DOE Issues Notification of Proposed Determination and Request for Comment for No Increase in the Efficiency Requirement for Weatherized Gas Consumer Furnaces.

On Monday, DOE issued a pre-publication Federal Register notice of proposed determination (NOPD) pertaining to energy conservation standards for oil, electric, and weatherized gas consumer furnaces. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), prescribes standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including non-weatherized oil-fired furnaces (NWOFs), mobile home oil-fired furnaces (MHOFs), weatherized gas furnaces (WGFs), weatherized oil-fired furnaces (WOFs), and electric furnaces (EFs). EPCA also requires DOE to periodically review its existing standards to determine whether more stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this NOPD, DOE has initially determined that amended standards for EFs, NWOFs, MHOFs, WOFs, and WGFs do not need to be amended. Of significant interest for natural gas applications, the minimum efficiency requirement for weatherized gas furnaces (WGFs) is 81% AFUE and DOE is not proposing an increase to this requirement.  (Note that WGF’s are outside installed gas furnaces and not the more popular residential indoor gas furnaces that DOE is proposing condensing minimum efficiency level of 95% AFUE). DOE is requesting comments on this proposed determination and the associated analyses and results. DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this NOPD until 60 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. Interested persons may submit comments identified by docket number EERE-2021-BT-STD-0031 and/or RIN 1904-AF19, by email ([email protected]), Federal eRulemaking portal (http://www.regulations.gov). AGA BECS staff anticipates filing comments in support of the NOPD and you can find additional product information here for Consumer Furnace including current standards and test procedures, statutory authority, waivers, exceptions and contact information.

AGA, APGA and NPGA File a Request for a 60 Day Deadline Extension to File Appeals on the Proposed 2024 Edition of the International Energy Conservation Code.

In the November 3rd update, we reported that the International Code Council Board of Directors had approved the appeals process for the proposed 2024 Editions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for both commercial and residential buildings and homes The notification stated that the filing deadline is December 3, 2023.  On Monday,  AGA, the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) filed a request to the International Code Council (ICC) Board of Directors (BOD) for a 60-day extension to the deadline to file appeals. Attached is the request that provides the strong rationale for the extension request. We will report the response to the request from the ICC BOD when available.

State Codes Activity Update.

Attached is a weekly feature of the “Friday Update” covering state code calendar activities as presented by the online utility “Fiscal Note,” which is sponsored by APGA and AGA Code and Standards. Please review the update and determine if there are state code activities that impact your service territory or organization.