The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) is one industry group that expressed disappointment in a recent ruling by a federal appeals court, which reversed a Bush administration change regarding efficiency standards for home air conditioners.
On Jan. 13, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) did not follow "proper procedures" when it adopted its 12 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) standard in May 2002. As a result, the more stringent 13 SEER standard, issued by the Clinton administration during its final weeks in office, will go into effect in 2006.