WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is cutting the average energy use of the new cold-beverage vending machines by about 42%, according to its new national minimum standards. The move will save enough electricity to power approximately 1.4 million homes for one year and save vending machine property owners about $500 million over 30 years, DOE says.“The President asked for action, and DOE delivered,” says Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). “The next step, as directed by the President, is for DOE to meet or beat the legal deadlines for the other 23 standards due this term and make sure that each new standard is as strong as possible.”Once the new standards take effect in three years, typical new machines will save more than $100 per year, with a greater savings potential for larger machines and those in warm climates, DOE says.Even more savings could be achieved for vending machines if DOE had required smart control technologies that dim or shut off machine lighting during extended periods of non-use, but DOE decided it lacked authority to include more than one efficiency requirement for any one product during the previous administration, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).“It doesn’t make sense in this day and age to ignore affordable, energy-saving technology. It’s like choosing not to use an axle when you have the wheel,” says Jennifer Amann, buildings program director at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), NRDC says. “DOE should revisit the Bush administration view that it cannot set multi-metric standards and open the door for savings from controls technology and multi-part standards.”
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