U.S. Department of Energy Finalizes Standards for HVAC Commercial Products.

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U.S. Department of Energy Finalizes Standards for HVAC Commercial Products.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been successful in negotiating the conservation standards for the Commercial Package Air Conditioners and Commercial Warm Air Furnaces Working Group’s products.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has at last seen success by finalizing the standards for commercial HVAC products of the Commercial Package Air Conditioners and Commercial Warm Air Furnaces Working Group.

This measure was extensively applauded by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). It’s after almost six conferences that the working group, which comprises of environmental and energy-efficiency contractors, advocates, and agency representatives (including AHRI, ASAP, and ACEEE), has reached an agreement and gave recommendations for the metrics, test procedures, and conservation standards of energy.

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Commercial HVAC product leaders like www.watsco.com, www.nationalairwarehouse.com, and www.trane.com have always been known to confirm to the standards that have been set by the DOE. The DOE expects all HVAC manufacturers, be it big or small, to follow the suite and meet the set standards.

At a press meet, the CEO and President of AHRI, Stephen Yurek was quoted as saying – “Negotiated rulemaking is our preferred method for establishing energy conservation standards for covered products and equipment. 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 achieves its energy reduction targets.”

This committee was formed under the ASRAC (Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee) in agreement with the Negotiated Rulemaking Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The task of this group was to specifically address the regulations for the energy efficiency of commercial package heat pumps, air conditioners, and commercial warm air furnaces as permitted by the EPCA (Energy Policy and Conservation Act) of 1975, as revised. The range does not include package terminal heat pumps and air conditioners (PTHP/ PTAC), computer room air conditioners (CRAC), single package vertical units (SPVU), and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) equipment.

ACEEE’s executive director, Steven Nadel said – “By every measure, this is the biggest efficiency standards rulemaking in the DOE’s history. 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.”

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