Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards

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 website for comprehensive information about appliance standards. 

Arizona’s Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards (Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 44, Section 1375) originally set minimum energy efficiency standards for twelve products, all of which have since been preempted by federal regulation. H.B. 2332 of 2009 established new standards, effective January 1, 2012 for three additional products:

1. Portable electric spas
2. Residential pool pumps
3. Residential pool pump motors.

Specific testing requirements and minimum standards are outlined in the regulations. Manufacturers must certify to the Governor's Energy Office that products meet minimum efficiency standards. Certification to other states with similar standards that publish databases of compliant products is permitted as an alternative to certifying to the energy office. New products manufactured in Arizona and sold outside the state are not covered by the regulations. Additionally, the regulations do not apply to products installed in mobile manufactured homes at time of construction, products designed exclusively for installation and use in recreational vehicles, and products installed in a laundry facility located within an apartment complex or mobile home park.

The standards stipulate that beginning on May 31, 2008, and every three years thereafter, the Governor's Energy Office must conduct a comparative review and assessment of the standards and energy efficiency standards adopted in other states and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the senate.

* 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.