AHRI Update

January 26, 2023Top StoriesImage
![]() Save the Date! | 2023 AHRI State Summit Registration Opens on February 21Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2023 AHRI State Summit, to the be held at the Renaissance Albany Hotel from April 25-26 in Albany, New York. Participants will gain insight from key policymakers and stakeholders on priority issues impacting the HVACR and water heating industry in New York state and the northeast region. Let lawmakers know our industry’s position on the critical policy decisions affecting your business, employees, and customers! In addition to meetings with New York legislators and regulators, the State Summit will include:
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![]() AHRI to Cosponsor and Exhibit at AHR Expo 2023 – Offering Five Free Educational SessionsAHRI will co-sponsor and exhibit at the 2023 AHR Expo, to be held February 6-8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit booth B1539 to learn about AHRI’s certification and standards programs, membership, and more. The AHR Expo is the world’s largest HVACR marketplace event and will host more than 1,500 exhibitors and attract a diverse group of international industry professionals. AHRI will host five free educational sessions during the AHR Expo: Status Update on Refrigerant Classification, Specification, and Recovery Standards Improving Indoor Air Quality in Commercial Spaces: Best Practices and Financial Resources What’s in it for Me? A Closer Look at Inflation Reduction Act Incentives Innovations in Thermal Energy Storage The Regulatory Report: 2022 Changes and What You Need to Know in 2023 AHRI/Industry NewsImage
![]() AHRI Members: Contribute to the Rees Scholarship Foundation with Your Membership InvoiceAHRI members may contribute to the Rees Scholarship Foundation by using the membership dues invoice sent on December 16, 2022, which includes an optional line item for a $500 donation. This tax-deductible contribution will support the continued promotion of the HVACR industry through scholarships to qualified students enrolled in an institutionally accredited school. To date, Rees has awarded more than $1 million to over 700 students pursuing HVACR careers. Contributions are voluntary and any amount helps. Learn more about Rees here. Legislative and RegulatoryLow-GWP Building Code Legislation Introduced in HawaiiHawaii State Representative Nicole Lowen (D) has introduced H.B. 345, enabling the use of low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants through a technical building code fix in the state. The legislation states that the use of a refrigerant designated acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency shall not be prohibited or regulated by any code, ordinance, rule, or regulation of any state or local agency or any political subdivision of the state of Hawaii, except that any equipment containing a permissible refrigerant shall be utilized and installed in accordance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Hawaii is in session until early May. The legislation is awaiting committee referral, with a hearing expected in the coming weeks. EPA Publishes Proposed Rule on AIM Act Technology TransitionsOn December 14, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule regarding the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act Technology Transitions, which would restrict the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in specific industrial sectors and establish administrative channels for petitioning, recordkeeping, and reporting on the phasedown process. This rulemaking would implement certain provisions of the AIM Act, bipartisan legislation that passed into law in 2020, directing EPA to implement an 85 percent phasedown of the production and consumption of HFCs by 2035. Additional information on the proposed phasedown rule is available here. The EPA is also seeking advance information on certain topics that may help develop a future proposed rule including restrictions on the use of HFCs for certain sectors and subsectors and a third-party auditing program to verify substances used in products. On December 17, 2022, AHRI submitted comments on the rule’s information collection provisions for consideration by the Office of Management and Budget. These comments specifically pertain to record keeping and reporting requirements and are open for additional member feedback. EPA will accept comments until January 30, identified by docket identification number EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0643, via the Federal eRulemaking portal. Standards and CertificationAutomatic Commercial Ice-Makers STC Initiates Project to Revise Standards 810 and 820AHRI’s Automatic Commercial Ice-Makers Standards Technical Committee (STC) has initiated project to revise:
AHRI Multi-Sector Standards Subcommittee Approves Project RevisionsAHRI’s Multi-Sector Standards Subcommittee has approved projects to revise the following standards:
The standards team welcomes volunteers to revise AHRI Standard 110. Image
![]() AHRI Standards Team Seeks Heating Consensus Body ParticipationAHRI’s standards team is seeking volunteers for its Heating Consensus Body. Consensus bodies are comprised of experts who provide the final review and approval to publish an approved AHRI standard as an American National Standard. A balance of interests is required among the membership, and no one interest category can constitute the majority of members. AHRI membership is not required to contribute. Learn more about this opportunity here. AHRI Standards Open for Public Review and CommentAHRI has issued a call for comments on the following standards: Public Review/Deadline: February 5
Public Review/Deadline: February 6
Public Review/Deadline: February 13
Please see more information regarding these standards here. To submit comments, email this form to [email protected]. Image
![]() AHRI Welcomes New Certification Program ParticipantsAHRI is pleased to welcome the following certification program participants:
AHRI Working Group Spotlight: Applied SectorThe DX-Dedicated Outdoor Air System Units (DX-DOAS) Certification Task Force will meet on January 30 at 3:00 p.m. EST to discuss member questions regarding the DX-DOAS certification program and to clarify information for the operations manual. These topics may be of interest to DX-DOAS manufacturers considering joining this new certification program. InternationalAHRI Submits Comments for USTR’s Four-Year Review of Section 301 China TariffsOn January 17, AHRI submitted comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in response to a request for comments regarding its Four-Year Review of Actions Taken in the Section 301 China Investigation in the Federal Register on October 17, 2022. AHRI’s comments oppose the Section 301 tariffs because they have lowered the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers, harmed workers, and raised costs for consumers, contributing to record-high inflationary pressures. In its comments, AHRI responded to questions about economy- and industry-wide impacts of the Section 301 China tariffs and included a list of member products affected by the tariffs. Image
![]() AHRI MENA Visits DEWA Research and Development Center in DubaiOn January 24, AHRI’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team visited the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) Research and Development Center at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai to discuss potential cooperation opportunities in energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction. The DEWA staff provided the team with a tour of their state-of-the-art facility and explored ways in which the two organizations can promote sustainable energy practices and reduce the environmental impact of their respective industries to meet the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. The park is the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer model. It has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, with investments totaling $14 billion. When completed, it will annually save more than over 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions. Learn more about AHRI MENA here. |