Consensus Standards Developed by Advocates, Industry Will Save Consumers Billions
A diverse coalition of consumer, manufacturing and environmental groups praised new energy efficiency standards released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) establishing the first-ever regional standards for central air conditioners and furnaces, as well as strengthened national standards for heat pumps. The new rules are based on a joint recommendation filed with DOE by the groups in 2009.
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Updated Standards
Once the latest updated standards take effect, a typical new air conditioner in the South will use about 40% less energy. I mean and a typical new furnace in the North will use about 20% less than before national standards. All were established in the late 1980s. DOE posted the new rule here.
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DOE Standards
According to DOE’s analysis, the improvements to the air conditioner and heat pump standards announced today will save 156 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over 30 years, or about enough to meet the total electricity needs of all the households in Indiana for three years, while delivering net savings of more than $4.2 billion to U.S. consumers.
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New Furnace Standards
The new furnace standards will save 31 billion therms of natural gas, or about enough natural gas over 32 years to heat all the homes in New York State for more than 11 years and save consumers $14.5 billion.
Energy Savings
The energy savings from the new DOE standards also will deliver big benefits for the electric system. Especially the environment and public health. Improved air conditioner efficiency will also reduce hot-summer-day electric demand by about 4,000 megawatts. That’s roughly the output of 13 large, gas-fired power plants.
Global warming carbon dioxide emissions will be cut by up to 143 million metric tons over 30 years. That’s the amount about equal to annual emissions of 25 million passenger vehicles. Power plant emission of mercury and smog-forming nitrogen oxides will also be cut.
Low-Income Households
These standards will also protect low-income households, most of which are comprise3d of renters dependent on their landlords to provide the heating system. “These new regional furnace standards will ensure that landlords install efficient systems, which will make tenants’ heating bills much more affordable,” said Charlie Harak, managing attorney of the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC).
Many Signatories
The signatories to the joint agreement on which the standards are based are the Alliance to Save Energy, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), ASAP, AHRI, California Energy Commission, NRDC, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Northwest Power and Conservation Council and more than a dozen individual furnace and air conditioner manufacturers.
Others on record in support of the new standards include consumer groups such as the NCLC and Consumer Federation of America; gas and electric utilities such as National Grid and Avista Corporation; and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.
Furnace Standards Beginning
The new furnace standards will apply beginning in May 2013 and the new air conditioner and heat pumps standards in January 2015. The original national furnace standards took effect in 1992, and today’s rule is the first update. Initial national standards for air conditioners and heat pumps took effect in 1992, and a previous DOE update became effective in 2006.
“With summer approaching, the high cost of energy is once again on consumers’ minds as their air conditioning needs increase,” said Steven Nadel, executive director of ACEEE. “These new standards continue a long-term trend that has dramatically raised the efficiency of these essential products, delivering huge benefits for consumers.”
