This report updates the testing and marking requirements to the air filter standards in the Appliance Efficiency Regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Section 1601 through Section 1609). The proposed updates are part of the 2020 Appliance Efficiency Rulemaking (Docket #20-AAER-02) and reflect the same conclusions for the cost-effectiveness and technical feasibility analysis. The updates to the regulatory language in this report assure an accurate and reliable certification and marking of residential air filters by manufacturers. It became clear to the California Energy Commission that manufacturers could not test and comply with the existing regulation because of the lack of clarity in the regulatory language. The regulations required testing small, medium, and large air filters without a clear definition making it hard for manufacturers to test and certify.
Staff proposes to amend the testing requirements for residential air filters, to update to the newest versions of the test procedures: American National Standards Institute/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 52.2-2017; and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute Standard 680 (I-P) — 2017 test procedure. The update will allow manufacturers to choose one size filter as a basic model for new certification requirements in Table X of Section 1606 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 20. Without these updates on testing, certification, and marking to the 2015 Title 20 California Code of Regulations for air filters, manufacturers are unable to certify because of the lack of clarity in the regulatory language. Additionally, the new regulations yield a product availability with the same baseline as the one discussed in the Staff Analysis of HVAC Air Filters, Dimming Fluorescent Ballasts, and Heat Pump Water Chilling Packages staff report.
