You rely on your furnace to provide warmth and comfort throughout the heating season. Whether you’re in the market for a new furnace or furnace replacement, or are just curious, you probably have come across the Energy Star rating system. If a furnace has the Energy Star logo somewhere on its surface, then it meets the energy efficiency standards as determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of Energy Star is to reduce the impact of our heating and cooling systems on the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While it seems like a good thing (and it is), you might also be wondering how your furnace qualifies as an Energy Star furnace. In this post, we’d like to explain the rating. For a furnace service, call ACI Northwest today!
While different residential furnace efficiency standards exist throughout the country, the current standard for Energy Star furnaces in the Spokane area is 95% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). This percentage measures the amount of heating output against the amount of energy input over the course of an entire year. It is the standard measurement for most heating systems. Energy Star gas furnaces must possess this standard (or higher), although oil-based furnaces currently require only 85% AFUE to be rated.
The EPA chooses products according to several principles. For example, qualifying furnaces must not only be energy efficient, but must also fulfil the consumer demand for performance and features. Thus, it is not energy efficiency for its own sake, but in order to make sure that performance and efficiency go hand-in-hand. Moreover, the Energy Star program believes that product testing is an important part of sustaining environmentally friendly manufacturing, and that the technology behind energy efficiency should be widely available and non-proprietary. The labelling system is intended to create easy targets for energy-conscious consumers. The purpose of Energy Star is to promote the production of energy-efficient products.
If you’re in the market for a new furnace, consider selecting an Energy Star rated furnace, so you know it will perform efficiently and effectively for years to come. For heating service, call the experts at ACI Northwest today!