FEMP Designated Product: Residential Refrigerators
Legal Authorities
Federal agencies are required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 23.2 to specify and buy ENERGY STAR®-qualified products or, in categories with no ENERGY STAR label, FEMP-designated products which are among the highest 25 percent of equivalent products for energy efficiency.
Information about energy-efficient refrigerators in this section includes the following:
Also provided is a portable document format version of Purchasing Specifications for Residential Refrigerators (PDF 281 KB, 2 pp). Download Adobe Reader.
| Performance Requirement for Federal Purchases | ||
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator Type | Total Volumea | Annual Energy Useb |
| Single–Door Manual | <2.4 cu. ft. | 255 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Manual | 2.5 to 4.4 cu. ft. | 275 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Manual | 4.5 to 6.4 cu. ft. | 295 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Manual | >6.5 cu. ft. | 315 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Automatic | <2.4 cu. ft. | 305 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Automatic | 2.5 to 4.4 cu. ft. | 325 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Automatic | 4.5 to 6.4 cu. ft. | 345 kWh/year or less |
| Single–Door Automatic | >6.5 cu. ft. | 365 kWh/year or less |
| Bottom–Mount Freezer | <18.4 cu. ft. | 475 kWh/year or less |
| Bottom–Mount Freezer | 18.5 to 20.4 cu. ft. | 485 kWh/year or less |
| Bottom–Mount Freezer | >20.4 cu. ft. | 495 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | <10.4 cu. ft. | 340 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 10.5 to 12.4 cu. ft. | 360 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 12.5 to 14.4 cu. ft. | 380 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 14.5 to 16.4 cu. ft. | 400 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 16.5 to 18.4 cu. ft. | 420 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 18.5 to 20.4 cu. ft. | 440 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 20.5 to 22.4 cu. ft. | 460 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | 22.5 to 24.4 cu. ft. | 480 kWh/year or less |
| Top–Mount Freezer | >24.5 cu. ft. | 500 kWh/year or less |
| Side-by-Side Freezer | <20.4 cu. ft. | 560 kWh/year or less |
| Side-by-Side Freezer | 20.5 to 22.4 cu. ft. | 580 kWh/year or less |
| Side-by-Side Freezer | 22.5 to 24.4 cu. ft. | 600 kWh/year or less |
| Side-by-Side Freezer | >25.5 cu. ft. | 620 kWh/year or less |
a Total volume is the sum of the refrigerator and freezer volumes.
b Annual Energy Use is based on DOE test procedure (10 CFR 430, Sub-Part B, Appendix E).
Buying Energy-Efficient Refrigerators
When buying refrigerators from commercial sources, select products that are ENERGY STAR-qualified (see For More Information), all of which meet the annual energy use in the Performance Requirement table. Some manufacturers display the ENERGY STAR label on complying products. For products that don't display the ENERGY STAR, check the annual energy use listed on the yellow EnergyGuide label for models that meet this Specification.
Performance requirements apply to all forms of procurements, including: guide and project specifications; construction, renovation, repair, maintenance and energy service contracts, lease agreements and solicitations for offers. Energy performance requirements should be included in all evaluations of solicitation responses. Model language to assist agencies with incorporating these performance requirements into their procurement documents is available here.
The federal supply sources for refrigerators are the General Services Administration (GSA) and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). GSA sells refrigerators through its Multiple Awards Schedules program and on-line shopping network, GSA Advantage! DLA offers them through the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia and online through DoD EMall. Note that not all refrigerators sold by GSA and DLA are ENERGY STAR-qualified and some that do qualify may not be indicated as such. When buying refrigerators through these sources, check the models you are considering against the list of qualified products on the ENERGY STAR web site to assure they meet this Specification.
Size and Type Selection
Select a refrigerator size that is appropriate for the number of people and level of use in your office suite, household, etc. Choosing an oversized refrigerator will increase purchase cost and also waste energy. Because side-by-side refrigerator-freezers and products with through-the-door ice typically use more energy than other models, federal buyers should avoid these features.
| Cost-Effectiveness Example | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Base Modela | Required | Best Availableb |
| Annual Energy Use | 489 kWh | 440 kWh | 387 kWh |
| Annual Energy Cost | $29 | $26 | $23 |
| Lifetime Energy Costc | $387 | $347 | $307 |
| Lifetime Energy Cost Savings | — | $40 | $80 |
a The efficiency of the Base Model is the minimum allowed by current US DOE appliance standards.
b More efficient products may have been introduced to the market since this specification was published. Information on the Best Available model was obtained from the ENERGY STAR refrigerator products list (see For More Information).
c Lifetime Energy Cost is the sum of the discounted value of the annual energy costs based on average usage and an assumed refrigerator life of 19 years. Future energy price trends and a discount rate of 3.0% are based on federal guidelines (effective from April, 2005 to March, 2006).
Cost-Effectiveness Assumptions
In this example, annual energy use is calculated with the standard DOE test procedure on 18.5 to 20.4 cubic foot refrigerators with top-mounted freezers and automatic defrost. The assumed electricity price is 6¢ per kWh, the average at federal facilities in the US.
Using the Cost-Effectiveness Table
In the example above, the Required refrigerator is cost-effective if its purchase price is no more than $40 above the price of the Base Model. The Best Available model is cost-effective if its price is no more than $80 above that of the Base Model.
What if my Refrigerator Type or Electricity Price is Different?
ENERGY STAR has an EXCEL-based cost calculator for refrigerators on it's Web site, click on Savings Calculator – Consumer Residential Refrigerators. Select the refrigerator type and input the rate for electricity at the top of the page. The output section will automatically display results that better reflect your conditions.
For More Information
- DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Information Center
Phone: 1-877-EERE-INF or 1-877-337-3463 - EPA/DOE ENERGY STAR has lists of qualified refrigerators.
Phone: (888) 782-7937 - General Services Administration: Federal Supply Service and GSA Advantage!
Phone: (816) 926-6760 - Defense Logistics Agency: Emall.
- Defense Supply Center Philadelphia.
Phone: (800) DLA-BULB or (215) 737-7950. - American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) publishes the Consumer's Guide to Home Energy Savings which contains a chapter on food storage and lists of energy-efficient refrigerators.
Phone: (202) 429-0063 - Federal Trade Commission lists the annual energy use of refrigerators and other appliances.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provided market research and life cycle cost analysis in support of this energy-efficiency purchasing specification.
Phone: (202) 646-7950