Two Changes In HVAC Legislation To Watch Out For In 2023

HVAC legislation is complex and ever-changing. However, with new legislation related to 'New Efficiency Requirements' and 'HFC Phase Out' rolling out in 2023, understanding the landscape is more important than ever. This is true for everyone involved in the HVAC or related industries in any capacity, such as manufacturers, dealers, facility owners, procurement managers, and engineers. If you are working in this space, it is pertinent for you to be familiar with and understand the latest laws. Not investing enough time and effort into comprehensive HVAC legislation awareness might introduce you and your business to unfavorable consequences. Read this article to find out what these legislations are and why it is important for you to learn about them.

Why is it important to keep up with HVAC legislation?

To be in a better position to advise your customers on solutions that are fully compliant with new local, national, or international regulations, it is important that you are aware of the latest developments in HVAC legislation. Understanding the latest changes related to SEER and EER efficiencies will ensure your facilities meet and/or exceed the latest regulations. For instance, back in January 2020, the production of R-22 Refrigerant was banned by the United States' Environmental Protection Agency. This changed law meant that older air conditioning units could only be serviced with reclaimed R-22 Refrigerant. However, there were no guarantees on the availability of supplies, which eventually made it harder for technicians to keep a system operating.

Furthermore, knowing about the upcoming legislative changes in the medium or long term ensures that you are better positioned to offer/understand a more extensive view of a system's ongoing suitability. Whether you are a manufacturer, dealer, or procurement manager, being familiar with this information moves you into the role of a trusted advisor that can be helpful for the supply chain, long-term prospects, and profitability of your business.

What are upcoming changes in HVAC legislation?

In 2023, HVAC legislation will be undergoing two significant revisions and updates that will directly impact the entire HVAC industry, so it is crucial to understand each in its entirety. The two regulations are:

#1: New Efficiency Requirements
#2: HFC Phase Out

#1: New Efficiency Requirements

After periodically evaluating the current energy consumption, technology, efficiency, and cost, the Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to introduce new changes to energy efficiency standards that would be effective from January 1, 2023.

To ensure that the industry moves towards more efficient HVAC systems and reduced energy consumption and cost, the minimum efficiencies for residential Heat Pumps and central Air Conditioners will increase, and testing procedures will also change.

All regions minimum efficiency requirements will increase by the equivalent of one seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) - the measure of a systems cooling performance. The South and Southwest will increase from 14 to 15 SEER, whereas the Northern states will see an increase from 13 to 14 SEER. On the other hand, Heat Pumps will have a national increase from 14 to 15 SEER. In addition, the new standards require an increase in the (HSPF) - heating seasonal performance factor, used to measure the efficiency of the air source for Heat Pumps. The minimum requirement will increase to 8.8 HSPF compared to the standard of 8.2 HSPF that went into effect back in 2015.

Furthermore, because new testing procedures for HVAC systems are also rolling out, new labels will list seasonal efficiency as SEER2. In these new testing procedures, higher default external static pressure will be taken into account to better represent field conditions.

Source: Efficiency requirements for residential central AC and heat pumps to rise in 2023

#2: HFC Phase Out

Unlike R-22, HFCs such as R-410A are not ozone-depleting. However, they do pose a potential threat of contribution towards global warming. Keeping this in consideration, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act requires U.S. manufacturers of refrigerants and HVAC/R equipment to phase out hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. Some manufacturers are already working on this by introducing refrigerants that comply with new standards such as R-32 and R-454B. Both refrigerants will be used/specified in future residential HVAC equipment, paving the way for non-standardization— unlike R-410A.

ProServices Supply: Committed to the Green Cause

At ProServices Supply, environmental concerns are at the heart of our business. Our overarching goal is to always conduct business with respect for natural resources. This is why, for example, we strategically encourage transactions over the web platform and paper free operations to reduce both our electricity consumption and carbon footprint to the greatest possible extent.

We firmly believe that every one of us is responsible for treating our earth with respect and leaving the world in a better place for coming generations. Consequently, we take pride in our energy-saving product range such as Refrigerators, Dishwashers, Microwaves, and Cooking Ranges because this aligns with two of our objectives:

• To raise public awareness and educate people about the depletion of the world’s natural resources, the dangers of global warming, and the carbon footprint we all leave behind our activities.
• Introduce innovative solutions in the HVAC industry to increase energy recovery and reduce the carbon footprint.

By incorporating these principles into our business practices, we are trying to play a significant role in the ongoing green future of our planet. Furthermore, we are here to continue to fully support all of our existing customers in adjusting to the latest changes in HVAC legislation to nurture an effective collaboration to shape a greener future for our planet.