In what has become a bit of a legal ping-pong match, the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is making sure its voice is heard by the court regarding a future decision on a proposed regional-standards settlement.
The industry currently awaits a court ruling on a proposed settlement that would eliminate a May 1, 2013 implementation date that would mandate 90 percent AFUE furnaces in the North, and instruct the DOE to redo the rulemaking establishing efficiency standards for nonweatherized gas and mobile home gas furnaces. The settlement, as it currently stands, would not impact the regional energy-efficiency regulations for central air conditioners, weatherized furnaces, and heat pumps, which would remain on schedule for a Jan. 1, 2015 implementation. AHRI stands behind the proposed settlement, because the agreement, at a minimum, provides certainty for its manufacturer members.