ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has submitted comments responding to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Notice of Data Availability on the framework for developing regulations covering the enforcement of regional efficiency standards for central air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps.

AHRI urged DOE to keep the enforcement regulations as simple as possible, and to rely on a combination of existing resources to create an effective enforcement program that minimizes the burden on manufacturers, distributors, and contractors. Such resources include: the AHRI certification directory; industry and DOE educational efforts; and appropriate AHRI-recommended changes to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) EnergyGuide labels.

AHRI also opposed a proposed waiver concept that would provide a process to allow the installation of non-complying furnaces in the North region under certain conditions.