Standards and Legislation

RSS

While some industrial and commercial HVACR contractors are already acclimated to the OSHA requirements, which have long applied to confined spaces, such as tunnels and man holes, they, along with residential HVAC contractors, will need to make sure they are on top of the new requirements.

The code, scheduled to be released in 2018, will be powered by ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, “Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.” 

The agreement will support the accelerated global transition to new refrigerants brought on by the Montreal Protocol’s ozone layer protection targets by addressing challenges in soundly and safely managing refrigerants. 

Several companies have invested millions of dollars into research and development of low-GWP (global-warming potential) refrigerants, resulting in a number of options for contractors seeking alternatives to the refrigerants that have been delisted under the EPA’s recent rule.

The state’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) requires that at least 20 percent of electricity sales in Minnesota originate from renewable sources by 2020 and 25 percent by 2025.

The International Code Council (ICC) and ASHRAE have signed an agreement on development and maintenance of a new version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), ASHRAE, ICC, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Barring an act of Congress, the 30 percent federal tax credit for residential geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems will expire at the end of 2016. The industry is worried about what that means for the future.

AHRI applauds two recent DOE final rules that adopt ASHRAE 90.1 efficiency levels for three-phase unitary products less than 65,000 Btuh, water-source heat pumps, commercial oil-fired storage water heaters, and packaged terminal air conditioners.

EPA estimates this final rule will reduce greenhouse gas emissions of 54-64 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, equal to the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual energy use of more than 5.8 million homes. 

The agreement furthers their long-term relationship by working cooperatively to improve the efficient use of energy, improve the visible and widespread use of renewable energy sources, and minimize the impact of energy use on the environment.