ARLINGTON, Va. — As of Jan. 1, 2012, all certification programs formerly under the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) certification umbrella, ARI Performance Certified, GAMA Energy Efficiency Rating Certified, and the I=B=R program (for hydronic heating equipment), will be brought under one certification program and logo — AHRI Certified®. Until Jan. 1, 2014, the I=B=R mark can be displayed simultaneously with the AHRI Certified mark.

Most contractors and technicians are very familiar with AHRI’s predecessor certification programs and regularly install equipment and components bearing those marks. Those marks will gradually disappear from the marketplace, replaced by the AHRI Certified logo, which provides the same level of performance assurance contractors have come to expect from AHRI’s programs, the association said. The logo is all that has changed; equipment performance claims are still independently measured and verified, providing consumer confidence and enabling fair product comparisons, stated AHRI.

AHRI’s certification program is voluntary and is open to manufacturers of HVACR and water heating equipment and components and to private brand marketers that produce or market products within the scope of one or more of the certification programs. According to AHRI, its 37 certifications programs provide accurate, unbiased evaluation to ensure that manufacturers’ performance claims are accurate. AHRI’s certification program is recognized by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Energy Protection Agency (EPA), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and California Energy Commission (CEC).

For more information, visit www.ahrinet.org/certification.aspx or email certification@ahrinet.org.

Publication date: 10/17/2011