Washington Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Standards

July 07, 2021

Summary

Note: The federal government has imposed and updated appliance efficiency standards through several legislative acts,* and now has standards in place or under development for 30 classes of products. In general, states which had set standards prior to federal action may enforce their own standards until the federal standards take effect. States that had not set standards prior to federal action must use the federal standards. This summary addresses (1) state appliance standards that will be in place until the federal standards take effect and (2) products for which the federal government is not currently developing an efficiency standard. Much of the information in this summary comes from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). Visit the ASAP web site for comprehensive information about appliance standards.

Washington enacted appliance efficiency legislation in 2005, creating minimum efficiency standards for twelve products, all of which have been preempted by federal law. HB 1004, signed in May 2009, added efficiency standards for several more products, which took effect January 1, 2010. These products include:

  1. Wine chillers designed and sold for use by an individual
  2. Hot water dispensers and mini-tank electric water heaters
  3. Bottle-type water dispensers
  4. Pool heaters, residential pool pumps, and portable electric spas
  5. Commercial hot food holding cabinets

To amend the aforementioned efficiency legislation in 2019, the Washington House passed House Bill 144 on April 18, 2019. Products in the 2019 bill with an effective date of 01/01/2021 and not preempted by federal law include:

  1.  Commercial fryers
  2.  Commercial Steam Cookers
  3.  Computer and computer systems
  4.  Residential Ventilating Fans
  5.  Water Coolers
  6. Uninterruptable Power Supplies
  7.  Water Coolers

Standards do not apply to new products manufactured in Washington and sold outside the State, new products manufactured outside Washington and sold at wholesale inside Washington for final retail sale and installation outside the State, products installed in mobile manufactured homes at the time of construction, or products designed expressly for installation and use in recreational vehicles.

The law stipulates that existing standards and test methods may be increased and updated. Any recommendations shall be transmitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature sixty days before the start of any regular legislative session.

* These acts include the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

Program Overview

Implementing Sector: State
Category: Regulatory Policy
State: Washington
Incentive Type: Appliance/Equipment Efficiency Standards
Web Site: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/growing-the-economy/energy/appliances/
Administrator:
Start Date:
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies:
  • Refrigerators/Freezers
  • Water Heaters
  • Air conditioners
  • Other EE
  • Food Service Equipment
  • Commercial Cooking Equipment
  • Pool Pumps
Equipment Requirements: Specified in standards
Test Methods: Specified in standards or the Washington State Building Code
Certification Requirements: Manufacturers certify to the Department of Commerce that products are in compliance with minimum efficiency requirements. The Department promulgates regulations governing the certification of products and may coordinate with the certification programs of other states and federal agencies.
Review: Not specified; increased efficiency standards for the products currently covered may be adopted.
Implementing Agency: Washington State Department of Commerce

Authorities

Name: RCW § 19.260.010, et seq.
Date Enacted: 2005
Name: WAC 194-24
Effective Date: 07/30/2007
Name: House Bill 1444
Date Enacted: 04/18/2019
Effective Date: 01/01/2021

Contact

Name: Public Information
Organization: Washington State Department of Commerce
Address: 925 Plum Street SE, Bldg. 4
Olympia WA 98504-3173
Phone: (360) 956-2096
Email: Energy_Policy@commerce.wa.gov

This information is sourced from DSIRE; the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University.