Thread: New efficiency requirements?

While talking to a contractor recently, he mentioned that there are some upcoming efficiency standards coming out in the future that would make the common 80% mid-efficiency furnace obsolete. I assume something similar to the SEER 13 manufacturing requirements we saw a few years ago with air conditioners. Is anyone aware of upcoming efficiency standards for furnace manufactures that would require all furnaces to have greater than 80% AFUE?

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Not aware of any current specific standards being pushed, but it / they are inevitable. The energy efficiency and planet friendly benefits are the selling point, but without "new" standards manufacturers loose profit opportunity. The later is the engine that will pay for lobbyists to get new efficiency standards mandated. Incandescent light bulbs are supposed to be unavailable sometime soon as well. It's time to buy a few cases of the light bulbs and put them next to the freon in your emergency survival shelter

The new efficiency standard becomes efecctive May 1, 2013

92% minimum efficiency for gas furnaces.

New natural gas furnace standards will raise bar for efficiency | NJ.com

Gary, good article. Love the reader comments too.

Found some info, but most of it is dated. Having trouble finding anything official from the US gov since summer 2011. In 2012 some manufacturing organizations are requesting delay of implementation due the 'sudden' imposition of new standards.
States may also impose their own standards. New requirements seem to be based on region, colder states have different standards than southern states.

Here's some links on what I found so far - - -

HVAC energy efficiency standards go regional
Jun 10, 2011 2:51 PM
HVAC energy efficiency standards go regional

Notes from 2009 and 2011:
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.

U.S. Sets First Regional Energy-Saving Standards for ACs and Furnaces,
Upgrades National Heat Pump Standards
JUNE 10, 2011
excerpt: "Bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this year also included standards based on the groups’ 2009 agreement. However, even with this DOE announcement, a bill will still be needed since an additional key provision of the agreement can only be done via legislation."

Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces and Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
10/31/2011
https://www.federalregister.gov/arti...nd-residential
"The direct final rule published on June 27, 2011 (76 FR 37408) became effective on October 25, 2011. Compliance with the standards in the direct final rule will be required on May 1, 2013 for non-weatherized furnaces and on January 1, 2015 for weatherized furnaces and central air conditioners and heat pumps."

Industry Requests 18-Month Regional Standards Extension
August 27, 2012
Industry Requests 18-Month Regional Standards Extension | 2012-08-24 | ACHRNEWS
"The DOE announced on July 2 that residential HVAC appliances regulated under the pending regional efficiency standards (non-weatherized gas furnaces, mobile home gas furnaces, and non-weatherized oil furnaces) must be installed no later than May 1, 2013. Weatherized gas furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps will follow the same “install by” enforcement ruling, but with a Jan. 1, 2015 compliance date."
"The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) formally petitioned the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), requesting an 18-month extension for residential non-weatherized gas furnaces from the proposed May 1, 2013 implementation date set for the amended federal minimum efficiency standards. AHRI is requesting the compliance date be delayed until Nov. 1, 2014."

- -

The original discussion with the contractor I referred to in my original post was started with the point that now might be a good time to pick up a 80% mid efficiency furnace because the distributors will be wanting to unload their old inventory. Though I don't track pricing on furnaces very often, I noticed that a local HVAC installer advertising Goodman mid efficiency furnaces for less than $800 retail.

We have adopted the 2009 IECC here in Nevada. This doesn't require the anything higher than 80% but it does help the homes HERS score in this climate when people choose to use 90+.
Some other Energy Efficient standards recommend only 90+ when replacing a furnace.
But come 5-1-13 furnaces in the North will have to be 90%. I believe it's places with over 5000 HDD. Which Montana would be.