AHRI Earns ‘Super Nova of Energy Efficiency’ Award

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute was awarded the "Super Nova of Energy Efficiency" award from the Alliance to Save Energy on Oct. 4 at the Dinner with the Stars of Energy Efficiency awards gala in Washington, D.C.

The institute represents manufacturers of air conditioning, heating, commercial refrigeration and water heating equipment.

The award was given in recognition of the work by the Institute’s members and staff to negotiate a consensus agreement that would, for the first time, establish efficiency standards for furnaces, heat pumps, and central air conditioners based on the region of the country, according to the Institute.

When fully implemented, the regional standards will save consumers approximately $13 billion and 3.7 quadrillion Btu of energy nationwide — equal to the energy consumed by about 18 million households in a single year, according to the Alliance to Save Energy

Under the agreement, most of which was adopted by the U.S. Department of Energy in its Direct Final Rule issued in June, furnaces in the northern region of the United States would have a minimum efficiency standard higher than that for furnaces in the southern and southwest regions, according to a statement from the Institute.

In addition, central air conditioners in the south and southwest would have a minimum efficiency standard higher than that for the northern states. Under the agreement, heat pumps would have a nationwide minimum efficiency standard, the statement said.

The award also recognized the Institute’s work in negotiating consensus agreements to establish a new federal minimum standard for heat pump pool heaters, revise standards for service-over-the-counter commercial refrigerators and require the Department of Energy to conduct a rulemaking to determine if a change is necessary for its water heater test procedure.

"We are very honored to receive it, and I want to acknowledge the effort of many people in our association whose work on energy efficiency and environmental stewardship made this award possible,” said Institute Chairman Morrison Carter, accepting the award on behalf of the association’s 309 companies. “We accept this award with pride, and with an acknowledgement that the spirit of cooperation for which it is given is shared by our friends in the efficiency community."