United States. Manufacturers of residential central air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps created, together with organizations that support energy efficiency, the new federal standards for these products.The agreement includes different levels of guidelines in three climate regions: north, south and southwest, recognizing the appropriate investments for heat and cold efficiency depending on their use, and each state can raise the efficiency levels of these systems in new homes.
These regional standards, which are authorized by energy independence and the 2007 Security Act, will allow in the long term that the nation's energy future will be supported by new, more efficient and cost-effective systems.
Between 2013 and 2030, nearly US$13 trillion will be saved by the country's consumers when these new guidelines take effect, in addition to increasing the cost of more efficient equipment.
Also through 2030, the agreement will save 3.7 quadrillion Btu of energy nationwide, equivalent to the energy consumed by approximately 18 million homes in a single year, or enough to meet the annual energy needs of anyone in Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, or Virginia.
Within this panorama, the minimum efficiency of central air conditioners for residences will also be raised by 8% and for furnaces by 13%, resulting in a 5% reduction in the total load for the energy required for heating and 6% in energy for cooling in 2030.
This will enable the reduction of gas emissions to the environment of 23 million metric tons of CO2 by 2030, an amount equal to that produced by approximately 4 million vehicles each year.
The agreement was signed by executives from the Air Conditioning, Heating and Cooling Institute (AHRI), the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Alliance for Energy Savings (Alliance), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), the Appliance Standards Project (ASAP), the California Energy Commission (CEC), the Northwest Energy and Conservation Council (NWPCC), and by more than a dozen air conditioner and furnace manufacturers.
The signatories will submit a joint legislative proposal to Congress for inclusion in the current energy legislation under consideration. They also recommended to the Department of Energy the enactment of the adoption of the efficiency norms and standards.
