Smoke test demonstrating air lea at a door (C) Daniel Friedman

Appliance Energy Efficiency Rating Source List

Where to find out the energy efficiency of home appliances
- Where to find out the energy efficiency of water heaters, refrigerators, cook stoves, clothes dryers and other home appliances
- Lists of appliance energy rating programs from around the world
- U.S. & Canadian Energy Star Rating Programs for appliance efficiency
Questions & Answers about the energey efficiency and energy efficiency ratings of various home appliances such as air conditioners, computers, boilers, furnaces, heaters, refrigerators, water heaters, and TVs.
Solar Age Magazine Articles on Renewable Energy, Energy Savings, Construction Practices
References

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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Appliance energy efficiency ratings: this article provides sources of energy efficient appliances and energy efficiency ratings for appliances. The current energy efficiency ratings of building appliances are available from a variety of sources listed here, including energy efficiency of air conditioners, clothes dryers, clothes washers, fans, refrigerators, stoves, water heaters, well pumps, etc.

Where to Find Appliance Energy Efficiency Ratings

Our page top photo shows an A.O. Smith natural-gas fired, direct-vented high-efficiency water heater in the website author's forensic laboratory. Accompanying text is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

Readers should also see see ENERGY USE MONITORING, SOLAR and also our air conditioner system SEER RATINGS & OTHER DEFINITIONS, see and for major energy savings in buildings, see ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings and ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES as well as HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS.

The question-and-answer article below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

Question: Finding Energy Efficient Appliances

I'm frequently asked about the energy efficiencies of appliances by those for whom I'm building a house. Usually I suggest that they check Consumer Reports, or the label of the product. This is pretty poor help.

I have just been asked about energy efficiencies again, this time for domestic water heaters. Can you give me a list of names (without favoritism) of the most energy-efficient electric water heaters?

Answer:

Checking the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Guide on each appliance is one way to find the most efficient one, but it can be time consuming.

"The Most Energy Efficient Appliances" is a document published by the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy. Top-rated water heaters (and the most efficient water heaters - the only kind listed there) include many models from Mor-Flo, Therma-Star Products, E-Tech, Ruud, and Rheem. [DJF note: Be sure you are comparing "apples to apples" when comparing appliances by noting the water heater energy source (electric, LP gas, natural gas, home heating oil, solar, etc.), the water heater size, its recovery rate, and other performance measures, not just the annual energy or fuel use.]

Other sources of energy efficiency directories include

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (refrigerators, freezers,room air conditioners)
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (central air conditioners)
Energy Star Program
Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (boilers, furnaces, water heaters)

The US DOE document linked-to above points out that in a typical U.S. home, appliances and home electronics are responsible for about 20% of your energy bills. These appliances and electronics include the following:

Clothes washers and clothes dryers
Computers
Dishwashers
Home audio equipment
Refrigerators and freezers (in many homes this appliance is the big energy user because it is "on" much of the time).
Room air conditioners
Televisions, DVD players, and VCR's
Water heaters

Note that this list excludes heating and central air conditioning equipment - major energy consumers in most homes. See SEER RATINGS & OTHER DEFINITIONS, and for major energy savings in buildings, see ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings and ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES as well as HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS.

Directory of Appliance Energy Efficiency Rating Programs and Labeling Regulations from Around the World

Many countries and governments in addition to the U.S. provide some excellent energy rating guides that can benefit consumers anywhere, as many appliances are sold worldwide:

Appliance Energy Labels from around the world and their appliance energy ratings are in this PDF document
The U.S. DOE Energy Guide includes advice on shopping for energy-efficient appliances, estimating appliance energy use, energy efficiency standards, electronic power-controlling devices for appliances (we had good luck putting one of these on our lab refrigerator), and when to turn off personal computers.
Australia's leading guide to choosing an energy-efficient appliance lists energy programs, energy efficiency regulations, product standards, an online library, and other appliance energy resources
Canadian Energy Star Program lists energy savings ratings for major appliances from which we quote:
ENERGY STAR is the symbol for energy efficiency for many products in Canada and the world. Major household appliances that qualify for the ENERGY STAR symbol save consumers money because they use less energy than conventional products while offering the same or better performance. From an environmental perspective, improving energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
E.U. European Union Energy Labeling Program
Russia passed an energy efficiency law in 2009 (thanks to Finland for this reference)
South Africa sponsored the 5th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting from around the world in 2009
U.K. Home Appliance Energy Ratings for the United Kingdom (appliance energy ratings range from. A (best) to G (worst).
U.S. Energy Star program lists qualified products in more than sixty categories.

Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

The link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below is preceded by an expanded/updated online version of this article.

Q&A on buying Finding Efficient Appliances - PDF version, Use your browser's back button to return to this page

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about appliance energy efficiency ratings

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

Solar Age Magazine was the official publication of the American Solar Energy Society. The contemporary solar energy magazine associated with the Society is Solar Today. "Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy. Leading for more than 50 years. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. We publish the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organize and present the ASES National Solar Conference and lead the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world."
Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, 1001 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington D.C., 20036.
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606 312-984-5800
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, 1501 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22209 703-524-8800 (central air conditioners)
"Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) ASHRAE Standard", Ranish Joshi, Arctic India Sales, reviews the basics of IAQ, emphasizes the importance of both source control and removal of contaminants when improving indoor air quality, warns about bringing inside contaminants from outdoors, and reviews the pertinent ASHRAE IAQ standards for buildings.
"ASHRAE Fresh Air Ventilation System", Jie Chen et als, describes a fresh air ventilation system designed to meet ASHRAE 62.2P Standard.
"Updated ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Code May Help Maximize The Benefits Of Energy Efficient Technologies", Lindsay Audin, Building Operating Management, May 2005, discusses ASHRAE Standard ASHRAE 90.1-2004, the latest version of ASHRAE's energy code, encompassing updates to the ASHRAE 90.1-2001 standard. "Written to allow easy incorporation into specifications for new buildings and renovations, 90.1-2004 lays out minimum requirements for a building’s envelope, electrical power systems and equipment, lighting, heating, Ventilation and air conditioning, service, water heating, and energy management. Under the 1992 federal Energy Policy Act (EPAct), ASHRAE 90.1 was mandated as the basis for all state building codes as they affect energy use, starting with ASHRAE 90.1-1989. Under EPAct, the 1999 version became law in July 2004, but has yet to be adopted by all states. Since the 1999 version was somewhat dated by the time it became a requirement, some states, especially those having high energy
prices, have already updated their building codes to the 2001 version. Some states and cities, such as Phoenix, are now going further by leapfrogging the 2001 edition and enacting part or all of the 2004 edition instead."
"Energy Efficient Lab Design", Nicolas Lemire, Eng., Member ASHRAE, and Roland Charneux, Eng., Fellow ASHRAE, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (www.ashrae.org). Reprinted by permission
from ASHRAE Journal, (Vol. 47, No. 5, May 2005). ©ASHRAE
Christmas in April program - see Rebuilding Together at their website, rebuildingtogether.org or contact Rebuilding Together National Headquarters, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington DC 20036 - 800-473-4229,
Energy Star Program - see the Energy Star website at energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.energy_efficient_mortgage
Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association, 1901 North Ft. Meyer Dr., Arlington VA 22209 703-525-9565 (energy efficiency ratings of furnaces, boilers, water heaters)
Habitat for Humanity, for the U.S. and Canada: http://www.habitat.org/ also has offices in other countries including supporting Latin America.
U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Guide, U.S. Department of Energy, Consumer Products Efficiency Branch, Appliance Labeling Section, Washington D.C. 20585 202-252-9127 has fact sheets on appliance labeling.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.

Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd

Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates' Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Technical Reference Guide purchased as a single order. Just enter INSPECTATRG in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Supply_Vent.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11880?print
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Exhaust.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11870
"Energy Savers: Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Natural Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Natural_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Energy_Recovery_Venting.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11900
"Energy Savers: Detecting Air Leaks [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Detect_Air_Leaks.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Air Sealing [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Air_Sealing_1.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
Appliances and Home Electronics, - energy savings, U.S. Department of Energy
Basement Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
Crawl Space Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
Energy Recover Ventilation Systems for buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
Energy Savings Methods: Whole House Systems Approach, U.S. Department of Energy
Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
Log Homes: Minimizing Air Leakage in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
Log Homes: Controlling Moisture in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
Moisture Control in buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
Moisture Control in Walls, U.S. Department of Energy
Quality Standards for the Professional Remodeling Industry, National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council, NAHB Research Foundation, 1987.
Quality Standards for the Professional Remodeler, N.U. Ahmed, # Home Builder Pr (February 1991), ISBN-10: 0867183594, ISBN-13: 978-0867183597
Natural Ventilation for buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
R-Value of Wood, U.S. Department of Energy
Spot Ventilation for houses, U.S. Department of Energy
Slab on Grade Foundation Moisture and Air Leakage, U.S. Department of Energy
Straw Bale Home Design, U.S. Department of Energy
"Vapor Barriers or Vapor Diffusion Retarders", U.S. DOE: how vapor barriers work, types of vapor diffusion barriers, installing vapor barrier
Ventilation for energy efficient buildings, Purpose, Strategies, etc.,
Weather-Resistive Barriers, how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
Whole House Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
Whole-House Balanced Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
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