Earlier this year, the Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental organization, announced it would be joining nonprofit public interest law organization, Earthjustice; the Consumer Federation of America; the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); and a coalition of state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) delays in issuing new energy-efficiency standards for ceiling fans, freezers, boilers, and commercial and consumer goods. While these environmental organizations claim the lawsuit is due to their thinking the standards will protect public health and save on energy costs, most HVAC industry organizations are largely on the other side of the coin, stating that these organizations do not understand what these regulations mean for HVAC manufacturers, distributors, and contractors.
According to ASHRAE, “The DOE issued a publication notice of the final rules in December with the final rules to follow in February or March. Those deadlines have now passed with no rules published. According to the groups filing suit, this violates the Energy Policy and Conservation Act [EPCA] and Administrative Procedures Act. The final rules for ceiling fan efficiency and certain federal residential building energy standards are set to take effect on Sept. 30 while test procedures associated with compressors, central air conditioners, and walk-in coolers and freezers (WICF) have been postponed until late June or early July.”