As previously reported, the Department of Energy (DOE) is starting an early assessment review for residential boilers (Attached March 25, 2021 DOE RFI)  to determine whether to amend the applicable energy conservation standards for this product. Specifically, through this request for information (RFI), DOE seeks data and information to evaluate whether amended energy conservation standards would result in significant savings of energy, be technologically feasible, and be economically justified. At the request of AHRI and APGA, DOE has extended the comment period to  May 26.  AGA BECS staff continues a review of the RFI and one issue that DOE seeks comments on is whether or not there should be separate minimum efficiency requirements for gas fired condensing and non-condensing type natural gas boilers. Recall that in January, the DOE did issue a final determination for residential gas furnaces and commercial gas water heaters that there should be separate product classes for these products based on venting features (see January 15, 2021 Update on End Use Codes and Standards). DOE’s rationale for this action stated “ in the context of residential furnaces, commercial water heaters, and similarly-situated products/equipment, use of non-condensing technology (and associated venting) constitute a performance-related “feature” under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) that cannot be eliminated through adoption of an energy conservation standard.”  This finding by the DOE will be a key part of the comments that we will be submitting  to DOE in response to the RFI along with any other issues that a more detailed review of the requested information reveals.  BECS Committee members are requested to review the RFI and provide any comments to BECS staff for possible inclusion into comments in response to the RFI.

 

Reminder — ICC  Code Council Opens Applications for its IECC Development Committees – Deadline for Submissions is Friday, April, 23 2021.

As a reminder, the International Code Council (ICC) has announced its call for committees for the development of its 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Under the Code Council’s new framework, Leading the Way to Energy Efficiency: A Path Forward on Energy and Sustainability to Confront a Changing Climate, the IECC will be developed by the combined efforts of a Residential Energy Code Consensus Committee and a Commercial Energy Code Consensus Committee. The March 19, 2021 Press Release can be found here and includes information on how to apply for membership. AGA BECS staff has applied for membership and we encourage BECS Committee members to consider applying to help ensure that the natural gas distribution industry is well represented on these very important code development committees that are charged to develop residential and commercial building codes that impact  the direct use of natural gas in the built environment.

For those interested in shipment trends for residential and commercial gas and electric storage type water heaters, residential gas and oil furnaces, electric heat pumps and air-conditioners, click here for the April 9,  2021 Air-Conditioning Heating, & Refrigeration (AHRI) Press Release that provides the February 2021, U.S. Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipment Data. You may also wish to share this information with other groups or individuals within your organization that would be interested in water heater and HVAC equipment shipment trends.

While having succeeded on all but one of its proposals to NFPA 30A 2021 edition for upgrading coverage of repair facility requirements for compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, AGA, CSA Group, and NGV America’s Maintenance Facility Working Group have reconvened their ad hoc working group for drafting proposals to NFPA 30A to revisit one unsuccessful proposal from the 2021 edition round and to include new proposals for the 2024 edition.  An initial web meeting of the ad hoc group was held this week hosted by the CSA Group. Proposals to NFPA are due June 1^st.  As for the 2021 edition, emphasis is being placed upon adopting coverage from Canadian standard, B401, “Vehicle Maintenance Facility Code,” on which previous “Friday Updates” have covered specific code requirements for new and retrofitted NGV and mixed-use maintenance facilities. 

 

For this round of NFPA 30A, additional coverage of propane vehicles added to B401 is being reviewed for potential proposals to revise NFPA 30A coverage for propane vehicle maintenance. However, this major enhancement of B401 does not mean that B401 requirements and reorganization of NFPA 30A around propane vehicle maintenance will be pursued.  Propane vehicle interests will weigh it on whether or not the NFPA 30A coverage of propane vehicle maintenance is incomplete as it was for NGV vehicle garages.  In addition, however, the one key proposal based upon B401 disapproved by the NFPA 30A Technical Committee covering ceiling volume electrical classification of NGV repair garages will be re-introduced with more complete technical justification.  Volume-oriented electrical classification used in NFPA 30A currently ignores credible ignition sources in the control volume and instead presumes ignition sources throughout the volume.  In contrast, the B401 approach addresses known potential ignition sources represented by electrical systems, components, and controls for those sources, allowing for benign electrical components such as electrical system conduit and wiring not having to meet electrical classification (i.e., Class I, Division II of the National Electrical Code as a “hazardous area” where flammable gas concentrations would reasonably be expected to ignite). 

 

Other topics under consideration for proposals include measures to ensure that fire safety panels in facilities are properly interconnected and programmed for operation with gas detection and other safety systems.  Issues of improper interconnected function may be addressed through additional requirements for commissioning testing and periodic retesting upon system modification and component replacement.  The ad hoc working group plans to meet very two to three weeks to assess consensus on proposals to NFPA 30A and review draft materials.

 

 

This past Monday’s workshop, “Emerging Science on Indoor Chemistry and Implications:  An Information-Gathering Workshop,” was hosted by the NASEM Committee on Emerging Science on Indoor Chemistry and addressed a broad range of health related modes of exposure of building occupants to chemical contaminants representing understood and hypothesized human health threats. The workshop, while a public event, was oriented toward Committee interests and the interconnected health sciences research community with only limited opportunity for public involvement.  AGA’s participation was focused on identifying research and findings associated with occupant health that might be associated with use of natural gas combustion appliances, although very little of the workshop addressed AGA interests ultimately.  Presentations covered indoor chemistry and exposure pathways associated with building materials, consumer products, air cleaner effectiveness, emerging sensor technologies, “semi-volatile” compounds (SVOCs) as a future concern, exposure modeling associated with inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact, social justice issues of residential indoor air quality, building systems chemical interactions including HVAC systems issues, and data gaps and research needs.  One highly useful presentation was given by South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) staff on its “AQ-SPEC” program, which reviews low-cost air quality sensor technologies against reference standard methods for efficacy.  Upon further review following the workshop, AQ-SPEC laboratory and field analysis reports show the strengths and weaknesses of a number of sensor technologies currently being used or considered for indoor air quality measurements, including natural gas combustion emissions.  This resource, along with AGA’s growing interaction with SCAQMD technical staff, helps greatly in reviewing the technical quality of indoor air quality studies and helps guide development of future data gathering efforts. 

 

One critical question raised at end of the workshop was one AGA has heard many times before without receiving an adequate technical answer:  given all of the chemical compounds representing potential health threats to occupants, what are acceptable exposures?  This question has been repeated many times over the past 30 years with, in most cases, the default answer coming back that consensus public health standards set the bar for acceptability.  Panelists at the workshop, however, did not address this question, indirectly acknowledging the lack of understanding of what exposures to many of the obscure chemical species and exotic chemistries quantitatively relate to health effects.  As observed, the general consensus of panelist discussion was that “more epidemiology” is needed.