DOE Proposes New Furnace Efficiency Standards

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed new energy efficiency standards for home furnaces and boilers in October 2006. The standards, which were due in 2004, would require all gas furnaces to achieve a minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating of 80%, a level already met by most furnaces on the market today. The current minimum AFUE for most furnaces, which took effect in 1992, is 78%. The proposed standards would also slightly raise minimum efficiency standards for boilers. If approved, the new standards will take effect January 1, 2015. While expressing frustration over the limited efficiency improvements, many environmentalists praised a provision that would make it easier for individual states or regions to set stronger standards. The full notice is online at www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/ (click on “furnaces and boilers” under “residential products”).