Tennessee residents who purchase some Energy Star-rated appliances after April 22 will be eligible for rebates up to $250, the state of Tennessee announced in a press release Wednesday. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) will administer the rebate program, which is funded by a $5.9 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The State Energy and Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program will offer rebates to shoppers that purchase Energy Star-rated air source heat pumps and central air conditioners ($250), as well as room air conditioners ($40).
“This funding provided by the Recovery Act will help Tennessee families lower their utility bills and have a positive impact on the environment,” Governor Phil Bredesen said in the release. “This will be a welcome addition to Tennessee’s ongoing energy conservation initiatives.”
Statewide, the estimated energy savings for delivery and installation of qualified heating and cooling products is approximately 16 million kilowatt-hours per year, the release says, which translates to a yearly savings of almost $1.4 million in energy costs.
In Chattanooga, Garrett Bartley has seen firsthand the impact an energy-efficient appliance can make on electric bills. Using an online account management tool from the Electric Power Board, he graphed his home's electricity usage from 2007 to 2009 on his blog, garrettbartley.com. While he and his wife have added numerous electronic devices to their home, overall energy consumption has dropped by approximately 17% in three years, the graph shows.
Bartley attributes the reduction to a single energy-efficient appliance. In 2008, he and his wife replaced their 60's era refrigerator with a newer, Energy Star-rated model. After installing the new refrigerator, they saw an instant drop in electricity usage. "The biggest difference maker was simply getting a new refrigerator," he said Thursday. "We have not made any physical modifications to the house other than a new door leading to the garage and replaced our old storm door with a security, storm door."
Buyers Beware
Not all appliances advertised with an Energy Star label meet federal requirements. An internal audit released in October by the Department of Energy (DOE) found that "the department allowed manufacturers of five other product categories to self-certify compliance." Room air conditioners, which fall under the state's rebate program, were listed as one of the five appliance categories.
The DOE and Environmental Protection Agency signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 30 "that seeks to address some of the shortcomings detailed in the report," the New York Times reports:
Mr. Burt said the memorandum committed both agencies to having all of their products evaluated by certified independent laboratories, and to expand the Energy Star program to cover products that were not in common use when it began in 1996.
It remains unclear whether misidentified Energy Star-rated room air conditioners will be eligible for Tennessee's upcoming rebate program. Questions emailed to an ECD representative were not returned at the time of publication. The ECD press release notes that more details will be available in the coming months.
The Energy Star website lists certified room air conditioners by manufacturer and model as of Dec. 3, 2009.
11:45 a.m. Update
Laura Elkins, ECD representative writes: "Air source heat pumps, central air conditioners and room air conditioners with the Energy Star designation will be honored. Determining which appliances receive the designation and which do not is strictly a federal matter."
David Morton
wgbartley on Dec. 5, 2009
Actually, the 17% reduction in electric consumption was measured as the average of 2009 against the average of 2008. 2008 also had a drop of a little more than 8% compared to 2007.
We also installed an Energy Star-rated dishwasher during 2008. Prior to that, we did not have a dishwasher and washed dishes by hand. It's possible that the eco-mode on the dishwasher saves on hot water, thus reducing the electricity used to heat the water in the water heater. However, with our general trend downward in usage, I can't provide solid proof that the dishwasher appliance has conserved energy versus washing dishes by hand.
As the article mentioned, we did replace a storm door and a hollow, exterior door recently and can actually tell a difference in the room (both doors open to the living room). Since they were only installed within the past month, it's too early to tell any calculable differences.
Finally, it also helps that the climate in 2009 has been more moderate, which undoubtedly saves energy on the central heat and air.
As far as the actual rebate program goes, it definitely couldn't hurt for people who have no other choice but to replace their air conditioners and/or heat pumps, but I don't know that a $250 rebate is enough justification to run to your nearest central heat and air dealer to buy a new unit.
What have other people done to cut back on energy usage? My wife and I are doing what we can to cut back without making any significant sacrifices. It would be nice to know what other people in the area are doing, and if it's worth whatever investment they put into it.