Articles Tagged with ''regulations for HVACR''

After causing years of uncertainty and economic hardship for the HVAC industry, the regional standards lawsuit appears to finally be resolved.

The settlement agreement, which now awaits court approval, would vacate the regional furnace efficiency standards and also give the industry an 18-month sell-through period to comply with the Jan. 1, 2015, efficiency standards for split-system air conditioners.

While a previous court document identified March 3 as the last day for the expected filing of a settlement in the ongoing regional standards lawsuit, it appears the judicial system may need a few extra days.

Tuesday's motion suspends all court proceedings until March 3 to accommodate pending mediation.

As the regional standards ruling remains entangled in litigation, it is becoming more difficult for the HVAC industry to determine how to move ahead.

There is growing concern that the DOE is placing undue regulatory burden on the HVAC industry — and especially on manufacturers — by regulating components of appliances that already meet energy-efficiency guidelines.

According to AHRI, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued 86 rules regulating the HVAC industry in the past 13 years. And that’s just the DOE. 

Trying to predict what might happen on the refrigerant front in 2014 is as challenging as it has been every year for the past 30 years.