U.S. edging towards different HVAC standards for different climate zones

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) in the United States representing equipment manufacturers is proposing to the U.S. government that it should set different energy efficiency standards for residential HVAC equipment according to three different climate zones.

The agreement for the first time sets different standard levels in three climate regions — North, South, and Southwest. It also calls for higher efficiency levels for heating and cooling systems in new homes.

If the zone approach is approved, it would be the first time the government has departed from national standards.

The AHRI agreement to propose a three-zone standard format is with several non-profit energy efficiency advocate groups, including the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the California Energy Commission. They propose to submit their agreement as a legislative proposal to Congress for inclusion in energy legislation currently under consideration.

According to Warren Healey, president of the Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), the move by AHRI and its partners may be a response to a situation developing, in that several U.S. states already have introduced their own standards to meet their own climate needs. The move by AHRI and its partners may therefore be an attempt to bring some uniformity and to avoid a very diverse patchwork of different standards coming into effect.

Canada has only national standards for HVAC equipment.