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Criteria for Developing FEMP's Efficiency Recommendations

FEMP, in consultation with the FEMP Interagency Products Working Group, produced criteria to consider when developing efficiency recommendations for a proposed category of products. Before a new product efficiency recommendation can be considered, FEMP has to evaluate the following information about the product:

  1. Measurable Energy Performance and Savings Potential—Executive Orders 13123 (PDF 103 KB, 12 pp) and 13221 (PDF 84 KB, 3 pp), and FAR Chapter 23 (PDF 52 KB, 3 pp) directed agencies to purchase products that either meet ENERGY STAR® criteria when cost effective, or, if there is not an ENERGY STAR® labeling program for that product, purchase products in the top 25th percentile of efficiency, as well as products with low standby power (1 W or less where feasible). Therefore, in order for FEMP to evaluate a product for its efficiency recommendations, there must be a widely accepted (industry recognized) method for measuring and testing energy performance metrics for that product. There must also be significant energy savings associated with the product, based on both the volume of Federal purchasing and the difference in energy use between a "base" model and a more efficient one (FEMP-recommended or ENERGY STAR®). Download Adobe Reader.

    Finally, the energy cost savings in a typical Federal installation (over the life of the product) must be sufficient to help offset the incremental cost—if any—of the more energy-efficient product (over the life of the product). Some life cycle cost analysis is performed on the product when compared with others in its class.

  2. Testing Procedure—To ensure that various products meet a specified performance metric there must be either a national test procedure for measuring the product's performance or an industry-recognized test standard for the product. An example of a product and its test procedure meeting this testing standard is the recommendation titled How To Buy an Energy Efficient Water Cooled Chiller. This recommendation was developed based on performances of chiller models that meet the Air conditioning and Refrigeration Institute's (ARI), ARI 550/590 Test Procedures for Chiller Packages.

  3. Commercially Available "Off-the-Shelf" Product Listings or Directories—To help Federal buyers meet the Executive Order and FAR requirements, FEMP considers the availability of information about energy-efficient products on the market such as a product directory or online listing (as with ENERGY STAR® products).

  4. Competitive Supply Sources—In most cases, Federal purchasers are required to consider three manufacturers when justifying a purchase. Therefore, FEMP will try to avoid making an efficiency recommendation for new or innovative products that do not yet have multiple, competitive supply sources. To assist agencies with the justification and eliminate a sole source scenario, FEMP considers new efficiency recommendations for products having at least three manufacturers (this includes three different models in a given product category, which may be based on size, compressor type, etc.). Innovative technologies are brought to the attention of Federal agencies through Technology Alerts or FEMP's other means of disseminating information.

For more information on the Buying Energy Efficient Products Program contact the DOE-EERE Information Center at 1-877-337-3463.