This month, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) bestowed the prestigious NFPA Committee Service Award to recently retired AGA BECS staffer Paul Cabot and to BECS Committee member  Bruce J. Swiecicki (Senior Technical Advisor for the National Propane Gas Association). Paul was recognized for his work and support in the development of the National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54) and Bruce was recognized for his efforts in developing and updating the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code (NFPA 58). The NFPA Committee Service Award is presented for continuous voluntary service as a technical committee member for a substantial period of time in recognition and appreciation of distinguished service to NFPA in the development of NFPA codes and standards.

Also this month, AGA’s Ted Williams was the recipient of CSA Group’s coveted Reward of Merit for outstanding contributions and leadership in the development and advancement of voluntary standards. Ted was recognized for his efforts in developing “Fuels and Appliance Standards” and “Alternative Energy Vehicles Standards”.  Congratulations to Paul, Bruce and Ted.

BECS Committee members have requested information on any CPSC recalls involving natural gas appliances or components. Yesterday, the CPSC announced the recall by  Lochinvar, LLC   of condensing residential boilers due to risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The notice reports that there are about 34,300 boilers recalled in the US and an estimated additional 3,642 units that were sold in Canada. The CPSC announcement can be found here  and contains detailed information on the recall, including models involved and consumers remedy if they have a recalled boiler. The notice reports that Lochinvar, LLC received “7 reports of boiler’s flue grommets deteriorating, including one report of two nonfatal injuries involving carbon monoxide poisoning, and two reports of carbon monoxide emission not involving an injury.”  BECS Committee members may wish to pass this information on to appropriate individuals and/or departments within your organization.

 

A number of BECS Committee members have recently inquired about the status of EPA Energy Star tax credits for natural gas furnaces, boilers, water heaters etc. This past  January, Congress extended the  Non-Business Energy Property Tax Credits including residential natural gas furnaces, boilers and water heaters  retroactively from 12/31/2017 through 12/31/2020. The complete list of the tax credits for residential appliances including electric heat pumps, air conditioners, etc. can be found here. Additional information on how to apply for tax credits is also included on that EPA site.

The AGA BECS Committee members  highlighted an article available here in which Mother Jones takes to task a “carefully orchestrated campaign dreamed up by marketers for representatives with the American Gas Association and American Public Gas Association… intend[ing] to spend another $300,000 on its millennial-centric ‘Natural Gas Genius’ campaign in 2020 “extolling the virtues of their [gas] stoves in sponsored posts.”  The article discusses historical campaigns at promoting natural gas cooking, but concludes:

BECS committee members continue to monitor media accounts targeting natural gas cooking with an anticipation that  written comments and testimony at model code hearings may cite these types of attacks on the direct use of natural gas at model code hearings in support of “electrification” and the banning or restriction of gas cooking appliances.

In following with an article in last week’s “Friday Updates” and AGA Codes and Standards’ presentation at last week’s Energy Solution Center “Webathon,”  the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has produced an online modeling tool to estimate aerosol transport of Coronavirus in buildings, discussed and available for public use here.  The “Fate and Transport of Indoor Microbiological Aerosols (FaTIMA) models ventilation, filtration and aerosol properties for estimating concentrations that a person might encounter in a room and provides a capability of evaluating options for building managers and HVAC engineers for reducing occupant exposures to COVID -19.  Aerosol transport and potential transmission is distinct from droplet-related transmission that can be inferred from current guidance related to six-foot social distancing and other, well-established and publicized modes of virus transmission.

[This is a weekly feature of the “Friday Update” covering state code calendar activities as presented by the online utility “Fiscal Note,” which is sponsored by APGA and AGA Code and Standards.]

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