DOE, Industry Finalize Standards for Commercial HVAC Products
Working group submits recommendations for negotiated standards
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP); the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI); and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) applauded the success of the Commercial Package Air Conditioners and Commercial Warm Air Furnaces Working Group, established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on April 1, to negotiate conservation standards for these products.
After six meetings, the working group — comprised of energy-efficiency and environmental advocates, contractors, and agency representatives, including ACEEE, AHRI, and ASAP — reached consensus and provided recommendations for energy conservation standards, test procedures, and metrics.
“Negotiated rulemaking is our preferred method for establishing energy conservation standards for covered products and equipment,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “Bringing stakeholders together to develop a rule that is both effective and achievable is the best way to ensure our members’ products and equipment provide consumers and businesses with comfort, safety, and productivity while helping the nation achieve its energy reduction targets.”
“By every measure, this is the biggest efficiency standards rulemaking in the DOE’s history,” said Steven Nadel, executive director, ACEEE. “Over 30 years of sales, businesses from big-box stores to commercial building owners will net savings of nearly $50 billion while the nation will see energy reductions equal to all the coal burned in U.S. power plants in one year.”
The committee was established under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Negotiated Rulemaking Act. Specifically, the group was tasked with addressing rules for the energy efficiency of commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps (specifically, air-cooled with rated cooling capacities greater than or equal to 65,000 Btuh and less than 760,000 Btuh for split and package air conditioners and heat pumps) and commercial warm air furnaces, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, as amended. The scope excluded package terminal air conditioners and heat pumps (PTAC/PTHP), single package vertical units (SPVU), computer room air conditioners (CRAC), and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems.
Publication date: 6/29/2015
Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!
Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
