Refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers and freezers

May 2021

Technical bulletin on amending the standards

Webinar – Thursday, May 20, 2:00-3:00 pm EST.

On December 13, 2019, the Prime Minister of Canada issued a Mandate Letter to the Minister of Natural Resources to “make ENERGY STAR^® certification mandatory for all new home appliances starting in 2022”.

Accordingly, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is considering amending the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for household refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers and freezers in Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations (“the Regulations”) to the efficiency criteria established by the ENERGY STAR program as they appeared on December 13, 2019, or essentially as in the ENERGY STAR Specification for residential refrigerators and freezers (Version 5.0), that took effect on September 15, 2014. This technical bulletin is released to initiate the consultation process and to collect stakeholder views on the requirements being considered for household refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.

Input received during this stage of the process will inform the development of the amendment. NRCan has undertaken a preliminary cost-benefit analysis using Canadian market data to assess the economic and environmental impacts of amending these standards and to ensure Canadian consumers and businesses benefit from its implementation.

The Government of Canada intends to pre-publish a regulatory proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I, within approximately one year of this bulletin.

Background

Refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers, and freezers are currently regulated products in Canada.

The efficiency standards for refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers, and freezers save energy and reduce overall costs for Canadians. The efficiency standards also reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and help encourage manufacturers to adopt efficient product designs.

The ENERGY STAR program is a familiar brand that identifies above-average energy performance by allowing certified products to bear the familiar ENERGY STAR symbol. It is a joint program of the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ENERGY STAR is administered in Canada by NRCan.

NRCan is considering aligning the efficiency performance standards of the Regulations for refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers, and freezers with the more stringent requirements established by the ENERGY STAR program. This would improve the measured energy use of refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers, and freezers imported for sale to Canada by 10%

Product description

A refrigerator or refrigerator-freezer means a household refrigerator or combination refrigerator-freezer, respectively, that has a defrost system, including a compressor-cycled automatic defrost system, and a capacity of 1105 litres (39 cubic feet) or less.

A household refrigerator using an absorption refrigeration system is not included. A miscellaneous refrigeration product is not included, i.e. a household refrigeration product is or includes a wine cooler is not included.

A freezer means a household freezer that has a capacity of 850 litres (30 cubic feet) or less.

Energy performance testing standard

NRCan is considering three acceptable standards as the energy performance testing standards:

• CAN/CSA-C300-18, entitled Energy performance and capacity of household refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, freezers, and miscellaneous refrigeration products
• [for refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers]
  Appendix A to Subpart B, Part 430 of Title 10 to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Refrigerators, Refrigerator-Freezers, and Miscellaneous Refrigeration Products (10 CFR 430.23 Appendix A)
• [for freezers]
  Appendix B to Subpart B, Part 430 of Title 10 to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Freezers (10 CFR 430.23 Appendix B)

CSA testing standards can be ordered from the CSA website. Many CSA energy efficiency standards are also available at no cost on their website. To access the standards you will first need to create an account to join the CSA Communities of Interest.

The United States Code of Federal Regulations testing standards for refrigerators, combination refrigerator-freezers, and freezers are available online:

10 CFR 430.23 Appendix A - Refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers

10 CFR 430.23 Appendix B - Freezers

Energy performance standard

The energy performance standards under consideration for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers are listed in the below tables. The energy performance standards are also specified in Column B of Table 1, in CAN/CSA C300-18. The maximum annual energy consumption limit is rounded to the nearest whole kilowatt-hour, and “AV” is the adjusted volume, in litres, as specified in CAN/CSA C300-18.

Refrigerators and Refrigerator-Freezers

Refrigerator or Refrigerator-Freezer Type		Maximum annual energy consumption (kilowatt hours/year)
1	Refrigerator-freezers and refrigerators other than all- refrigerators with manual defrost	0.254 AV + 202.5
1A	All-refrigerators with manual defrost	0.216 AV + 174.2
2	Refrigerator-freezers with partial automatic defrost	0.254 AV + 202.5
3	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with top- mounted freezer without an automatic icemaker	0.256 AV +210.3
3-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost with top- mounted freezers without an automatic icemaker	0.291 AV + 238.4
3I	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with top- mounted freezer with an automatic icemaker without through- the-door ice service	0.256 AV + 294.3
3I-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with top-mounted freezer with an automatic icemaker without through-the-door ice service	0.291 AV + 322.4
3A	All-refrigerators with automatic defrost	0.225 AV + 181.4
3A-BI	Built-in all-refrigerators with automatic defrost	0.255 AV + 205.7
4	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and side-mounted freezer without an automatic icemaker	0.271 AV + 268.0
4-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with side-mounted freezers without automatic icemaker	0.325 AV + 321.7
4I	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with side- mounted freezer with automatic icemaker without through-the- door ice service	0.271 AV +352.0
4I-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with side-mounted freezer with an automatic icemaker without through-the-door ice service	0.325 AV + 405.7
5	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and bottom- mounted freezer without an automatic icemaker	0.281 AV + 285.3
5A	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and bottom- mounted freezer with through-the-door ice service	0.294 AV + 436.3
5-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with bottom-mounted freezer without automatic icemaker	0.299 AV + 303.2
5I	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with bottom- mounted freezer with automatic icemaker without through-the- door ice service	0.281 AV +369.3
5I-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with bottom-mounted freezer with automatic icemaker without through-the-door ice service	0.299 AV + 387.2
5A-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezer—automatic defrost with bottom- mounted freezer with through-the-door ice service	0.313 AV + 458.3
6	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and top-mounted freezer with through-the-door ice service	0.267 AV + 355.3
7	Refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and side-mounted freezer with through-the-door ice service	0.272 AV + 397.9
7-BI	Built-in refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with side-mounted freezer with through-the-door ice service	0.326 AV + 460.7
11	Compact refrigerator-freezers and refrigerators other than all- refrigerators with manual defrost	0.287 AV + 227.1
11A	Compact all-refrigerators with manual defrost	0.249 AV + 197.2
12	Compact refrigerator-freezers with partial automatic defrost	0.188 AV + 302.2
13	Compact refrigerator freezers with automatic defrost and top- mounted freezer	0.375 AV + 305.3
13I	Compact refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with top-mounted freezer with automatic icemaker	0.375 AV + 389.3
13A	Compact all-refrigerators with automatic defrost	0.291 AV + 233.4
14	Compact refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and side- mounted freezer	0.217 AV + 411.2
14I	Compact refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with side-mounted freezer with automatic icemaker	0.217 AV + 495.2
15	Compact refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and bottom-mounted freezer	0.375 AV + 305.3
15I	Compact refrigerator-freezers with automatic defrost and with bottom-mounted freezer with automatic icemaker	0.375 AV + 389.3

Freezers

Freezer Type		Maximum annual energy consumption (kilowatt hours/year)
8	Upright freezers with manual defrost	0.177 AV + 174.3
9	Upright freezers with automatic defrost without an automatic icemaker	0.274 AV + 205.5
9I	Upright freezers with automatic defrost with an automatic icemaker	0.274 AV + 289.5
9-BI	Built-in upright freezers with automatic defrost without an automatic icemaker	0.313 AV + 234.8
9I-BI	Built-in upright freezers with automatic defrost with an automatic icemaker	0.313 AV + 318.8
10	Chest freezers and all other freezers except compact freezers	0.232 AV + 97.0
10A	Chest freezers with automatic defrost	0.326 AV + 133.3
16	Compact upright freezers with manual defrost	0.275 AV + 203.1
17	Compact upright freezers with automatic defrost	0.323 AV + 316.7
18	Compact chest freezers	0.294 AV + 123.1

Important dates

These modifications to the Regulations would come into force six months after the date of publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

NRCan is considering applying the more stringent energy performance standards to refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers manufactured on or after July 1, 2023.

Labelling requirements

There is no change being considered to the labelling requirements for this product. An EnerGuide label must be attached to every new refrigerator, refrigerator-freezer, and freezer subject to the Regulations and sold in Canada.

Size Categories

NRCan is considering removing the size categories described in the Regulations. For
the purposes of the EnerGuide label, the size categories would remain in NRCan’s EnerGuide label guidelines that are available to and distributed to dealers and manufacturers. This administrative change has no impact on the scope of the Regulations.

Verification requirements

There is no change being considered for the energy efficiency verification requirements for this product.

Equipment will continue to carry a third-party verification mark indicating that the product meets the minimum energy performance standard and that the information to be reported has been verified.

The verification mark is the mark of a Standards Council of Canada accredited certification body that operates an energy efficiency certification program for the product.

Reporting requirements

Energy efficiency report

There is no change considered to the energy efficiency report requirements for refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers.

NRCan is considering repealing the ice freezing capacity of a freezer from the reporting requirements. This would reduce reporting burden and improve alignment with the U.S.

The Regulations apply to products imported or shipped interprovincially for sale or lease in Canada. This report must be submitted, by the dealer, to NRCan before the product is imported into Canada or traded interprovincially for the first time.

Import report

There is no change being considered for import reporting.

Comments invited

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide stakeholders with technical detail required to comment on the requirements under consideration for this product.

Additional information on Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations including a current list of Standards Council of Canada accredited certification bodies can be found in the Department’s website.

We welcome your comments by July 31, 2021. All correspondence should be forwarded to:

Natural Resources Canada
Office of Energy Efficiency
nrcan.equipment-equipement.rncan@canada.ca

with the subject line: A17 to Efficiency Regulations - Appliances