Commercial and Industrial Air Compressors

As defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), “compressor” means a machine or apparatus that converts different types of energy into the potential energy of gas pressure for displacement and compression of gaseous media to any higher pressure values above atmospheric pressure and has a pressure ratio at full-load operating pressure greater than 1.3. 10 CFR 431.342

  • DOE has published a Federal Register final rule amending the test procedure for compressors to correct an error and to ensure that pressure ratio is expressed in terms of absolute pressure. DOE is also correcting the formula for isentropic efficiency and specific energy consumption of the packaged compressor by incorporating a K6 correction factor to correct for differences in pressure ratio when testing at differing elevations. Finally, DOE is amending the definition of “air compressor” to include a minor clarification and revise a typographical error.

    • The effective date of this rule is April 2, 2025.
    • The amendments will be mandatory for product testing starting July 16, 2025.
    • The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register on April 2, 2025.

    DOE has pulled down the enforcement policy regarding the test procedure for air compressors and removed the policy from the DOE enforcement website as of May 2, 2022.  DOE expects regulated entities to begin transitioning in accordance with the current DOE regulations. 

    For the latest information on the planned timing of future DOE regulatory milestones, see the current Office of Management and Budget Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. All planned dates are preliminary and subject to change.

    Standards

    Final Rule
    • Federal Register, 85FR1504 (January 10, 2020)
    • The effective date of this rule is March 10, 2020. Compliance with the new standards established for compressors in this final rule is required on and after January 10, 2025.

    The energy efficiency standards rulemaking docket EERE-2013-BT-STD-0040 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.

    Public Meeting Information

    There is no public meeting scheduled at this time.

    Submitting Public Comments

    Comment period is closed.

    Test Procedure

    Final Rule
    • Federal Register, 90FR5538 (January 17, 2025)
    Notice of Proposed Rule 
    • Federal Register, 88FR9199 (February 13, 2023)

    RFI Comment Extension Notice 

    Request for Information 

    The test procedures rulemaking docket EERE-2022-BT-TP-0019 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.

    Public Meeting Information

    There is no public meeting scheduled at this time.

    Submitting Public Comments

    Comment period is closed.

  • Compressors manufactured starting on January 10, 2025 and distributed in commerce, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 6311(7), must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 431.345.

  • Manufacturers must follow the test procedure methods specified in 10 CFR 431.344 to determine that compressors that are currently manufactured or distributed into commerce are in compliance with DOE standards.

  • Compliance

    DOE has established regulations on certification, compliance, and enforcement in the CFR at 10 CFR Part 429.  These regulations cover statistical sampling plans, certified ratings, certification reports, record retention, and enforcement.  More information on these regulations is available here.

    Waivers

    For information on current test procedure waivers, see DOE’s Waivers webpage.

    For information about obtaining test procedure waivers, see 10 CFR part 431, subpart V.

    Exceptions

    DOE's Office of Hearings and Appeals has not authorized exception relief for compressors.

    For information about obtaining exception relief, see 10 CFR part 1003.

    Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions

    For information on further guidance and answers to frequently asked questions on all covered products, see DOE’s Further Guidance database.

    State Exemptions to Federal Pre-emption

    DOE has not exempted any state from this energy conservation standard. States may petition DOE to exempt a state regulation from preemption by the federal energy conservation standard. States may also petition DOE to withdraw such exemptions. For details, see 10 CFR part 431, subpart W.

  • For more information related to this product, please email:
    ApplianceStandardsQuestions@ee.doe.gov