» ASHRAE Standard Provides Guidance for DOE Federal Standard
ASHRAE Standard Provides Guidance for DOE Federal Standard

ATLANTA?Savings over the next 30 years from a proposed federal standard for vending machines could equal that of the energy consumed by more than 830,000 American households in a single year.

The federal standard issued by the U.S. Department of Energy is based on ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 32.1-2004, Methods of Testing for Rating Vending Machines for Bottled, Canned and Other Sealed Beverages, which establishes uniform testing of refrigerated vending machines to determine energy consumption. The DOE issued its ruling on Aug. 31, 2009 via the Federal Register.

?As a technical organization with interests in both refrigeration and reducing energy use, we are pleased that DOE and the beverage industry look to ASHRAE as the source for standards in this critical area,? Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president, said. ?We look forward to continued work with the Department and the relevant stakeholders to develop standards that meet the needs of the nation and the world.?

Given that refrigerated vending machines consume 2,500 to 4,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per year, DOE is adopting new energy conservation standards, finding that such standards ?would result in significant conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified.?

By 2042, DOE expects the energy savings to result in cumulative greenhouse gas emission reductions of 0.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, an amount equal to that produced by 2 million cars every year.
Fully-cooled medium capacity vending machines, the most common type currently being sold, cost $2,625 with annual energy costs of $188. To meet the new standards, the DOE estimates the installed prices of such equipment will increase by $239 to $2,864, which will be offset by annual energy savings of $69.

Though DOE utilized the testing methods laid out in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 32.1-2004, the department employed a test point of 75°F/45 RH rather than the 90°F/65 RH specified in the Standard. Also, DOE will take into consideration the fact that ASHRAE is currently updating Standard 32.1-2004 and will consider any changes that may result from the update.

The standards will apply to all beverage vending machines manufactured for sale in the U.S. or imported to the U.S., starting three years after publication of the final rule.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

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