Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Direct Heating Equipment

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including residential direct heating equipment. In this final rule, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its definitions pertaining to direct heating equipment. Specifically, through this final rule, DOE is amending the definition of "vented hearth heater," a type of direct heating equipment, to clarify the scope of the current exclusion for those vented hearth heaters that are primarily decorative hearth products. The amendment to the existing exclusion shifts the focus from a maximum input capacity limitation (i.e., 9,000 Btu/h) to a number of other factors, including the absence of a standing pilot light or other continuously-burning ignition source. DOE has concluded that these amendments would result in increased energy savings overall, as well as for the types of units under the exclusion.