The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced new efficiency standards for HVAC systems, which will become effective beginning January 1, 2023.
These regulations are designed to reduce the energy amount used by commercial and industrial buildings in the United States, thereby increasing their energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
According to DOE estimates, these standards will result in significant energy savings over time: They funded $82.6 million to minimize the overall $100 billion wasted on energy annually.
The first step towards understanding these new regulations is understanding what they are and why they exist. This article will examine some key questions about this regulation: What is it? What’s updated? Why does it matter?
What is HVAC regulation?
HVAC regulation refers to the rules and regulations set by governments for how much energy must be used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These standards help ensure that HVAC systems are as efficient as possible, using less electricity than before and saving money on monthly bills while reducing pollution from greenhouse gas emissions. This can include both residential and commercial buildings.
1. Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
The new standards will require manufacturers to reduce the maximum energy use of central air conditioners and heat pumps by approximately 30% over the 2022 standard. The standards for cooling equipment are expected to be about 15% higher than the current model year standard, while heating equipment is expected to be about 20% to 40% higher than the current model year standard. Additionally, dehumidification equipment is expected to meet a new efficiency level, and ventilation systems will need to meet an existing efficiency level for all homes.
2. Residential Gas Furnaces (80% AFUE)
As of January 1, 2023, minimum efficiency standards for residential gas furnaces have been raised to 80% AFUE. An AFUE is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, which measures how efficiently a furnace converts fuel into heat. An 80% AFUE means that your furnace will produce at least 80% of its heating capability from the fuel it burns. The remaining 20% will be lost as exhaust through the chimney or expelled as warm air during combustion. This new standard applies to all gas furnaces manufactured and sold before 2023 and any existing units retrofitted for compliance.
3. Commercial Warm Air Furnaces
Commercial warm-air furnaces are equipment used to heat office buildings and other commercial facilities. They can also be used in some residential applications but typically smaller than commercial systems. These furnaces are more efficient than forced-air furnaces because they require less energy to run, so HVAC companies are incentivized to install them instead.
The Department of Energy has determined that by 2029 these furnaces must meet an efficiency standard of 95%, saving $1.9 billion annually.
This means that consumers will save money on their energy bills because of using more efficient equipment like this. Businesses will be able to grow without having to worry about increasing costs due to increased demand for electricity and gas use by customers who live nearby or visit often.
4. Mobile Home Furnaces
Affected products are mobile home furnaces with an input rating of 50,000 Btu/h or less. Efficiencies are based on the greater annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) and annual fuel burning intensity (AFBI), according to DOE. The updated efficiency standard is 80% AFUE, equivalent to 80000 Btu/Btu.
How to find out if your furnace is compliant: Look at the manufacturer’s nameplate or manual for the model number and serial number, then enter the information into this database from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE).
Why Are HVAC Regulation Updates Important?
The government update HVAC regulations for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they ensure your system is running at its peak efficiency and not costing you more money than it should.
Secondly, they help improve the comfort level of your home by ensuring that it stays at the right temperature.
Lastly, HVAC regulation updates also help protect the environment by ensuring that your equipment doesn’t use as much power as before, which means fewer emissions.
Energy efficiency
The government improves energy efficiency by regulating carbon emissions, clean energy goals and energy efficiency standards. When a new regulation is released, manufacturers must create new equipment that meets the new standards. Because these new standards require less energy than the previous ones, homes using these products will consume less energy.
Reducing costs
The latest updates will allow technicians to troubleshoot issues more efficiently and increase energy efficiency. This will save you money on monthly bills while reducing your carbon footprint. Regulation updates also reduce costs related to maintenance and repairs.
Some of the most significant benefits of regulation updates come from preventing costly problems before they occur, which saves homeowners money and time spent on repairs or replacements later on down the line.
Improving comfort
The air temperature and humidity in your home can affect your comfort. In addition, the air quality directly affects your body’s ability to breathe easily and recover from illness. Comfort is subjective, but there are things you can do add to make your home more comfortable.
When discussing regulating heating and cooling systems for homeowners, it means making them more efficient by capturing as much heat or coolness as possible. Less energy is needed to maintain ideal comfort conditions inside homes or offices.
HVAC regulation updates improve efficiency by maximizing how well these systems work together with other aspects like insulation quality or duct design, which affects temperature.
Environmental protection
In the past, HVAC systems have been a major source of pollution in many places. However, HVAC regulations are getting stricter daily, and more companies are following them. This is good news for the environment because it means that air quality will be better than ever before.
Stay Ahead of the Curve
The government is doing more to save energy and the environment, including the R-410a phase out in 2023. While many consumers may not be aware of this, businesses are, which means they will likely want to invest in HVAC units that meet these new standards.