Consensus Agreement on Commercial Refrigeration Efficiency Standards Reached
Commercial refrigeration manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates recently announced that they have reached an agreement on consensus federal equipment efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator freezers used in restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, and other commercial buildings that, if enacted by federal regulators and Congress, will avoid the need for two new 300 MW power plants.
Currently, there are no federal minimum efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator freezers. Under the agreement, the signatories are jointly recommending to Congress a minimum efficiency standard for most self-contained refrigeration equipment and beverage coolers. In addition, the agreement calls for legislation requiring that the U.S. DOE establish efficiency standards for ice-cream freezers, self-contained cabinets without doors, and remote condensing products (solid door, transparent door and cabinets without doors). The manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates will attempt to develop consensus recommendations which shall address all of the statutory criteria that the department is required to take into account in promulgating energy efficiency standards for covered equipment.