US

- The Second Circuit Court in New York finally ruled that the 13 SEER standard as originally promulgated by the Department of Energy in 2001 should go into effect in January 2006 for new central air conditioners and heat pumps. Energy use by new air conditioners will be reduced by 23% relative to the current standard SEER 10. According to ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy), this will reduce the peak demand for electric power by 41 500 MW by 2020. - The annual survey of chiller manufacturers by ARI (Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) showed that building owners in the US, as of January 1, 2004, had replaced or converted 43 774 units or 55% of the original 80 000 CFC chillers. Non-CFC chillers use alternatives accepted for use by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), including hydrofluorocarbons (HFC-134a, HFC-410A, HFC-407C) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC-123 and HCFC-22).