A bill in the Senate aims to update the efficiency standards of appliances and building systems, including furnaces, heat pumps, and central air conditioners. Titled the “Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act of 2011,” it divides the nation into three regions with different efficiency standards for each. It also recommends more stringent building codes for new construction.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Fuel Cell Technologies Program will host a webinar with the Clean Energy States Alliance and the Technology Transition Corp. titled “Fuel Cells for Supermarkets” on April 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern time. The webinar will detail the experiences that supermarkets in four states have had with stationary fuel cells.

Refrigeration contractors and technicians who work in the domestic refrigeration sector should be aware of increased efficiency standards that are also affecting ice making equipment and room air conditioners. And all those in refrigeration should look at such efficiency upgrades as a growing trend across the board.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Education have joined with the National Science Teachers Association to launch America’s Home Energy Education Challenge, a new energy education initiative. The goal is to motivate students across the country to learn about energy efficiency and help their families save money.

Energy Star, the consumer information program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently released new eligibility requirements for furnaces. On June 13, EPA released Version 3.0 and Version 4.0 of Energy Star requirements for furnaces.

Ingersoll-Rand plc has awarded $150,000 to Purdue University to sponsor its team’s bid in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2011. The company said the underwriting of Purdue’s entry illustrates the contribution that solar energy and state-of the-art technology bring in creating environmentally responsible residential homes.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a final rule establishing federal test procedures for walk-in coolers and freezers. In the rule, DOE adopted by reference Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1250 (I–P)–2009, ‘‘Standard for Performance Rating of Walk-In Coolers and Freezers.”

Building on a long-established working relationship, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed an updated memorandum of understanding, committing to further improve the efficient use of energy.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) urging the agency to abandon its proposal to regulate commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and fume hoods.