[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 920 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 920

To create clean energy jobs and set efficiency standards for small-duct 
  high-velocity air conditioning and heat pump systems, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2011

 Mr. Blunt (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, and Mrs. McCaskill) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                    on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To create clean energy jobs and set efficiency standards for small-duct 
  high-velocity air conditioning and heat pump systems, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``SDHV Energy Efficiency Standards for 
America Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Department of Energy grouped small-duct high-
        velocity systems with all air conditioners and heat pumps in a 
        final rule published on January 22, 2001.
            (2) The Department of Energy subsequently published and 
        established the minimum efficiency standard for small-duct 
        high-velocity systems and informed all manufacturers of these 
        products to request exception relief in order to legally sell 
        these products in the United States.

SEC. 3. STANDARDS FOR SMALL-DUCT HIGH-VELOCITY AIR CONDITIONING AND 
              HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS.

    (a) Standards.--Section 325(d) of the Energy Policy and 
Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6295(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(C) Small-duct high-velocity systems: 11.00 for products 
        manufactured on or after January 23, 2006.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(C) Small-duct high-velocity systems: 6.8 for products 
        manufactured on or after January 23, 2006.''.
    (b) Definition.--Section 321 of the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act (42 U.S.C. 6291) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(67) Small-duct, high velocity system.--The term `small-
        duct, high-velocity system' means a heating and cooling product 
        that contains a blower and indoor coil combination that--
                    ``(A) is designed for, and produces, at least 1.2 
                inches of external static pressure when operated at the 
                certified air volume rate of 220-350 cubic feet per 
                minute per rated ton of cooling; and
                    ``(B) when applied in the field, uses high velocity 
                room outlets generally greater than 1,000 feet per 
                minute that have less than 6.0 square inches of free 
                area.''.
    (c) Amendment of Standards.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may, by rule, amend the 
        standards established for small-duct high-velocity air 
        conditioning and heat pump systems under the amendments made by 
        this section.
            (2) Effective date.--Standards as amended pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) shall not take effect less than 5 years after the 
        final rule making the amendment is published.
            (3) Determination.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish a final 
        rule to determine whether standards for small-duct, high-
        velocity systems should be amended.
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