DOE issues Direct Final Rule on Regional Standards

The Department of Energy has released a Direct Final Rule regarding Regional Standards for Residential Furnaces, Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps. If no adverse comments are received, this Direct Final Rule will become effective 110 days from the date of official publication and will be followed 90 days later by an enforcement rulemaking.

As currently written, the implementation date for non-weatherized gas furnaces, mobile home furnaces and non-weatherized oil furnaces is May 1, 2013. The implementation date for weatherized gas furnaces, all central air conditioners and all heat pumps is January 1, 2015.

The DOE has decided to leave a singular national standard in place for some products, while other products will now be forced to meet up to three different qualifying standards. Below is a list of both national product standards and a breakdown by individual state.

Product Class	National Standard
Non-weatherized oil-fired furnace	83% AFUE
Weatherized gas furnace	81% AFUE
Mobile home oil-fired furnace	75 % AFUE
Weatherized oil-fired furnace	78% AFUE
Electric furnace	78% AFUE
Split-system heat pumps	14 SEER / 8.2 HSPF
Single-package heat pumps	14 SEER/ 8.0 HSPF
Small-duct, high velocity systems	13 SEER/ 7.7 HSPF
Space-constrained products- air conditioner	12 SEER
Space-constrained products- heat pumps	12 SEER/ 7.4 HSPF

States	Non-weatherized gas furnace	Mobile home gas furnace	Split-system AC	Single-package AC
AK, CO, CT, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WV, WI, WI	90% AFUE	90% AFUE	13 SEER	14 SEER
AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, DC	80% AFUE	80% AFUE	14 SEER	14 SEER
AZ, CA, NV, NM	80 % AFUE	80% AFUE	14 SEER EER=12.2 >45,000 BTU's EER=11.7 <45,000 BTU's	14 SEER EER=11.0