The Department of Energy has announced that it will propose no immediate changes to the current energy conservation standards for commercial clothes washers. This decision is consistent with – and thanks in part to – prior joint comments on the topic by the Coin Laundry Association and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
These comments were part of the DOE’s request for information on energy conservation standards for certain commercial and industrial equipment during an early assessment review.
During this review period, the CLA and the AHAM wrote that energy conservation standards for commercial clothes washers are unjustified:
“Market conditions and use cases for commercial clothes washers are significantly different from residential clothes washers. There are a number of design and user requirements that need to be considered to achieve efficiency gains. The challenge in improving efficiency for purposes of mandatory energy conservation standards lies in the trade-offs they present, and the need to maintain cleaning performance in a difficult environment.
“It is not clear that an amended energy conservation standard would be technologically feasible or economically justified, especially given the design challenges in further improving energy efficiency for commercial clothes washers.”
The CLA will continue to monitor this situation and advocate on behalf of the laundromat industry against any proposed regulations or standards it feels could negatively impact store owners.
