FEMP FEMP Clothes Washer Specification Sheet
Federal Energy Management Program
Federal Energy Management Program
Leading by example,
saving energy and
taxpayer dollars in
federal facilities
FEMP Designated Product:
Purchasing Specifications
for Energ
y-Efficient Products
Legal Authorities
Federal agencies are required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) and Federal Acquisition
Regulations (FAR) Subpart 23.2 to specify and buy ENERGY STAR
®
-qualified products or, in categories with
no ENERGY STAR label, FEMP-designated products which are among the highest 25 percent of equivalent
products for energy efficiency.
Clothes Washers
Performance Requirement for Federal Purchases
Washer Capacity
Modified Energy Factor
a
1.6 to 3.5 cu. ft.
1.42 or more
a) Modified Energy Factor (MEF) is the number of cubic feet of clothes washed and dried per kilowatt hour (kWh) of
electricity used. MEF is calculated by dividing the tub capacity by the total energy (clothes washer, water heater
and dryer) used per wash load (10 CFR 430, sub-part B, Appendix J).
Buying Energy-Efficient Clothes Washers
When buying residential and family-size commercial clothes washers use the
Modified Energy Factor (MEF) instead of the annual energy consumption (kWh/
year) shown on the yellow EnergyGuide label. While both measures include the
energy used by the washer and water heater, MEF adds that used by the dryer.
Since some clothes washers are more effective at spinning moisture from clothing,
resulting in less time and energy needed for drying, MEF is a more accurate indi
cator of performance. Specify or select products that are ENERGY STAR-qualified (see For More Information),
all of which meet the MEF shown in the Performance Requirement table.
Family-sized commercial clothes washers are similar to residential clothes washers in size, performance,
features, and connections. The commercial products have sturdier frames and mechanical components, a
modified control panel with fewer control settings, and feature a coin box, debit card reader or other reve
nue collecting device.
Performance requirements apply to all forms of procurements, including: guide and project specifications;
construction, renovation, repair, maintenance and energy service contracts, lease agreements and solicita
tions for offers. Energy performance requirements should be included in all evaluations of solicitation
responses. Model language to assist agencies with incorporating these performance requirements into their
procurement documents is available at
http://www.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_modellang.cfm
.
The federal supply source for clothes washers is the General Services Administration (GSA), which sells
them through its Multiple Awards Schedules program and on-line shopping network, GSA Advantage! Note
that not all clothes washers sold by GSA are ENERGY STAR-qualified and some that do qualify may not be
indicated as such. When buying clothes washers through this source, check the make and model number
against the list of qualified products on the ENERGY STAR web site to assure they meet this Specification.
User Tips
A substantial amount of the energy used for clothes washing is for heating the water. Selecting cold water
wash cycles will save energy; appropriate load-size settings will save both water and energy. ENERGY STAR-
qualified clothes washers use less water than standard models while cleaning just as well.