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A.O. Smith Awarded First Compliance Certification Number by Department of Energy

September 25, 2000 - Tipp City, Ohio – A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company, a leading manufacturer of electric motors for residential, commercial and industrial applications, today announced it is the first motor manufacturer certified by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) as conforming to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct).

In July, DOE issued the Compliance Certification (CC) number "001A" to A.O. Smith, verifying the company’s general-purpose, integral horsepower motors meet or exceed new government standards for energy efficiency.

EPAct, which went into effect October 1997, mandates that all general-purpose motors one to 200 horsepower that are produced for sale in the U.S. meet nominal floor efficiency levels. A.O. Smith, a leader in energy-efficient motors, was the first manufacturer to apply for and receive DOE certification.

"A.O. Smith is dedicated to maintaining its position as an industry leader in energy-efficient motors," explains Dave Parkinson, A.O. Smith manager of integral horsepower motor engineering. "Our product line, which includes E-Plus and XXX high-efficiency E-Plus® and premium efficiency E-Plus® 3 motors, was already a frontrunner in this field."

The intent of EPAct is to reduce energy consumption in the U.S. by requiring the production and use of energy-efficient products. The law applies to manufacturers selling general-purpose motors to U.S. markets. To demonstrate compliance with the law, motor manufacturers must test all basic models under consideration, or use a combination of selected basic model testing and an acceptable alternate efficiency-determination computer model.

Upon application by the manufacturer, DOE reviews the validity of the testing process and its results. Successful applicants are then issued a Compliance Certification number. The law requires all manufacturers selling general-purpose motors to secure a CC number by November 20011, and to display it on relevant motor nameplates and sales literature.

The CC number "001A" will appear on all A.O. Smith motors by December, covering domestically sold products produced in the U.S., Mexico, Hungary, China and Korea.

In preparation for EPAct requirements, A.O. Smith’s main integral horsepower motor testing laboratory in Lexington, Tenn. acquired accreditation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) in June 1997. NIST/NVLAP reviews the testing systems used by laboratories, and verifies their consistency with national standards. A.O. Smith was the first motor manufacturer to have its laboratory receive NIST/NVLAP certification for EPAct efficiency testing.

"We pursued these accreditations knowing they would help demonstrate the accuracy of our tests to DOE," says Parkinson. "Although the certification was costly and not requiredmandatory, we wanted to eliminate any ambiguity about our test results."

As early as September, A.O. Smith will begin placing the CC number on selected motors. According to Parkinson, it will be a proud time for his engineering team, capping many years of hard work developing energy-efficient motors. "Our team and our company will be very pleased to see ‘001A’ on that first nameplate."

A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company, based in Tipp City, Ohio, is A.O. Smith Corporation’s largest operating unit with 1999 sales of $723 million. It manufactures a comprehensive line of hermetic, sub-fractional, fractional, and integral horsepower AC and DC electric motors used in a wide array of consumer, commercial, and industrial products.