U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Office – Appliance & Equipment Standards

Commercial Heating, Air Conditioning, and Water Heating Equipment (i.e. ASHRAE Equipment)

This page describes rulemaking activities and regulations regarding energy efficiency for commercial heating, air conditioning, and water heating equipment.

Statutory Authority

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) sets energy conservation standards for commercial heating, air conditioning, and water heater equipment. (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)) Specifically, the statute sets standards for small, large, and very large commercial package air conditioning and heating equipment, packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs), warm-air furnaces, packaged boilers, storage water heaters, and unfired hot water storage tanks. For these types of equipment, EPCA established Federal energy conservation standards that generally correspond to the levels set in the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1.

EPCA directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consider amending the existing Federal energy efficiency standard for each type of equipment listed, each time ASHRAE Standard 90.1 is amended with respect to such equipment. (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(A)) For each type of equipment, EPCA directs that DOE must adopt amended standards at the new efficiency level in ASHRAE Standard 90.1, unless clear and convincing evidence supports a determination that adoption of a more stringent level as a national standard would produce significant additional energy savings and be technologically feasible and economically justified. (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(A)(ii)) On October 29, 2010, ASHRAE officially released ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010.

Prescribed Energy Conservation Standards

Standards prescribed by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

Current Rulemaking

Certification, Compliance and Enforcement Requirements

The Department published a Final Rule on January 5, 2010, which adopts regulations to implement reporting requirements for energy conservation standards and energy use. The Final Rule also addresses other matters concerning compliance, certification and enforcement procedures. The Department published a Technical Amendment on January 28, 2010 that corrects cross-referencing errors in the final rule.

Previous Federal Register Notices and Technical Support Documents

Contact Information

Mohammed Khan
Project Manager for ASHRAE Equipment
(202) 586-7892