DOE Adopts ARI Appliance Test Procedures

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a final rule on test procedures to determine the energy efficiency of several residential and commercial appliances. The new procedures are part of an effort by DOE to comply with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which required the agency to create the procedures and set new efficiency standards for several consumer and commercial products (see

EBN

Vol. 14, No. 9). Drawn in part from existing procedures, the new tests are similar to those developed through Energy Star^™ for consumer products, such as compact fluorescent lamps, and by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute for commercial and residential mechanical systems.