In September 2011, CLASP and the Super Efficient Dryer Initiative (SEDI), sponsored by the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, hosted a stakeholder summit to share developments in standards and labeling (S&L), clothes dryer research, and market transformation programs that will impact the introduction of super-efficient clothes dryers into the North American market. The summit, which took place in Washington, DC, included over 40 attendees representing S&L programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and California Energy Commission; major clothes dryer manufacturers including Whirlpool, GE, LG, Bosch, Miele, Electrolux, and Samsung; a major appliance retailer – Sears; utilities with supportive energy efficiency programs; and energy efficiency advocates.

Super-efficient heat pump clothes dryers, which were recently recognized with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award, use 50% less electricity than standard electric clothes dryers. They are already sold across Europe and have transformed the clothes dryer market in several countries, including Switzerland and Austria. However, this technology has not yet penetrated the North American market, where standard electric and natural gas clothes dryers are responsible for a significant share of US residential appliance energy consumption. The primary purpose of the summit was to bring together a variety of key stakeholders in the North American clothes dryer market to discuss opportunities for participation in upcoming market transformation programs and to collaborate on current and future super-efficient dryer research.

Participants discussed the potential to design and implement utility incentive programs for super efficient dryers when they enter the US market in 2012, the challenges presented by the ongoing DOE clothes dryer test procedure revision process and the need to develop a robust way of evaluating clothes dryer performance. Participants also shared field and laboratory research aimed at addressing technology performance questions and explored an offer by DOE to leverage technical resources in support of utility incentive programs.

CLASP is very pleased to partner with SEDI and provide a showcase for multiple efforts in North America to transform the market toward super-efficient clothes dryers. We look forward to further collaborations in the coming months and in 2012.

Browse Summit Proceedings (SWF) [Video Length: 04:03]