USA - Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces and Commercial Water Heaters

​In response to a petition for rulemaking submitted on October 18, 2018 (Gas Industry Petition), the Department of Energy (DOE) published that petition in the Federal Register on November 1, 2018, for public review and input. DOE subsequently published a proposed interpretive rule in the Federal Register on July 11, 2019, which tentatively determined that in the context of residential furnaces, commercial water heaters and similarly-situated products/equipment, use of non-condensing technology (and associated venting) may constitute a performance-related "feature" under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) that cannot be eliminated through adoption of an energy conservation standard.

After carefully considering the public comments on its proposed interpretive rule, DOE has tentatively determined to consider a more involved class structure which turns on maintenance of compatibility with existing venting categories, and the Department seeks further information on the potential feasibility, burdens, and other implications of implementing such a venting- compatibility approach.