The Biden administration proposed new regulations on consumer gas furnaces in an attempt to expand the manufacture and purchase of more efficient alternatives.
The Department of Energy proposed the amended energy conservation standards, which would require new nonweatherized gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces to use about 15% less energy than today’s common models, on Monday.
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The department’s standard would effectively phase out common noncondensing models, according to appliance efficiency group American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, in favor of condensing models or electric heat pumps. Noncondensing models allow for the venting, rather than the repurposing, of excess heat energy.
“Manufacturers have developed substantially more-efficient models — known as condensing furnaces — that capture and use more of the heat from the furnace’s combustion chamber, thereby reducing waste,” ACEEE explained.
The department estimated that the rule would cut costs by nearly $500 over the life of a furnace. It is also estimated that the rule would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including 363 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Steven Nadel, ACEEE’s executive director, put the rule in the context of the war in Ukraine and called it “a good step to help protect millions of families against price spikes that can send bills through the roof.”
The department estimated that industry conversion costs required for manufacturers to comply with the standards would total $149 million, including $107.8 million in capital conversion costs.
The department’s proposal is one in a line of energy efficiency regulations promulgated since President Joe Biden took office.
The department has proposed tighter regulations affecting gas-fired water heaters used in restaurants and hotels. A separate proposed rule introduced in March would require more cooling per unit of energy from room air conditioning units and more efficient heating from gas-fired and electric pool heaters.
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White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy said the administration is doing “100 rules this year alone on appliances” during a speech at Tufts University in May.
