Canadian energy efficiency standards to follow U.S. lead
ECEEE, March 4, 2016. Image credit: Photoshot
Updated energy performance targets for a range of commercial and residential equipment and lighting products will be the first regulatory amendments since Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed an agreement aimed at harmonizing the two counties’ energy efficiency standards and test procedures for rating equipment efficiency.
A December 2015 release from NRCan indicates the proposed regulations will be posted in the Canada Gazette for public comment in the spring of 2016. “They are aligned with standards in the United States unless there are unique Canadian circumstances,” NRCan states.
Industry organizations on both sides of the border commend the harmonized approach. In a joint submission to NRCan’s Office of Energy Efficiency earlier this week, the presidents of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) and the U.S. Air-conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), identified Canadian third-party verification criteria and an earlier proposal to match and rate chillers with specific condensers among problematic discordances with U.S requirements.