Energy Star Standard for Gas Storage Water Heaters Raised

Energy Star has raised its standard for gas storage water heaters, increasing the minimum energy factor for the tank-style heaters from 0.62 to 0.67. The change will go into effect in September 2010 and will, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), result in water heaters that use 14% less energy than conventional models.

EPA first implemented standards for water heaters in January 2009; those standards represented a 6.9% efficiency improvement over standard models (see EBN May 2008). Most water heater manufacturers now offer Energy Star models, and several—including American, Reliance, Rheem, and others—have already introduced models that will meet the new standard. That’s no surprise; the higher standard was announced in 2008 as a scheduled increase over the 2009 standard. More information is available at www.energystar.gov.