The rumor mill is running wide open. Being that The NEWS has its ear to the ground on things of this nature, let’s make an attempt to slow things down just a bit. The basic HVAC system tax credit for 2009 and 2010 that went into effect in January of this year is for up to 30 percent of an installation, not to exceed $1,500. (A geothermal installation can provide even greater tax credits for your customers.)

Here is the skinny on the rumor: it is being floated around that the 16 SEER/13 EER efficiency rating as set by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) is very difficult to achieve — that no manufacturer in the market can meet those specifications. A quick visit to the AHRI website (www.ahridirectory.org) for certified matches of indoor units and outdoor units will produce thousands of matches. Really; 28,005 matches to be exact. Some are with manufacturers’ matched coils, some are with third-party coils, but the point is, the tax credits are attainable for your customers.

Several manufacturers have already created locations on their Websites that can help shed light on the rating matches, and some even go so far as to provide certificates for customers. If your supplier brand isn’t quite that far along yet, never fear, http://://www.ahridirectory.org is here.

A few hints when you go to that site: Only enter as much data as needed for an air conditioner search, e.g., Eligible For Federal Tax Credits, click YES; Model Status: ACTIVE; SEER Min: 16; EER Min: 13. That’s all you need to do. If you want to get fancy, enter a manufacturer brand name to narrow your search. If you want to search heat pumps, the minimum numbers are a bit different: 15.5 SEER, 12.5 EER, and 8.5 HSPF.

Now, go hunt for those tax credits.