So I know you are wondering, how efficient is an eight year old Energy Star appliance– especially compared to today’s standards? I wondered myself.
Energy Star minimums have decreased over time. I happened to have downloaded the clothes washer excel spreadsheet in 2008 when I was considering a new washing machine. Since the GE washer we just purchased is on that list I know that at that time the washer was a very respectable 76% better than the minimum standard.
I just downloaded the 2016 list and found that the standard has not only changed, the method of measurement has also changed and the percent better category is a thing of the past. The top row is the washer model I just bought. The second row is a front loading model that qualifies for the new Energy Star standard for “most efficient”. In the 2008 list Kwh/year for just GE washers ranged from 120 to 350. On the 2016 list the range is from only 86 to 152. The washers have more capacity and use less water and electricity per year in 2016 vs. 2008. About 8 fewer KWh/yr for these two models and a bit more than 1200 gallons per year less water but for more than a cubic foot larger capacity.
Compare Energy Star Washer Ratings
The MEF standard in the 2008 was based on the 2004 criteria, in 2009 and 2011 the factor became more efficient. But the GE model from 2008 was better than the 2011 minimum so would have still qualified as Energy Star.
Energy Star Clothes Washer Standard V5 and V6.
In 2015 version 7 of the standard was introduced. This new criteria utilizes the IMEF factor instead of MEF. The standard document defines the two different criteria.
B. Modified Energy Factor (MEF)3: The quotient of the cubic foot (or liter) capacity of the clothes container divided by the total clothes washer energy consumption per cycle, with such energy consumption expressed as the sum of the machine electrical energy consumption, the hot water energy consumption, and the energy required for removal of the remaining moisture in the wash load.
C. Integrated Modified Energy Factor (IMEF)4: The quotient of the cubic foot (or liter) capacity of the clothes container divided by the total clothes washer energy consumption per cycle, with such energy consumption expressed as the sum of the machine electrical energy consumption, the hot water energy consumption, the energy required for removal of the remaining moisture in the wash load, and the combined low-power mode energy consumption.
D. Water Factor (WF)3: The quotient of the total weighted per-cycle water consumption for cold wash divided by the cubic foot (or liter) capacity of the clothes washer.
E. Integrated Water Factor (IWF)4: The quotient of the total weighted per-cycle water consumption for all wash cycles in gallons divided by the cubic foot (or liter) capacity of the clothes washer.
The closest washer in performance that I can find on the 2016 list is a 3.4 cu. ft. Haier Top Loader, Model HLTW500AXW that has an IMEF score of 2.07 with a Federal Standard of 1.29. This washer also uses 4 gallons of water for a rating of 4012 gallons per year. It only uses an estimated 108 KWh/year though! So the Energy Star GE washer I just bought may or may not still meet the current Energy Star guidelines. I don’t have enough data on the components of the MEF vs. IMEF to find out.
But it is an interesting question. If you purchased an Energy Star appliance before the standard changed, would it still be considered Energy Star for the purposes of meeting the LEED guidelines?