The U.S. Department of Energy increased the energy efficiency standards for residential furnaces and boilers. The ruling was derided by environment groups and applauded by industry.

For its part, the DOE estimates that the new standard will save the equivalent of the total amount of energy consumed by 2.5 million American households in a year or approximately 0.25 quadrillion (10x15) (BTUs) of energy over a period from 2015 to 2038.

The revised standards will become effective in 2015 and concern residential non-weatherized and weatherized gas furnaces, mobile home gas furnaces, oil-fired furnaces, and gas-fired and oil-fired boilers. The standard replaces requirements that were issued in 1987 and went into effect in 1992. The new standard includes:

• An 80 percent AFUE standard for indoor gas furnaces, which is up from 78 percent.
• An 81 percent AFUE standard for outdoor gas furnaces.
• An 82 percent AFUE for gas boilers, which is up from 80 percent.

Last year, the DOE had proposed to adopt an 83 percent AFUE for outdoor gas furnaces and an 84 percent AFUE for gas boilers, but was dissuaded by industry arguments that those levels present serious condensation and corrosion risks for those products, says GAMA Vice President and General Counsel Joseph Mattingly. “It was a relief to us that they backed off on those standards,” he says. “Had they not, we would have had to challenge the Final Rule.”

A coalition of consumer, energy, and environmental groups criticized the DOE’s ruling, saying that it changed little from the original levels set 20 years ago. Energy efficiency advocates had been calling for a 90 percent AFUE standard, which about a third of the gas furnaces sold already meet, or for regional standards with more stringent requirement in cold weather areas.

The DOE rejected both arguments. It says that the new standards are technically feasible and take into account the risks that higher efficiency units may run. The agency also stated that it had no authority to issue regional standards.

The ruling was part of the DOE’s court-mandated plan to eliminate a 30-year backlog on appliance standards. The agency plans to implement standards for 18 appliances over the next five years.

DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner said that the agency intends to maintain, and, where possible, “accelerate the extraordinary progress we have made over the last two years.”

ANSI NOD TO AHAM.The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ performance evaluation procedure for household refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers has gained approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an American National Standard. The standard, ANSI/AHAM HRF-1-2007, Energy, Performance and Capacity of Household Refrigerators, Refrigerator-Freezers and Freezers, supersedes the 2004 edition. It contains methods for computing total volume, volume of special features and shelf area; energy consumption and energy factor of household refrigerators, household wine chillers and household freezers; performance test procedures and recommended levels of performance; durability and condensate test procedures; and safety of household refrigerators, household wine chillers and household freezers. Results of tests in accordance with this standard may be publicly stated.  The revised standard contains an insertion that clarifies how the test method is intended to provide an accurate energy calculation. It specifies that conditions that occur in a typical home should be simulated during the energy test. AHAM has requested that the U.S. Department of Energy incorporate the AHAM language into its refrigerator and freezer test procedures as a clarification of how these products’ energy use should be measured.

A second AHAM standard, which oversees the compatibility between appliances, has been reaffirmed by ANSI as a national standard. The standard, which was originally released in 2003, will be known as the ANSI/AHAM CHA-1-2003 (R 2007), Connected Home Appliances-Object Modeling. The standard describes generic appliance models, objects and high-level messages. The models define standardized elements of appliances that are accessible and controllable remotely by users, service providers, and other devices independently of the underlying communications network.

GREENER SOONER.Whirlpool Corp-oration of Benton Harbor, Mich., plans to increase its commitment to environmentally-sound business practices by reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 6.6 percent by 2012. The company will make these global, voluntary reductions while at the same time increasing production by 17 percent. Whirlpool plans to bring an “across the board” focus to energy and water conservation, from design to manufacturing and distribution to end of product lifecycle. In 2003, Whirlpool targeted a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent from 1998 levels through 2008, while at the same time increasing production by 40 percent. The company says it is on track to meet this target.

WHIRLPOOL WINS AWARD. The Consumer Electronics Association named the Whirlpool brand refrigerator with the centralpark connection as an Innovations 2008 Design and Engineering Award Honoree in the Home Appliances product category. The refrigerator with the centralpark connection incorporates an interface that acts as a hub for a variety of consumer electronics devices.

SMART PROCESSOR. Philips Electronics India, a subsidiary of Dutch electronics maker Royal Philips Electronics, has launched a hands-free intelligent food processor for the India market. The device features an Intelli-arm and Intellicontrol that enables unsupervised and hands-free operation. It has a 750 W motor, and a reverse quadra flow for improved grinding. The company says that the launch is in line with Philips’ objective to transform itself into a lifestyle and healthcare company using innovation as a key driver.

RURAL COMPUTING. Chip-maker Intel has teamed with appliance manufacturer Haier, to develop inexpensive PCs and laptops for rural markets in China. The two companies have agreed to a three-year plan to develop and market the devices. According to published reports, the deal is a response to Intel’s competitors who are entering China’s rural market with their own products.

LEAVING JAPAN. Samsung Electronics Co. has stopped selling flat panel televisions and other consumer products in Japan, citing poor profitability. The South Korean electronics manufacturer could not penetrate the Japanese consumer market, home to rivals such as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Sony Corp. and Sharp Corp. Last year, Samsung’s sales of consumer electronics in Japan came to less than 1 percent of the company’s total sales. Samsung sold LCD TVs, DVD players, MP3 music players and other items in Japan via the Internet, but stopped at the end of October. It had ceased sales in retail outlets in August last year. Samsung will continue to sell flat screen computer monitors and components directly to businesses and will also keep supplying mobile phone handsets to the Japanese telecommunications company Softbank Corp.

ENGINEERS REBOUND. A company started by Maytag design engineers, who lost their jobs after Whirlpool Corp. bought the company and closed Maytag operations in Iowa, has signed a contract with Whirlpool. The company, Springboard Engineering, expects to be operational this month in a 40,000-square-foot building. Most of the Newton, Iowa-based Maytag design staff will be employed by Springboard Engineering.

Encore gas pump with Applause media system.

PUMP POINTS WAY. Lost drivers soon will be able to Google for help at the gas pump. Google plans to dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the U.S. The pumps are made by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Greensboro, N.C., and feature the company’s Encore dispensers with color screens and the Applause media system that includes an Internet connection. Motorists will be able to scroll through several categories to find local landmarks, hotels, restaurants and hospitals selected by the gas station’s owner. After the driver selects a destination, the pump will print out directions on the receipt printer.

F&P PLANS NEW PLANT. New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel Appliances plans to build a factory in North America for its DishDrawer product. The plant is expected to be completed by late next year and will distribute a new DishDrawer model that is manufactured specially for the North American market. Production is expected to begin in early 2009. The plant is estimated to cost the company $15 million, however, due to the close proximity of the plant to its North America market, working capital requirements will be relatively low, according to the company.

HVAC SALES HEAT UP. Demand in the U.S. for HVAC equipment is expected to increase 3.2 percent per year to $16.8 billion by 2011. Advances will be driven by gains in new non-residential construction, along with ongoing growth in the residential replacement market. Nearly 75 percent of HVAC demand is attributable to replacements. That market segment is expected to be spurred by increased interest in energy efficient building systems and rebates and tax incentives. In 2006, heat pumps surpassed warm air furnaces to account for the largest share of heating equipment demand and will account for 47 percent in 2011. Heat pumps are expected to post the strongest gains through 2011. Unitary air conditioners will remain the largest segment in the cooling equipment industry, accounting for more than 70 percent of total demand in 2011. Absorptive liquid chilling systems are expected to post the strongest gains through 2011, as industrial and commercial construction rebounds over the forecast period.

OUTDOOR SALES SLOW. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is predicting slower sales of certain outdoor power equipment due to a slumping economy, slow housing sales, and existing weather patterns. It is expected that 2007 will show a weakness in shipments of hand held outdoor equipment products. In most cases, it is expected that an increase in shipments will now not occur until the end of 2008 or beginning of 2009. Hand-held blower shipments are now forecast to decrease by 1.7 percent in 2007 although the July 2007 forecast estimated a 1.9 percent increase in shipments. The forecast for backpack blowers reflects a smaller increase (1.5 percent) in shipments than indicated in July 2007 (4.8 percent). The percentage increase in trimmer shipments is also forecast to be lower than estimated in July 2007 with shipments expected to increase by 0.8 percent rather than the predicted 4.3 percent. Chain saw shipments are expected to decrease by 5.5 percent, moving the forecast lower than July 2007’s forecast of a 4.3 percent decrease in chain saw shipments.

The OPEI also states that shipments from September 2006 to August 2007 will end on a down note for most consumer and commercial turf products with the exception of zero-turn riders. Total shipments will fall 11.6 percent to 1.5 million units. Walk-behind mowers will fall 5.7 percent, front engine law tractors 12.9 percent and riding garden tractors by 44.9 percent.

WARRANTIES EXTENDED. Carrier Corp., Farmington, Conn., a unit of United Technologies Corp., is enhancing the warranties on its 90 percent or greater efficient gas furnaces. Carrier will provide a 20-year parts and labor warranty for the secondary heat exchanger. According to the company, the warranty enhancement is a response to a class-action lawsuit filed by a small number of U.S. and Canadian consumers claiming premature failure on the secondary heat exchanger found in Carrier, Bryant, Payne and Day & Night high-efficiency condensing gas furnaces that are 90 percent AFUE or greater and were produced after Jan. 1, 1989. (Day & Night furnaces sold after January 2007 are not affected.) Carrier denies these claims. To resolve the issue, Carrier has agreed to a proposed settlement that provides enhanced warranty coverage regarding the secondary heat exchangers on its 90 percent AFUE or greater high-efficiency gas furnace.

DAEWOO, PART TWO. Creditors have put Daewoo Electronics up for sale again. This comes after the collapse of a $750 million deal to sell one of South Korea’s largest home appliance and television makers to a consortium led by India’s Videocon Industries. Creditors own about 98 percent of the company and expect to receive letters of intent from potential buyers in the near term. Videocon and RHJ International, part of Ripplewood Holdings, a U.S. private equity fund, agreed to pay $754 million for Daewoo. The consortium subsequently asked for a 13 percent discount and installment payments over 10 years, but the creditors rejected the deal.

COOL GREEN. Makers of commercial refrigeration equipment and chemical refrigerants, along with a group of supermarkets, have joined with the EPA and launched the GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership. It is a voluntary program to promote green technologies, strategies, and practices that protect the stratospheric ozone layer, reduce greenhouse gases, and save money. The 10 GreenChill founding partners are: Whole Foods Market; Food Lion, LLC; Giant Eagle Inc.; Hannaford Bros. Co.; Harris Teeter; Hill Phoenix; Honeywell International; Kysor//Warren; Publix Super Markets Inc.; and DuPont. These partners, as well as those expected to join in the future, must pledge to go beyond regulatory requirements by establishing an inventory of current refrigerant emissions that may affect climate change and the stratospheric ozone layer, and then set reduction targets for these emissions. Partners will also participate in an industry/government research initiative to assess the performance of cutting edge technologies in terms of energy efficiency, reduction of ozone-depleting refrigerant charges, and minimization of refrigerant leaks. The EPA estimates that widespread adoption of advanced refrigeration technologies, best practices, and improved equipment design and service, could reduce refrigerant emissions by 1 million metric tons of carbon equivalent per year.

MOTORS FROM NEW ZEALAND. Hill Phoenix, one of the founding members of the GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, has placed an order for 70,000 high-efficiency motors from Wellington Drive Technologies Ltd. of New Zealand. The motors will be used in Hill Phoenix’s refrigerated display case products sold to major retail chains, principally in the U.S.

Wellington Drive Technologies also says it has signed a memorandum of understanding to supply its energy-efficient motors to a major North American manufacturer of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The current contract value is $500,000.

TWENTY-TWO SKIDDOO. In a survey of contractors and distributors, St. Louis-based Emerson Climate Technologies found that 100 percent of those surveyed said they were aware of the 2010 phase-out of new R-22 equipment. However, only 13 percent reported that they are exclusively quoting R-410A, 69 percent reported that they currently quote both R-410A and R-22, and 11 percent are not even offering R-410A. Forty percent admitted that they would wait until 2010 to convert their sales to R-410A equipment. The higher costs for R-410A systems were cited as the primary reason for the delay. More than half of the contractors reported that their technicians and staff were trained to support R-410A, and the vast majority stated that they could easily find R-410A equipment. Also, 11 percent of those surveyed said their customers were already asking specifically for R-410A equipment.

BASELL ACQUIRES SOLVAY. Basell, The Netherlands-based manufacturer of advanced polyolefins, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Solvay Engineered Polymers, Inc., a supplier of polypropylene compounds in North America. The transaction is subject to relevant regulatory approvals and is expected to close in early 2008.

GET BRAZING. Milwaukee-based Lucas-Milhaupt Inc. has aquired Omni Technologies Corp. of Danville, N.H., which specializes in the manufacture and distribution of aluminum-based brazing and soldering materials. Lucas-Milhaupt is a supplier of brazing and soldering materials and a member of the Handy & Harman Precious Metals Group of companies. Omni Technologies is a manufacturer of products for specialized brazing and soldering applications.

INTERTEK ACQUIRES PTLI. Intertek’s Oil, Chemical and Agri Group, Houston, Texas, has acquired Plastics Technology Laboratories., of Pittsfield, Mass. PTLI is an A2LA accredited laboratory specializing in polymer testing. It provides services to producers and end-users of plastics, elastomers, composites, packaging and films.

BUNDY BUYS THERMO KÄLTE. Bundy Refrigeration, Troy, Mich., is acquiring Thermo Kälte, GmbH, a manufacturer of plate-on-tube and wire-on-tube condensers for the household refrigeration industry with operations in Germany. The acquisition is expected to close after final regulatory approval. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Bundy Refrigeration is a manufacturer of evaporators, condensers and other cooling system components.

FLYING FUEL CELLS. Medis Technologies Ltd. of New York has received a special permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation that authorizes aircraft passengers and crew members to carry up to three 24/7 Power Pack micro fuel cell devices for personal use aboard an aircraft. The fuel cells can be brought onboard in carry-on baggage without being subjected to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). The device is the first fuel cell to be allowed on passenger carrying aircraft by the DOT as well as the first consumer fuel cell to be listed by the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL), the company says.

NEW BOILER IS SUPER. Results of the first field test of the new Super Boiler conducted in Birmingham, Ala., indicate the new boiler technology could “revolutionize the energy efficiency of industrial steam generation leading to billions of dollars in energy savings for U.S. companies.” The Super Boiler is the culmination of more than seven years of research and development by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Gas Technology Institute of Des Plaines, Ill., and Cleaver-Brooks, of Milwaukee. The first U.S. test site for the ultra-high efficiency Super Boiler was Specification Rubber Products  based in Alabaster, Ala. The plant manufactures parts for the water works industry. In July 2006, GTI and Cleaver-Brooks installed a 300 HP high-pressure steam Super Boiler that has been running 24 hours a day, five days a week. After more than 6,000 hours of operation, fuel-to-steam efficiency has been consistently in the 93-94 percent range, and NOx levels have been less than 9 ppm. Annual gas savings have averaged nearly 13 percent.

Meetings

FEBRUARY

2008 NAFEM Annual Meeting & Management Workshop
Feb. 8-11, San Diego, Calif.
Contact: 312/673-4772
Email: info@nafem.org
Website: www.thenafemshow.org

International Builders’ Show
Feb 13-16, Orlando, Fla.
Contact: 202/266-8111
Website: www.buildersshow.com

Motor & Drive & Automation Systems Conference
Feb. 14-15, Atlanta, Ga.
Contact: 720/528-3770
Email: jessicad@infowebcom.com
Website: www.e-driveonline.com/motors_conf08_index.htm

Domotechnica 2008
Feb 18-21, Cologne, Germany
Contact: 773/326-9923
Email: c.peteherych@koelnmessenafta.com
Website: www.domotechnica.com

ISH China - China International Trade Fair for Sanitation, Heating & Air-Conditioning
Feb. 19-22, Shanghai, CHINA
Website: www.messefrankfurt.com.hk

APEC 2008: 23rd Annual Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition
Feb 24-28, Austin, Texas
Contact:  202/973-8664
Email: apec@courtesyassoc.com
Website: www.apec-conf.org

Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo
Feb. 28–March 1, Atlanta, Ga.
Contact: 703/522-0086
Email: pratt@hpba.org
Website: www.hpbexpo.com

MARCH

International Home & Housewares Show
March 16-18, Chicago, Ill.
Contact: 847/292-4200
Website: www.housewares.org