U.S. Department of Energy to Strengthen Efficiency Standards

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced three new steps to strengthen its ability to enforce energy efficiency standards. DOE has formed a new enforcement team within the Office of the General Counsel; established a program to randomly review manufacturers’ compliance with DOE certification requirements; and is publishing guidance that provides further details about DOE’s energy efficiency enforcement regulations.

In its new guidance, DOE confirms that under existing regulations, it can take enforcement action and assess civil penalties if a manufacturer fails to properly certify a covered product and retain records. Specifically, the agency clarifies that any failure to certify covered products according to DOE’s rules violates the Energy Policy Conservation Act of 1975 and DOE regulations. DOE will randomly select previously filed certification reports for review, request certification records as needed, and hold manufacturers accountable for failing to certify covered products according to DOE rules. Read the rest of this entry »

Zero Ozone-Depleting FOAMULAR Extruded Polystyrene Insulation

Toledo, Ohio – Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a global leader in building materials and energy efficiency solutions, today announced it has started manufacturing zero ozone-depleting FOAMULAR^® Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam insulation. The new blowing agent technology developed by Owens Corning meets the requirements of the Montreal Protocol which requires the phase-out of the hydrochloro-fluorocarbon (HCFC) 142b, an ozone-depleting compound, by January 1, 2010.

Owens Corning’s new Gresham plant is the first facility in the Western U.S. to meet the requirements of the Montreal Protocol and expands the company’s XPS foam production capabilities. The company also has converted its Rockford, Ill., insulation plant to use the new blowing agent, and all FOAMULAR products will meet the requirements of the conversion deadline.

“High performance homes and buildings are an ever-growing segment of the construction industry, and Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Cooler at the National Restaurant Association Show

U.S. Cooler will be exhibiting at the NRA Show in Chicago, May 16-19.

Since last NRA, U.S. Cooler has been busy working on new and innovative processes to reduce waste, inventory, time, and costs while increasing productivity. All of these factors together equal savings for dealers and consumers.

Providing customers with quality, affordable walk-ins in a convenient amount of time has always been U.S. Cooler’s highest priority. Earlier this year, we launched our new Hybrid panel for walk-in coolers. The hybrid panel is the best designed and engineered, competitively priced panel in the market.

U.S. Cooler, through their discount dealer program, passes savings on to consumers via the internet. Quick delivery, quality product, and competitive prices have drawn customers from across the nation to buy walk-in coolers and freezers from U.S. Cooler’s internet dealers online. Recently, prices were discounted even further, saving consumers even more money. Check out www.fastcooler.com, the internet’s best resource for discount walk-in cooler and freezer dealers.

Stop by U.S. Cooler booth 1834 to learn more about our discount internet program and how U.S. Cooler can save you money.

California Accepts EISA Regulations

The use of energy has become a commonly discussed issue with environmental and economic concerns. Everyday a significant amount of energy is used for commercial equipment in restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and warehouses. Prior to 2006, there had not been any set regulations on energy usage for commercial refrigeration.

California was one of the first states to set energy regulations for walk-in coolers and freezers. They previously required an envelope insulation rating of R-28 for refrigerators and R-36 for freezers. California was also one of the first to require electronically commutated motors or permanent split capacitor-type motors for refrigeration. Before more states could pose their own requirements on energy consumption, the federal EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act) agreement was signed in 2007. California has fully accepted the EISA requirements, amending their previous appliance energy code.

To review the entire California Code of Regulations, click on the link below. The walk-in cooler and freezer section starts on page 120 of the document.

http://www.energy.ca.gov/2008publications/CEC-400-2008-021/CEC-400-2008-021-15DAY.PDF

Heart to Heart Cold Storage Unit

Heart to Heart International Inc., a leading global humanitarian organization, has installed a U.S. Cooler cold-storage unit on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at its Global Distribution Center in Kansas City, KS. The 14,000—cubic-foot, refrigerated unit is expected to store life-saving medications, such as insulin, for Heart to Heart’s local and global health initiatives. Much of the hardware and labor was donated by local businesses.
“Without the support of several charitable companies, this day might never have come,” said Jon D. North, Heart to Heart’s CEO. “Now we can deliver life-saving medicines requiring cold storage more efficiently to under served people in Kansas City, in the United States and almost anywhere in the world.”
U.S. Cooler is very gracious for the opportunity from CFM Distributors to contribute to Heart to Heart’s mission.

If the video isn’t working, there are problems with the youtube server and you can view the video through the google server.

Department of Energy Meeting

The Department of Energy (DOE) has begun the first step in developing a standardized testing procedure for energy efficiency requirements in walk-in coolers and freezers. On February 4, 2009, the Department of Energy held a public meeting to discuss the proposed standardized testing process. In the Energy Independence and Securities Act of 2007 (EISA), it states there must be a performance-based standard for walk-in coolers and freezers in place by January 1, 2012. This requirement was one of the main topics presented at the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize interested parties with the approach and analytical tools that DOE anticipates using in the future. DOE proposed a preliminary document describing their plans for regulating energy efficiency in walk-ins. The meeting provided an opportunity for feedback and comments on the Framework Document.

Ellis Craig (Owner) and Luke Craig (VP of Operations) represented U.S. Cooler by attending the meeting in Washington, D.C. at the beginning of February. The meeting represented just the beginning steps of arriving at a standardized testing method for the walk-in cooler and freezer industry.

NAFEM 2009

Our Customers Buy Smart

February 5, 2009 Orlando, FL — Although the attendance at the NAFEM Show was lower this year, the quality of the people who stopped by our booth was the best we have seen. This year at the NAFEM Show, U.S. Cooler placed two Smart Cars atop one of our 7’7” x 20’ walk-ins. The Smart Cars were successful in grabbing attention and were visible from across the showroom.
We borrowed the cars from The Smart Center in Orlando. On one side of the cooler, we showed a cutout in the wall, displaying our three types of foam insulation; Extruded Polystyrene, Hybrid and Polyurethane. Many people found it useful to compare the insulations side-by-side and to discuss the characteristics of each. Overall, the show was a huge success!

There Needs to be a Walk-In Cooler and Freezer Certification Program

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) warns that the new walk-in cooler and freezer law could hurt manufacturers. The problem with the new law is that there is no enforcement mechanism built in, so a non-compliant company can manufacture walk-ins using their same old inferior panels and methods and beat compliant manufactures on price.

To address this issue, AHRI is launching an initiative to educate distributors, installers, and equipment owners about the new standard and its requirements. The association has developed a simple checklist that installers and equipment owners can use to make sure the walk-in cooler or freezer being specified or installed complies with federal law. The checklist is available at www.ahrinet.org/ARI/util/showdoc.aspx?doc=1202.

In addition to customer education, manufacturers believe the solution is the development of a certification program for walk-in coolers and freezers that would clearly identify those units that have been independently tested to verify they achieve a federally established minimum performance rating.

AHRI said the federal government is working with industry to develop a testing methodology for this equipment by 2010. In addition, a final rule is expected to be adopted in January 2012 that will establish a performance-based standard.

The full article can be found here.