Testing Energy Use of Appliances Adds up to Big Savings

The California Energy Commission now has the authority to combat unnecessary energy use by checking the efficiency of products and penalizing those manufacturers who produce appliances that fail to meet efficiency standards.

To achieve these goals, the Energy Commission is contracting with the California State University, Sacramento—College of Engineering Energy Efficiency Laboratory. The lab tests products to ensure they meet efficiency standards. Professor Timothy Marbach, Ph.D., who specializes in thermodynamics and combustion, is leading this project.



“An appliance’s energy use may have a very small effect for one consumer, but looking at the whole state, where there are millions of people, making these small changes in products can have a large effect,” said Marbach. “In the end, money and energy is wasted without efficiency standards.”

There are more than 12 million households in California, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Each house has about 24 electronic products according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Complying with the standards saves energy, saves consumers money and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The testing that Marbach and his engineering students conduct helps to ensure that products meet the Energy Commission’s efficiency standards.

More about the Energy Commission’s appliance efficiency standards can be found here.