Obama Takes Aim at Energy-guzzling Soda Machines
There are an estimated 3 million beverage vending machines in the U.S., or one for every 100 Americans. These energy guzzlers have become a target by the Obama administration as part of a proposed new energy efficiency standard.
The new standards, released in May by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), are slated to take effect in three years and will cut energy usage by 42 percent on a typical cold-beverage vending machine. The machines use as much as 3,000 to 5,000 kilowatt-hours each year. However, the new standards will cut energy use by more than half with a savings of about $320 per year per machine and, over 30 years, will save vending machine property owners a cool 250 million and eliminate about 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Besides the general air-breathing populace, the main benefactors of the new proposal will be the businesses who pay the electric bills, such as parks, hotels, colleges and grocery stores. What these standards boil down to is a savings of about 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity over a 30 year time span. If you can’t quite grasp the numbers, try this on for size: it’s enough electricity to power around 800,000 average-sized U.S. homes per year.
DOE has until January, 2012 to complete roughly 25 new standards on other appliances as well, but vending machines top of the list. The final ruling is due in early August.
Proposed rule, final rule dates, rule-making status and DOE’s annual progress:
http://www.standardsasap.org/federal.htm
Appliance Standards Awareness Project:
DOE:
Photo Credit:Preconscious
Posted on August 6th in Solar Politics by Beth.