market and available technologies. Stakeholders affirmed that products with communicating capabilities and ductless products will be able to meet these criteria without adding cost. EPA firmly believes in the role of advanced product capabilities to address poor installation for all products and looks forward to working with stakeholders to identify a practical path to expand their availability. EPA encourages partners to report whether single stage and two-stage products can meet any of these capabilities with the right controller, and that information will be displayed in the QPL.

Additionally, EPA has clarified that airflow measurement or external static pressure and blower fan power draw capabilities may require that a split system unit is paired with a specific furnace or air handler.

Lastly, as these capabilities rely on particular sensor data from blower fans, EPA anticipates proposing that ENERGY STAR products with blower fans (e.g. furnaces) provide that data in future versions. In addition, EPA is currently working to add communicating controllers to the ENERGY STAR Connected Thermostat specification, and anticipates proposing that such controllers enable installation capabilities that rely on them.

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written comments for EPA consideration to CACASHP@energystar.gov  by February 23, 2021. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR CAC-ASHP Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

Please direct any specific questions to Abigail Daken, EPA, at daken.abigail@epa.gov or (202) 343-9375, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at  julia.hegarty@icf.com or (202) 862-1163. For test procedure inquiries, please contact Catherine Rivest, U.S. Department of Energy, Catherine.Rivest@ee.doe.gov or (202) 586-7335.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:

This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers Discussion Guide on December 22, 2020. Comments are due February 23, 2021 and may be submitted to cfs@energystar.gov.

EPA will host two stakeholder webinars to present details of the Discussion Guide and address stakeholder questions on Tuesday,
February 2 and 9, 2021 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST. If you wish to attend these meetings, please register for Part 1 and Part 2 prior to the start of each session. Note that the two-part webinar series will cover different topics such that the first webinar will cover scope expansion and best practice guidance; and, the second webinar will cover criteria revisions to product categories currently in scope and test methods for categories with no currently applicable energy conservation standards.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

The ENERGY STAR® Emerging Technology Award (ETA) is given to innovative technologies that meet rigorous performance criteria to reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to recognize Residential Induction Cooking Tops for the ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award for 2021.

Products that meet the performance criteria (PDF) will be listed on a Qualified Product List (PDF) once it is determined that all Award criteria have been satisfied. Manufacturers can submit documentation for eligible residential induction cooking top products to EmergingTech@energystar.gov

Benefits of ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award-Winning Systems:

Conventional residential cooking tops typically employ gas or resistance heating elements to transfer energy with efficiencies of approximately 32% and 75-80% respectively. Residential induction cooking tops instead consist of an electromagnetic coil that creates a magnetic field when supplied with an electric current. When brought into this field, compatible cookware is warmed internally, transferring energy with approximately 85% efficiency. Furthermore, because the source of heat is the cookware itself, the cooking top surface remains cool to the touch and less heat is lost to the surrounding air, providing an additional energy efficiency benefit by reducing the workload for the HVAC equipment. A cooler cooking top surface also makes induction cooking tops safer to work with than other types of cooking tops. Finally, because the cookware itself is the source of heat, it reaches desired temperatures more quickly and provides faster cook times.

The per unit efficiency of induction Cooking Tops is about 5-10% more efficient than conventional electric resistance units and about 3 times more efficient than gas. If all Cooking Tops sold in 2021 in the U.S. used induction technology and met these draft criteria, the energy cost savings would exceed $125 million and the energy savings would exceed 1,000 GWh.

Winning Products Must Demonstrate That They:

1. Meet the Department of Energy (DOE) definition for built-in, drop-in or freestanding Cooking Tops and be intended for residential use. 
2. Only include induction heating technology for all surface units on the cooking top.
3. Are tested to have an Integrated Annual Energy Consumption (EIAEC) ≤ 125 kWh/year.
4. Are approved for use and available for sale in the U.S. market.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Commercial Refrigerator and Freezer Partner or Other Interested Stakeholders:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) welcomes your input on the enclosed ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers Discussion Guide.

EPA is sharing this ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers Discussion Guide to provide input on key topics prior to developing and releasing a Draft 1 Version 5.0 specification. EPA will host two webinars one on February 2, 2021 and the next on February 9, 2021 to seek input from stakeholders on the topics outlined below. Please submit feedback and any relevant data to cfs@energystar.gov by February 23, 2021.

Discussion Guide Summary
The Discussion Guide highlights multiple topics for further discussion which are summarized below. More details regarding these topics as well as specific questions are included in the Discussion Guide.

• Revised Levels: Revision of energy efficiency criteria for existing ENERGY STAR product categories. The ENERGY STAR Unit Shipment and Market Penetration Report Calendar Year 2019 Summary indicates that ENERGY STAR certified commercial refrigerators and freezers represent approximately 46% of all eligible units shipped in the United States in 2019. Based on preliminary review, there appear to be opportunities to amend the maximum daily energy consumption (MDEC) levels for three product categories (VCT.SC.M, VCS.SC.M, and VCS.SC.L).
• Scope: ENERGY STAR specification scope expansion to new equipment classes currently covered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) energy conservation standards, including:
  • Vertical Closed Transparent Remote Condensing Refrigerators (VCT.RC.M) and Freezers (VCT.RC.L), and
  • Service Over Counter Remote Condensing (SOC.RC.M) and Self Contained (SOC.SC.M) Refrigerators.

• Test Methods: Review of existing and forthcoming test procedures to best support scope expansion for three categories with no currently applicable energy conservation standards, including:
  • Refrigerated Preparation and Buffet Tables;
  • Chef Bases or Griddle Stands; and
  • Blast Chillers and Freezers.

• Best Practice Guidance: Exploring opportunities to promote energy efficient best practices through the ENERGY STAR, GreenChill, and DOE programs for commercial refrigeration.

Comment Submittal
Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written comments for EPA consideration to cfs@energystar.gov no later than February 23, 2021.

As a reminder, all submitted comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website unless the submitter specifically requests their respective comments remain confidential.

Stakeholder Meetings
EPA plans to host two stakeholder webinars on February 2 and 9, 2021 from 1:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. EST to review the discussion guide and address initial stakeholder comments and questions. The two part webinar series will cover different topics from the discussion guide: the first webinar will cover scope expansion and best practice guidance; and, the second webinar will cover criteria revisions to product categories currently in scope and test methods for categories with no currently applicable energy conservation standards. Stakeholders interested in participating in these discussions should register for Part 1 and Part 2 prior to the start of each session.

Please contact me at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037 and Adam Spitz, ICF, at Adam.Spitz@icf.com or 916-231-7685 with questions or concerns. For test method questions, please contact Stephanie Johnson at stephanie.johnson@ee.doe.gov or 202-287-1943. For any other commercial refrigerator and freezer inquiries, please contact cfs@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service

Enclosures:
Version 5.0 Discussion Guide

Dear ENERGY STAR® Room Air Conditioner Brand Owners and Other Interested Parties, 

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the Version 4.2 ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioner specification. This amendment adds the option to certify models as having connected functionality through an Alternative Demand Response Validation (ADRV). This update does not affect currently certified products. 

Recognizing the potential grid benefit and customer convenience of room air conditioners with connected capabilities, and in response to stakeholder requests to reduce the complexity of testing of such products, the EPA pursued this amendment with the intention of encouraging more ENERGY STAR models to be certified as connected.  

With Version 4.2, EPA will allow manufacturers and brand owners the option to certify models as having connected functionality through an Alternative Demand Response Validation (ADRV). Manufacturers and brand owners with at least two models certified with connected functionality may forego demand response validation testing for new models by using an ADRV. The ADRV is a set of parameters developed and proposed by the manufacturer that predicts a basic model’s ability to meet the demand response portion of the connected criteria. These parameters can include, but are not limited to, hardware and software documentation, connection types and capabilities, and computer simulations. 

All stakeholder-submitted comments agreed with EPA’s proposal, and no clarifications or edits were suggested. EPA thanks stakeholders for their comments in support of this amendment. 

All materials related to this amendment are posted on the ENERGY STAR Room Air Conditioner Version 4 development page. Please direct any specific questions to Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, or Steve Leybourn at Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1566.   

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR. 

Sincerely, 

Ga-Young Park 
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® Imaging Equipment Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing an amendment to the ENERGY STAR Imaging Equipment specification. This amendment enables remanufactured imaging equipment products to certify as ENERGY STAR and will be reflected as Version 3.1. Imaging equipment products previously certified to Version 3.0 are not affected by this change.

EPA received multiple comments on the Version 3.1 proposal. A commenter requested that EPA ease the proposals around unique model numbers and testing. EPA has retained the requirement for a unique model number as this enables buyers to distinguish efficient remanufactured product on the ENERGY STAR Product Finder. EPA has, however, eased testing by extending the reduced testing afforded to products within a family to include remanufactured family members. Commenters also provided feedback on the remanufactured imaging equipment definition. EPA has simplified the definition to allow greater flexibility, while retaining the key attributes of the definition for ENERGY STAR purposes. Finally, stakeholders requested that these changes be made outside of a “dot” revision, EPA believes because commenters were concerned about the impact on currently certified products.  Recognizing that this is an expansion of scope for the imaging equipment program, the changes made to the specification are incorporated as a Version 3.1 but, EPA wishes to clarify that no action is required for currently certified products.

Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 or John Clinger, ICF, at John.Clinger@icf.com or (215) 967-9407 with questions or concerns about the specification. For other imaging equipment related questions, please contact imagingequipment@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products

Enclosures:
Version 3.1 Specification

Dear ENERGY STAR® Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently in the process of expanding the scope of the ENERGY STAR Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) specification to include DC fast chargers. The Agency is pleased to share a final draft of proposed requirements for the Version 1.1 specification. Stakeholders may submit written comments to evse@energystar.gov by January 20, 2021.

The changes reflected in Version 1.1 will not affect currently certified AC EVSE products, except with respect to the optional connected requirements. EPA has updated the optional connected functionality criteria in this specification that will apply to both AC and DC EVSE. These updates propose more prescriptive requirements (e.g., remote management and scheduling capabilities, as well as defined DR signals) intended to make the connected designation more useful. As a result of the changes to these criteria, manufacturers that have AC EV chargers certified as connected capable on the ENERGY STAR website will need to work with their certification body to update their listings to reflect if the charger meets these updated requirements after Version 1.1 is finalized. In addition, EPA has included several clarifications to the definition of Product Family and subsequently the instructions on selecting a representative model when testing a Product Family, for both AC and DC EVSE.

With this final draft, EPA has updated definitions and several minor aspects of the proposed performance criteria for DC-output EVSE that are outlined below. Additionally, EPA responds to comments received on the initial draft of the amended specification in the accompanying comment response document.

• Definitions 
  • EPA changed the definition for cabinet/dispenser and minimum dispenser configuration to be termed distributed product configuration and minimum distributed product configuration, respectively, in response to stakeholder comments that the cabinet/dispenser terminology may not represent all possible iterations of DC EVSE configurations.
  • In addition, EPA updated the definition of product family to include two additional allowable variations within models in a product family, as long as the variation does not impact the product’s performance or ability to meet all requirements. This added flexibility applies to both AC and DC EVSE.

• No Vehicle and Partial On Mode Requirements for DC-output EVSE
  • In response to stakeholder comment, EPA updated the high resolution display allowance for these standby requirements to remove from the equation the instruction to divide the allowance by the number of outputs. This division by the number of outputs is utilized in calculating allowances for AC EVSE because the test method for multi-output AC EVSE requires the tester to measure power for each output. The DC EVSE test method instructs multi-output DC EVSE power to be measured when a single output is being used. As a result, this division by number of outputs is not relevant for DC EVSE and has been removed.
  • Also, EPA included an allowance for portable DC EVSE with an integrated battery that cannot be disabled during testing to account for the power required for a battery management system.

• Connected Functionality Criteria – EPA updated the requirement to report ISO 15118 capability with more specifics on what would be considered as supporting ISO 15118, in response to feedback that the requirement was vague. In addition, EPA added a requirement to report compliance with UL 9741 in the case of a bidirectional EVSE.
• Representative Model Selection for Testing – EPA received a recommendation from a stakeholder that the description of representative model should be updated to clarify that if a product family has models with various rated output currents, only the highest consuming would need to be tested as the representative model, as long as all models within the family meet all requirements in the specification. EPA also clarified that non-networked versions of models can be included in a product family as long as they meet the requirements without the respective network allowances, with the networked version being tested as the representative model. This clarification to the selection of a representative model applies to both AC and DC EVSE.

As a reminder, the V1.1 DC EVSE Test Method was finalized and released in June 2020. At this time, manufacturers are encouraged to pursue enrolling an in-house laboratory as a witnessed or supervised manufacturer test laboratory through a recognized Certification Body to be prepared to test and certify products to the ENERGY STAR DC EVSE specification upon finalization in February. Currently UL Verification Services Inc., TUV SUD America, Inc., and Intertek Testing Services NA are recognized Certification Bodies for EVSE with approved W/SMTL programs. It is EPA’s understanding that currently there are third-party laboratories capable of testing lower powered DC EVSE, but most are still building the capacity to test high powered stations. All EPA recognized test labs for EVSE can be found here.

Feedback
Given the current circumstances, EPA is extending the normal comment period deadline to allow stakeholders to provide any comments on the Version 1.1 Final Draft Specification no later than January 20, 2021. Please send comments via e-mail to evse@energystar.gov. All comments received will be posted to the Version 1.1 EVSE specification development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that his or her comments remain confidential. Stakeholder engagement is vital to the ENERGY STAR program and EPA looks forward to further work with stakeholders in the development of the EVSE Version 1.1 specification.

Please contact me at (202) 564-8538 or Kwon.James@epa.gov, or Emmy Feldman at (202) 862-1145 or Emmy.Feldman@icf.com, with questions or to share feedback for this effort.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Best Regards,

James Kwon, EPA Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for EVSE

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR EVSE Version 1.1 Final Draft Specification
ENERGY STAR EVSE Version 1.1 Draft 1 Specification Comment Response Document

Dear ENERGY STAR® Partners and other Stakeholders:
 
In follow-up to our recent process to establish ENERGY STAR Most Efficient criteria for 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to maintain 2020 Most Efficient criteria into 2021 for dishwashers and to suspend recognition for televisions. These proposals were delayed as we awaited further progress on ENERGY STAR specification revisions for these categories, which will continue into 2021. 

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 Dishwasher Proposal

As of November 2020, 103 models (31 base models) from 9 ENERGY STAR partners meet the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2020 recognition criteria for dishwashers. EPA proposes to maintain the current criteria for dishwashers into 2021 as the criteria continue to recognize top performance. These criteria require an annual energy use of <240 kWh/yr and water consumption of <3.2 gallons per cycle for standard-sized models. Additionally, products must meet a per cycle Cleaning Index of a minimum of 70 for each test cycle (heavy, medium, and light).

The graph below is included to provide additional context regarding the basis of this proposal. Data for the graph below is from the ENERGY STAR Qualified Products List for dishwashers.

Proposed Suspension of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient Recognition for Televisions in 2021

Five models from four ENERGY STAR partners meet the 2020 recognition criteria for TVs. The Version 9.0 specification development effort, which is currently underway, proposes a new performance-based approach to establishing criteria. The new approach varies significantly from the Version 8.0 approach, which has been the basis for the Most Efficient criteria for TVs since 2019. With this movement to performance-based criteria underway but not complete, EPA is unable to establish meaningful Most Efficient criteria for TVs for 2021. Further, the very limited participation in ENERGY STAR Most Efficient for TVs in 2020 argues against extending the current criteria in 2021.

Stakeholder Comments and Feedback

Stakeholder feedback on this proposal may be provided no later than January 21, 2021 to MostEfficient@energystar.gov.

Please contact Ga-Young Park, 202-564-1085 or Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or Steve Leybourn, 202-862-1566 or Steve.Leybourn@icf.com for questions on the proposed dishwasher criteria. For questions on TVs, please contact James Kwon, 202-564-8538 or Kwon.James@epa.gov, or Emmy Feldman, 202-862-1145 or Emmy.Feldman@icf.com. For questions about the DOE test method for dishwashers, contact Bryan Berringer, bryan.berringer@ee.doe.gov or 202-586-0371. For TV test method questions, contact Jeremy Dommu, jeremy.dommu@ee.doe.gov or 202-586-9870.

Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.  
 
Sincerely,

Ann Bailey, Director
ENERGY STAR Product Labeling

Dear ENERGY STAR® Water Cooler Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the Draft 2 Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Water Coolers Product Specification, along with the Draft 1 comment response matrix and a revised data package. The deadline to provide comments on this Draft 2 specification is January 22, 2021.

Proposal Summary
EPA received multiple comments on the first draft of this specification and considered each of those comments carefully, incorporating changes into this draft as warranted.  The changes proposed in the Draft 2 are summarized below. More details regarding these topics, EPA rationale, and specific requests for comment are included in note boxes throughout the draft specification as well as the Draft 1 comment response matrix.

• Capacity Categories: Commenters expressed concern about the proposed levels in Draft 1, namely that they would exclude large capacity water coolers that serve a large portion of the market in commercial spaces. EPA is requiring that all products report their cold water capacity, as measured by the ANSI/ASHRAE 18-2008 (RA 2013) test method. Units that provide hot water shall also report their hot water capacity per the same test method. EPA proposes categorizing all water cooler products as either “Low-Capacity” or “High-Capacity” based on these rated values. This information, along with the On Mode Performance (OMP) data that is reported under this specification, may be used to identify units that are more appropriate for placement in high-traffic areas such as a commercial office setting or lower use frequency areas such as in residences.
• Certification Criteria: Per the comments mentioned above, distinct On Mode with no water draw levels have been proposed for Low Capacity and High Capacity water coolers in the Hot and Cold and Hot, Cook, and Cold Conditioned Storage categories. The level for Low Capacity units has been reduced to 0.68 kWh/day, which represents approximately 26% of currently recognized ENERGY STAR products in this category. The level for High Capacity water coolers has been proposed at 0.80 kWh/day, which represents approximately 11% of currently recognized ENERGY STAR products within this category. EPA believes these levels recognize the best performing products within each market segment.

Comment Submittal Process
Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written comments for EPA consideration to watercoolers@energystar.gov by January 22, 2021. All comments to Draft 1 are posted and those for Draft 2 will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Water Coolers Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

Stakeholder Meeting
EPA plans to host a stakeholder webinar on January 7, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EST to outline the Draft 2 specification and address initial stakeholder comments and questions. Stakeholders interested in participating in this discussion should register at this link by January 6, 2021.

Please direct any specific questions to Tanja Crk, EPA, at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at Julia.Hegarty@icf.com or 202-862-1163.  

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service, Vending, Water Coolers

Enclosures:
Draft 2 Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Water Cooler Specification
Draft 2 Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Water Cooler Data Package
Draft 1 Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Comment Response Matrix

Dear ENERGY STAR® Small Network Equipment Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are seeking your input as part of the early stages of a revision of the ENERGY STAR Small Network Equipment (SNE) specification. This letter and accompanying discussion document highlight questions EPA and DOE have regarding testing methodology and scope. EPA and DOE believe that the issues addressed in this document can provide a framework to reducing the testing burden for manufacturers, while providing relatable information to the customer and the ability to differentiate top-performing products in the market. EPA looks forward to working with stakeholders to develop the Version 2.0 specification that will recognize efficiency gains in the SNE market.

The following are EPA’s priorities for the Version 2.0 revision:

• Revise the SNE test method with a goal of aligning with the European Union Code of Conduct test method, already in use by manufacturers thus reducing testing for many products.
• Revise the program structure, e.g. scope, adders, criteria levels, to account for an updated testing methodology.

EPA welcomes stakeholder suggestions on any other issues to be considered during the Version 2.0 specification revision process and in particular on those topics raised in the discussion guide.

EPA and DOE will host a webinar to answer any questions on this discussion guide on January 7, 2021 from 1:30-3:30 PM Eastern Time. Stakeholders are requested to share written feedback with EPA and DOE by January 22, 2021. Please register here if you plan on attending.  

Specifications and meeting materials will be distributed via email and posted on the ENERGY STAR website. To track EPA’s progress on this specification, please visit the Small Network Equipment product development website.

Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 or John Clinger at John.Clinger@icfi.com or 215-967-9407 with questions or concerns. For any test method questions, please contact Jeremy Dommu, U.S. Department of Energy, Jeremy.Dommu@EE.Doe.Gov, or 202-586-9870. For any other SNE related questions, please contact networking@energystar.gov. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products

Enclosures:
Small Network Equipment Version 2.0 Discussion Document

EV Charging Newsletter - Year End 2020 

•  Greetings from ENERGY STAR

     •      ESPPM: EV Highlights

     •      ENERGY STAR Day Recap

     •      Partner Corner

    •       ENERGY STAR Specification Updates

     •      What We've Been Up To

     •      New & Updated Resources

Greetings from ENERGY STAR

Dear ENERGY STAR Partners and industry colleagues,

As we approach the end of another calendar year, we wanted to share our appreciation for your participation and engagement in our efforts to increase awareness around the benefits of energy efficient EV charging. Thanks to your efforts, we’re celebrating the following accomplishments in 2020:

• Our list of qualified products continued to grow and now includes 15 leading manufacturers. Considering the various product families these manufacturers provide, more than 200 unique models carry the ENERGY STAR certification.
• EPA launched a new and improved website to educate consumers about EV chargers and EVs. It includes tools and resources intended for a broad range of end-users.
• More utilities incorporated the ENERGY STAR specification into their EV charging programs, including the Southwestern Electric Power Company and the Snohomish Public Utilities District.
• U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED v4.1 Building Design and Construction rating system was recently updated to incorporate the connected functionality criteria from ENERGY STAR’s EVSE Key Product Criteria.

This newsletter provides a summary of a few recent virtual events in which our partners participated. We’ve also included links to new and updates resources that may be of interest.

As always, please reach out to us at any time, either via evse@energystar.gov or the contacts listed at the end of this newsletter.

Sincerely,  
Peter Banwell

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2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting: EV Highlights

This year’s first-ever virtual ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting (ESPPM) saw record-breaking levels of engagement, with nearly 800 industry experts joining sessions, connecting via one-on-one meetings, and engaging with virtual exhibitors.

Among the most active participants were our ENERGY STAR EV charging partners. On the final day of the meeting, EPA was joined by representatives from SolarEdge, Xcel Energy, and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) to discuss best practices, lessons learned, and successful marketing approaches to increase consumer adoption of efficient EV chargers. View the presentation slides and learn more about how ENERGY STAR is helping build consumer confidence in a rapidly evolving market here.

In addition to participating in sessions, ENERGY STAR EV charging partners highlighted their latest and greatest ENERGY STAR certified chargers and product promotions at the Virtual Product Expo. ClipperCreek and EVBox were joined by 26 fellow ENERGY STAR manufacturers and retailers showcasing the latest energy-saving products on the market. For more information on the products and promotions that were featured, contact us at evse@energystar.gov.

For more information about the meeting, check out the 2020 ESPPM webpage here.  

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ENERGY STAR Day Recap

ENERGY STAR and its partners, including EV charging manufacturers and utilities, are proud to celebrate efforts to help Americans Save Today, Save Tomorrow, and Save For Good. This year, ENERGY STAR and its partners used social media to raise awareness of the benefits of ENERGY STAR certified products, with a particular focus on providing energy-saving opportunities to underserved audiences that need it the most. Special thanks to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), ClipperCreek, and EVBox for sharing posts promoting ENERGY STAR Day.

In case you missed it, check out the ENERGY STAR Day video. Dozens of ENERGY STAR partners, including our ENERGY STAR EV charging partners, joined with EPA by sharing the video on social media! 
 
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Partner Corner

Reminder: Submit Unit Shipment Data to EPA by March 1, 2021

Mark your calendars! 2020 Unit Shipment Data is due by March 1, 2021. All ENERGY STAR product brand owner partners are required to report annually their certified product unit shipment data. EPA collects unit shipment data to determine the market penetration of ENERGY STAR products and evaluate the overall performance of the program. Failure to submit unit shipment data by the March 1 deadline will result in the removal of the partner's certified products from the certified products list on the ENERGY STAR website, and its name from the partner list.

EPA will distribute instructions for submitting 2020 data, which will include the data collection template in the coming months. Since all correspondence will be sent via email to all primary and secondary contacts, it is important that partners update their contact information in My ENERGY STAR Account tool (MESA).

For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the FAQs page or email unitshipmentdata@energystar.gov.

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Stay in the Loop!

Update your information within 30 days of a change of contact status to ensure you receive important correspondence from ENERGY STAR, such as information on the annual unit shipment data requirement or specification updates.
 

To update your contact information, please log into your My ENERGY STAR Account (MESA).

 If you have issues accessing your account, please click “Forgot password?” or contact your ENERGY STAR account manager.

ENERGY STAR Specification Updates

EPA has proposed updates to the optional connected criteria in the Version 1.1 specification development process that will apply to both AC and DC EV charging equipment. These more prescriptive grid responses are intended to make the connected designation more useful.

Figure 1: Open Protocols based EV Charging Example Architecture

The criteria include proposed requirements for:

• Using open standards, including Open Charge Point Protocol, SEP 2.0, CTA-2045, and/or OpenADR 2.0, for all Demand Response communication layers
• Reporting whether the EV charger has the necessary hardware to support ISO 15118 for higher level communication, and reporting of UL-9741 compliance for bidirectional EVSE
• Enabling scheduling, remote management, and consumer feedback capabilities
• Providing the ability for the consumer to override a DR request
• Supporting specific, defined DR signals: charge now, curtail charge, delay charge, and return to normal operation (EPA provides demand response message mapping in Appendix A of the specification as a useful framework for aligning these signals with CTA 2045, OpenADR 2.0b, and OCPP operational states)

EPA intends these criteria for long dwell time applications, based on our understanding that these provide the most load flexibility. EPA also provides an informational appendix regarding benefits and examples of the types of architectures possible for managed charging.

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What We've Been Up To...

You may be interested in the following recent webinars featuring ENERGY STAR EV chargers:

• ENERGY STAR’s Study for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Summer Study 2020: Driving Energy Efficiency into North American Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

ENERGY STAR’s Peer Reviewed Paper for the 33rd Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS33): Plugging Energy Efficiency into North American EV Charging Infrastructure

New & Updated Resources

• ENERGY STAR EV Charger Product Finder
• Need to Charge? Check out the charging station locator

Contact List:

Product Testing and Laboratory Procedures
Brian Krausz, EPA ENERGY STAR Program
Krauz.Brian@epa.gov

Emmy Feldman, ICF
Emmy.Feldman@icf.com

Partnership and Marketing
Peter Banwell, EPA ENERGY STAR Program
Banwell.Peter@epa.gov

State and Electric Utility Programs:
Stacy Noblet, ICF
Stacy.Noblet@icf.com

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ENERGY STAR® is the simple choice for energy efficiency.
For more than 25 years, EPA's ENERGY STAR Program has been America's resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. Join the millions making a difference at  www.energystar.gov today.

EPA (Climate Protection Partnerships Division) - ENERGY STAR
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20460 US

EPA is rescheduling the webinar for the recently released Draft 1 Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR Water Heaters specification and the Draft 2 Test Method to Validate Demand Response for Residential Water Heaters due to the Federal holiday. The stakeholder webinar will now be held on November 20, 2020 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm ET. Stakeholders interested in participating in this discussion should RSVP here, those who have already registered should have received an updated calendar event.
 
Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.
 
Sincerely,

   Abigail Daken
   EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR HVAC Program

   Enclosures:

   Draft 1 Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR Water Heaters Specification

Dear ENERGY STAR® Water Heater Partner or Other Interested Party:

With this letter, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a revision of the ENERGY STAR specification for water heaters. We are pleased to share the first draft of the Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR specification and the second draft Test Method to Validate Demand Response for Residential Water Heaters. The current criteria for recognition have been in place since April 2015. Since that time, the products on offer (particularly heat pump water heaters) have progressed rapidly. In response, EPA recognizes the need to revise the criteria. This process will encompass and supersede the ongoing Version 3.3 specification development process to add optional connected criteria.

The Draft 1, Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR Water Heater Product Specification reflects changes to keep the ENERGY STAR specification in line with products on offer in the market. Revising the specification serves key market players by providing a nationally available efficiency level that aligns with energy efficiency program sponsors’ need for program savings and ideally boosting market adoption of efficient models. Calculated savings associated with the proposed criteria are 2,544 kWh ($315) per year for electric water heaters under 55 gallons, and 466 kWh ($58) per year for electric water heaters 55 gallons or greater. The national electric savings potential for electric water heaters is 87 TWh per year, or $10.8 billion. Recognizing electric heat pump water heaters already reflect the lowest energy use for the service delivered, this revision will not substantially affect the number of ENERGY STAR models available to consumers. EPA considered raising levels for gas storage and gas instantaneous water heaters as well, but was unable to find higher levels with compelling savings or consumer payback. 
 
In addition, EPA seeks to simplify and rationalize a specification that has become complicated by the piecewise transition from EF to UEF metrics. As proposed in the Version 3.3 Draft 2, the EF criteria have been moved to Appendix A. Products sold only in Canada may still certify using EF, but all products sold in the U.S. must certify with UEF. EPA is also updating the solar water heater criteria to reflect the upcoming SUEF metric as proposed in the Solar Ratings and Certification Corporation’s draft revision to the ICC 900/SRCC 300-2020 Solar Thermal System Standard, Appendix A: Solar Uniform Energy Factor Procedure for Solar Water Heating Systems.

The Draft 2 Test Method to Validate Demand Response incorporates updates based on comments received in response to the publication of the Draft 1 Test Method to Validate Demand Response and the Draft 2, Version 3.3 ENERGY STAR Water Heater Product Specification. Updates were also proposed based on testing water heaters with connected capabilities to the Draft 1 Test Method. The Draft 1 Version 4.0 specification also contains minor modifications to the connected criteria in response to comments received on the Version 3.3 specification. More details can be found in note boxes throughout the specification.

EPA will hold a webinar to discuss the proposed criteria and test method on November 11th from 3:00-5:00pm ET; please RSVP here for the specification and test method webinar. We encourage stakeholder feedback on the Draft 1, Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR Water Heater Product Specification and the Draft 2 Test Method to Validate Demand Response. Please submit any comments to WaterHeaters@energystar.gov by December 9, 2020. Based on current circumstances, this comment period has been extended to 6 weeks. 

All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

Please direct any specific questions to Abigail Daken at EPA, Daken.Abigail@epa.gov, or 202-343-9375 and Julia Hegarty at ICF, Julia.Hegarty@icf.com or 202-862-1163. Please direct test procedure questions to Catherine Rivest at DOE, Catherine.Rivest@ee.doe.gov or 202-586-7335.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program. 

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR HVAC Program

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Draft 1 Version 4.0 Water Heaters Specification
ENERGY STAR Draft 1 Version 4.0 Water Heaters Data Package
Draft 2 ENERGY STAR Connected Residential Water Heaters Test Method to Validate Demand Response
ENERGY STAR Draft 2 Version 3.3 Water Heaters Comment Response Matrix

Dear ENERGY STAR® Televisions Stakeholders,

This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Draft 1 of the ENERGY STAR Televisions Version 9.0 specification in September 2020. Comments are due October 29th, 2020 and may be submitted to Televisions@energystar.gov.

All comments received will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Televisions Version 9.0 product development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that their comments remain confidential.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Commercial Dishwasher Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to share the Final Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Commercial Dishwasher product specification. EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have invested time and resources in an effort to contribute feedback that has informed this specification revision process.

The Version 3.0 requirements will become effective on July 27, 2021. 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. 

This specification was developed through a process that included release of two draft specifications, a limited topic proposal, and the final draft specification, two webinars, stakeholder meetings, and additional input from American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F26 committee participants and various other industry stakeholders. Stakeholder comments, previous drafts of the specification, and related materials are available on the product development website.  

No changes were made from the final draft to the final specification that impact scope of eligible products or certification criteria under Sections 2 and 3, respectively. 

Key changes to the Version 3.0 specification since the final draft are summarized below.  Additional comments and responses can be found in the accompanying comment response document

• Test Method References: In response to the final draft, a stakeholder requested EPA refrain from finalizing the specification until the referenced test method revisions were approved by the ASTM F26 committee. With the recent approval of the methods, EPA is finalizing this specification making minor changes to align.  EPA adjusted the heat recovery machine definition; assumed system efficiency constant in the hot water energy offset equation (from 0.80 to 0.77), and updated the test method references in Table 3 of the V3.0 specification as: 
  • ASTM F1696-20, Standard Test Method for Energy Performance of Stationary-Rack, Door-Type Commercial Dishwashing Machines
  • ASTM F1920-20, Standard Test Method for Energy Performance of Rack Conveyor Commercial Dishwashing Machines

• Heat Recovery Machine Requirement: Based on input from stakeholders, EPA has included the following footnote in Section 1.D.a. of the final specification, clarifying that in order to meet the heat recovery machine definition and for purposes of applying the offset equation, the machine may not exceed 5% hot water supply: 
  • If at any point during the wash and rinse cycles hot water is supplied to the machine, it is part of the allotted maximum 5% volume, which includes top-off or make-up water to replenish the tank due to evaporation or other residual losses.

Timeline and Next Steps: 

EPA shares partners’ desire for a smooth transition from one ENERGY STAR specification to 
the next, so that consumers can expect ENERGY STAR labeled products to fully meet the latest 
requirements upon their effective date. With this in mind, EPA has established the following 
timeline: 

• Effective immediately, manufacturers may elect to have their Certification Body (CB) certify their eligible products to the Version 3.0 requirements. 
• On March 11, 2021, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 2.0. Note, however, that existing certifications will remain valid for purposes of ENERGY STAR certification until July 27, 2021.
• Any Commercial Dishwasher products manufactured as of July 27, 2021, must meet Version 3.0 requirements to bear the ENERGY STAR mark. All certifications of products to the Version 2.0 specification will be invalid for purposes of ENERGY STAR certification and CBs will only submit product models certified to Version 3.0 to EPA.

ENERGY STAR partnership as a manufacturer is limited to organizations that own and/or license a brand name under which they sell eligible products in the United States and/or Canada. Partnership is not available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that do not sell directly to consumers or end users. OEMs may certify products on behalf of the ENERGY STAR brand owners/licensees; however, the brand owner must be the ENERGY STAR partner associated directly with the certified product models, since only partners are authorized to use the ENERGY STAR certification mark.

EPA thanks stakeholders who provided feedback during the specification revision process and looks forward to working with you as you certify and market your energy-efficient commercial dishwashers. If you have any questions or concerns about the specification or partnership process, please contact me at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037 and Adam Spitz at Adam.Spitz@icf.com or 916-231-7685 with questions or concerns. For any other commercial dishwasher related questions, please contact cfs@energystar.gov. 

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Best regards,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager 
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service

Enclosures:
Commercial Dishwashers Final Version 3.0 Specification
Commercial Dishwashers Final Draft Version 3.0 Comment Response Matrix
Commercial Dishwashers Final Version 3.0 Data Packet  

Dear ENERGY STAR® Room Air Conditioner Brand Owners and Other Interested Parties,

Recognizing the potential grid benefit and customer convenience of room air conditioners with connected capabilities, and in response to stakeholder requests to reduce the complexity of testing of such products, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is amending the ENERGY STAR testing requirements for room air conditioners with connected functionality with the intention of encouraging more models to be certified as ENERGY STAR. This proposed amendment will not impact currently certified products.

As demonstrated for federally regulated products like central air conditioners and heat pumps, an alternative method for certification can be a viable path when different models are available with similar components and programing. For room air conditioner, EPA is proposing to allow manufacturers and brand owners the option to certify models as having connected functionality through an Alternative Demand Response Validation (ADRV). Manufacturers and brand owners with at least two models certified with connected functionality may forego demand response validation testing for new models by using an ADRV. The ADRV is a set of parameters developed and proposed by the manufacturer that predicts a basic model’s ability to meet the demand response portion of the connected criteria. These paraments can include, but are not limited to hardware and software documentation, connection types and capabilities, and computer simulations.

Proposed Changes to the Test Requirements Section

5) Test Requirements:
* * * * *
 

D. Compliance with connected functionality requirements, as specified in Section 4, shall be demonstrated through examination of product and/or product documentation.

E. Compliance of a basic model with demand response functionality (section 4.G.) shall be:
 

a. Validated by testing using the ENERGY STAR Test Method for Room Air Conditioners to Validate Demand Response (June 2017) in order for a product to be listed as having connected functionality on the Qualified Product List, and to be eligible for any connected allowance.
 

OR
 

b. Predicted via an Alternative Demand Response Validation (ADRV). An ADRV is developed based on the specific set of manufacturer-defined parameters from a minimum of (2) tested basic connected models (TBCMs) that have been tested according to the ENERGY STAR Test Method for Room Air Conditioners to Validate Demand Response (June 2017) and meet the demand response requirements of the connected criteria. Examples of these parameters can include, but are not limited to, hardware and software documentation, connection types and capabilities, and computer simulations. To use an ADRV for a model’s certification, the manufacturer shall submit 1) test data from the relevant TBCM, and 2) a short memo to the certifying body stating their intent to use an ADRV to meet the demand response portion of testing requirements and explaining how the TBCM test data is relevant to the model for certification.
 

i.  A TBCM manufactured by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and sold across different brands and brand owners may be used to support an ADRV across those brands.
 

ii.  Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the ADRV. Models certified based on an ADRV will be subject to verification testing based on the ENERGY STAR Test Method for Room Air Conditions to Validate Demand Response.
 

In recognition of advances in connected functionality in the market and to align with optional connected criteria in other ENERGY STAR specifications, EPA has made non-substantive updates to the connected criteria in the room air conditioner specification.

Given the current circumstances, EPA is extending the normal comment period deadline to allow stakeholders to provide any comments.  If you have comments or concerns about this amendment, please submit them by December 7, 2020 to appliances@epa.gov.  Please direct any specific questions to Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, or Steve Leybourn at Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1566.  

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Sincerely,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to distribute the Final Draft Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR® Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump (CAC/HP) specification and the Final Draft ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump Controls Verification Procedure (CVP). Stakeholders may submit comments on the final draft to EPA no later than November 19, 2020. EPA plans to finalize this Version 6.0 CAC/HP specification before the end of 2020.

With the Version 6.0 revision, EPA seeks to recognize products that have both excellent efficiency and advanced design features, including those products with connected and installation capabilities as well as cold climate heat pumps. This draft has considered stakeholder feedback and incorporates some changes to ensure that the specification reflects an appropriate subset of the market in 2023. EPA is maintaining the proposed effective date of January 1, 2023 to allow manufacturers time to adjust to the regulatory changes that will occur on that date. However, EPA notes that as for all revisions, products may certify to the new version as soon as it is final.  For CAC/HP, EPA has made specific provisions to allow products to certify immediately to the Cold Climate and Connected designations as they are able.

Final Draft Summary
The Final Draft Version 6.0 includes changes from the Draft 2 proposal that are in line with stakeholder feedback. In accordance with stakeholder concerns, EPA revised SEER2 criteria for all categories and the HSPF2 criteria in some cases to allow for a wider range of models to certify and reduce the cost of an ENERGY STAR certified unit. These changes are reflected in the revised Final Draft Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR CAC/HP Data Package, which contains updated savings and payback periods.

EPA continues to see the value in having climate specific criteria for heat pumps, but in line with comments received on both the Draft 2 specification and the CVP, seeks to reduce the burden of certification and clarify when tested data is needed. For currently available units that certify early, the low ambient performance criteria can be met, and the Cold Climate designation earned, through use of application data, and the CVP will not be required until January 1, 2023. Certification via Appendix M metrics will be allowed until twelve months before the specification effective date. As of January 1, 2022, certification must be made with Appendix M1 and the CVP will be required for units to gain the Cold Climate designation. Products that certify early to the Version 6.0 specification shall submit the appropriate metrics per Appendix M1 by January 1, 2023 to remain certified, including the low ambient performance criteria and CVP for Cold Climate heat pumps.

Additionally, EPA has removed the requirement that all products must have staged or variable capacities for the Version 6.0 specification. EPA remains confident there is value in having units that offer two or more capacities for most installations and will continue to support those programs that are interested in promoting those units. However, the efficiency criteria will provide sufficient exclusivity for the Version 6.0 specification.

No major changes are proposed to the Connected Criteria or the Installation Capabilities, although some adjustments to the language and format of those sections have been made. More details regarding all changes described above are included in note boxes throughout the specification document.

Controls Verification Procedure
The final draft version of the CVP includes changes from the draft that are in line with stakeholder feedback. All references to the DOE Appendix M test procedure have been removed as the final draft specification proposes that the CVP not be required prior to January 1, 2022.

EPA has revised its definition for Native Controls to clarify the literature hierarchy for determining settings, as well as the type of indoor unit thermostat to be paired with the unit under test. EPA is aware of performance differences that may result from variable-speed systems being tested with a thermostat that is not specifically designed for use with that system. For this reason, EPA has specified that a lab-standardized thermostat control is only to be used for single and two-stage equipment. Units that are intended for use with a communicating thermostat shall be tested with the thermostat shipped with the system or that is specified by the manufacturer as the most common application for that unit.

Additionally, EPA has restructured the Test Procedure section of the CVP to more explicitly reference the defrost cycle and to clarify the application of steady-state tolerances vs dynamic equilibrium criteria. The adjustment procedure for units having a variable-speed compressor has been left unchanged, other than to clarify the optional nature of the procedure as an additional step for systems to obtain Energy Star Cold Climate Heat Pump certification.

Comment Submittal Process
Stakeholders may provide written comments for EPA consideration to CAC-ASHP@energystar.gov by November 19, 2020. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR CAC-ASHP Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

Please direct any specific questions to Abigail Daken, EPA, at daken.abigail@epa.gov or (202) 343-9375, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or (202) 862-1163.  For test procedure inquiries, please contact Catherine Rivest, U.S. Department of Energy, at Catherine.Rivest@ee.doe.gov or 202-586-7335. Thank you for taking the time to review these Final Draft documents. I look forward to continuing working with you.
Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Enclosures:
Final Draft Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR CAC-HP Specification
Final Draft Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR CAC-HP Data Package
Final Draft Controls Verification Procedure
Draft 2 Version 6.0 and CVP ENERGY STAR CAC-HP Comment Response Matrix

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind stakeholders that as of November 2, 2020, EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs) are required to cease certification of new storage products to the Version 1.1 specification and may only certify storage products to the Version 2.0 specification. Certification bodies may continue submitting administrative modifications to existing storage product certifications to the Version 1.1 specification until March 15, 2021. After this date, only storage products certified to the Version 2.0 specification will appear on the ENERGY STAR website and certified products list.

Please contact EPA at certification@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. CBs should direct questions concerning the submittal of certified storage products to storage@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind stakeholders that the effective date for the Version 8.0 ENERGY STAR Computers Program Requirements is October 15, 2020. On this date, only products certified to Version 8.0 and submitted by EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs) to EPA using the Version 8.0 web service will display on our list of certified models.
 
Please contact EPA at Computers@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. CBs should direct questions concerning the submittal of Version 8.0 certified Computers to Certification@energystar.gov.
 
Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.

 

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:
 
This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 1 Specification on September 17th. Comments are due October 29th, 2020 and may be submitted to televisions@energystar.gov.
 
EPA will host a stakeholder webinar to present details of the Draft 1 specification and address stakeholder questions on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Time. If you wish to attend this meeting, please register here.
 
Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

•ENERGY STAR SHEMS Updates

•ENERGY STAR SHEMS in the News

•News You Can Use

•Relevant Standards

•ENERGY STAR SHEMS on the (Virtual) Road

ENERGY STAR SHEMS Updates

Throughout the summer, the Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) team has worked closely with potential partners to help guide them towards certification. While some potential partners have been delayed by COVID-19, we anticipate that the program will have certified several systems by the end of the year, bringing ENERGY STAR SHEMS to homes across the country.

Interested service provider partners can find out about certifying their SHEMS packages by viewing the resources on the SHEMS for Partners page.

•  Past Webinars

•  Frequently Asked Questions

•  Key Product Criteria

•  Version 1.0 specification

Certification Bodies

•  UL Verification Services Inc

News You Can Use

Smarter Households

Over 41.3 million American households currently have at least one smart home device. By 2024, this number is expected to grow rapidly, reaching over 61 million households. Of those, 45 million are expected to include devices for energy management. Read More

SHEMS in California Law

California’s Statewide Utility Codes and Standards Team is recommending that key requirements of the ENERGY STAR SHEMS program be used as the basis for a HEMS credit under the state’s Energy Code starting in 2023, or sooner. Read more

Study Reveals Smart Lighting Savings

A recent study from National Grid and TRC Companies found that adding room level occupancy controls on top of basic whole-home occupancy doubles the additional lighting energy savings from a HEMS – smart lamp integration. Together, geofencing and room-level controls provide an additional 34% energy savings relative to an LED retrofit for an estimated total savings per bulb of 45.8 kWh per year. Please contact Brad Piper, BPiper@trccompanies.com, for more information.

ENERGY STAR SHEMS On The (Virtual) Road

Past

In case you missed it, an ENERGY STAR SHEMS paper and presentation recording were featured in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Summer Study in August 2020. This paper discusses bundling consumer interest with energy savings and provides an in-depth understanding of the drivers and market actors for the ENERGY STAR SHEMS program. The full paper is titled "Bundling energy savings with consumer interest in smart homes," and can be found here along with a short 20-minute presentation recording.

ENERGY STAR SHEMS is one of the "Top Five Residential Technical Market Opportunities" examined during a presentation at the 2020 American Lighting Association (ALA) Residential Lighting Symposium which replaces the ALA Annual Conference this year. The session features Terry McGowan, ALA’s Director of Engineering & Technology, and is scheduled for online presentation from 2:30 – 3:45 P.M. CST on Wednesday, September 16. The recording will be viewable to registrants (including non-ALA members) after the session concludes.

Upcoming

Save the date! The 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting will be held virtually from October 27-29 and will feature dedicated SHEMS content in two sessions:

•SHEMS Pilots Update: Get the latest updates from utilities and supporting service providers that are conducting pilots and programs that intersect with the ENERGY STAR smart home energy management systems specification. Speakers will discuss key insights on automated energy savings and consumer engagement and education from pilots across the country. Insights will touch on consumer segmentation such as low income and multi-family and cover successful leveraging of partnerships and utility marketplaces.

•SHEMS Pitch Party: Looking for innovative new ideas in the smart home energy management space? Join us for a series of short pitches covering topics from integration with distributed energy resources to messaging strategies for security and consumer privacy. Speakers include service providers working toward ENERGY STAR certification, device manufacturers, and researchers.

Register for free and review this 3-minute overview of the virtual meeting platform!

ENERGY STAR SHEMS in the News

How Smart Homes Could Benefit from Energy Management Systems

"A program like this [ENERGY STAR SHEMS] could be vital for saving consumers money through smart energy management, particularly as residents become more educated about ongoing home maintenance costs, the total cost of homeownership, and have the desire to keep utility bills low."

-National Association of Home Builders. June 1, 2020.

Relevant Standards

New Standards for Submetering Devices

Electrical energy monitoring and management starts with measuring it. Submeters provide details of energy and associated quantities for monitoring or revenue submetering for a variety of applications including SHEMS. In order for the measured energy to be useful in energy management, it should meet certain levels of accuracy. The National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA) is a trade association of electrical equipment manufacturers and maintains relevant standards. The NEMA Submetering Product Section has published two standards, NEMA ESM1-1 and ESM1-2, to begin addressing these needs. These standards are part of an emerging series of electrical submetering standards.

•ESM1-1 2019 Electrical Submeter - General Requirements document covers the common definition and requirements for all ESM1 documents.

•ESM1-2 2019 Electrical Submeter - Active Energy Accuracy standard covers metrological requirements for regular AC submeters.

They are available for free download here: ESM1-1 and ESM1-2.

Looking forward to helping our future get energy smart together! Have SHEMS insights to share from a pilot or research? Please contact SmartHomeSystems@energystar.gov or Taylor Jantz-Sell at jantz-sell.taylor@epa.gov.

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a revision of the ENERGY STAR specification for televisions and releasing the ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 1 Specification for stakeholder review. EPA will host a stakeholder webinar to present details of the Draft 1 specification and address stakeholder questions on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Time. If you wish to attend this meeting, please register here.

Since Version 8.0’s release in February 2018, EPA has participated in efforts to test a significant number of current TV models and has monitored international test procedure developments. This work has brought to light challenges with the current approach to testing and recognizing TVs, including:

• Using a metric that encourages TVs to employ dim backlight settings;
• Setting requirements for only one Preset Picture Setting, which may not persist in the home; and
• Testing luminance by measuring a center-screen point with the 3-bar pattern, which is not reflective of viewer perceived luminance while viewing typical content.

As a result, EPA is now proposing use of performance-based criteria to encourage more efficient product design through the adoption of efficient components (e.g., LEDs, films, power supplies, etc.) and energy saving features (e.g., local dimming). The key features of the V9.0 approach are summarized below and described in more detail later in this letter. Version 9.0:

• Leverages a performance-based metric that encourages designs that produce light more efficiently;
• Requires the use of camera equipment to measure light averaged across the entire screen during dynamic video play (as opposed to a center-screen point measurement), resulting in a new metric called Dynamic Luminance;
• Evaluates TV performance in multiple SDR and HDR Preset Picture Settings; and
• Evaluates TVs with multicast traffic present on network, with and without smart speakers.

Version 9.0 Test Procedures
To the extent that the Department of Energy (DOE) requires use of the Federal Test Procedure, EPA plans to collect and post associated test results on the ENERGY STAR Product Finder. Under Version 9.0, TVs will be certified based on measurements from additional testing that EPA proposes for On Mode and measurements from both the Federal Test Procedure and additional proposed tests for Standby Mode. These additional tests were developed in consultation with DOE, in collaboration with NEEA, and have been recognized by a handful of industry and NGO stakeholders as solving some of today’s more daunting TV testing issues. The On Mode test procedures that EPA proposes for the purposes of ENERGY STAR certification will measure performance/watt in commonly used preset picture settings. These tests and resulting performance-based criteria are based on the results from testing over 100, mostly 4K, TV models with automated test equipment. The tests require the use of camera equipment to measure light averaged across the entire screen during dynamic video play (as opposed to a center-screen point measurement), resulting in a new metric called dynamic luminance. EPA believes that dynamic luminance measurements will better reflect the levels of light and degree of luminance uniformity that a typical viewer experiences.

EPA also proposes that automatic brightness control (ABC) and Motion Detection Dimming (MDD) remain disabled during the additional tests for ENERGY STAR certification. Testing with MDD disabled aligns with the provisional direction of the IEC MT62087 test procedure. EPA does recognize the potential saving opportunities that a well-programed ABC feature can deliver to consumers. As a result, EPA is following the development of the updated approach towards ABC testing in MT62087 and will evaluate whether to include ABC-based metrics in future ENERGY STAR TV program requirements.

The proposed tests require that the TV be tested in three commonly selected preset picture settings: SDR default, SDR brightest, and HDR default. Current research shows that a majority of devices are either left in their default setting or have been put into their brightest preset picture setting. As a result, testing in both settings captures typical use and addresses the preset picture setting that is often the most energy consuming. In addition, with broadcast TV transitioning to HDR, the HDR10 PPS is expected to be much more commonly used in the near future and well within the lifetime of TVs sold today.

In addition to Standby Mode requirements based on the Federal Test Procedure, EPA proposes testing to measure standby power with Multicast DNS requests present on the network. EPA has observed that a significant number of smart TVs use more power (e.g. > 10 watts) in Standby-Active, Low Mode when configured to allow wake-by-voice commands via smart speaker. Furthermore, other smart TVs experience a similar increase in standby power when Multicast DNS requests are present on the network, with or without a smart speaker connection. Use of streaming media services (e.g. YouTube, Spotify) creates this type of network traffic. As a result, EPA believes this testing and the standby mode criteria will encourage efficient integration with smart speakers.

Updated Certification Criteria
EPA proposes On Mode criteria based on proposed additional test procedure measurements of three picture settings (default, brightest, and HDR):

• An efficiency limit based on screen area and measured luminance; and
• A power cap based on screen area (to provide a mechanism to limit extremely bright backlight settings, which are not constrained by the efficiency limit alone).

An Adjustment Factor is applied to the On Mode criteria to account for the power requirement differences innate to technologies that produce different screen resolutions. Today’s market for televisions has evolved to consist of several standard resolutions; as such, EPA is providing adjustment factors for HD (1080p), 4K, and 8K resolution formats since they represent the majority of TV sales. In addition, as consumers have come to desire products that deliver an enhanced viewing experience, technologies have emerged to produce content with exceptionally high contrast ratios. The Agency acknowledges that these different formats and technologies have inherently different energy requirements and has developed the criteria proposed in Draft 1 accordingly.

The above criteria eliminate the need for today’s minimum luminance requirements, allowing for a wide range of luminance settings while ensuring that luminance is provided efficiently. In doing so, this approach provides manufacturers more flexibility and an incentive to deliver light efficiently (i.e., more efficient TVs can be brighter than less efficient TVs).
 

Lastly, EPA proposes standby mode criteria based on both the Federal Test Procedure and the proposed additional standby tests.
 

Upcoming Webinar
The exchange of ideas and information between EPA, industry, and other interested parties is critical to the success of ENERGY STAR. Stakeholder participation is key to the ENERGY STAR specification development process and is strongly encouraged. EPA plans to hold a webinar on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Time to discuss the Draft 1 Version 9.0 specification. To participate in this webinar, please register here to attend.

Feedback
Given the current circumstances, EPA is extending the normal comment period deadline to allow stakeholders to provide any comments on the Version 9.0 Draft 1 Specification no later than October 29, 2020. Please send comments via e-mail to televisions@energystar.gov. All comments received will be posted to the Version 9.0 TVs Specification development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that his or her comments remain confidential. Stakeholder engagement is vital to the ENERGY STAR program and EPA looks forward to further work with stakeholders in the development of the TVs Version 9.0 specification.

Please contact me at (202) 564-8538 or Kwon.James@epa.gov, or Emmy Feldman at (202) 862-1145 or Emmy.Feldman@icf.com, with questions or to share feedback for this effort.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Best Regards,

James Kwon, EPA Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for Consumer Electronics

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 1 Specification
ENERGY STAR Version 9.0 TVs Draft 1 Data Package

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:
 
The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) has published the revised SNIA Emerald™ Power Efficiency Measurement Specification V4.0, which is referenced by the ENERGY STAR® Data Center Storage Specification Version 2.0.

These revisions in the SNIA specification include updates to the Storage Taxonomy for Solid State Storage-based systems, other taxonomy clarifications, and minor changes to the testing process and reporting requirements.

The SNIA Green Storage Technical Work Group (TWG) and Green Storage Initiative (GSI) will deliver a 2-hour training webinar oriented toward Emerald testers detailing the updates made in Version 4.0.

Information on the webinar can be found below:

Webinar: SNIA Emerald™ V4.0 Training
Date and Time: September 16, 2020, 3:00 - 5:00 PM ET 

To register: Please send an email no later than September 4th, 2020 with your name, title, email address, and company name to emerald@snia.org. There is no fee to register or attend the training. Webinar details will be emailed in advance of the webinar.
 

The webinar will cover:

• Pre-requisite assumptions of the webinar
• Changes in SNIA Emerald™ Power Efficiency Measurement Specification V4.0 from V3.0.3
• Detailed overview of the revised V4.0 Storage Taxonomy
• Overview of the timeline for ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage V2.0

For more information about the SNIA Green Storage TWG and GSI, please visit www.sniaemerald.com and www.snia.org/gsi.

Questions about this webinar can be directed to emerald@snia.org.

Thank you for your support of ENERGY STAR and we look forward to seeing you there!

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:
 
The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) has published the revised SNIA Emerald™ Power Efficiency Measurement Specification V4.0, which is referenced by the ENERGY STAR® Data Center Storage Specification Version 2.0.

These revisions in the SNIA specification include updates to the Storage Taxonomy for Solid State Storage-based systems, other taxonomy clarifications, and minor changes to the testing process and reporting requirements.

The SNIA Green Storage Technical Work Group (TWG) and Green Storage Initiative (GSI) will deliver a 2-hour training webinar oriented toward Emerald testers detailing the updates made in Version 4.0.

Information on the webinar can be found below:

Webinar: SNIA Emerald™ V4.0 Training
Date and Time: September 16, 2020, 3:00 - 5:00 PM ET 

To register: Please send an email no later than September 4th, 2020 with your name, title, email address, and company name to emerald@snia.org. There is no fee to register or attend the training. Webinar details will be emailed in advance of the webinar.
 

The webinar will cover:

• Pre-requisite assumptions of the webinar
• Changes in SNIA Emerald™ Power Efficiency Measurement Specification V4.0 from V3.0.3
• Detailed overview of the revised V4.0 Storage Taxonomy
• Overview of the timeline for ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage V2.0

For more information about the SNIA Green Storage TWG and GSI, please visit www.sniaemerald.com and www.snia.org/gsi.

Questions about this webinar can be directed to emerald@snia.org.

Thank you for your support of ENERGY STAR and we look forward to seeing you there!

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:
 
This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the draft of the proposed 2021 criteria for ENERGY STAR Most Efficient in June 2020. Comments are due August 7th, 2020 and may be submitted to MostEfficient@energystar.gov.

All comments received will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 Criteria Development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that his or her comments remain confidential. 

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Vending Machine Partners:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind vending machine partners that as of April 29, 2020 only vending machines that meet the Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machine product specification may be certified as ENERGY STAR and only these units will appear on the ENERGY STAR certified product list.

Already two leadership partners have certified eight models which are listed on the ENERGY STAR Product Finder. Rebates for ENERGY STAR Vending machines are available in territories served by PPL, ComEd, Vectren, and El Paso Electric as well as across Nebraska through a statewide loan fund. 

These energy saving models are in good company. Americans purchased more than 300 million ENERGY STAR certified products and more than 300 million ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs in 2018, for an estimated annual market value of more than $100 billion. 

In 2018 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans save nearly 430 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and avoid $35 billion in energy costs, with associated emission reductions of 330 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, 220,000 short tons of sulfur dioxide, 210,000 short tons of nitrogen oxides, and 23,000 short tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). 

Please contact EPA at vendingmachines@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. Please visit the ENERGY STAR website for details on the process for certifying models to the Version 4.0 requirements.
 
Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program. 

This is a reminder that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the first draft of proposed requirements for DC-output EVSE in June 2020.  Comments are due July 27th, 2020 and may be submitted to EVSE@energystar.gov.

All comments received will be posted to the Version 1.1 EVSE specification development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that his or her comments remain confidential. Stakeholder engagement is vital to the ENERGY STAR program and EPA looks forward to further work with stakeholders in the development of the EVSE Version 1.1 specification. 

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) Stakeholders,

As a reminder, we are seeking proposals from stakeholders who want to present their ENERGY STAR SHEMS-related ideas and expertise at the 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting! We are looking for:

• Insights from SHEMS-related pilots. Pilots of interest should be leveraging systems that align with the ENERGY STAR criteria even if not yet certified, and may be planned, in progress, or completed.
• Pitches regarding ENERGY STAR SHEMS-related projects or products. Find support for your ideas for groundbreaking smart home device integrations, service offerings, or pilot programs!

Interested in presenting? Contact smarthomesystems@energystar.gov with a brief description of your role and presentation topic by July 8.

This year’s meeting will be held from October 27-29, 2020 and will be held virtually if social distancing persists. Otherwise, the meeting will take place in Denver, CO. Check https://www.energystar.gov/2020ESPPM for updates and more information.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Imaging Equipment Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would like to share an amendment to the Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Imaging Equipment (IE) specification, a proposed minor expansion of scope which EPA intends to publish as a Version 3.1 specification once finalized. Currently certified products are not affected.

Based on recent discussions with partners, EPA is proposing to add remanufactured imaging equipment to the scope of the specification. EPA proposes to allow for certification of remanufactured imaging products if they meet the enclosed definition and the same eligibility criteria as a corresponding new model.  Further, they must also make use of a unique model number, allowing for differentiation from a new model.  This approach enables models that bring the additional environmental benefit realized by avoiding the energy and other resources used in making a new model to be certified as ENERGY STAR.

EPA welcomes stakeholder input on this proposed amendment. Given the current circumstances, EPA is allowing extra time for ENERGY STAR comments.  Stakeholders are encouraged to submit any comments to imagingequipment@energystar.gov by July 27, 2020. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

The exchange of ideas and information between EPA, industry, and other interested parties is critical to the success of ENERGY STAR. Materials associated with this amendment are posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website.

Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 or John Clinger, ICF, at John.Clinger@icf.com or (215) 967-9407 with questions or concerns about this amendment. For other imaging equipment related questions, please contact imagingequipment@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
   EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products

   Enclosures:
   Draft, Version 3.1 Specification

Dear ENERGY STAR® Stakeholder:
 
Please visit here for important correspondence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the proposed recognition criteria for ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021. On the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021 Criteria Development web page, you will find the proposed recognition criteria documents for twelve product categories and the EPA cover memo. The proposed criteria for Dishwashers and Televisions will be shared with stakeholders in the coming months. EPA will not recognize Boilers as ENERGY STAR Most Efficient in 2021.
 
EPA will hold a stakeholder webinar on Wednesday, July 15th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time to discuss the proposed 2021 recognition criteria. Please register for this webinar here. Please contact MostEfficient@energystar.gov with any questions.
 
Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) Stakeholders,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that planning is underway for the 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting, which will feature two sessions with dedicated SHEMS content. This year’s meeting will take place Tuesday, October 27 – Thursday, October 29, 2020, in Denver, Colorado. In the event that social distancing persists, we are designing the meeting so we can convene virtually over the same dates. Please hold October 27 – 29 for ENERGY STAR, and we will keep you posted on our plans as the dates get closer.

We are seeking proposals from stakeholders who want to present their ENERGY STAR SHEMS-related ideas and expertise at Partner Meeting! We are looking for:

• Insights from SHEMS-related pilots. Pilots of interest should be leveraging systems that align with the ENERGY STAR criteria even if not yet certified, and may be planned, in progress, or completed.
• Pitches regarding ENERGY STAR SHEMS-related projects or products. Find support for your ideas for groundbreaking smart home device integrations, service offerings, or pilot programs!

Interested in presenting? Contact smarthomesystems@energystar.gov with a brief description of your role and presentation topic by July 8.

Welcome to ENERGY STAR’s inaugural HVAC newsletter. This newsletter will showcase what’s new and upcoming with ENERGY STAR air source heat pumps, s mart t hermostats, c entral a ir c onditioning, r oom ACs, and beyond. By updating our partners quarterly, our goal is to keep an open channel of communication that emphasizes education, collaboration, and above all, saving energy!Welcome to ENERGY STAR’s inaugural HVAC newsletter. This newsletter will showcase what’s new and upcoming with ENERGY STAR air source heat pumps, s mart t hermostats, c entral a ir c onditioning, r oom ACs, and beyond. By updating our partners quarterly, our goal is to keep an open channel of communication that emphasizes education, collaboration, and above all, saving energy!

Smart Thermostats

ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats span 17 brands and 56 different models. A rapidly spreading technology, smart thermostats witnessed sales of 7.5 million units in 2018, compared to 6.5 million in 2017. As of 2018, the market penetration for ENERGY STAR smart thermostats was 58% for all thermostats due to enormous support from over 40 utilities nationwide that offer rebates. With the versatility, ease of installation, and ability to control the temperature in your home from anywhere, an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat is the simple choice for your home.

Federal Tax Credits Extended

The Non-Business Energy Property Tax Credits have been extended through 12/31/2020. Air source heat pumps and central air conditioners that are ENERGY STAR certified and are installed in a primary residence meet the requirements for this tax credit of up to $300. Additional details can be found here.

Product Development:

EPA is in revising the metric used to determine product qualification for connected thermostats. If you’re interested in participating in upcoming connected thermostat metric development meetings, please email ConnectedThermostats@energystar.gov to be added to the list. A list of documents related to the development of the metric can be found here.

New and Upcoming with HVAC

The ENERGY STAR® Central Air Conditioners & Heat Pumps Specification Version 6.0 is currently under development . Materials related to this revision process are here. The current timeline is below:

Tech Spotlight: Integrated Controls

The energy and cost savings associated with airsource heat pumps are no secret, but utilization remains low in cold weather climates due to performance concerns. Now with integrated controls, homes that are heated with oil or propane can utilize a heat pump in conjunction with their existing heating system to maximize comfort and cost savings. Integrated controls work by automatically switching between systems based on the outdoor temperature, allowing homes to utilize highly efficient heating when practical, and traditional heating when that’s not quite enough.

New on energystar.gov

• HVAC guide/ calculator – The ENERGY STAR Heating and Cooling Guide help consumers navigate an HVAC equipment upgrade that will save energy, save money, and help protect the climate.
• HVAC Product Finder – The newly available HVAC Product Finder is an easy to use resource identify the brands that offer ENERGY STAR certified equipment. If you know the size range you need, you can see which model series that have ENERGY STAR options could work for you.

Social Media Engagement Opportunities

A big thank you to all partners who were able to participate in the ENERGY STAR Earth Day campaign in April. The support was overwhelming, especially considering the difficult circumstances, and we were inspired by the engagement. For those who want to get or stay involved, ENERGY STAR will be promoting HVAC and Smart Thermostats through our cooling campaign all summer long.

Helpful links for partners

      •     Product Finder

      •     Rebate Finder

      •     Federal Tax Credit Information

Dear ENERGY STAR® Commercial Dishwasher Partner or Other Interested Stakeholders:

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwasher Final Draft Specification. This final draft addresses stakeholder feedback on the previously released Draft 2 specification, the subsequent Draft 2 stakeholder webinar held on October 22, 2019, and the limited topic proposal that was published on March 4, 2020. EPA plans on publishing the Final Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwasher Specification no later than August 10, 2020 with an effective date of May 24, 2021.

Through the limited topic proposal and extensive discussion with stakeholders, EPA vetted a means of offsetting the energy used by heat recovery machines.  EPA’s proposal received broad support and the Agency has carried this proposal into the final draft. In response to Draft 2, stakeholders suggested, and EPA has included, a footnote acknowledging the difference in water consumption measurements outlined in NSF versus ASTM test methods. Lastly, EPA received requests for clarifications to definitions and the idle energy efficiency requirements, all of which are addressed in the final draft.  EPA has noted these changes and the Agency’s rationale with note boxes throughout the specification and has also attached a comment response matrix for the Draft 2 Specification and Limited Topic Proposal.

Comment Submittal
Remaining stakeholder comments regarding the Version 3.0 Final Draft Specification may be submitted no later than July 13, 2020 to commercialdishwashers@energystar.gov.

As a reminder, all submitted comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website unless the submitter specifically requests their respective comments remain confidential.

Please contact me at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037 and Adam Spitz at Adam.Spitz@icf.com or 916-231-7685 with questions or concerns. For any other commercial dishwasher related questions, please contact commercialdishwashers@energystar.go. 

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Enclosures:
Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwasher Final Draft Specification
Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwasher Draft 2 Comment Matrix
Version 3.0 Commercial Dishwasher Limited Topic Proposal Comment Matrix

Dear ENERGY STAR Partners and industry colleagues,

Thanks to your continued hard work and support, we have seen tremendous growth in ENERGY STAR certified Electric Vehicle Chargers. We continue to add new partners and products to the list of certified products and our list now represents a significant portion of the Level 2 EV charging market.

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide partners, stakeholders, and interested parties with helpful EV charger resources and to update you on ENERGY STAR Program plans and activities. We will distribute the newsletter twice a year, and we hope the content informs you about important updates related to ENERGY STAR EV chargers. In this edition, we will highlight opportunities to engage with electric vehicle leaders across the nation, remind everyone of key upcoming deadlines, and provide tools for making the most of your ENERGY STAR partnership.

We appreciate you being a part of this program and we are excited to share additional specification updates and highlights from upcoming industry events in our next communication.

Sincerely,  
Peter Banwell

Welcome ENERGY STAR Electric Vehicle Charging Partners!
Thank you to all our participating partners, both existing and new! We recently welcomed new partners, including BTCPower, Flo, Nuvve, and Tellus.

Existing partners are taking several approaches to reach customers with the ENERGY STAR message. From social media to digital advertising, we appreciate the many ways you participated to help more consumers save energy, save money, and help protect the environment by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products. For the most up to date ENERGY STAR EV Charging news and resources, check out our updated webpage!  

Earth Day Recap
April 22nd marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and the ENERGY STAR Program celebrated by featuring the combined benefits of energy efficiency and green power as the path toward a clean energy future and a healthier environment. 

In case you missed it, check out the Earth Day video, which featured EV images. Dozens of ENERGY STAR partners, including several of our ENERGY STAR EV charging partners, joined with EPA by sharing the video on social media!

 Partner Corner

Save the Date: 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting

Mark your calendars - the 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting is scheduled to take place either as a virtual meeting or in Denver, CO from October 27-29, 2020. Join product partners from around the country to discuss the latest market insights, new energy efficiency program models, and cutting-edge technology.

The EV Chargers team is planning to host several sessions that dive into important industry topics. A link to the 2019 session presentation can be found here.

The ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting is a rare opportunity to meet with utilities, implementers, manufacturers, and retailers - all in one place! Stay tuned for additional information.

Stay in the Loop!

Update your information within 30 days of a change of contact status to ensure you receive important crespondence from ENERGY STAR, such as information on the annual unit shipment data requirement or

ENERGY STAR Specification Updates

EPA is in the process of revising and expanding criteria for EV chargers. There are several goals to this process: 1) Expand the product coverage beyond Level 2 to include DC “fast” and “high power” models. 2) Provide stakeholders (state agencies, utilities, etc.) with a uniform test method for energy efficiency. 3) Develop networking criteria that reflects emerging standards and communications protocols (price signals, demand response, billing and payments, etc.).

EPA released an ENERGY STAR Final Draft Test Method for DC EV chargers in September 2019 and expects to release Draft 1 criteria shortly. Stakeholder participation is encouraged.  Click here to be added to the distribution list for future documents.

In addition, the Draft 1 will include changes to the existing connected/networked requirements for AC Level 2 Units. EPA is proposing new requirements for:  

• Scheduling of charging sessions.
• Remote management capabilities.
• Definitions of demand response signals that the EV charger should support

Draft requirements can be found here. EPA is interested in comments on these criteria, here

Data Request:
Your engagement is critical to the success of this program. Manufacturers and other stakeholders are invited to continue providing test data for current DC EV charging models, using the data assembly form, for inclusion in the data set that informs the specification criteria. EPA will release subsequent drafts for stakeholder review and comment in the coming months as EPA and anticipates a final specification for DC EV chargers will be released and go into effect in Fall 2020.
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What We've Been Up To...nterested in the following recent webinars featuring ENERGY STAR EV chargers:

• Best Practices for Electric Vehicle Charging in Commercial Buildings
• Electric Vehicles: The Utility Connection

New & Updated Resources

• EVSE Qualified Products List 
• Incentives for EV Chargers

Contact List:

Product Testing and Laboratory Procedures
Brian Krausz, EPA ENERGY STAR Program
Krausz.Brian@epa.gov

Emmy Feldman, ICF
Emmy.Feldman@icf.com

Partnership and Marketing
Peter Banwell, EPA ENERGY STAR Program
Banwell.peter@epa.gov

State and Electric Utility Programs:
Stacy Noblet, ICF
Stacy.Noblet@icf.com

ENERGY STAR® is the simple choice for energy efficiency.
For more than 25 years, EPA's ENERGY STAR Program has been America's resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. Join the millions making a difference at  www.energystar.gov today.

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the Version 1.1 amendment to the ENERGY STAR Large Network Equipment (LNE) specification. This amendment expands the scope to allow products with more than 40Gb/s ports to certify as ENERGY STAR. EPA has updated the reference to the Generalized Internal Power Supply Efficiency Test Protocol in Section 3.2.3 to align with the reference in Section 3.2.2 in response to a stakeholder comment.  EPA was also asked to raise the IPS efficiency requirement to 80Plus Gold.  While out of scope for an amendment, EPA will consider this comment when next revising this specification. EPA received no further comment on the proposed amendment.  Large Network Equipment products previously certified to Version 1.0 are not affected by this change.

Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 or John Clinger, ICF, at John.Clinger@icf.com or (215) 967-9407 with questions or concerns. For any other LNE related questions, please contact largenetwork@energystar.gov. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.
Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products
 
Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR LNE Version 1.1 Final Specification

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the Draft 1 Version 3.0  ENERGY STAR Water Cooler Product Specification, and plans to host a stakeholder webinar on Wednesday, June 24, 2019 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST to outline the Draft 1 specification and address initial stakeholder comments and questions. Stakeholders interested in participating in this discussion should register at this link by Monday, June 22, 2020. 

For assistance with registering for the Draft 1 webinar, or to provide comments to the Draft 1 Version 3.0 specification, please contact watercoolers@energystar.gov. For specific questions about the specification, please contact Tanja Crk, EPA, at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or 202-862-1163.  

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program. 

Dear ENERGY STAR® Water Cooler Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the Draft 1 Version 3.0  ENERGY STAR Water Cooler Product Specification.  This draft includes proposals in response to stakeholder feedback on the previously released discussion guide. The deadline to provide comments on this Draft 1 specification is Tuesday, July 14, 2020. 

Background
The ENERGY STAR program helps businesses and individuals save money and protect the environment by identifying products with superior energy efficiency. EPA monitors market and technology developments, looking for opportunities to increase market adoption of products that meet consumer demands while offering great energy performance. The ENERGY STAR specification development process is an opportunity to review the current specification (Version 2.0, in effect since 2014) for additional savings opportunities and update multiple sections for clarity, adjusting the scope and criteria as needed. EPA is launching the development of the Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Water Cooler specification with proposed adjustments to the criteria to provide further differentiation where necessary, primarily in categories that use more energy in standby and that make up the bulk of ENERGY STAR sales.

Proposal Summary 
The changes proposed in the Draft 1 are summarized below. More details regarding these topics, EPA rationale, and specific requests for comment are included in note boxes throughout the draft specification.

• Definitions: This draft includes a definition for “Hot, Cook, and Cold Units” to allow this category to be identified in the ENERGY STAR Product Finder. Adjustments have also been made to the definitions within the Water Source and Water Conditioning sections, to clarify which products should be recognized by each designation and reduce confusion regarding categorization in the ENERGY STAR Qualified Products List and in unit shipment data reported to EPA. The definition for “Compartment-type Water Cooler” has been removed as there does not appear to be a market presence for these units.

• Scope: EPA is expanding the scope of the specification to include products that dispense sparkling, flavored, and alkaline water, in addition to hot and cold water. EPA excludes from scope water coolers that have provisions for making, storing, and dispensing small amounts of ice.

• Certification Criteria: To continue to recognize the most efficient water coolers in each category, EPA is revising the criteria for Hot and Cold & Hot, Cook, and Cold Conditioned Storage units as these offer the greatest energy savings improvement per unit and also represent the majority of current ENERGY STAR shipments.

• Test Modes: While the test method has not changed, additional sections are explicitly referenced in this draft to include a requirement that On Mode with Water Draw Performance (OMP) for Cold Water Draw and Hot Water Draw must be reported.

• Alternative Refrigerants: EPA is interested in highlighting products that use alternative, low global warming potential (low-GWP) refrigerants across product categories and is requiring that water coolers report the refrigerant type and charge.

Comment Submittal Process
Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written comments for EPA consideration to watercoolers@energystar.gov by Tuesday, July 14, 2020. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Water Coolers Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise. 

Stakeholder Meeting
EPA plans to host a stakeholder webinar on Wednesday, June 24, 2019 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST to outline the Draft 1 specification and address initial stakeholder comments and questions. Stakeholders interested in participating in this discussion should register at this link by Monday, June 22, 2020. 

Please direct any specific questions to Tanja Crk, EPA, at Crk.Tanja@epa.gov or 202-566-1037, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or 202-862-1163.  

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program. 

Sincerely,

Tanja Crk, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service, Vending, Water Coolers

Enclosures:
Draft 1 Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Water Cooler Specification
Draft 1 Version 3.0 ENERGY STAR Water Cooler Data Package

Dear ENERGY STAR® Partner or other Interested Stakeholder:

The purpose of this email is to notify you about an amendment the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making to the ENERGY STAR Lamps specification (V2.1). The change extends the allowance for worst-case testing of families with envelope finish differences to all lamp types. Further explanation is provided in this letter.   

This change will be posted effective on June 15, 2020. Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments or concerns at (202) 343-9042 or Jantz-Sell.Taylor@epa.gov or Daniel Rogers, ICF, at (908) 233-0554 or Lighting@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of ENERGY STAR.

Sincerely,

Taylor Jantz-Sell

ENERGY STAR Lighting Program Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Dear ENERGY STAR® Data Center Storage Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to share the final Version 2.0 ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage specification. EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have invested time and effort to contribute feedback that has informed this product specification process. These Version 2.0 requirements will take effect March 15, 2021 and will recognize the top performing data center storage products on the market. This letter outlines the transition process.

EPA has made some minor editorial changes to the final specification at the request of stakeholders. This includes a slight adjustment to the capacity optimizing method (COM) definition more clearly align with the terminology used in the SNIA Emerald test method.  EPA also removed a sentence in the example under Table 8 and updated the test data requirements for scale up products. No other comments were offered.    

Version 2.0 Transition Timeline and Next Steps
EPA shares partners’ desire for a smooth transition from one ENERGY STAR specification to the next so that consumer expectations are met and ENERGY STAR labeled products fully meet the new requirements upon their effective date. With this in mind, EPA has established the following timeline: 
 

• Effective immediately, manufacturers may elect to have their Certification Body (CB) certify eligible products to the Version 2.0 requirements.
• After November 2, 2020, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version 2.0. Note, however, that existing certifications to Version 1.1 will remain valid for the purposes of ENERGY STAR certification until March 15, 2021.
• Any data center storage manufactured as of March 15, 2021, must meet the Version 2.0 requirements to bear the ENERGY STAR mark. All certifications of products to the Version 1.1 specification will be invalid for purposes of ENERGY STAR and CBs will only submit product models certified to Version 2.0 to EPA.

On behalf of the EPA, I would like to thank all stakeholders who provided feedback during this specification revisions process and I look forward to working with you as you certify and market your ENERGY STAR certified data center storage. Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 or John Clinger, ICF, at John.Clinger@icf.com or (215) 967-9407 with questions or concerns regarding the specification. For any other Data Center Storage related questions, please contact storage@energystar.gov. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.
 

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products
 
Enclosures:
Data Center Storage Version 2.0 Final Specification
Data Center Storage Version 2.0 Final Data Package

 

The ENERGY STAR Most Efficient consumer pages now reflect the appliances currently recognized for 2020, including clothes dryers, clothes washers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, and room air conditioners. ENERGY STAR Most Efficient recognizes products that deliver cutting edge energy efficiency along with the latest in technological innovation. This award truly represents the best of ENERGY STAR.

Please check the website to see if your ENERGY STAR Most Efficient product is listed to ensure we are sharing the most up to date information with consumers. If not, please contact mostefficient@energystar.gov to work toward getting your product listed. You can also request the 2020 graphic files and guidelines for using the mark.

Additional information can be found on the 2020 ENERGY STAR Most Efficient Criteria page. Take advantage of the 2020 ENERGY STAR Most Efficient Sell Sheet to help your sales team communicate the benefits of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient appliances to your consumers.

Appliance Specification Updates

Room Air Cleaners: EPA released the Final Room Air Cleaner Specification on October 16, 2019, with an original effective date of July 17, 2020. In light of widespread and unanticipated supply chain disruptions, and in response to broad stakeholder concern, EPA is now delaying the effective date until October 17, 2020. As part of the specification revision, EPA also updated the ENERGY STAR room air cleaner disclaimer label. More information about this update and the labeling requirements can be found in the webinar slides EPA presented in October 2019. 

Dishwashers: EPA launched a specification revision for this category on March 10, 2020, and comments for Draft 1 were due May 18, 2020. If you are not already a dishwasher contact for your organization and would like to receive communications related to dishwashers, please update your contact information via MESA.

In 2020, EPA also anticipates launching new specification development efforts for microwaves and miscellaneous refrigeration products. If you are interested in receiving communications related to any of these products please fill in this form or send an email to appliances@energystar.gov with your name and indicate which products are of interest.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Clothes Dryer Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become aware that clothes dryer cycles have increased in number and that settings have become much more adjustable since the ENERGY STAR Clothes Dryer Specification Version 1 (“Version 1”) became effective on January 1, 2015. In response, EPA is clarifying the intention of the ENERGY STAR specification, that ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers default back to the cycle and settings in which they were tested and that savings information for downloadable cycles be made available for consumers.

Since Version 1 went into effect, EPA has learned of the availability of functionalities that impact the clothes dryer cycles that are typically used. Consumers with clothes dryers that are Wi-Fi-enabled, or “smart,” are now able to download specialized cycles. Also, for some dryer models, consumers can change default settings for some cycles in ways that persist. Additionally, EPA has discovered that some clothes dryer models default to the last-used cycle upon next use. These shifts in functionality could mean that a clothes dryer is rarely run in the cycle in which it was tested and obtained ENERGY STAR certification, likely contrary to consumer expectations.

EPA makes clear its intent that the tested mode persists per the note under Section 3.B of Version 1, that products “provide consumers with a satisfactory experience in the tested mode so as to encourage continued use and consistently yield both savings and environmental benefit.”

Further, the Version 1 specification requires manufacturers to provide the specific cycle and setting selections on which the energy-use rating of a dryer is based in informational materials per Section 3.C.a. Guidance about cycles and settings that may use more or less energy than the tested cycle must also be provided to consumers per Section 3.C.b.; this requirement applies to cycles that are downloadable post-installation, as well.

EPA is clarifying its expectation that future clothes dryers certified to Version 1 perform in a manner consistent with its stated intent regarding the consistent use of the default or tested mode. Specifically, certified models should default to the cycle and settings in which the products were tested and obtained ENERGY STAR certification prior to each use. Further, partners are required to provide consumers with information on the energy implications of downloadable cycles. This clarification reflects EPA’s heightened interest and attention to this issue.

Please contact me at Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, or Steve Leybourn at Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1566 with any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program. 
 
Best Regards,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® Residential Dishwasher Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted an updated Data Package for the ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwasher Version 7.0 Draft 1 Specification.

In response to requests, EPA is releasing an updated data package with additional information specific to the Draft 1 proposals. This updated data package includes an analysis of cleaning, drying, noise, cycle time, and consumer satisfaction for models that meet the Draft 1 proposed levels.

EPA is also extending the comment period deadline to Monday, May 18 in response to numerous stakeholder requests. Stakeholders can submit comments to appliances@energystar.gov up through this date. All comments received will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwasher Version 7.0 Specification Development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests for his or her comments to remain confidential.
 
Please contact Ga-Young Park, EPA, at Park.Ga-Young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, or Steve Leybourn, ICF, at Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1145, with any questions or concerns about the proposed specification or data package.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Vending Machines Stakeholders:
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind stakeholders that the effective date for the Version 4.0 ENERGY STAR Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines Program Requirements is April 29, 2020. On this date, only products certified to Version 4.0 and submitted by EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs) to EPA using the Version 4 web service will display on our list of certified models.
 
Please contact EPA at vendingmachines@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. CBs should direct questions concerning the submittal of Version 4.0 certified Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines to Certification@energystar.gov.
 
Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Data Center Storage Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,

With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the Final Draft, Version 2.0 ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage specification and the ENERGY STAR Draft test method. EPA thanks stakeholders for the feedback that they provided and has taken that feedback into consideration in developing this Final Draft specification. This specification will take effect on March 15, 2021.

EPA received broad stakeholder support in response to the Draft 2 released on February 19th along with modest comments requesting clarifying language in two instances and an update the test method notation to reflect the new Emerald Version 4.0.0 test method which this specification references. 

Given the current circumstances, EPA is giving stakeholders until May 14, 2020 to submit any remaining comments on this Final Draft specification to storage@energystar.gov. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

The exchange of ideas and information between EPA, industry, and other interested parties is critical to the success of ENERGY STAR. Specifications and meeting materials will be distributed via email and posted on the ENERGY STAR website. To track EPA’s progress on this specification, please visit the storage product development website.

Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or (202) 343-9153 or John Clinger, ICF, at John.Clinger@icf.com or (215) 967-9407 with questions or concerns about this specification revision. For other Data Center Storage related questions, please contact storage@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products
 
Enclosures:
Final Draft, Version 2.0
Draft Test Method

Dear ENERGY STAR® Room Air Cleaner Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Final ENERGY STAR Room Air Cleaner Specification on October 16, 2019, with an original effective date of July 17, 2020. In light of widespread and unanticipated supply chain disruptions, and in response to broad stakeholder concern, EPA is now delaying the effective date until October 17, 2020.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program. 
 
Best Regards,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® Computer Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder:
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Final ENERGY STAR Computer Version 8.0 Specification on October 15, 2019, with an original effective date of July 15, 2020. In light of widespread and unanticipated supply chain disruptions, and in response to broad stakeholder concern, EPA is now delaying the effective date until October 15, 2020. 

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR Program. 

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® EVSE Partners, Certification Bodies and Laboratories,

To prepare for the inclusion of DC EVSE in the ENERGY STAR EVSE specification, this letter shares information about testing and certification of eligible models.

ENERGY STAR Certification Process Overview for Manufacturers/Product Brandowners
To earn the ENERGY STAR label, products must be certified by an EPA-recognized certification body (CB) based on testing in an EPA-recognized laboratory. This third-party certification program is now in effect for over 75 ENERGY STAR product categories. 

EPA-recognized laboratories test products according to the test methods referenced in ENERGY STAR specifications. EPA provides recognition to laboratories that are either accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by an EPA-recognized accreditation body or participate in a CB's witnessed or supervised manufacturers' testing laboratory (W/SMTL) program for the relevant ENERGY STAR test methods.

Upon certifying a product, the CB submits corresponding performance data to EPA, which is then displayed on the list of ENERGY STAR Certified Products and Product Finder tool online. The ENERGY STAR partner is responsible for any costs related to testing and certification. Certification costs will vary by certification body and are not dictated or influenced by EPA. More information about third-party certification is available here.

Options for testing DC EVSE
As of March 2020, it is EPA’s understanding that several third-party laboratories are capable of testing low-output AC chargers, but most lack capacity to test higher powered, DC EVSE. While third-party laboratories build capability to test high-powered DC EVSE, EPA is aware of several in-house laboratories that are currently equipped to perform this test.

As soon as the ENERGY STAR DC EVSE Test Method is finalized, enrolling an in-house lab as a witnessed or supervised manufacturer test laboratory through a recognized CB may present the best option for manufacturers until enough third-party labs gain accreditation to meet the demand. Currently UL Verification Services Inc., TUV SUD America, Inc., and Intertek Testing Services NA are recognized Certification Bodies for EVSE with approved W/SMTL programs. 

Laboratories planning to apply for EPA recognition for DC EVSE are encouraged to work with these CBs and/or have their scopes of accreditation updated to include the final test method as soon as it is available.

For questions regarding the ENERGY STAR certification process for EVSE, please contact evse@energystar.gov, certification@energystar.gov, or Brian Krausz (Krausz.Brian@epa.gov). 

Sincerely,

Brian Krausz, ENERGY STAR Labeling Branch
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Dear ENERGY STAR® CAC/HP Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump Controls Verification Procedure (CVP)  on April 1, 2020, with an original comment deadline of April 30. In light of the pressures on stakeholders due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), EPA is now extending the comment period deadline to May 15. Stakeholders can provide written comments for EPA consideration to CAC-ASHP@energystar.gov. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR CAC-ASHP Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise.

EPA and DOE will host a stakeholder webinar meeting on April 13, 2020 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EDT to discuss the CVP proposal and address initial stakeholder comments and questions. Stakeholders interested in participating in this discussion should RSVP at this link by April 10, 2020.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Dear ENERGY STAR Partners,

During this challenging time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants you to know that we are here to support your energy efficiency efforts.

With respect to our promotions, we are receptive to feedback we have gathered from many of our partners about your programs and marketing efforts, and have made some corresponding adjustments, including:

• Postponing the ENERGY STAR Pool Pumps promotion until May or June, 
• Planning a later launch in mid-May of Flip Your Fridge with ENERGY STAR, and
• Proceeding as planned for the ENERGY STAR Laundry and Cooling promotions until further notice. 

We will continue to monitor both partner and consumer response and adjust accordingly. Any feedback on how we might best support your programs/marketing efforts under the current circumstances would be greatly appreciated.

Proactively, we have prepared a consumer e-blast on how to save energy while at home with a number of recommendations and tips that are available for partners to utilize as needed. We will be including this content and other supporting materials on our marketing materials page at energystar.gov/marketing_materials for easy access. 

We plan to go ahead with our social celebration for Earth Day on April 22 and will be providing assets for any partners interested in leveraging them, including a 60-second video and sample partner tweets, that will be distributed by mid-April. We encourage your participation if it makes sense for your organization at this time.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions, suggestions, or concerns. 

Utility Partners: eeaccountmanager@energystar.gov
Retail and Manufacturer Product Partners: changetheworld@energystar.gov

We wish all our partners the best,

The ENERGY STAR Communications Team

Dear ENERGY STAR® Commercial Food Service (CFS) Partners and Stakeholders,

We are sorry to inform you that we are cancelling the ENERGY STAR CFS Workshop scheduled for May 18th in conjunction with the 2020 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

While we understand this is a difficult time for the food service industry, we are committed to continuing our support of energy efficient equipment sales by offering future educational, networking, and marketing opportunities through webinars, promotional events, quarterly newsletters, and new resources in development. We hope you will continue to leverage tools and resources available on the ENERGY STAR CFS webpage.

We anticipate holding an in-person workshop at next year’s National Restaurant Association Show, which will be held May 22-25, 2021 in Chicago. We will send notifications in early 2021 as the workshop date and agenda is finalized.

Thank you again for your commitment to ENERGY STAR and we look forward to engaging with you throughout the year. All of us from ENERGY STAR deeply regret the lost opportunity to hold an in-person workshop.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and look forward to our work together in the coming year.

 

Dear ENERGY STAR® CAC/HP Brand Owner or Other Interested Party:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) welcomes your input on the enclosed ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump Controls Verification Procedure (CVP). EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) plan to hold a stakeholder meeting on April 13, 2020 to discuss the CVP proposal in greater detail. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments to EPA no later than April 30, 2020.

As proposed in the Draft 2 Version 6.0 Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump (CAC/HP) Specification, EPA seeks to recognize products that have superior performance as appropriate for different climates. For cold climates, this includes certifying products that meet a minimum Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 1.75, and a minimum Percentage of Heating Capacity of 70% at 5°F. These values are certified at a fixed compressor speed, and EPA recognizes a need to verify that the fixed settings used for lab testing are translated to performance under the unit’s native control. The proposed CVP verifies that 5°F criteria can be achieved under the native controls of the unit.

Consistent with past practice, ENERGY STAR partners will have the option to certify products to the Version 6.0 specification as soon as the specification is finalized. To allow products to certify in the extended time period between the final criteria publication and the anticipated effective date, the CVP provides explicit test conditions for use with Appendix M certification, as well as a reference to the Appendix M1 conditions for products certifying to that test method. Once the effective date of the specification is passed, the CVP will be revised to reflect that all products must use Appendix M1 for certification.

Proposal Summary 
The attached proposal intends to confirm that the performance required in the specification will be achievable once the unit is installed in a home. The proposal details that the unit should be set to operate under native controls. For products certified with the Appendix M test method, the CVP explicitly outlines the appropriate test conditions to verify the COP and Percentage Heating Capacity at 5°F. For products certifying with the Appendix M1 test method, the CVP references the low ambient temperature test conditions defined in Appendix M1. The performance is recorded after the unit reaches steady state, and power measurements indicate the COP and Percentage Heating Capacity at 5°F are at or above the minimum specification requirements.

EPA and DOE request feedback on several aspects of this proposal. More details regarding the proposal and specific questions are included in note boxes throughout the draft document.

Comment Submittal Process
Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written comments for EPA consideration to CAC-ASHP@energystar.gov by April 30, 2020. All comments will be posted to the ENERGY STAR CAC-ASHP Product Development website unless the submitter requests otherwise. 

Stakeholder Meeting
EPA and DOE will host a stakeholder webinar meeting on April 13, 2020 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EDT to discuss the CVP proposal and address initial stakeholder comments and questions. Stakeholders are encouraged to inform EPA of any industry events that may conflict with this date. Stakeholders interested in participating in this discussion should RSVP at this link by April 10, 2020.

Please direct any specific questions to Abigail Daken, EPA, at daken.abigail@epa.gov or (202) 343-9375, and Julia Hegarty, ICF, at julia.hegarty@icf.com or (202) 862-1163.  For test procedure inquiries, please contact Antonio Bouza, U.S. Department of Energy, at antonio.bouza@ee.doe.gov or (202) 586-4563. Thank you for taking the time to review this CVP document. I look forward to working with you over the next several months to finalize the Version 6.0 ENERGY STAR CAC/HP specification.

Sincerely,

Abigail Daken, Product Manager
ENERGY STAR for HVAC

Enclosures:
Draft ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump Controls Verification Procedure

Dear ENERGY STAR® Computers Stakeholders:
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to remind stakeholders that as of March 2, 2020, EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs) were required to cease certification of new computers to the Version 7 specification and may only certify computers to the Version 8.0 specification. Certification bodies may continue submitting administrative modifications to existing computer certifications to the Version 7 specification until July 15, 2020. After this date, only computers certified to the Version 8.0 specification will appear on the ENERGY STAR website and certified products list.

Please contact EPA at computers@energystar.gov with any questions regarding the specification. CBs should direct questions concerning the submittal of certified computers to Certification@energystar.gov.

Thank you for your support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Dear ENERGY STAR® Residential Dishwasher Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwasher Version 7.0 Draft 1 Specification on March 10, 2020, with an original comment period deadline of April 7. In light of the pressures on stakeholders due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and in response to a stakeholder request, EPA is now extending the comment period deadline to May 11. Stakeholders can submit comments to appliances@energystar.gov at any time by this date.

EPA thanks those that participated in the Draft 1 Version 7.0 ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwashers Webinar on Thursday, March 26. The webinar slides are available on the ENERGY STAR Version 7.0 Residential Dishwashers Product Development webpage with all the other documents associated with this effort.

Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program. 
 
Best Regards,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Dear ENERGY STAR® Residential Dishwasher Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,
 
With this letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a revision of the ENERGY STAR specification for residential dishwashers. We welcome your input on the ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwasher Version 7.0 Draft 1 Specification. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide comments on this draft specification no later than April 7, 2020. EPA will host a stakeholder webinar regarding this Draft 1 Specification on March 26, 2020 from 1 – 4 PM Eastern Time. Please register here if you plan to attend.
 
The current ENERGY STAR criteria for residential dishwashers went into effect on January 29, 2016, and the market share of products meeting them has grown significantly to about 90%. Considering this high market share and the availability of products in the market that exceed the current ENERGY STAR criteria, stronger requirements are necessary to provide meaningful differentiation of highly efficient residential dishwashers for consumers.

With this revision, EPA seeks to recognize advances in energy and water efficiency for residential dishwashers. Key changes in Draft 1 are highlighted below, and the rationale for these proposed changes are explained in note boxes throughout the specification. A data package that provides EPA’s dataset, proposed levels, and savings associated with Draft 1 accompanies this mailing as well.

• Revised Energy & Water Criteria for Dishwashers: EPA proposes revisions to the kWh/year and gallons per cycle for both standard and compact dishwashers. The Draft 1 decreases the energy consumption for standard dishwashers from 270 kWh/year to 240 kWh/year and decreases water consumption from 3.5 gallons per cycle to 3.2 gallons/cycle. Draft 1 decreases the energy consumption for compact units from 203 kWh/year to 155 kWh/year and decreases water consumption from 3.1 gallons per cycle to 2.0 gallons/cycle.

• Scope – EPA amended the scope to include only products that can meet a minimum cleaning performance score. Consistent with the ENERGY STAR Guiding Principles, EPA is committed to associating the label with products that deliver energy efficiency without sacrificing performance. Further, manufacturers have cautioned that if product performance does not meet consumer expectations, savings will be negated due to the use of more intensive energy and water cycles or the increased instances of handwashing.

• Connected – In recognition of advances in connected functionality in the market and to align with optional connected criteria in other ENERGY STAR specifications, EPA has made modest updates to the connected criteria in the dishwasher specification.

Stakeholder engagement is vital to the success of the ENERGY STAR program, and EPA looks forward to collaborating with stakeholders to develop the Version 7.0 specification. Stakeholders are requested to provide comments on the Version 7.0 Draft 1 Specification no later than April 7, 2020. Please send comments via e-mail to appliances@energystar.gov. All comments received will be posted to the ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwasher Version 7.0 Specification Development webpage, unless the submitter specifically requests that his or her comments remain confidential.
 
Please contact me at park.ga-young@epa.gov or (202) 564-1085, Steve Leybourn, ICF, at Steve.Leybourn@icf.com or (202) 862-1145, with any questions or concerns about the specification. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.
 
Best Regards,

Ga-Young Park
Product Manager for Appliances
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products

Enclosures:
ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwashers Version 7.0 Draft 1 Specification
ENERGY STAR Residential Dishwashers Version 7.0 Draft 1 Specification Data Package

Dear ENERGY STAR® CAC/ASHP and Connected Thermostats Stakeholders,

Reminder: It’s not too late to register for in-person or remote attendance! Call-in information will be distributed to registrants prior to the meeting.
Update: As of now, EPA continues to plan for an in-person meeting with a call-in option. If the situation changes, with significant closures or travel advisories for Atlanta due to COVID-19 concerns, we may switch to a webinar-only format.

For the average American household, almost half the annual energy bill goes to heating and cooling – more than $900 a year. Based on a recent canvass of existing programs, smart thermostat energy efficiency programs are numerous, growing, and diverse in design. Since 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized smart thermostats that deliver energy savings with the ENERGY STAR, but the controllers for the most efficient, variable speed heating and cooling equipment have not been able to participate. EPA is updating the criteria for ENERGY STAR connected thermostats to allow these controllers to be recognized, and is looking for stakeholder input. 

The format will include presentations and guided discussions addressing relevant issues, including the following:

• Controls verification procedure for Residential variable speed HVAC controllers: The specifics and usefulness of the test.
• Using field data to reward controls that successfully avoid cycling variable speed systems and instead run at moderate capacity.
• NEW: Other ways controls can contribute to energy savings with variable capacity HVAC, and ways to demonstrate them.
• Updates to the specification criteria and associated software as needed for these controllers.

This free session will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2020 (the day after the ACEEE Hot Water Forum) from 9:00am - 3:00pm, at the ASHRAE headquarters in Atlanta, GA. 

Currently, confirmed speakers include EPA and Lennox.

Pre-work: In a February technical meeting with stakeholders, EPA introduced one possible metric to demonstrate that controls were successfully keeping variable speed HVAC in lower capacity states when possible. Provisionally called “Average Capacity Fraction” or ACF, the metric is explained in the publicly available slides from that meeting, found here. Please review ACF ahead of time and be ready to discuss with other stakeholders on the 26th. This metric presumes that the primary opportunity controls have to ensure energy savings with variable capacity HVAC is to avoid using higher capacity states; however, EPA is interested if there are other mechanisms we should consider instead or in addition to this. For instance, are there savings available from knowing when no one is home and awake? Would it be meaningful to try to avoid large capacity swings in a short period of time? EPA hopes to spend time at the workshop brainstorming about savings mechanisms and whether they can be recognized through analysis of field data.  Field data analysis can be applied to any information the controller would typically have access to, and the analysis may be able to focus on particular times, such as core heating and cooling season, shoulder seasons, recovery from setback, times of moderate or extreme outdoor temperature, etc.

EPA has reached out to several organizations to ask them to speak, and any attendee is welcome to ask for time on the agenda to present their views on this matter. Call-in attendees are welcome to present remotely.

Expected attendees include Mitsubishi Electric, Trane Technologies, Honeywell, Carrier, AHRI, Intertek, SkyCentrics, NEEP, Lennox, Daikin, and Energy Solutions.

The final agenda and details will be released on March 25th.

Please let EPA know if you are interested in attending and/or presenting using this form. Please send any questions to connectedthermostats@energystar.gov.

For more information, visit: www.energystar.gov

Dear ENERGY STAR® Partners and Stakeholders:
                
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that planning is underway for the 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting for appliances, electronics ,electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), HVAC, lighting, smart thermostats, and water heaters.

This year’s meeting will take place Tuesday, October 27 – Thursday, October 29, 2020 in Denver, CO. Please mark your calendars and reserve the dates.
 
The three day meeting will include plenary sessions with policy and program updates at the national, regional, and local levels; topical sessions to expand on certain plenary topics and address a range of product-specific issues; promotions and communications sessions; an ENERGY STAR product Expo; and the opportunity to organize and conduct one-on-one networking meetings and interact with other ENERGY STAR stakeholders.
 
The meeting is open to all ENERGY STAR partners and stakeholders. Attendees will include:

• Utilities and other energy efficiency program sponsors implementing or interested in developing ENERGY STAR programs;
• Retail partners promoting ENERGY STAR appliance, electronics, EVSE, HVAC, lighting, smart thermostats, and/or water heater products;
• Manufacturing partners producing ENERGY STAR appliance, electronics, EVSE, HVAC, lighting, smart thermostats, and/or water heater products;
• Organizations involved in the ENERGY STAR Third Party Certification program; and
• Other organizations active in the energy efficiency community.
• As in 2019, the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Partner Meeting will be held at the same location.

More information pertaining to the draft agenda and hotel accommodations will be forthcoming in the coming months.

As in 2019, co-sponsorship opportunities for the 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting and 2020 ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Meeting will be available to ENERGY STAR partners, facilitated by Nationwide Marketing Group. Details to follow in the coming months. Contact Richard Weinberg, Sr VP, Business Services, rick.weinberg@nationwidegroup.org, 336.714.5095 for more information.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can participate as a partner, or if you have additional questions, please email partnermeeting@energystar.gov.  
 
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the 2020 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting in Denver, CO!