ARLINGTON, Va. — Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) submitted written comments regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) modifications refining the Draft 3 version 2.0 specifications for the Energy Star® program for residential heaters. These refinements included modifications to the definition and corresponding criteria for gas hybrid water heaters and added a definition for EPAct covered residential gas water heaters with the corresponding criteria. The AHRI comments noted that the gas hybrid water heater definition is still confusing, and suggested that EPA defer the finalization of criteria for these products until such time that the Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized revisions to its efficiency test procedures to cover those products. AHRI also suggested that EPA advance the schedule of the development of Energy Star criteria for commercial water heaters to coincide with the finalization of the revised residential water heater specification. EPA still intends to finalize the version 2.0 specifications so that they will be effective in Feb. 2013.

The comments, submitted by Frank Stanonik, chief technical advisor, AHRI, are available for viewing at http://bit.ly/OvduNU.

Publication date: 9/17/2012