WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week the publication of a final rule updating the test procedure used to measure the energy consumption of dishwashers. Responding to changes in dishwasher technology, the new procedure will challenge “smart” soil-sensing dishwashers with a realistic test load of soiled dishes and provide more accurate energy ratings that consumers can use to compare the energy costs of dishwasher models.
“This new test procedure for dishwashers is the result of a joint effort with our manufacturing, environmental advocate and consumer partners to make sure that energy ratings provide the best energy efficiency information to consumers,” David Garman, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, said.
Manufacturers use the Energy Department’s test procedures for residential appliances such as dishwashers to calculate the annual energy use and energy cost of every model sold. This energy information provides the core data for the Federal Trade Commission’s EnergyGuide labels, the basic tool that consumers use to evaluate the energy efficiency of different appliances.
Soil-sensing dishwashers use a variety of sensing technologies to determine how much food remains in the dish load and to select an appropriately long or short wash cycle. Where DOE’s original test procedure using clean dishes did not trigger the sensing technology, the new test procedure uses three specified loads of food-soiled dishes to approximate realistic home use. The energy rating that results will more accurately represent the energy consumption of a dishwasher under normal operating conditions. Non-soil-sensing dishwashers without sensors will still be tested using a test load of clean dishes.
For the first time, the new test procedure will also require the measurement of standby energy consumption in any dishwasher model using standby power. Manufacturers must report that energy as part of the total estimated annual operating cost. DOE’s dishwasher rule can be accessed at http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/.
