by Brianna Crandall — December 30, 2015—Supermarkets, restaurants and other facilities that use walk-in coolers and freezers can expect to see lower electricity bills from a recent agreement that is part of the federal rulemaking process.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC) approved an agreement reached by manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates acting as part of a working group to set new energy efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers (WICF). ASRAC will submit the recommendations to the DOE for adoption.
The Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), and several manufacturers that are members of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) joined other stakeholders in the negotiations.
The negotiated rulemaking was mandated in the settlement reached in July by the parties to a lawsuit AHRI and others filed against the DOE regarding its July 2014 final rule setting standards for these products. The term sheet agreed to by the WICF Refrigeration Systems Working Group (WG) includes:
- Negotiated energy conservation standards for the six equipment classes under consideration, including two for multiplex condensing refrigeration systems at medium and low temperatures, and four for dedicated condensing refrigeration systems operating at low temperatures;
- Modifications to the definitions of refrigeration systems and defrost systems; and
- Recommendations for future test procedure considerations.
The new standards are expected to save about 80 billion kilowatt-hours over 30 years of sales, which is equivalent to the annual electricity use of about 7 million U.S. households, and to save businesses up to $4 billion.
