Arlington, Virginia, USA, 2 October 2018: A group of AHRI members and staff travelled to Sacramento recently, to attend meetings with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the association announced in a Press communiqué.

The meeting with CARB focused on the ongoing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Rulemaking #2 regarding the short-lived climate pollutant strategy to reduce HFCs, the communiqué said. Using the September 14 letter – signed by AHRI, various member companies, and the Natural Resources Defense Council – as a starting point for the discussion, the group covered a wide variety of topics that need to be addressed, prior to the issuance of a draft rule, the communiqué further said. Specifically, members of the AHRI CARB Working Group explained the challenges of meeting the state’s goal of reducing HFC emissions by 40% by 2030, and recommended reducing leak rates, improving end-of-life collection, encouraging the use of reclaimed material and focusing less on sectors with low leak rates, the communiqué also said. Members also discussed logistical challenges, such as the sell-through period, distribution from California to non-regulated states, and the importance of adopting necessary code changes in time for a 2023 implementation date, the communiqué added.

According to CARB, Rulemaking #2 will be split in two, with air conditioning equipment addressed first. Prior to the scheduled October 24 public workshop on the rulemaking’s scope, the agency agreed to participate in a series of meetings to address AHRI’s concerns, the communiqué said. AHRI plans to share a list of priority topics with CARB, including the aforementioned challenges, the communiqué further said.

AHRI staff and members also met with CEC staff to discuss implementation of S.B. 1414 and the much-debated topic of Serial Number Tracking (SNT) as a method to increase permitting compliance and energy efficiency, the communiqué said. AHRI members outlined many of the challenges associated with SNT from the manufacturers’ perspective and suggested alternative solutions for increasing permitting compliance, such as a state-wide online permitting process, point-of-sale inspections, contractor and homeowner education and increased enforcement, the communiqué further said. The CEC will release a draft plan in November to allow sufficient time for the required 45-day comment period, prior to producing a final report by the January 2019 deadline, the communiqué added. According to AHRI, it will continue to engage and provide manufacturer input as the plan is developed.