Refrigeration Products

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Refrigeration products includes refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers, which are cabinets chill and preserve food and beverages, provide ice and chilled water, and freeze food. Manufacturers have been required to comply with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) energy conservation standards for refrigeration products since 1990.

Current Standard | Current Test Procedure | Ongoing Rulemaking for Standards | Ongoing Rulemaking for Test Procedure | Helpful Links


Recent and Ongoing Activities

DOE has posted a draft guidance document regarding the test procedure for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers, and miscellaneous refrigeration products (collectively, consumer refrigeration products). This draft guidance document represents DOE's interpretation of its existing regulations and is exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. Nevertheless, DOE is accepting comments and suggestions from the public until April 17, 2023. At the end of the comment period, this draft guidance document may be adopted, revised, or withdrawn.

DOE has published a Federal Register notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) pertaining to energy conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) requires DOE to periodically determine whether more stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this NOPR, DOE proposes amended energy conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers, and also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.

  • DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this NOPR until April 28, 2023.
  • Interested persons may submit comments identified by docket number EERE-2017-BT-STD-0003, by email (ConsumerRefrigFreezer2017STD0003@ee.doe.gov), Federal eRulemaking portal (http://www.regulations.gov).
  • DOE will hold a webinar on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Click here to register for the webinar.
  • Foreign Nationals interested in participating in this webinar, must be screened by DOE Headquarters Security prior to being granted access. Please email Regina.Washington@ee.doe.gov to complete the necessary documentation at least two weeks prior to scheduled meeting date.
  • Additional webinar registration information, participant instructions, and information about the capabilities available to webinar participants will be published on DOE’s website: https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/public-meetings-and-comment-deadlines

For the latest information on the planned timing of future DOE regulatory milestones, see the current Office of Management andBudget Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. All planned dates are preliminary and subject to change.

Standards

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Announcement of Public Meeting
  • Federal Register, 88FR12452 (February 27, 2023)

Notification of a Webinar and Availability of Preliminary TSD

Request for Information; Comment Extension

Request for Information

  • Federal Register, 84FR68060 (December 13, 2019)
  • Federal Register, 84FR62470 (November 15, 2019)

The consumer refrigerators and freezers rulemaking docket EERE-2008-BT-STD-0012 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents pertaining to this rulemaking.

Public Meeting Information:

There is no public meeting scheduled at this time.

Submitting Public Comments

The comment period is closed.

Test Procedure

Final Rule; Correction Notice 
  • Federal Register, 88FR7840 (February 7, 2023)
Final Rule
  • Federal Register, 86FR56790 (October 12, 2021)

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking; Comment Period Extension

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

  • Federal Register, 85FR-9407 (February 19, 2020)
  • Federal Register, 84FR70842 (January 23, 2019)
Request for Information
  • Federal Register, 82FR29780 (June 30, 2017)

The consumer refrigerator and freezer test procedure rulemaking docket EERE-2012-BT-TP-0016 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents pertaining to this rulemaking.

Public Meeting Information

There is no public meeting scheduled at this time.

Submitting Public Comments

The comment period is closed.


Current Standard

Consumer refrigerators and freezers manufactured and distributed in commerce, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 6291(16), must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 430.32(a).


Current Test Procedure

To determine that residential refrigerators and freezers that are currently manufactured or distributed into commerce are in compliance with DOE standards, manufacturers must follow the test procedure methods specified at 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix A and Appendix B.


Helpful Links

Compliance

DOE has established regulations on certification, compliance, and enforcement in the CFR at 10 CFR Part 429.  These regulations cover statistical sampling plans, certified ratings, certification reports, record retention, and enforcement.  More information on these regulations is available here.

Waivers

For information on current test procedure waivers, see DOE’s Waivers webpage.

For information about obtaining test procedure waivers, see 10 CFR 430.27.

Exceptions

DOE's Office of Hearings and Appeals has authorized exception relief for residential refrigerators and freezers to BSH Home Appliances Corporation on January 4, 2012 (EXC-11-0001).

For information about obtaining exception relief, see 10 CFR part 1003.

Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions

For information on further guidance and answers to Frequently Asked Questions on all covered products, see DOE’s Further Guidance database.

State Exemptions to Federal Pre-emption

DOE has not exempted any state from this energy conservation standard. States may petition DOE to exempt a state regulation from preemption by the Federal energy conservation standard. States may also petition DOE to withdraw such exemptions. For details, see 10 CFR part 430, subpart D.

Small Business Exemptions

Any manufacturer of a covered product with annual gross revenues that do not exceed $8,000,000 from all its operations and meets certain other conditions may apply for an exemption to the energy conservation standard. For details, see 10 CFR part 430, subpart E.

ENERGY STAR®

DOE supports the testing and verification of ENERGY STAR® products in close collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Find tips and guidance for making your home, workplace, or vehicle more energy efficient visit EnergySavers.gov.

Contact information

For more information related to this product, please email:
ApplianceStandardsQuestions@ee.doe.gov


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