Judge sides with the Dept. of Energy, strips Energy Star from LG refrigerators for fuzzy interpretation of testing rules.

LG Electronics refrigerators like the one pictured here will no longer carry the Energy Star label.

In what might be the first of many cases challenging the in-house energy efficiency testing procedures for the government's Energy Star Program, a United States District Court has ruled against LG Electronics and ordered them to remove the Energy Star rating from about 40,000 refrigerators.

LG Electronics brought the against the Department of Energy for the revocation of Energy Star labeling on 20 refrigerator models. The 20 models--all models with icemakers and "French Doors"--were not in compliance with efficiency requirements because, the DoE argued, LG had used a testing procedure that ignored the energy used to power the in-door icemaker.

The point of contention in the case stems from a difference between how the DoE wrote and intended the testing procedures, and how LG's in-house testing department interpreted and conducted those tests.

DoE said that the tests had to be conducted while the ice-maker and its components were on, but, “inoperative,” or not in active operation. But LG allegedly understood “inoperative” to mean turning the ice-maker and its components off altogether -- and this is where they were getting their big energy savings.

Previously, LG had measured energy usage based on a common approach in interpreting DOE's test procedure. This test procedure requires, among other things, that the ice maker be disabled but that all temperature controllable compartments, including ice storage bins, be set at their coldest temperature -- the last part of which, LG was not doing.

In the District Court opinion (pdf), Judge John D. Bates reminded LG that for most refrigerators and freezers to qualify for the Energy Star program, they must be at least 20% more energy efficient than the minimum efficiency standards set by law.

LG makes changes, still maintains it did nothing wrong

For its part, LG has agreed to take several steps to remedy the situation including: Offering to modify consumers’ refrigerators to make them more energy efficient; Making a one-time cash payment for past energy usage to cover the difference between the new measured energy rating and the amount listed on the original; And making cash payments for future energy usage each year over the expected useful life of the product to cover the difference between the new measured energy rating and the old one.

LG said it was "disappointed in the ruling and continues to believe that it properly followed the correct DOE test procedures," but that it will "work with its retail partners to remove the Energy Star label on the affected models."

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