Energy Star Program Requirements for Bottled Water Coolers Eligibility Criteria

ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements
for Bottled Water Coolers
ENERGY STAR
Eligibility Criteria
Below is the Version 1.1 product specification for ENERGY STAR qualified bottled water coolers. A
product must meet all of the identified criteria to qualify as ENERGY STAR by its manufacturer.
1) Definitions: Below is a brief description of a bottled water cooler and common energy consumption
characteristics relevant to ENERGY STAR. The ENERGY STAR specification focuses on reducing
standby energy consumption.
A. Bottled Water Cooler: A freestanding device that consumes energy and dispenses water from
removable 4- to 5-gallon plastic bottles commonly positioned on top of the unit.
B. Compartment-Type Bottled Water Cooler: A bottled water cooler which, in addition to the primary
function of cooling and dispensing potable water, includes a refrigerated compartment with or without
provisions for making ice.
C. Standby Energy Consumption: The required energy to maintain cold and/or hot water at
appropriate dispensing temperatures.
2) Qualifying Products: For the purposes of ENERGY STAR, bottled water coolers include the following:
A. Cold Only Bottled Units: These units dispense either cold water only, or both cold and room-
temperature water.
B. Hot and Cold Bottled Units: These units dispense both hot and cold water. Some units may have
a third room-temperature tap. Units have an electric resistance heater and a refrigeration cycle.
C. Cook and Cold Bottled Units: These units dispense both cold and room-temperature water.
3) Energy-Efficiency Specifications for Qualifying Products: Only those products listed in Section 2 that
meet the criteria outlined in Table 1 below may qualify as ENERGY STAR.
Table 1: Energy-Efficiency Criteria for ENERGY STAR Qualified Bottled Water Coolers
Product Category
Energy Use Under Test Conditions
cold only and cook and cold bottled
units
< 0.16 kW-hours/day
hot and cold bottled units
< 1.20 kW-hours/day
4) Test Criteria: Test conditions are described below. Tests will focus on overall standby losses and
water will not be withdrawn during the testing procedure.
A. Power Measurement: Energy use shall be measured as the total true power (kilowatt-hours)

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consumed in one 24-hour period.
B. Starting Conditions: Before starting the energy measurements, the unit should be at operating
conditions, with water temperatures as defined in item (F) below.
C. Water Withdrawal: No water may be withdrawn from the unit during the test.
D. Timer Usage: If the unit has an integral, automatic timer, the timer can be set to turn off the unit for
not more than 10 hours in the 24-hour test period. The unit must operate for the last 2 hours of the
24-hour test to ensure that it fully warms up or cools down after the shut-off period.
E. Ambient Temperature: Ambient air and water temperature must be 75° ± 2°F.
F. Dispensed Water Temperatures: Cold water temperature shall not exceed 50°F and hot water
temperature shall be at least 165°F. These temperatures shall be measured before conducting the
standby energy use test described in this specification when the respective function, compressor, or
heating element turns on.
G. Cooler Location: The unit must be no more than 6 inches from a wall at least 7 feet high and
extending horizontally at least 2 feet from each side of the unit.
H. Airflow: Airflow around the unit must be natural; no artificial means of increasing the airflow are
permitted. Airflow created by components integral to the unit itself, such as internal fans, are
permitted.
I. Compartment Temperature: If the unit being tested is a compartment-type bottled water cooler,
during the test, there shall be no melting of ice, nor shall the average temperature exceed 46.0° F [7.8°
C] in the refrigerated compartment1.
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 Bottled Water Cooler (Version
1.1) specification is effective immediately.
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.
1 ARI 2002 Standard 1010 for Self-Contained Mechanically-Refrigerated Drinking-Water Coolers

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