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APGA Responds to ENERGY STAR Program Furnace Specifications Final Draft Version (December 19 2024) 

01-16-2025 12:37 PM

On December 19, APGA jointly submitted comments in response to ENERGY STAR’s Final Draft Version 5.0 Furnace Specifications. APGA filed jointly with the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA).  
 
On January 10, the EPA issued the Final ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Furnace Specification. The Version 5.0 ENERGY STAR furnace final specification is unchanged from the final draft. 
 
Commenters commend the EPA for their revisions with respect to regional differences, an issue that APGA raised in previous feedback. Input included detailed concerns about how the proposal could prevent reliable and innovative gas-fired appliances from being a part of the ENERGY STAR program. Furthermore, EPA has failed to articulate credible grounds or a reason to change the current AFUE. 
 
Recall, APGA submitted joint comments with the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), American Gas Association (AGA) and Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors. The EPA proposed an alternative to the full product specification sunset that includes increasing the residential gas furnace requirement to 97 AFUE from the current requirement of 95 AFUE in the northern states and 92 AFUE in the southern states starting in 2026.  
 
As outlined in the filed comments, APGA opposes the proposal because of various factors including the proposed effective date of 2026 and potential consumer confusion regarding rebate eligibility under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

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2024-1217_ENERGY STAR Furnace 5.0 Final Draft Spec Commen....pdf   248 KB   1 version
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