Guidance on Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines

Businesses importing, producing, and trading household washing machines are required to conduct energy efficiency testing before putting products on the market. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to grasp the detailed information about the time, implementation methods, technical requirements, and product types within the scope of application. Phuc Gia has researched, compiled, and studied the content of Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines in the article below. We hope this information helps you grasp the necessary information, and if you have any questions, please contact us for the most thorough and enthusiastic answers.

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Table of contents

1. When is it mandatory for businesses to conduct Declaration of Energy Labeling and Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines?

Energy Efficiency Testing

Decision No. 14/2023/QD-TTg – “Decision promulgating the list and roadmap for energy-using means and equipment to be eliminated and low-efficiency power generation units not to be newly built,” issued on May 24, 2023, replacing Decision No. 24/2018/QD-TTg, the Washing Machine product is regulated as follows:

At Appendix I, it is clearly stated: The import, production, and trading of Washing Machines with energy efficiency not meeting the minimum energy efficiency level specified in National Standard TCVN 8526:2013 is prohibited from the effective date of this Decision;
Accordingly, as of July 15, 2023, businesses importing, producing, and trading this item are mandatorily required to conduct Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines according to TCVN 8526:2013 and must meet the minimum Energy Efficiency level.

Declaration of Energy Labeling for Washing Machines

Based on Decision No. 04/2017/QD-TTG – “Decision stipulating the list of means and equipment required to have Energy Labels, applying the minimum Energy Efficiency level and implementation roadmap,” the Washing Machine product is regulated as follows:

In Clause 1, Article 1, it is clearly stated that Washing Machines belong to the group of equipment that must bear energy labels and apply minimum energy efficiency.
At Point a, Clause 1, Article 2 regarding the roadmap for energy labeling, it is required to “implement mandatory energy labeling for the following household appliance and industrial equipment groups: Tubular fluorescent lamps, self-ballasted lamps, electromagnetic and electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps, air conditioners, rice cookers, electric fans, refrigerators, horizontal-axis washing machines, vertical-axis washing machines, televisions, three-phase distribution transformers, induction motors”.

Accordingly, since January 01, 2013, businesses importing, producing, and trading this item have been mandatorily required to conduct Declaration of Energy Labeling for Washing Machines.

Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines

2. Does the Ministry of Industry and Trade have guidance for businesses on implementing Declaration of Energy Labeling and Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines?

Circular No. 36/2016/TT-BCT – “Stipulating energy labeling for energy-using means and equipment under the management scope of the Ministry of Industry and Trade,” issued on December 28, 2016 (along with Consolidated Document No. 23/VBHN-BCT issued on March 24, 2020). This document mandates that businesses producing, importing, or trading means and equipment on the List of items requiring energy labels (issued by the Prime Minister) must submit a registration dossier for energy labeling to the Ministry of Industry and Trade before introducing the items to the market. The registration dossier includes:

A Form of Declaration of Energy Labeling for the energy-using means and equipment, clearly specifying whether the business is registering for a comparative label or a confirmation label, per the template in Appendix 1, Circular No. 36/2016/TT-BCT;
Test/Certification Reports/Results issued by a testing laboratory for the product model;
Documentation proving a foreign testing laboratory meets all conditions (Applicable when the energy labeling testing is conducted by a foreign testing laboratory);
The proposed energy label design.

Furthermore, Circular No. 36/2016/TTT-BCT also clarifies that re-registration for energy labeling is required in only two cases: The evaluation standard has changed, or the means and equipment already registered for labeling have changes in their energy consumption level. Concurrently, this Circular also outlines the conditions that testing laboratories for energy labeling must satisfy.

3. Which types of household washing machines require mandatory Energy Efficiency Testing?

Based on Section 1 (scope of application), TCVN 8526:2013 specifies “the energy efficiency levels and methods for determining energy efficiency for household washing machines and similar purposes, with or without heating devices, using cold and/or hot water sources, with a rated capacity from 2 kg to 15 kg”. Simply put, the following types of household washing machines must undergo Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines:

Horizontal-axis washing machine

Vertical-axis washing machine

This standard does not apply to washing machines with separate wash tubs and spin tubs.

4. What energy efficiency requirements must Household Washing Machines meet during Energy Efficiency Testing?

According to TCVN 8526:2013, Household Washing Machines (including horizontal-axis and vertical-axis washing machines) must ensure the following requirements during Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines:

– The Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) regulates the minimum energy level for types of washing machines, based on the energy efficiency determination method in Section 5 of the standard, as follows:

Vertical-axis washing machines shall not exceed 23.0 Wh/kg
Horizontal-axis washing machines shall not exceed 90.0 Wh/kg

– The energy efficiency levels for vertical-axis washing machines and horizontal-axis washing machines are specified in the table below. Level 1 represents the lowest energy efficiency, and level 5 represents the highest energy efficiency.

Efficiency Level	Efficiency Grade (E)
Efficiency Level	Vertical-axis washing machines	Horizontal-axis washing machines
1	20,0 < E £ 23,0	82,0 < E £ 90,0
2	17,0 < E £ 20,0	72,0 < E £ 82,0
3	14,5 < E £ 17,0	62,0 < E £ 72,0
4	12,0 < E £ 14,5	52,0 < E £ 62,0
5	E £ 12,0	E £ 52,0

5. For Energy Efficiency Testing, how many samples does a business need to bring to the Laboratory?

The business needs to bring a minimum of 1 sample to the Laboratory to perform Energy Efficiency Testing. The method for determining energy efficiency is specified in Section 5 of Standard TCVN 8526:2013, where the testing time for these products is regulated as follows:

The testing time comprises three complete wash cycles using the cotton wash program.
For non-automatic washing machines, each complete cycle includes one wash phase, two rinse/spin phases, and one spin phase.
For automatic washing machines, a complete cycle is calculated from the program’s start time, excluding any user-set delay, until the wash program concludes.

Therefore, customers only need to bring 1 sample per product type to the testing unit to conduct Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines. The sample will be tested per the cycle above, and the result will be determined using the formula in Section 5.4 of this Standard.

6. Which testing organizations are designated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade for Energy Efficiency Testing of Washing Machines?

To find out if the testing center you plan to use is designated, you should contact the unit to request the designation decision issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to that Center/Laboratory. Alternatively, you can check the official website of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Phuc Gia Testing Center is one of the units designated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to conduct energy efficiency testing for Household Washing Machines under the Registration Certificate for Energy Efficiency Testing No. 15/GCN-BCT.

7. What is the Fee and Duration for Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines?

Depending on the listed price of each Testing laboratory, the testing cost at Phuc Gia Lab is listed at: Quotation for Energy Efficiency Testing.

The testing duration will depend on the unit you choose, typically around 10 days/model. However, Phuc Gia Laboratory Corporation always offers clients the best support on testing time; therefore, our Energy Efficiency Testing for Washing Machines is completed in 01-03 days/model.

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Please wait a moment to load the Designation from the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Click here to download the Designation from the Ministry of Industry and Trade

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