A washing machine appliance and methods of operation are provided. The washing machine appliance generally includes an apron and a sub-washer unit suspended within the apron by a plurality of dampers. A measurement device is mounted on the sub-washer unit to measure the movement of the sub-washer unit. The movement of each damper is calculated based on the relative position of the damper and the measurement device. By monitoring the movement of each damper, the amount of energy dissipated by each damper during operation may be calculated and the operation of the washing machine appliance may be adjusted when the amount of energy dissipated and/or power level exceeds a predetermined energy threshold.
