On September 13, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their selection of heat pump clothes dryers as a 2012 category for the ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Awards. The ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award increases awareness of innovative, emerging technologies that have high potential for greenhouse gas emissions reductions if more broadly adopted. Compared to standard electric clothes dryers, heat pump clothes dryers use 30-50% less energy and can reduce CO2 emissions by 32-34% according to EPA estimates. By selecting heat pump clothes dryers as a category, ENERGY STAR is helping transform the clothes dryer market toward a more efficient technology.

The ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award for heat pump clothes dryers will provide an incentive to manufacturers through high-level recognition to accelerate the introduction of this product in the North American market. In North America, the clothes dryer market currently is comprised of standard electric clothes dryers; in contrast, heat pump clothes dryers are already sold across Europe, accounting for 25% of the clothes dryer market in Switzerland and Austria. Through the Emerging Technology Award, manufacturers of qualified heat pump clothes dryers will be featured on the ENERGY STAR website and have access to an ENERGY STAR Award logo to promote their accomplishments in product literature, marketing materials and press releases. For more information on the ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award for heat pump clothes dryers, please see ENERGY STAR’s announcement and the award requirementssummary.

CLASP, in collaboration with the Super Efficient Dryer Initiative, is assisting efforts to introduce heat pump clothes dryers into the North American market. CLASP will conduct technical analysis to provide resources to ENERGY STAR for the development of an endorsement label and to utilities for the development of incentive programs.

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2012 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award Heat Pump Clothes Dryers Cover Memo

2012 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award Heat Pump Clothes Dryers Requirements