MISSISSAUGA, Ontario - The proposed new version of the Energy Star® specification for furnaces remains under revision. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revisiting the Tier 2 requirements outlined in the current Version 2.0 specification.

Version 2.1 of the Energy Star specification for furnaces, released for discussion in 2007, calls for gas furnaces to achieve an AFUE rating of 92 percent or higher, effective Oct. 1, 2008. Under the current specification (Version 2.0), the Energy Star qualifying level for gas furnaces would remain at AFUE 90 percent on Oct. 1, 2008, while the qualifying level for oil furnaces would increase from a minimum AFUE rating of 83 percent to a minimum of 85 percent.

According to the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), industry stakeholders have agreed that the proposed new requirement is a viable change that will help ensure that manufacturers continue to innovate and bring more efficient models to market.

“Following consultation with members, HRAI advised Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the EPA that we support this proposal,” stated the association.

In releasing Version 2.1 of the Energy Star furnace specification, the EPA confirmed that fan efficiency requirements would not be included in the specification at this time due to concerns about the accuracy of test procedures and regional differences. The EPA will monitor efforts to improve the current test procedure and may revisit this issue in future versions of the furnace specification.

For more information, contact Caroline Czajko at cczajko@hrai.ca.

Publication date: 02/25/2008