Articles Tagged with ''EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)''

Between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HVACR contractors might feel as if they are facing a one-two regulatory punch. Especially on the refrigeration side, new regulations roll out of both the DOE and EPA regularly enough to keep things — shall we say — interesting.

The Timken Museum of Art was recently presented with the 2014 EPA Battle of the Buildings Energy Star award by Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Kevin Faulconer, mayor of San Diego.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 20th Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks shows a 2 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 from 2012 levels, but a 9 percent drop in emissions since 2005.

In March, the EPA approved several low-GWP hydrocarbon refrigerants for use in refrigeration and air conditioning applications, subject to use conditions. The approval drew a mixture of reactions ranging from support to concern.

He acknowledges the proposed compliance requirements are not feasible and would cause considerable harm, result in economic job losses, and may increase — not decrease — risks to the American public. Whitfield said this opinion was the consensus of the most affected industries, including the air conditioning and refrigeration sectors.

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased 2 percent in 2013 compared to the previous year, according to the latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory report from the EPA. The EPA attributed the increase to the growing economy, declining coal prices, and a cold winter.

In the evolving world of refrigerants, the HVACR industry is preparing for the inclusion of mildly flammable or flammable refrigerants in an increasing number of applications. But the expanded use of these refrigerants won’t happen overnight, as there is a multistep approval process they must undergo to be approved for new applications.

The refrigeration industry may have a new folk hero on its hands. On April 1, Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Kentucky, sent a letter to Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In it, Whitfield mapped out a number of “significant concerns” regarding EPA’s proposed rule that seeks to restrict the use of HFCs.