DOE Final Rule Restricting Vented Gas Hearth Products

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) filed in the Federal Register on April 16, 2010, its final rule to amend the existing energy conservation standards for gas-fired direct heating equipment, and other items. This final rule contains an input limitation on Decorative Gas Appliances of 9,000 Btu's per hour. HPBA and its gas hearth members are completely opposed to this limitation, as no limitation was expected in the final rule and the one presented is simply not reasonable. In fact, it is so unreasonable that it has the potential to eliminate Decorative Gas Appliances and gas log sets from the marketplace.

Prior to DOE's filing of the final rule, HPBA proposed that DOE create the efficiency definition of products by using language of CSA Z21.88 for heating products, CSA Z21.50 for log sets and CSA Z21.60 for decorative products. DOE chose to ignore our comments and instead chose the technically unsupportable and unacceptable limit of 9,000 Btu's per hour.

HPBA is now preparing to fight this final rule from DOE. Below you will find several links to items related to this final rule. The site will be updated regularly as actions occur.

On January 3, 2012, HPBA filed an Opening Brief in the case of HPBA v. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). You can find a direct link to the Brief here.

Written Comments

Throughout the process, HPBA has filed written comments on this issue. Please see the links below.

HPBA RFI Comments to DOE on Reducing Regulatory Burdens - January 4, 2012

HPBA AFUE Comments to DOE and Appendix - November 2011

HPBA's Analysis of DOE's Second Final Rule - November 2011

HPBA Comments on Definition of Vented Hearth Heater - February 2010

Formal comments to DOE regarding Vented Hearth Products - February 2007

Teleconferences

April 9, 2010: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. (EDT)
May 12, 2010: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (EDT)

Links/ Other Information

Department of Energy (DOE)

Frequently Asked Questions - Vented Hearth Heaters - April 19, 2010
Residential Direct Heating Equipment

This page describes rulemaking activities and regulations regarding energy efficiency for residential direct heating equipment.

Residential Heating Products Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

This page presents information on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) analyses conducted as part of the current energy conservation standards rulemaking for residential heating products.

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