The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration
Institute iscooperating with the Energy Department as
it decides whether to increase residential furnace efficiency standards, but it has some qualms.
The AHRI has renewed its commitment to cooperate with the U.S.
Energy Department as it decides whether to increase residential furnace
efficiency standards, but said it has concerns about any final regulations.
“AHRI (Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute)
looks forward to working with DOE and other stakeholders to ensure that future
standards are environmentally sound and economically justifiable," said
AHRI President Stephen Yurek.
However, Yurek urged the Obama administration to
consider the potential for unintended consequences if standards are set too
high.
“With today's high energy prices, energy-efficient heating
and cooling systems are good for homeowners, but restricting their choice to
only the most super-efficient models could have the unintended consequence of
making energy efficient heating and cooling systems financially unattainable for
more people,” he said.
Greater efficiency also increases the price of new units and
could make some homeowners decide to repair rather than replace HVAC systems,
which would undermine the government’s energy goals, he added.
“When the federal government raised the minimum efficiency
standard 30 percent for central air conditioners and heat pumps in 2006,
repairs increased by 25 percent and sales of new equipment declined about 10
percent,” Yurek pointed out.
