New Minimum Efficiency Standard for 2006

Like many consumer products that use energy, air conditioners and heat pumps are manufactured to meet or exceed minimum efficiency standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy. For nearly a decade, that minimum has been 10 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). On January 23, 2006, the minimum will jump to 13 SEER, a 30% increase over the current standard.

All new TRANE units are equipped to meet these regulatory standards. Visit www.energy.gov for more info, or take a look at latest factsheet for more details.

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Duct Testing Mandated by California Title 24

California continues to set the standards in the nation with its aggressive efforts to improve energy efficiency. With the recent passage of the latest version of California's Title 24 Energy Code, the state is requiring that new homes be tested for air leakage in the duct systems, which can lead to an increase in heating costs of 9%. An excerpt from the 2005 Southwest Energy Efficiency Report:

California has Concerning air sealing of ducts, Title 24 was structured the same way as IECC codes (seal, but with no specification on limits to tightness) until the passage of California’s Energy and Reliability Act of 2000. This mandated that all ducts in new homes be tested and sealed if necessary to a leakage rate that is 6% of the HVAC fan volume or less, with testing performed by a certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater. The testing is a prescriptive requirement in Title 24, which can be avoided with the performance method for meeting code.

As an alternative to duct sealing and testing, builders can install higher-efficiency HVAC
equipment and higher-performance glazing; the alternative requirements vary by climate zone. The mandatory duct construction requirements also prohibit the use of building cavities as ducts and disallow the use of duct tape (Abbay 2005).
A key advantage of California’s Title 24 requirement is that duct leakage in new homes must be measured. Prohibition of duct tape is already a part of IECC codes, but the addition of California’s requirement prohibiting the use of building cavities as ducts is both desirable and easy to check for compliance.

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Don't be caught in the cold! Contact Bel-Air Cooling & Heating today to schedule a low-cost test of your duct system to ensure that your home is code-compliant and energy-efficient.

More Information

For the latest news in heating, cooling, and energy regulations, please visit www.energy.gov.