ABSTRACT
The US Congress enacted the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) in December 1975. EPCA required National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to develop test procedures for each product for the determination of estimated annual operating cost and at least one other useful measure of energy consumption likely to assist consumers in making purchasing decisions. Beginning in 1975, NBS staff reviewed the test procedures already in use within the appliance and heating and cooling industry. The development of the new test procedures for central heating and cooling caused a revolution in the way industry tested such equipment. They resisted and fought the changes for several years because of the increased cost and complexity of testing. Ultimately the tests were accepted, used throughout the industry, and adopted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) as ASHRAE Standards 103 (Central Furnaces and Boilers) and 116 (Unitary Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps).
