Electric tumble clothes dryers were introduced in the United States in the late 1930s, and until recently have remained largely unchanged, with only small incremental improvements in operation. Recent advancements in electric clothes dryers range from automatic control improvements to alternative methods for removing moisture, with heat pump technology showing the most promise for efficiency gains. The paper will introduce the reader to advanced dryer technologies, including improved moisture sensing controls, non-venting moisture removal/condensation, and heat pump drying. Results of both field and laboratory testing of these features will be presented. In order to calculate energy savings associated with these new advancements, baseline values must be established. The results of several recently completed field studies, conducted in the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest, are presented. The field study results demonstrate that dryer usage and potential savings are higher than the assumptions utilized by the ENERGY STAR program. Load shapes generated from those studies show regional variation in usage patterns. Finally, the authors describe the Super Efficient Dryer Initiative (SEDI) and its stakeholder contributions to the various activities, including DOE and EPA initiatives, which are helping to build the market for efficient dryers.

1. Commercial Building Codes:
Finding the Path to
Improved Compliance
Presented by Ari Michelson, ERS
February 3, 2016
AESP National Conference, 2016
Phoenix, AZ

2. Compliance with the energy code is the
law…

3. …yet NO buildings meet the energy
code requirements!!!
 ERS compliance studies:
 Massachusetts (2)
 Rhode Island
 New York
 Maine
 DOE – ARRA (multi-state evaluation)
 Energy code training: MA, NH, RI,
and NY

4. Compliance and Enforcement Challenges
Meet Emmet.

5. Evolution of Energy Codes
Source: ACEEE 2012

6. The Energy Code of the Future: A Shift
ZNE
 Today: Code is minimum standard.
 Incremental improvements with each
new version
 Future: Provide a
roadmap for zero net
energy (ZNE) buildings.

7. Future Trends in Codes: zEPI
 Zero Energy Performance Index (zEPI)
Source: New Buildings Institute, 2015

8. Future Trends in Codes:
Outcome-Based Codes
 Post-occupancy performance verification
 Flexibility in building design
=

9. Compliance Improvement Tool:
High Performance Building Programs
 Set targets better than code requirements.
 LEED, NBI’s Advanced Buildings, CHPS, etc.
 Spillover opportunity for Program Administrators

10. High Performance Program Case Study:
Massachusetts Stretch Code
 Adopted in 2009; requires ≈20% better than
IECC 2009 base code.
 As of 2014, over 50% of MA towns adopted
the Stretch Code
 Cascading benefits
across the state.

11. Program Administrators’ (PAs’)
Existing Programs “Push” the Code

12. Opportunity for PAs to “Pull” Buildings
Above and Beyond Code
Source: Fit Events Tough Mudder, www.fitevents.com

13. “Pull” Buildings Beyond Code
 Teach the “why”
 building science

14. Focus: Code Compliance or Savings
Opportunity
 Focus should be on savings opportunity
90% compliance target

15. Conclusions
 Energy code is shifting – path to ZNE
 “Pull” programs and high performance
buildings
 Go beyond compliance rate – identify
savings opportunities

16. Thank you!
Questions?
Ari Michelson, ERS
amichelson@ers-inc.com

17. Save the Dates
For more information, see www.aesp.org.