Energy Department Will Enforce 13 SEER Air Conditioner Standard
Press Release / DOE 2apr04
WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will enforce a 13 seasonal energy efficiency rating or “SEER” standard for residential central air conditioners. This standard, which will apply to central air conditioners starting in January 2006, increases by 30 percent the SEER standard that applies to models sold today.
“At this point, all parties have had their day in court,” Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Garman said. “DOE will enforce the 13 SEER standard. In the interest of giving consumers and industry the regulatory certainty they need, it is time for the government and for private parties to stop litigating, and start working towards complying with the 13 SEER standard.”
The Energy Department had promulgated a 12 SEER standard in 2002, but earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the department had done so improperly. The air conditioner manufacturing industry had challenged the 13 SEER, which DOE had issued in January 2001, but recently withdrew its challenge.
Media contacts: Joe Davis, 202/586-4940 Chris Kielich, 202/586-5806
Number: R-04-064
source: http://www.doe.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=15401&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE 4apr04
More Efficient Central Air Rules
DOE Drops Fight to Ease Energy Efficiency Standard
Washington Post 3apr04
The government agreed yesterday to require new central air conditioners and heat pumps to be 30 percent more efficient beginning in 2006.
The Energy Department said it would not challenge a January court ruling stopping it from replacing a Clinton administration rule with one requiring a less stringent standard.
Department officials said they would tell manufacturers that they would enforce the tougher standard, although the department had tried to roll it back to 20 percent.
The 30 percent increase would save consumers an estimated $3.4 billion in energy costs and avoid the construction of 150 power plants in 2020 when the new units are expected to be in wide use, said the Alliance to Save Energy, an advocacy group.
-- Compiled from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters
source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A46725-2004Apr2?language=printer 4apr04
Government Will Enforce Tougher Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards
H. JOSEF HEBERT / AP 2apr04
WASHINGTON—The government agreed Friday to require new central air conditioners and heat pumps to be 30 percent more efficient beginning in 2006.
The Energy Department said it would not challenge a January court ruling stopping it from replacing a Clinton administration rule with one requiring a less stringent standard.
"At this point all parties have had their say in court" and it was time to stop the litigation, Assistant Energy Secretary David Garman said in a statement.
Department officials said they would tell manufacturers that they would enforce the tougher standard, although they previously had tried to roll it back to 20 percent.
The 30 percent increase is estimated to save consumers $3.4 billion in energy costs and avoid the construction of 150 power plants in 2020 when the new units are expected to be in wide use, said the Alliance to Save Energy, an advocacy group.
It is "a great victory for consumers who have been whipsawed this year by winter heating bills and then record gasoline prices," said Kateri Callahan, alliance president.
A federal court ruled that the Energy Department had violated the law when it scrapped the Clinton administration rule and substituted one calling for a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency. The court said Congress, in creating the efficiency standards, made clear that once a standard is on the books it cannot be rolled back.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, consumer groups and attorneys general from 10 states had filed a lawsuit challenging the Bush administration's 20 percent increase.
The regulation requires manufacturers of home central air conditioners and heat pumps to meet a SEER-13 standard, compared to the maximum SEER-10 standard now in effect. The Energy Department had wanted to limit the increase to SEER-12.
SEER, which stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio, is a measurement of efficiency for appliances.
While the new requirements won't take effect until after 2005, Garman said the Energy Department wanted to make clear it will enforce the more stringent requirements.
"In the interest of giving consumers and industry the regulatory certainty they need it is time for the government and for private parties to stop litigating and start working toward complying" with the tougher standard, he said.
Major manufacturers had argued that if they are required to have all their units meet the higher standard, the cost of air conditioning systems will escalate and outweigh energy savings in parts of the country with cool temperatures. Nevertheless, the manufacturers recently dropped a lawsuit challenging the new standard.
Air conditioners and heat pumps account for two-thirds of electricity use during peak summer demand periods. Improved efficiency in these units is viewed as key to reducing electricity demand and easing the strain on the nation's power grids during peak periods.
source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/04/02/national1232EST0573.DTL&type=printable 4apr04
ARI Withdraws From 13 SEER Challenge
ARI Press Release 17mar04
ARLINGTON, Va -- William G. Sutton, president of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), today announced cessation of ARI’s challenge of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regulation affecting central air conditioners and heat pumps that has been pending in federal court since 2001.
“Due to the likelihood of a long and uncertain legal process, ARI will no longer pursue litigation in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va. so that manufacturers can prepare for a new, 13 SEER national minimum efficiency standard for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps that will go into effect on Jan. 23, 2006,” Sutton said.
In March of 2001, ARI had requested judicial review of the DOE’s Jan. 22, 2001 final rule requiring a 30 percent increase in the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) for residential air conditioners and heat pumps. ARI supported raising the current standard by 20 percent to 12 SEER standard as economically justified for consumers and the best way to save energy.
On May 23, 2002 following a long review process, DOE withdrew the 13 SEER rule and issued a new regulation stipulating a 12 SEER standard which opponents challenged in a New York court on procedural grounds.
On Jan. 13, 2004, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that DOE in enacting the 12 SEER standard “failed to effect a valid amendment of the original standards’ (13 SEER) effective date, and as a consequence was thereafter prohibited from amending those standards downward.”
Sutton said that “Manufacturers face significant challenges in meeting the deadline for the 13 SEER standard which is less than two years away. The industry needs to know with certainty what the standard will be in order to meet the needs of the marketplace. Because of the approaching effective date and the uncertainty of the court action, ARI has withdrawn its request for review of the 13 SEER rule by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va.”
The current 10 SEER standard, which went into effect in 1992, will continue to be the national minimum efficiency standard for central air conditioners and heat pumps until Jan. 23, 2006 when equipment manufactured after than date must meet the 13 SEER standard.
However, the DOE excluded “space constrained products” no greater than 30,000 Btu/h from the 13 SEER requirement, stating that these products, which include through-the-wall packaged and split, ductless split and single package and non-weatherized equipment, would be covered by a subsequent rulemaking. That rulemaking by DOE is expected to begin later this year. For these products the current minimum efficiency standard will continue until the compliance date set forth in a future DOE final rule covering the products.
The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute is the trade association representing manufacturers of more than 90 percent of North American produced central air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment.
This and other news items may be found on the Internet at ARI's World Wide Web site, http://www.ari.org.
source: http://www.ari.org/pr/2004/03-04-13seer.html 4apr04
Carrier Corporation Drops Challenge to 13 SEER Efficiency Standard
CARRIER CORPORATION / Press Release 11mar04
FARMINGTON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 2004--Carrier Corporation has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental leadership and withdrew its support to a legal challenge in the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court in Virginia to the 13 SEER national minimum efficiency standard for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps. "A 13 SEER standard is the right environmental choice," said Geraud Darnis, president of Carrier Corporation. "It provides significant energy savings for the country while reducing energy bills for homeowners." SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is the official energy efficiency descriptor for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps in the U.S. Thirteen SEER provides a 30 percent energy efficiency increase over 10 SEER.
In January, the Second Circuit Court in New York ruled that the 13 SEER standard as originally promulgated by the Department of Energy in 2001 should go into effect in 2006.
"A lot has changed in three years," said Darnis. He noted the Fourth Circuit Court challenge could revert the standard back to 10 SEER, which has been in effect since 1992.
"Given the choice between 10 SEER or 13 SEER, we think the industry should support higher efficiency." Darnis stated.
"While this increase in efficiency represents a significant challenge for the industry, Carrier will be prepared to meet that challenge to support our customers," said Darnis. "The nation, the industry and the public need certainty on the new standard so we encourage the industry to embrace 13 SEER."
Carrier, several other air conditioner manufacturers and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute originally challenged the 13 SEER standard published by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2001. In releasing the 13 SEER standard on January 22, 2001, the Department of Energy indicated it would save the nation 4.2 quads of energy by 2030, or the equivalent of all the energy used by 26 million American households in a single year.
Carrier Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems and equipment. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX - News), provider of a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
Contact: Carrier Corporation Nancy T. Lintner, 860-674-3420
Source: Carrier Corporation
source: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040311/115774_1.html 4apr04
DOE To Propose New 20% Increase in
Energy Efficiency Standards for
Residential Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
Press Release / DOE 13apr01
New Standard Would Improve Conservation & Minimize Costs to Low-Income Consumers Building upon yesterday’s announcement of the Bush Administration’s approval of two new energy efficiency standards for clothes washers and water heaters, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced its intention to propose a new 12/12 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) standard for central air conditioners and heat pumps to increase the energy efficiency of those systems by 20 percent and minimize the cost to all consumers.
Today’s announcement marks the completion of a 60-day review of a rule proposed in the last days of the Clinton Administration, which proposed a 13/13 SEER standard.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said, “At a time when we are all concerned about meeting our demand for electricity, our new proposed standard will provide a 20 percent increase in energy savings and help to dramatically reduce electricity demand during peak periods. It is a realistic standard that achieves significant energy efficiency gains and protects low-income consumers from unnecessarily high prices.”
“Our principal focus during this review was to ensure that the air conditioner rule maximized energy efficiency while minimizing future price increases on consumers, particularly low-income consumers. We were particularly concerned that the Clinton rule placed too high a cost burden on consumers.”
The estimated price increase, for example, under the Clinton Administration’s proposal of 13 SEER, was $335 with a payback period (the period of time it takes before a consumer recoups, through lower utility bills, the price increase of the more efficient units) of more than 11 years. By contrast, the price increase for a 12 SEER standard unit would be $213 with a payback period of 9.8 years. Low-income consumers are more sensitive to the up-front cost of any price increase since it is harder for low-income consumers to wait for the time any changes pay for themselves in lower monthly utility bills. The 12 SEER standard is clearly a superior choice for low-income consumers both because any up-front price increase is much less than that projected under the Clinton Administration’s rule and because the payback period is much quicker.
DOE To Propose New 20% Increase in Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps/Page 2
By 2030, the proposed 12/12 SEER standard for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps is projected to save 3 quads, the equivalent amount of electricity that could light all U.S. homes for more than 2 years. These energy savings are the equivalent of 37 power plants.
Higher Cost to Consumers Under Clinton Proposal
Clinton Admin. Bush Admin.
Standard 13 SEER 12 SEER Price Increase to Consumers $335 $213 Payback Period to Recoup Investment 11 Years 9.8 Years
The proposed standard of a 13 SEER is the subject of a legal challenge, which questions the validity of that rule due to a potential detrimental impact on consumers. Moreover, the Clinton Administration’s Department of Justice joined in voicing that concern adding that a proposed 13 SEER standard for heat pumps would raise anti-competitiveness questions.
Media Contact: Jeanne Lopatto or Joe Davis 202/586-4940
Number: R-01-052
source: http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=13159&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE 4apr04
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