WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that AeroSys Inc. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $25,000 and take other actions designed to ensure its compliance with DOE’s energy efficiency standards. Last fall, the Department subpoenaed AeroSys’s data on the energy use of certain heat pumps and air conditioners and then issued a demand to test six air conditioner models and one heat pump. DOE testing indicated that one heat pump model and two air conditioner models consumed more energy than allowed under federal efficiency standards and required AeroSys to cease distribution of those models. DOE also issued a civil penalty notice to AeroSys for violations of the Department’s certification requirements.

DOE said that this settlement resolves its outstanding claims against AeroSys and ensures the company’s future compliance with energy efficiency regulations. Under the agreement, AeroSys must submit all energy efficiency test reports to DOE for the next three years to ensure the company’s through-the-wall heat pumps and air conditioners comply with minimum energy efficiency standards. If, upon review, DOE determines AeroSys’s in-house testing is not accurate or reliable, the agreement requires AeroSys to use an independent third-party test facility to certify products. In addition, AeroSys has submitted four of its previously distributed, highest sales volume models for independent third-party testing to ensure that those models met the federal standard in effect at the time.

Publication date: 07/26/2010