Aug. 12, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will launch a new ENERGY STAR® program for residential water heaters, effective Jan. 1, 2009. It covers gas-fired storage, gas-fired tankless, heat pump and solar water heaters.The program for gas-fired storage water heaters will take effect in two phases. For the first 19 months of the program, these water heaters must achieve an Energy Factor of .62 to qualify for the ENERGY STAR label, but on Sept. 1, 2010, the program criteria requirement changes to require an Energy Factor of 0.67 to qualify. Learn more about the program requirements and performance criteria on AHRIs Web site.
