Standards are Getting Tougher for Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling Systems and Other Appliances

According to a March 2010 press release, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have been implementing stricter policies to improve the federal Energy Star program and to increase consumer confidence in the label. The action comes at a crucial time, when more American consumers are both struggling financially and turning to home heating and cooling equipment and home appliances that will save energy and reduce utility bills.


Strengthening Testing and Enforcement

The EPA and DOE have begun a two-part process to expand Energy Star testing:

• The DOE recently started testing on six of the most common Energy Star product types: freezers, washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, refrigerator-freezers, and room air conditioners. The DOE will conduct testing on more than 200 models at independent laboratories over the next several months.


• The EPA and DOE are currently working on a system that will make the Energy Star qualification process more rigorous. Changes include testing by approved third-party labs, ongoing verification testing, and new manufacturer compliance cooperation procedures.

On the enforcement front, the EPA and DOE have been working to identify and resolve issues with manufacturers who fail to meet Energy Star standards. This includes actions taken against nearly three dozen manufacturers since January 2010:

• January 7, 2010: The DOE announced that freezer manufacturer Haier had signed a consent decree on four of its models that were found to consume more energy than the company reported. As part of their agreement, Haier was ordered to notify all impacted consumers, repair defective units at no cost, and pay a fine of $150,000 to the US Treasury.


• January 25, 2010: The DOE disqualified 34 compact fluorescent lightbulb models from more than two dozen manufacturers. These bulbs did not meet all Energy Star criteria for CFL.


• January 28, 2010: The DOE took action against four companies that manufacture showerheads because the products were not certified to meet federal water conservation standards.


• February 4, 2010: The DOE initiated a civil penalty against an air conditioner and heat pump manufacturer because some of its products were not certified, while other products were certified without the proper testing.


• March 7, 2010: The DOE commenced enforcement actions against two more showerhead manufacturers suspected of marketing products that did not meet federal water conservation standards.


• March 11, 2010: The EPA terminated their partnership with US Inc./US Refrigeration based on the company’s history of Energy Star logo misuse, unresponsiveness to EPA communications, and a habitual failure to comply with Energy Star guidelines.
  
  

Energy Star Brand Aims to Bolster Consumer Trust

The Energy Star program already has several systems in place to ensure consumer confidence in products that carry the Energy Star label. The requirements for certification are as follows:

• To receive the Energy Star label, companies must submit to the federal government data that shows their product(s) meets clear and quantifiable energy efficiency standards.


• The DOE and EPA conduct regular third-party laboratory and “off the shelf” testing of a range of Energy Star products to ensure continued compliance.


• Because the Energy Star label is so attractive to buyers, market competition drives compliance from manufacturers. Manufacturers frequently test competitors’ products to ensure compliance and can report violations to the EPA or DOE.


• When a manufacturer is found to be in violation of Energy Star policies, the label is removed from the affected product, corrective measures are outlined, and if changes are not made the Energy Star partnership may be terminated.
  

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Great Ways to Beat the Heat and Save Some Bucks!

The average American home spends about 20 percent of its total utility bill on cooling and air conditioning, yet with some simple, inexpensive changes it’s possible to save money and make your home more environmentally friendly while staying cool and comfortable. Here are some simple cooling and air conditioning tips from the Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Star that will cost you no or little money.


No Cost Cooling and Air Conditioning Options

Program your thermostat according to your summer activities. If you spend most of the day away from home, set your cooling system a few degrees higher than normal when the house is empty. You can then set the thermostat to a lower temperature shortly before you return home. Using a programmable thermostat properly can save nearly $200 a year on energy costs.

Check the filter on your home’s HVAC system once a month. If the air filter appears dirty or worn, change it. The filter should be changed at least once every three months anyway. A dirty filter inhibits air flow, forcing your system to work harder and driving up utility costs.

If you have ceiling fans, use them along with your air conditioner to create a cool breeze. Running a ceiling fan makes it possible to raise the thermostat—just two degrees higher can lower energy costs by as much as 14 percent. Don’t forget to turn the fans off when you leave the room, though.

Close curtains, blinds, and shades against the sun’s powerful rays. Blocking out the sun during the heat of the day can prevent the interior of your home from overheating. You can also try moving indoor plants and trees in front of windows to create shade.


Low Cost Cooling and Air Conditioning Options

Have your cooling system inspected by a professional once a year. Hiring a technician to clean and service your unit regularly will cost significantly less than replacing or repairing a neglected unit that has become damaged.

Change incandescent light bulbs for more energy-efficient options, like compact fluorescents (CFLs). Look for the Energy Star label to identify lighting that uses less energy and emits 75 percent less heat than traditional bulbs. This can help lower your cooling bill.

Make sure air ducts are sealed tightly using mastic sealant or metal tape. Insulate ducts in attics, crawlspaces, basements, and garages, too. About 20 percent of the cool air moving inside your home is lost through gaps and loosened connections in ductwork.

Check vent and register connections at walls, floors, and ceilings to ensure that all the ducts are fastened and sealed tight.

Other Cooling and Air Conditioning Considerations

If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner, look for the EPA’s Energy Star label. We could keep about 900 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the air every year if each single room air conditioner in the country was Energy Star rated.

Insulate your attic. If every American household did it we could save more than $1.8 billion in energy costs every year.

Replace an air conditioning unit that’s more than 12 years old with an Energy Star rated system; you could cut your cooling costs by as much as 30 percent.



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We all want to save money during these challenging economic times, and making green plumbing improvements is one of the best money-saving changes you can make. But in addition to saving you a lot of green in your wallet, green plumbing solutions around the home are some of the most effective and easy things you can do to reduce energy consumption, to improve your health and to help the environment.


Green Plumbing and Energy Reduction
When it comes to your energy bills, most people focus on their furnaces or air conditioners. But your plumbing system also has a big impact on how much energy you consume.

• Unprotected pipes, especially ones in exterior walls, are responsible for a huge amount of heat loss as water flows from your hot water tank to a faucet. Insulating pipes keeps more of this heat in, significantly cutting into your energy usage and saving you money on your utility bill.

• If you are considering a plumbing remodel, upgrade or new home construction, keeping pipes out of exterior walls altogether will eliminate unnecessary heat loss. Instead, run pipes through insulated and interior spaces where temperature is more regulated.

• Invest in an on-demand hot water pump. These devices send hot water to fixtures in seconds, eliminating costs that arise when hot water is left to sit unused in your pipes and reducing water usage overall.

• Hot water heaters constitute up to 15 percent of your home’s total energy usage. A new, energy-efficient water heater can cut a big chunk out of high utility bills.

Green Plumbing and Your Health
It’s true-—improving the efficiency of your home’s plumbing can have a positive impact on the health of everyone in your household.

• Request a copy of your town’s most recent water report or hire an independent tester to analyze your water. Before you can do anything, you need to know what kinds of substances may be in your water.

• Install a chlorine filter on your showerheads. Eliminating chlorine from your water can ease symptoms of chlorine sensitivity, which include dry skin, itchiness, flaking, rashes and tightness.

• Look into a whole house filtration system that will get rid of chemicals, heavy metals and micro organisms that may be present in the water you use for cooking, bathing, cleaning and drinking. A comprehensive filtration system will also prevent staining and corrosion caused by hard water, and will extend the life of appliances that use water.

• If you live in an area with particularly poor water quality, install an activated charcoal filter or reverse osmosis system. These water purifiers filter out contaminants and make water safer to use.

Green Plumbing and the Environment
Many of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Green plumbing solutions help you do just that. Coincidentally, many of these initiatives can save you money, too.

• Install low-flow fixtures, which can reduce your water consumption by about 60 percent.

• Low-flush toilets are also a great way to restrict unnecessary water usage, saving about 28 gallons of water per person every day.

• Purchase a leak monitoring device that will notify you of leaky faucets, pipes and toilets so you can have the problem taken care of before too much water is wasted.

• Faucet flow reducers are easy to install and can cut water usage by more than 40 percent.

• Replace old appliances with energy efficient models. Dishwashers and washing machines with an Energy Star rating can reduce water use by more than 50 percent.

• Energy-Efficient, Green Plumbing Services for the 21st Century and Today’s Economy

When purchasing a furnace, heat pump or air conditioner, ALWAYS ask about its Efficiency Ratings. They will tell you will tell you how efficiently your heating and cooling equipment uses fuel (gas, oil or electricity). These ratings and standards are determined by the Environmental Protection Agency and other government and industry authorities, and all new heating and cooling sold today must meet certain efficiency rating minimums.

The most-frequently used efficiency ratings are:

• SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio): This ratio tells you the amount of cooling your system will deliver per dollar spent on electricity The SEER rating of any unit can range anywhere from 13 to 17. The higher the SEER the more efficient the system will be and the less it will cost in the long run to own and operate.
  
• HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor): Similar to SEER,it is a measurement of efficiency of the heating portion of a heat pump. HSPF ratings range from 6.8 to 10; high-efficiency units have efficiencies of 7.5 HSPF or above.
  
• AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio): A measurement of the percent of heat produced by a furnace for every dollar of fuel consumed. The higher the AFUE rating, the lower the fuel costs. All furnaces manufactured today must meet at least 78%. Older furnaces (10 – 15 years or older) may fall below this minimum. Furnaces with AFUE ratings from 78% to 80% are considered mid-efficiency; ones with AFUE ratings above 90% are considered high-efficiency.
  
• MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value): Not a former talk show host. MERV is a filter rating system relating to the size of the holes in the filter that allow air to pass through. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller the holes and the higher the efficiency in capturing contaminants. MERV rating range from a low of 1 to a high of 16.
  
• ENERGY STAR: An Environmental Protection Agency designation attached to HVAC products that meet or exceed guidelines for high-efficiency performance above the standard government minimums.

If you have a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump that's 15 years or older, there's a good chance that it falls below the recommended ratings. If so, the chances are even higher that you're using too much energy and paying too much on your utility bills. You may want to consider upgrading to a more modern heating and cooling system that meets or exceeds today's recommended energy efficiency ratings and standards.



Look For The Label

When shopping for new HVAC equipment or any electrical appliance, look for the EnergyGuide label, which should come with the equipment's paperwork or be posted on the appliance at retail stores. The EnergyGuide will help you compare the energy use and efficiency of a particular model relative to other available models with the appropriate ratings listed above.

The federal government requires manufacturers to affix the label to the following products:

• Furnaces
• Boilers
• Central air conditioners
• Room air conditioners
• Heat pumps
• Water heaters
• Pool heaters
• Refrigerators and Freezers
• Dishwashers
• Clothes Washers and Dryers

ENERGY STAR-qualified models will have the ENERGY STAR mark on the label or somewhere on the appliance.

More About Efficiency Ratings...

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