The EPA has finalized an ENERGY STAR specification including commercial coffee brewers to the program.
Despite their presence in nearly every commercial establishment, coffee brewers have not previously been included in the program and will now be held to strict specifications in order to qualify.
Although coffee brewers are typically found in three main categories – single-cup brewers, batch brewers and urn/satellite brewers – the new ENERGY STAR specification will only focus on batch commercial coffee brewers for the time being. Eventually, the EPA expects to expand their program to include other types of brewers once more concrete energy usage data becomes available.
The batch brewers that meet these new requirements will need to exhibit significant energy savings over conventional models based on their individual size and configuration.
Furthermore, some commercial coffee brewers will include “energy save” modes. Manufacturers that are to receive ENERGY STAR certification will need to share extensive information about products’ features and energy use, allowing consumers to find the most appropriate brewer for their needs.
Commercial coffee brewers as they are now can use an extensive amount of energy. Brewers that earn the ENERGY STAR can save up to 35% on energy usage compared to conventional coffee brewers. If all commercial coffee brewers sold in the U.S. were certified, energy cost savings could exceed $41 million each year.
Additionally, more than 700 million pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented, equivalent to the emissions from nearly 70,000 vehicles.
