Two industry associations have announced developments related to the ratings of refrigeration equipment. The Commercial Refrigerator Manufacturers Section of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has approved for publication AHRI Standard 1250-2009, “Performance Rating of Walk-In Coolers and Freezers.” The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has announced it will launch a third-party industry verification program to verify manufacturer energy ratings for refrigerators and freezers.

AHRI

The AHRI standard, which is available for free download at www.ahrinet.org, establishes definitions, test requirements, rating requirements, minimum data requirements for published ratings, operating requirements, marking and nameplate data, and conformance conditions for walk-in coolers and freezers.

This standard applies to mechanical refrigeration equipment consisting of an integrated single package refrigeration unit, or as separate unit cooler and condensing unit sections, where the condensing unit can be located either outdoors or indoors. Controls can be integral, or can be provided by a separate party as long as their performance is tested and certified with the listed mechanical equipment.

“The process of developing this standard was an excellent example of industry and government working together expeditiously to advance mutual energy efficiency goals and, in this case, the possible adoption of AHRI Standard 1250 as a federal test procedure,” said AHRI President Stephen Yurek. “The section, working with United States Department of Energy staff and meeting weekly, completed the standard in six months, an industry record,” Yurek added.

AHRI develops and publishes performance-rating standards for industry products. The standards establish rating criteria and procedures for measuring and certifying product performance so that products are rated on a uniform basis. AHRI’s standards and guidelines are available for free download from the AHRI Website, www.ahrinet.org.

AHAM

This AHAM third-party industry verification program will validate the energy ratings made by manufacturers through random third party testing conducted by an independent laboratory. The program will be open to AHAM members and non-members alike. While this program will be voluntary, AHAM has received preliminary commitments from the majority of refrigerator and freezer manufacturers eligible for participation in the program, which is expected to begin in mid-2010.

AHAM has been working with the Department of Energy (DOE) to put in place a credible third-party verification program that is consistent with DOE test procedures, which are the basis for measuring appliance energy use for both DOE appliance standards and EnergyStar.

Joseph M. McGuire, AHAM president, said, “While manufacturers already test and self-certify all models to DOE, the industry’s interest is to strengthen confidence among the public and government in refrigerators and freezer energy claims through random third-party verification tests. AHAM’s long history of administering third-party verification services will add assurances that products have been independently tested and will match the energy claims by the manufacturer.”

Publication date: 02/01/2010