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Super-Efficient Home Appliances Initiative Dishwashers |
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FAQs for dishwasher product lists and rebates NEW SPECIFICATION FOR 2007 In June 2006, CEE established a new – and more stringent – specification for dishwashers. It will become effective Jan. 1, 2007. CEE’s current specification includes Energy Factor (EF) and maximum annual kWh requirements. EF measures the number of cycles a dishwasher can run with 1 kWh of electricity. The maximum annual kWh requirement is intended to limit dishwasher standby power use. On Jan. 1 2007, the EF requirement for CEE Tier 1 will increase from 0.62 to 0.65 and the maximum annual kWh requirement will be changed from 355 to 339 accordingly. CEE Tier 2 will remain the same, (0.68 EF, 325 max. kWh/year). In addition, the ENERGY STAR level for dishwashers will increase to 0.65 EF in 2007, making it the same as the EF requirement for CEE Tier 1. The federal minimum standard for dishwashers is 0.46 EF and there are no plans for a revision in the near future. Neither ENERGY STAR nor the federal standard includes a maximum annual kWh requirement. For more information on CEE’s dishwasher specification, see the CEE Newsletter story.
In addition to dishwashers,
SEHA efficiency specifications have been established for
clothes washers,
room air conditioners and
refrigerators.
Dishwashers account for 1.4 percent of the total residential energy use. A majority of the energy usage in dishwashers occurs during the hot water and the dry cycle, with the hot water cycle providing the most significant portion. An external water heater generally supplies hot water to the dishwasher. All dishwashers manufactured in the U.S. have a booster heater that further raises and maintains the water temperature.
In 1997, 50.1 percent of American homes had dishwashers. The average lifetime of a dishwasher is 9-12 years, with industry experts estimating replacements of roughly 3.5 million in 1999.
Dishwasher survey now available
Survey results address issues about the appropriateness of test procedures used to determine dishwasher energy and water efficiency, especially for "soil sensor" machines that adjust water and energy use depending upon the amount of food left on the dishes. This report also details the average number of times households run their dishwashers each year.
The full report and appendices are available on this web site.
Results from CEE ENERGY STAR Household Survey
Technology Summary
Dishwashers fall into two basic categories – food-disposing and non-food disposing. In food-disposing models, particles are drained with the rinse water. In non-food disposing models, particles are collected in a strainer that must be emptied and rinsed manually. The majority of American manufacturers make food-disposing machines.
Machines in both categories may or may not have a filter, which generally comes in two types – coarse or fine. With coarse filters, food particles stay in suspension and can be re-deposited onto dishes after washing. As a result, a larger amount of rinse water is typically needed than in fine filtered models. Fine filter models generally have less food re-deposited, as most particles are filtered out prior to re-circulation in the wash cycle. Approximately half of the dishwashers sold are fine-filtered models and half have coarse or no filters.
With higher efficiency models, payback periods that are less than the lifetime of a dishwasher (with a life-cycle cost lower than a baseline model) can be achieved. The expected life of a dishwasher is 9-12 years.
Some of the technical options that will achieve these savings include:
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