U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Office – Appliance & Equipment Standards

Dehumidifiers

Recent Updates: The Final Rule to codify Amendments to the Test Procedures for Residential Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, and Cooking Products was authorized by the Department of Energy on September 17, 2012. This document will amend the test procedure for the aforementioned products to address active, standby and off mode energy use.

The link to the document is below under the Current Test Procedures Rulemaking Activity, Final Rule.

This page describes rulemaking activities and regulations regarding energy efficiency for residential dehumidifiers.

Statutory Authority

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether amended, more stringent, standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) subsequently prescribed standards for dehumidifiers, fulfilling DOE's obligation. Therefore, DOE did not amend the standards for dehumidifiers in the final rule for residential dishwashers, dehumidifiers, and cooking products, and commercial clothes washers, but instead codified the statutory standards in the EISA En Masse Technical Amendment. EISA 2007 also amended EPCA to direct DOE to amend its test procedure for dehumidifiers to include measures of standby mode and off mode energy consumption.

Current Test Procedure Rulemaking Activity

Final Rule

Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNOPR)

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)

NOPR Test Procedure Public Meeting Information and Meeting Materials

Test Procedure Contact Information

Wes Anderson
Project Manager
(202) 586-7335

Energy Conservation Standards

Framework

Previous Rulemakings

Prescribed Standards

Final Rule

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR)

Framework

Certification, Compliance and Enforcement Requirements

The Department published a Final Rule on January 5, 2010, which adopts regulations to implement reporting requirements for energy conservation standards and energy use. The Final Rule also addresses other matters concerning compliance, certification and enforcement procedures. The Department published a Technical Amendment on January 28, 2010 that corrects cross-referencing errors in the final rule.

Contact Information

Stephen L. Witkowski, P.E.
Project Manager
(202) 586-7463