The First Facility Management Blog

In written testimony, Stephen R. Yurek, president of the trade association, told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources earlier this week that proposed legislation would hinder energy efficiency progress.

The new legislative proposal–Energy Efficiency Promotion Act (S. 1115)–aims to promote energy efficiency improvements to residential and commercial appliances and equipment, such as central air conditioning. The ARI asserts this will have the adverse effect of hindering the development and use of energy efficient technology.

Said Yurek, “The Energy Efficiency Promotion Act, while admirable in its attempt to conserve energy, will ultimately undercut the effective energy efficiency programs developed by Congress and administered by the Department of Energy. These current laws and regulations work because they are the result of a partnership with industry that has given manufacturers the opportunity to provide critical input into the development of energy-saving performance standards that still allow them to produce affordable, quality products for the American public.

“Not only would this legislation hurt industry, it would hurt consumers and environmental progress,” he continued. “It will also change an enforceable program at the manufacturer level to an unenforceable program at the point of installation. In addition, ARI opposes the legislation because it contains a number of provisions that would open the door to a morass of federal and regional performance and design standards for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) equipment.”

As an alternative, ARI recommends the adoption of a menu of alternative, energy-efficiency measures to achieve the bill’s objectives. These include:
* Supporting residential energy efficiency initiatives like incentives and rebates for the purchase of efficient appliances;
* Passing tax incentives to accelerate the replacement of older HVACR equipment in commercial buildings with more efficient technology;
* Strengthening the nation’s support of workforce education and certification to promote more efficient installations of HVACR equipment; and
* Funding research and development projects to advance the next generation of energy efficient technologies.

About ARI
The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment. An internationally recognized leader in developing standards for and certifying the performance of these products, ARI is also a major advocate for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) industry both domestically and abroad.