Furnaces

Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Non-weatherized Gas Furnaces

Summary: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including residential furnaces. EPCA also requires the DOE to periodically determine whether more-stringent amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified and would save a significant amount of energy. DOE is amending its energy conservation standards for residential non-weatherized gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces in partial fulfillment of a court-ordered remand of DOE's 2011 rulemaking for these products.

Type of Regulation: Energy Conservation Standard

Rulemaking Link: Rulemaking Webpage

Docket ID: EERE-2014-BT-STD-0031

Updates:

• Posted: December 5, 2016 — Reopening of public comment period
• Posted: September 23, 2016 — SNOPR and announcement of public meeting
• Posted: September 2, 2016 — Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR)
• Posted: October 23, 2015 — Reopening of public comment period.
• Posted: September 14, 2015 — Notice of data available (NODA)
• Posted: May 20, 2015 — Extension of public comment period
• Posted: March 12, 2015 — Notice of proposed rulemaking and announcement of public meeting
• Posted: October 30, 2014 — Notice of Public Meeting

Comment Period Close Date: Nov 22, 2016

Where to Comment: EERE-2014-BT-STD-0031

AHRI Comments to Previous Stages of Rulemaking:

• 2015-11-06 — Supplemental Comments in Response to the Reopening of Comment Period for the Notice of Data Availability (NODA)
• 2015-10-14 — Comment Response to the Published NODA, includes attachments
• 2015-07-10 — Comment Response to Published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) and Announcement of Public Meeting
• 2015-04-13 — Transcript: U.S. Department of Energy Public Meeting: The Energy Conservation Standards For Residential Furnaces
• 2015-04-07 — AHRI Questions: Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces; Notice of proposed rulemaking and announcement of public meeting.
• 2015-03-27 — Transcript: U.S. Department of Energy Public Meeting; The Energy Conservation Standards For Residential Furnaces

Staff Contact: Kyle Bergeron

Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces and Commercial Water Heaters

Summary: The Department of Energy (DOE) received a petition asking DOE to: issue an interpretive rule stating that DOE's proposed energy conservation standards for residential furnaces and commercial water heaters would result in the unavailability of “performance characteristics” within the meaning of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended (i.e., by setting standards which can only be met by condensing combustion technology products/equipment and thereby precluding the distribution in commerce of non-condensing combustion technology products/equipment) and withdraw the proposed energy conservation standards for residential furnaces and commercial water heaters based upon such findings.

Type of Regulation: Energy Conservation

Rulemaking Link: Rulemaking Webpage

Docket ID:EERE-2018-BT-STD-0018

UPDATES:

• Posted: July 11, 2019 — Granting in part and denying in part a petition for rulemaking; notice of proposed interpretive rule; request for comment
• Posted: January 29, 2019 — Notice of petition for rulemaking; extension of public comment period
• Posted: November 1, 2018 — Notice of petition for rulemaking; request for comment

Comment Period Close Date: Closed

Where to Comment:EERE-2018-BT-STD-0018

AHRI Comments to Previous Stages of Rulemaking:

• 2019-03-01 — AHRI comments to petition for rulemaking

Staff Contact: Laura Petrillo-Groh

N/A

Current Standard

Residential furnaces manufactured and distributed in commerce, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 6291 (16), must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 430.32(e)(1)(i).

The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of residential furnaces shall not be less than the following for non-weatherized gas-fired furnaces manufactured before November 19, 2015; non-weatherized oil-fired furnaces manufactured before May 1, 2013; and weatherized furnaces manufactured before January 1, 2015:
 

¹_{Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, as determined in section 10 CFR 430.23(n)(2).}

The AFUE of residential furnaces shall not be less than the following start on the compliance date shown in the table:
 

_{¹ Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, as determined in section 10 CFR 430.23(n)(2).}

• Final Rule: Standards, Federal Register, 72 FR 65136 (November 19, 2007)
• Correction to the Final Rule: Standards, Federal Register, 73 FR 43611 (July 28, 2008)
• Technical Support Document
• Docket No. EERE-2006-BT-STD-0102 contains notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.

Furnaces manufactured on or after May 1, 2013, shall have an electrical standby mode power consumption (P_W,SB) and electrical off mode power consumptions (P_W,OFF) not more than the following:
 

Links:

• Final Rule Technical Amendment, Federal Register, 79 FR 43927 (July 29, 2014)
• Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0026 contains Final Rule: Technical Amendment (July 29, 2014)
• Notice of Effective Date and Compliance Dates for Direct Final Rule, Federal Register, 76 FR 67037 (Oct. 31, 2011)
• Correction to the Final Rule: Standards, Federal Register, 76 FR 39245 (July 6, 2011)
• Final Rule: Standards, Federal Register, 76 FR 37408 (June 27, 2011)
• Technical Support Document
• Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-STD-0011 contains notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.

After a regulatory action has been completed, Executive Order 12866 requires agencies to identify the substantive changes between the draft submitted to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review and the action subsequently announced, and to identify those changes made at the suggestion or recommendation of OIRA. The document below provides more information:

• Direct Final Rule submitted to OMB on March 4, 2011 COMPARE with notice concluded on June 3, 2011

To determine compliance with DOE standards, manufacturers must follow the test procedures specified at 10 CFR 432(e)(2) for residential furnaces. The methods to conduct the test procedure are further specified in 10 CFR 430 Appendix N to Subpart B.

• Final Rule: Test Procedures, Federal Register, 81 FR 2628 (January 15, 2016)
• Docket No. EERE-2012-BT-TP-0024 contains notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.

AHRI comments to rulemaking:

• AHRI comments on the NOPR (July 10, 2015)
• AHRI comments on the NOPR (May 15, 2015)

For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this test procedure, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.