Proposal for HUD and USDA Financed Housing to Require Compliance with the 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1–2019 Energy Codes – Comments Due July 17, 2023.

In the May 18, 2023  Federal Register, HUD issued a notice announcing a “preliminary determination of HUD and USDA Financed Housing , as required under section 481(d)(1) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), that the 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1–2019 will not negatively affect the affordability and availability of housing covered by EISA”. The Notice states that “In making this preliminary determination, the first step to ultimately requiring compliance with these standards in HUD and USDA housing covered by EISA, this Notice relies on several studies that show that these codes are cost effective in that the incremental cost of the additional efficiency measures pays for themselves with energy cost savings on a life-cycle basis.”  Comments are due July 17, 2023. It should be noted that there is one statement in the notice of particular concern on the 2021 IECC to the gas industry and other stakeholders as follows:

• Building Electrification. While the 2021 IECC did not include building electrification provisions in the final version of the code, provisions are available for adoption by states as amendments to the 2021 IECC: RE147–19, Electrification-Ready; RE126–19. Energy Efficient Water Heating, RE107–19, Eliminate Continuous Burning Pilot Light.

Having HUD and USDA promoting “electrification” proposals that were defeated during the 2021 ICC code development process (AGA objected to these proposals and  successful appealed there initial approval) is very troublesome.  There may be other provisions in the 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1–2019 that need to be reviewed and perhaps amended prior to HUD and USDA adopting the codes as a basis for funding by these federal agency programs. AGA will oppose the Building Electrification suggestion discussed above. Additionally, we are reviewing the entire notification and request the BECS Committee members to also review the notice and provide AGA staff with comments and suggestions on the determination by July 6.

AGA Letter to the EPA Administrator Objecting to the proposed Elimination of the ENERGY STAR Program for Residential Furnaces.

Attached is the June 15, 2023 letter from AGA President & CEO Karen Harbert to EPA Administrator Michael Regan regarding the removal of residential natural gas furnaces from the ENERGY STAR Program.  The letter requests that the proposal be withdrawn based on the reasons outlined in our previously distributed issue brief and energy analysis (attached) sent out in last week’s BECS Committee Update on Codes and Standards. Also, AGA has joined with six other organization requesting an extension on filing comments (attached) but at this time, EPA has not responded and the deadline for filing comments on this proposal remains to be June 22, 2023.  BECS Committee members are encouraged to submit comments on the EPA proposal by June 22nd to [email protected]. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions on the EPA ENERGY STAR Residential Furnace deletion program.

AHRI Releases the April 2023 Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipment Data.

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 June 9, 2023 Air-Conditioning Heating, & Refrigeration (AHRI) Press Release that provides the April, 2023 U.S. Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipment Data. For previous monthly shipment releases and historical data, please click here . You may also wish to share this information with other groups or individuals within your organization that would be interested in this shipment data.