ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements
for Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets
Partner Commitments
DRAFT 2
Commitment
The following are the terms of the ENERGY STAR Partnership Agreement as it pertains to the
manufacturing of ENERGY STAR qualified commercial hot food holding cabinets. The ENERGY STAR
Partner must adhere to the following program requirements:
comply with current ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria, defining the performance criteria that must
be met for use of the ENERGY STAR certification mark on commercial hot food holding cabinets
and specifying the testing criteria for commercial hot food holding cabinets. EPA may, at its
discretion, conduct tests on products that are referred to as ENERGY STAR qualified. These
products may be obtained on the open market, or voluntarily supplied by Partner at EPA's
request;
comply with current ENERGY STAR Identity Guidelines, describing how the ENERGY STAR
logos and name may be used. Partner is responsible for adhering to these guidelines and for
ensuring that its authorized representatives, such as advertising agencies, dealers, and
distributors, are also in compliance;
qualify at least one ENERGY STAR qualified commercial hot food holding cabinet model within
one year of activating the commercial hot food holding cabinets portion of the agreement. When
Partner qualifies the product, it must meet the specification (e.g., Tier 1 or 2, if applicable) in effect
at that time;
provide clear and consistent labeling of ENERGY STAR qualified commercial hot food holding
cabinets. The ENERGY STAR label must be clearly displayed on the front/inside of the product,
on the product packaging, in product literature (i.e., user manuals, spec sheets, etc.), and on the
manufacturer's Internet site where information about ENERGY STAR qualified models is
displayed;
Note: The ENERGY STAR label is well known by consumers and large purchasers as the
symbol for energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR logo should be placed in an area of high
visibility, preferably on front of the product, so that the purchaser and end users can see that by
purchasing and using an ENERGY STAR qualified commercial hot food holding cabinet, they are
helping to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases through energy efficiency. During the
ENERGY STAR Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinet Industry Meeting on May 20, 2003, EPA
received a positive response from individual manufacturers regarding the proposed placement of
the ENERGY STAR label directly on the front/inside of the equipment.
provide to EPA, on an annual basis, an updated list of ENERGY STAR qualifying commercial hot
food holding cabinet models. Once the Partner submits its first list of ENERGY STAR qualified
commercial hot food holding cabinet models, the Partner will be listed as an ENERGY STAR
Partner. Partner must provide annual updates in order to remain on the list of participating
product manufacturers;
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provide to EPA, on an annual basis, unit shipment data or other market indicators to assist in
determining the market penetration of ENERGY STAR. Specifically, Partner must submit the total
number of ENERGY STAR qualified commercial hot food holding cabinets shipped (in units by
model) or an equivalent measurement as agreed to in advance by EPA and Partner. Partner is
also encouraged to provide ENERGY STAR qualified unit shipment data segmented by
meaningful product characteristics (e.g., capacity, size, speed, or other as relevant), total unit
shipments for each model in its product line, and percent of total unit shipments that qualify as
ENERGY STAR. The data for each calendar year should be submitted to EPA, preferably in
electronic format, no later than the following March and may be provided directly from the Partner
or through a third party. The data will be used by EPA only for program evaluation purposes and
will be closely controlled. If requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), EPA will
argue that the data is exempt. Any information used will be masked by EPA so as to protect the
confidentiality of the Partner;
Note: As noted above, EPA is willing to work through a third party, such as the North American
Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM), to obtain commercial hot food
holding equipment shipment data. This data may be masked and provided in an aggregate
form so as not to be able to identify specific manufacturer data. This data is being collected as
a tool to gauge the penetration of ENERGY STAR qualified products in the marketplace and to
determine if changes to the program would yield increased penetration of efficient products.
notify EPA of a change in the designated responsible party or contacts for commercial hot food
holding cabinets within 30 days.
Performance for Special Distinction
In order to receive additional recognition and/or support from EPA for its efforts within the
Partnership, the ENERGY STAR Partner may consider the following voluntary measures and should keep
EPA informed on the progress of these efforts:
consider energy efficiency improvements in company facilities and pursue the ENERGY STAR
label for buildings;
purchase ENERGY STAR qualified products. Revise the company purchasing or procurement
specifications to include ENERGY STAR. Provide procurement officials' contact information to
EPA for periodic updates and coordination. Circulate general ENERGY STAR qualified product
information to employees for use when purchasing products for their homes;
ensure the power management feature is enabled on all ENERGY STAR qualified monitors in use
in company facilities, particularly upon installation and after service is performed;
provide general information about the ENERGY STAR program to employees whose jobs are
relevant to the development, marketing, sales, and service of current ENERGY STAR qualified
product models;
feature the ENERGY STAR label(s) on Partner Web site and in other promotional materials. If
information concerning ENERGY STAR is provided on the Partner Web site as specified by the
ENERGY STAR Web Linking Policy (this document can be found in the Partner Resources
section on the ENERGY STAR Web site at www.enenavstar.gov). EPA may provide links where
appropriate to the Partner Web site;
provide a simple plan to EPA outlining specific measures Partner plans to undertake beyond the
program requirements listed above. By doing so, EPA may be able to coordinate, communicate,
and/or promote Partner's activities, provide an EPA representative, or include news about the
event in the ENERGY STAR newsletter, on the ENERGY STAR Web pages, etc. The plan may
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be as simple as providing a list of planned activities or planned milestones that Partner would like
EPA to be aware of. For example, activities may include: (1) increase the availability of ENERGY
STAR qualified products by converting the entire product line within two years to meet ENERGY
STAR guidelines; (2) demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency
through special in-store displays twice a year; (3) provide information to users (via the Web site
and user's manual) about energy-saving features and operating characteristics of ENERGY STAR
qualified products, and (4) build awareness of the ENERGY STAR Partnership and brand identity
by collaborating with EPA on one print advertorial and one live press event;
provide quarterly, written updates to EPA as to the efforts undertaken by Partner to increase
availability of ENERGY STAR qualified products, and to promote awareness of ENERGY STAR
and its message.
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ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements
for Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets
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Eligibility Criteria
DRAFT 2
Below is the DRAFT 2 product specification (Version 1.0) for ENERGY STAR qualified commercial hot
food holding cabinets. A product must meet all of the identified criteria if it is to be labeled as ENERGY
STAR by its manufacturer.
1) Definitions: Below is a brief description of a commercial hot food holding cabinet and other terms as
relevant to ENERGY STAR.
A.	Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinet: An appliance that is designed to hold hot food at a
specified temperature, which has been cooked using a separate appliance.
B.	Idle Energy Rate-Dry: The rate of appliance energy consumption while it is maintaining or holding
at the control set point, without using a humidity-generating device (if applicable). For purposes of
this specification, idle energy rate is measured in watts/ft3.
2) Qualifying Products: Any commercial hot food holding cabinet that meets the definition in Section 1A
is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Dual function equipment, such as cook-and-hold models, cannot
qualify as ENERGY STAR, under this specification.
Note: At this time this specification does not cover dual function equipment, such as cook-and
hold products. Only products that are commercial hot food holding cabinets, as defined in Section
1A above, may qualify for ENERGY STAR under this specification. However, based on
manufacturer interest and available testing data, EPA may consider dual function equipment in
future versions of the specification.
3) Energy-Efficiency Specifications for Qualifying Products: Only those products listed in Section 2 that
meet the maximum idle energy rate, below, may qualify as ENERGY STAR:
Maximum Idle Energy Rate = 40 watts/ft3
The maximum idle energy rate is based on the "idle energy rate—dry test" in ASTM F2140-01. Interior
volume (ft3) of each qualifying model must be measured according to the protocol provided below.
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Gross Holding
Volume \
Measuring Interior Volume: Commercial hot food
holding cabinet interior volume shall be calculated using
straight-line segments following the gross interior
dimensions of the appliance. Interior volume shall not
account for racks, air plenums or other interior parts.
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Note: The performance levels proposed in the previous Draft 1 specification included idle energy
rates for full-, three-quarter-, and half-size units. These performance levels were discussed in detail
during the ENERGY STAR Hot Food Holding Cabinet Industry Meeting. While manufacturers
agreed that these levels seemed appropriate, the three-quarter and half-size classifications were too
vague, creating some confusion as to where products might fall, as there is no consistency regarding
cabinet sizes from one manufacturer to the next. EPA received a number of suggestions on how to
set performance levels that address these concerns and feels the simplest approach would be to
require one performance ratio that takes into account internal cabinet size. Therefore, EPA is
proposing a 40 watts/ft3 maximum idle energy rate in this Draft 2 specification. This maximum idle
energy rate is based on the internal dimensions of a standard full-size cabinet consuming 800 watts
at 150°F. Manufacturers are encouraged to provide feedback to EPA regarding this maximum idle
energy rate.
4) Test Criteria: Manufacturers are required to perform tests and self-certify those product models that
meet the ENERGY STAR guidelines. The test results must be reported to EPA using the Commercial
Hot Food Holding Cabinet Qualifying Product Information (QPI) Form.
Manufacturers may submit qualifying product information representing an entire family of hot food
holding cabinets using one QPI Form according to the following procedures:
1)	Test and submit a completed QPI Form for the smallest unit within the product family.
2)	Attach to the completed QPI Form, equipment specification sheets for each hot food holding
cabinet model to be qualified within that family. These sheets must provide proof that the design and
insulation specifications for these additional models are identical to that of the smallest unit.
In performing these tests, partner agrees to measure a model's energy-efficiency using ASTM
Standard F2140-01, Test Method for the Performance of Hot Food Holding Cabinets.
Note: It is EPA's understanding that each hot food holding cabinet product family includes a number
of model numbers which differ only in internal cabinet size (i.e., engineering design is the same).
Under this specification, manufacturers would only be required to test and submit performance
results for the smallest unit of each family. It is EPA's understanding that the smaller units yield
higher idle rates and thus would be representative of the maximum energy consumption of any one
product in that family. EPA will review the equipment specification sheets submitted with the QPI
form and post all qualifying models on the ENERGY STAR Web site.
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5) Effective Date: The date that manufacturers may begin to qualify products as ENERGY STAR will be
defined as the effective date of the agreement. The ENERGY STAR Specification for Commercial Hot
Food Holding Cabinets is effective August 15, 2003.
Note to Industry: During the ENERGY STAR Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinet Industry
Meeting, manufacturers agreed that the NAFEM Show in September, 2003 would be an appropriate
venue to announce an ENERGY STAR Specification for Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets.
To prepare for this event, EPA is proposing an effective date of August 15, 2003 to allow
manufacturers time to test, report, and label ENERGY STAR qualifying products. Manufacturers
are encouraged to provide feedback as to whether or not this is enough time to qualify products and
prepare for a NAFEM Show announcement.
6) Future Specification Revisions: ENERGY STAR reserves the right to change the specification should
technological and/or market changes affect its usefulness to consumers, industry, or the environment.
In keeping with current policy, revisions to the specification are arrived at through industry
discussions. Please note that ENERGY STAR qualification is not automatically granted for the
life of the product model. To carry the ENERGY STAR label, a product model must meet the
ENERGY STAR specification in effect on the model's date of manufacture.
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