Energy Star Appliances For a multi-family residential building, we propose an Innovation Credit for Energy Star Residential Appliances as follows: INTENT: Increase plug load efficiency to further reduce total energy consumption beyond base building efficiency measures and Energy Credit 1 "Optimize Energy Performance". REQUIREMENT: Of the three major residential appliances that can be U.S. EPA Energy Star labeled (refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers), provide a minimum of two that are Energy Star labeled. (Note that ranges and clothes dryers and are not currently being labeled by Energy Star). SUBMITTALS: Provide cut sheets, energy usage data, and calculations demonstrating that, on average, at least two major appliances per dwelling unit are Energy Star labeled. DESIGN APPROACH: The following appliances are all Energy Star labeled: All unit refrigerators All unit dishwashers
The current LEED energy modeling protocol excludes plug loads from the energy savings calculations. LEED is a building rating system; Energy Star is an appliance rating system. Equipment or appliances that are not hard wired to the base building are not part of LEED Version 2.0. The Credit Ruling Committee had concerns about the longevity of this conservation measure as compared to base building improvements. What happens in 5 or 10 years when the appliances begin to fail? Do they get replaced in kind? In what manner does that the life of the appliance measure come close to matching the life of the building? For these reasons the Credit Ruling Committee was not in favor of this innovation credit as presented. If you could demonstrate the significance of your strategy in terms of energy savings, AND demonstrate that the program had longevity comparable to the building, rather than the service life of the first set of appliances, the proposal would be stronger.