National

National Standards

National energy efficiency standards for appliances, lighting products and equipment have been saving energy and money since the late 1980s, often with little notice.  But, the tide is turning – national standards are gaining attention, appearing at the top of many “What can we do to reduce our country’s energy use?” lists. Standards specify the minimum energy and/or water efficiency levels of specific products. Since 1987, Congress has established or directed the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to set efficiency standards for more than 55 products. DOE is also charged with reviewing and updating all standards to keep pace with technological change. National standards apply to products manufactured or imported for sale into the U.S. while state standards apply to products sold or installed in a given state.

A 2012 ASAP/ACEEE report entitled, “The Efficiency Boom: Cashing in on the Savings From Appliance Standards,” estimates that products meeting existing standards decreased the country’s 2010 annual electricity use by about 7% and reduced annual CO2 emissions by 203 million metric tons (equal to the the annual emissions of 51 coal-fired power plants). By 2035, we estimate that potential new standards for 34 products will decrease total annual U.S. electricity use an additional 7% and annual CO2 emissions by an additional 200 million metric tons (equal to the annual emissions of 49 coal-fired power plants). And the tide’s still turning with DOE poised to establish or update many more efficiency standards.

National Standards Resources