WASHINGTON —  A coalition of HVACR trade associations is supporting legislation that would change how regional energy efficiency standards are enforced for furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps.

The coalition—which includes the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), the Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC)—announced its support for Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) SMART Energy Efficiency Standards Act (S. 4892).

According to the coalition, the legislation would amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 by changing the compliance date for regional HVAC energy efficiency standards from the date of installation to the date of manufacture.

"There’s no reason heating and cooling equipment should be treated differently from virtually every other product,” said Ernst in a statement. “My bill uses the date it is manufactured to provide a fair, predictable standard that helps distributors, gives contractors certainty, and keeps equipment available for American families.”

In a letter to Sen. Ernst, the coalition wrote that S. 4892 would “amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 by changing the compliance date for regional energy efficiency standards for furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps to the date of manufacture,” reducing confusion and easing burdens on manufacturers, distributors, and contractors.

The letter explains that the current date-of-installation structure creates unnecessary disruption throughout the HVAC supply chain.

“Under current law, compliance with regional energy efficiency standards is based on the date equipment is installed rather than the date it is manufactured,” the coalition wrote. “This creates unnecessary complexity throughout the HVAC supply chain by effectively causing otherwise fully compliant equipment to expire after it has been legally manufactured, purchased, and distributed.”

By contrast, the coalition wrote that a date-of-manufacture standard “places compliance responsibility where it belongs—with the manufacturer—and ensures that every product entering the distribution chain complies with applicable Department of Energy requirements.”

The letter also notes that the bill would allow products already in the distribution pipeline to continue to be sold and installed, “preventing legally manufactured and purchased equipment from becoming stranded inventory.”

“America’s HVAC manufacturers, distributors, and contractors, who make, distribute, and install some of the most innovative and energy-efficient products in the world, appreciate your leadership in introducing this much-needed legislation,” the coalition wrote. “The SMART Energy Efficiency Standards Act will provide business certainty throughout the HVAC supply chain, reduce unnecessary costs and complexity, and ensure a more orderly transition to future energy efficiency standards.”

“We are grateful to Sen. Ernst for introducing this bill making a long-overdue technical correction to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This simple change will reduce confusion, ease the burden on manufacturers, and distributors," said AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek in a statement. "It will allow for a smooth transition from the previous energy efficiency standard to the new standard, all while preventing millions of dollars’ worth of inventory from being unable to be installed every time standards change.”

"HARDI has long advocated for aligning regional standards with the date of manufacture, and the SMART Energy Efficiency Standards Act does exactly that. This legislation makes compliance clearer, protects distributors from liability they cannot control, and ultimately supports a smoother transition to higher-efficiency equipment across the supply chain,” said Alex Ayers, vice president of government affairs at HARDI.

The coalition thanked Senator Ernst for introducing the legislation and said it looks forward to working with her to advance S. 4892.