The rule will effectively ban the sale of non-condensing gas furnaces and, according to the American Gas Association (AGA), will affect 55% of U.S. households.
Heat pumps from Bosch, Daikin, Midea, and Johnson Controls are moving to the next phase of the challenge, which involves installing and monitoring prototypes in cold-climate locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The final rule from the U.S. Department of Energy, issued recently, requires newly manufactured indoor residential gas furnaces to be at least 95% efficient starting in December 2028, meaning furnaces made after then will have to be condensing models.
The selected projects, which have not been finalized, would be the first awards coming out of DOE’s use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase domestic production of five clean energy technologies, including electric heat pumps.
The latest rule will require every mobile home gas furnace — and every new residential, non-weatherized gas furnace — to have a minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency (or AFUE) of 95% starting in late 2028.
The Department of Energy recently proposed new higher energy efficiency standards for residential water heaters. Industry is split over whether the new standards will help or hurt consumers.
Manufacturers will have five years, from the date the rule is published in the Federal Register, to ensure that new gas furnaces comply with the new minimum.
The Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) funding will help advance cost-effective solutions for electrifying buildings across the nation while also improving their energy efficiency and demand flexibility.
The Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge (CCHPTC) is a program designed to help manufacturers speed the development of the next generation of heat pumps and ensure that they will perform reliably during chilly winters in North America.
Workers trained by contractor training grants will be prepared to implement energy upgrades that could potentially qualify for rebates under the Home Energy Rebates Program and help save consumers money on their energy bills.