Washington, DC – As part of its renewed efforts to ensure compliance with national energy efficiency appliance standards, the U.S. Department of Energy today issued a test notice requiring AeroSys, Inc. to provide sample air conditioners and heat pumps for laboratory testing by DOE.  The test notice, issued under 10 CFR 430.70, requires AeroSys to make test samples of certain AeroSys-manufactured air conditioners and heat pumps available to DOE at its own expense.  The Department will then determine whether these products comply with applicable DOE energy standards, which are designed to strengthen efficiency levels for various appliances, save money for consumers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“In response to our subpoena, AeroSys provided confidential certification test data that claimed to show standards compliance for seven of its basic models,” said DOE General Counsel Scott Blake Harris.  “But we concluded that the AeroSys data left open questions about whether their products fully comply with all of the relevant energy efficiency standards.   As the next step in the process, we will be testing the products ourselves to ensure that these appliances meet national energy efficiency standards.”

President Obama and Secretary Chu have moved aggressively to clear the backlog of energy efficiency standards for appliances and reinforce the Department’s efforts to save energy for American consumers and businesses. In February 2009, President Obama tasked the Department of Energy with quickening the pace of energy conservation standards for appliances, while continuing to meet legal and statutory deadlines. The Department of Energy has now issued energy efficiency standards for each of the appliance categories highlighted by the President, and is continuing to move forward to develop new energy saving standards and to consistently and agressivley enforce existing standards.

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