Jan. 31, 2024

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THE LATEST: Regulation of Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers

In a long-anticipated but no less monumental development, regulation has come to the U.S. market for commercial and industrial fans and blowers. Where a federal test procedure and energy standard and a California efficiency regulation stand and where they likely are headed.

Cover of the 2023 edition of AMCA inmotion magazine.

Editor’s note: On Jan. 19, the U.S. Department of Energy published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) pertaining to energy-conservation standards for two categories of fans and blowers—air-circulating fans (ACF) and fans and blowers that are not ACF, referred to as general fans and blowers (GFB)—initiating a 60-day public review and comment period that will conclude March 19. The following is an update of the article “Dawn of a New Era: The Regulation of Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers” from the 2023 edition of award-winning AMCA inmotion magazine, published in November. The material was presented by the author in a free industry seminar at the 2024 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) in Chicago Jan. 22.

By MICHAEL IVANOVICH, AMCA International

In developments called “the most significant events … in the history of the industry,”1 the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a test procedure2 and the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved an efficiency regulation3 for commercial and industrial fans and blowers (CIFB), both of which took effect in 2023, with a compliance deadline of Oct. 30, 2023, for the former and April 29, 2024, (reset from Nov. 16, 2023, for reasons explained below) for the latter. The road to regulation has been long—12 years—and winding, with changing metrics, standards, energy-code provisions, manufacturer software, and more. The good news is this period of regulatory development is nearing an end; the bad news is there are several more years of “hysteresis” before the regulations are stable.

This article will provide a brief history of fan regulations in the United States, a summary of where the federal and California fan regulations currently stand, and a forecast of impending changes. Its focus is CIFB; large-diameter ceiling fans and circulating fans are addressed in the article “U.S. Regulations for Air-Circulating Fans.”

Fan-Regulation History: Energy Codes

Around 2008, ASHRAE Technical Committee (TC) 5.1, Fans, and the mechanical subcommittee of ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee (SSPC) 90.1 were looking to establish minimum-energy-performance standards (MEPS) for fans. They decided on percent efficiency as the metric, setting a minimum efficiency of 65 percent for fans in ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

The bodies of experts soon realized that a 65-percent minimum efficiency would eliminate a large portion of fans with diameters of 20 in. (50.8 cm), regardless of how efficient the fans were in larger sizes. This led to the development of a new metric, fan-efficiency grade (FEG), which establishes bands of efficiency so that fans, regardless of size, have the same rating across a model’s efficiency range. Because it approximated a MEPS of 65 percent, a minimum FEG of 67 was established in ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1.

Properties of FEG include:

It occurred to TC 5.1 and SSPC 90.1 that, with FEG being the same for smaller and larger fans and first-cost considerations being what they are, system designers could simply specify smaller fans in the FEG 67 band, defeating the purpose of the MEPS. Hence, a sizing window 15 percentage points from peak total efficiency was established to nudge fan selections to larger sizes.

FEG was incorporated into ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 with the 2013 edition and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with the 2015 edition. Over time, FEG-based provisions were adopted into more than 25 state energy codes.

Fan-Regulation History: Energy Regulations

In June 2011, the DOE initiated a rulemaking for CIFB by soliciting stakeholders for market data as well as input on metrics and standards. Less than two years later, in January 2013, the DOE published a framework document summarizing its findings and describing a possible path forward.

The DOE determined FEG was not a suitable metric for a federal efficiency regulation for fans, explaining:

  • A sizing window could not be applied in a product-efficiency regulation, which eliminated the energy savings of FEG.
  • FEG considers the fan only; the DOE wanted a metric that also considers motor and drive losses.
  • FEG is concerned with full-load operation only; the DOE wanted a metric concerned with part-load operation as well.

In the framework document, the DOE also dismissed fan-motor-efficiency grade (FMEG), setting the stage for the development of a new fan-efficiency metric.

Thus, just as FEG was emerging in U.S. energy codes, its future was scuttled in favor of an undetermined metric.

Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International, AMCA International member companies, and other stakeholders responded by developing fan energy index (FEI) and intermediary parameter fan electrical power (FEP). Through a series of public negotiations, the DOE and industry stakeholders made FEP the regulatory metric with FEI allowed “for marketing purposes.” The negotiations concluded in 2015 with the publication of a term sheet that ultimately would guide development of the DOE regulation, which, like all DOE regulations, has two main parts: a test procedure and an energy standard. The rulemaking was not complete at the time Donald Trump assumed the presidency and signed an executive order effectively halting the DOE’s development of new regulations in 2017.

The executive order led to two milestones in the fan regulatory initiative:

  • Without a federal test procedure, FEI and FEP needed to be formalized, so AMCA International developed ANSI/AMCA Standard 208, Calculation of the Fan Energy Index, published in 2018.
  • The CEC initiated a product-efficiency regulation under Title 20, Public Utilities and Energy, of the California Code of Regulations.

With the publication of ANSI/AMCA Standard 208, AMCA International and other stakeholders began a campaign to replace FEG with FEI in energy codes, beginning with the 2019 edition of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and continuing with the 2021 IECC and Title 24, Part 6, of California’s 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Energy Code).

In 2020, AMCA International petitioned the DOE to at least finish the CIFB test procedure to establish uniformity in terms of method of test, ratings calculations, and representations. From that point, the thinking was, varying state efficiency requirements could be suffered until a federal energy standard came along and preempted them all. In 2021, after the Biden administration took office, the DOE initiated action to finish the test procedure.

Meanwhile, with the development of product regulations using FEI requiring extractions from and references to four AMCA International standards and publications (ANSI/AMCA Standard 207, Fan System Efficiency and Fan System Input Power Calculation; ANSI/AMCA Standard 208; AMCA Publication 211, Certified Ratings Program Product Rating Manual for Fan Air Performance; and ANSI/AMCA Standard 210/ASHRAE Standard 51, Laboratory Methods of Testing Fans for Certified Aerodynamic Performance Rating), AMCA International published a “test standard” for FEI. That standard, ANSI/AMCA Standard 214, Test Procedure for Calculating Fan Energy Index (FEI) for Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers, was adopted by the CEC for its CIFB regulation.

The CEC approved the Title 20 efficiency regulation on Nov. 16, 2022, setting an effective date of Nov. 16, 2023. That changed following the May 1, 2023, publication of a final rule establishing a federal test procedure for fans and blowers, when the CEC announced it would be initiating a rulemaking to adopt the federal test procedure.

Unlike the Title 20 efficiency regulation, the federal test procedure covers embedded fans and circulating fans that are not ceiling fans. Circulating fans in 2022 were added to the federal rulemaking in a way allowing this magazine to treat them separately (see “U.S. Regulations for Air-Circulating Fans”).

In preparing the final rule for the federal test procedure, the DOE refrained from adopting selected portions of ANSI/AMCA Standard 214. For some manufacturers looking to meet the Oct. 30, 2023, deadline, this presented a hardship. Thirty-four manufacturers applied for and received a six-month extension—to April 29, 2024—of the test-procedure deadline. In its rulemaking to adopt the federal test procedure, the CEC aligned the Title 20 effective date with the extended federal test-procedure deadline.

In the lead-up to the Oct. 30, 2023, compliance deadline for the federal test procedure, manufacturers would have to examine their legacy test data and determine if their fans were tested in a manner that would yield performance data greater than or equal to data produced using the federal test procedure. If they were not, the fans would have to be re-tested, be re-rated, have their ratings removed from the market, or be removed from the market themselves. This would be a considerable undertaking, involving changes to software, websites, electronic catalogs, and more. Hard-copy literature, it was determined, could remain in use until being phased out.

On Jan. 19, 2024, the DOE published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) pertaining to energy-conservation standards for two categories of fans and blowers—air-circulating fans (ACF) and fans and blowers that are not ACF, referred to as general fans and blowers (GFB) (note the ACF and GFB terminology replaces CIFB)—initiating a 60-day public review and comment period that will conclude March 19. The DOE plans to publish the final rule in 2024. The effective date will be five years later, in 2029.

The energy-conservation standards build on the federal test procedure by defining minimum FEI levels for GFB and minimum efficacy in cubic feet per minute per watt for ACF. They do not provide labeling or certification (filing) requirements; those will be developed through separate rulemakings in the five years before the energy standards take effect. Thus, the NOPR covers minimum performance requirements and surveillance testing procedures.

As 2024 gets under way, much with regard to the CIFB regulations appears to be set:

  • The fan industry had until Oct. 30, 2023, to be in compliance with the federal test procedure. The 34 manufacturers granted an extension have until April 29, 2024.
  • The CEC is aligning the Title 20 test procedure with the federal test procedure, making various tweaks to Title 20 to accommodate the new test procedure.
  • The draft energy-conservation standards for ACF and GFB are undergoing public review, with a deadline for comments of March 19, 2024. When the final rule is published in 2024, a five-year grace period will commence.
  • During the five-year grace period, the DOE will initiate and finalize rulemakings establishing compliance-filing (certification) and labeling requirements.
  • The Title 20 regulation is expected to remain in effect until the federal energy standard takes effect in 2029.

With that, this much-abridged history of CIFB (now ACF and GFB) regulation is complete. The remainder of this article will discuss the federal test procedure, as that much is certain, and the portions of the Title 20 efficiency regulation that seem certain as of this writing. A future article will cover the federal energy standard.

Title 20 Efficiency Regulation

Technical provisions of the Title 20 efficiency regulation that fan-system designers and procurers need to know about are very few. That is not the case with manufacturers. Resources are available for manufacturers in the members area of the AMCA International website and for the public through the website of California Public Utilities Commission contractor Energy Code Ace.

System designers working on projects in California should know that fans covered by the regulation must be listed in the Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System (MAEDbS) if manufactured after the compliance deadline of April 29, 2024. As of this writing, the CEC has yet to publish final language for the modified Title 20 fan regulation. AMCA believes the CEC will finalize the language in March or April 2024. Energy Code Ace will communicate developments through its website. With these caveats in mind, the information below is believed to be certain.

According to Section 1602 of the Title 20 efficiency regulation: “‘Commercial and industrial fan or blower’ means a rotary-bladed machine used to convert electrical or mechanical power to air power, with an energy output limited to 25 kilojoule per kilogram (kJ/kg) of air. A commercial and industrial fan or blower has a rated fan shaft power greater than or equal to 1 horsepower, or, for fans without a rated shaft input power, an electrical input power greater than or equal to 1 kilowatt (kW); and a fan output power less than or equal to 150 horsepower. They consist of an impeller, a shaft, bearings, and a structure or housing. It may include a transmission, driver, and/or controller at the time of sale.”

The fan types covered by the Title 20 efficiency regulation are:

  • Axial inline fan.
  • Axial panel fan.
  • Power roof ventilator (axial supply and exhaust and centrifugal supply and exhaust).
  • Centrifugal housed.
  • Centrifugal inline.
  • Centrifugal unhoused (includes fans designed for use in a fan array with partition walls separating them from other fans in the array).
  • Radial housed.

Per Section 1602, the following are exempt from the regulation:

  • Safety fans, the definition of which will change to that found in the federal test procedure: “(1) a reversible axial fan in cylindrical housing that is designed and marketed for use in ducted tunnel ventilation that will reverse operation under emergency ventilation conditions; (2) a fan for use in explosive atmospheres tested and marked according to the English version of ISO 80079-36:2016 …; (3) an electric-motor-driven Positive Pressure Ventilator as defined in AMCA 240-15 …; (4) a fan bearing a listing for ‘Power Ventilators for Smoke Control Systems’ in compliance with UL 705 …; or (5) a laboratory exhaust fan designed and marketed specifically for exhausting contaminated air vertically away from a building using a high-velocity discharge.” (Note that the exclusion of laboratory exhaust fans is a significant departure from the original Title 20 scope.)
  • Ceiling fans as defined in Section 430.2 of Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, meaning “a nonportable device that is suspended from a ceiling for circulating air via the rotation of fan blades.”
  • Circulating fans.
  • Induced-flow fans.
  • Jet fans.
  • Cross-flow fans.
  • Embedded fans.
  • Air-curtain units, meaning: “equipment that produces a directionally controlled stream of air with a minimum width-to-depth aspect ratio of 5:1 and a discharge that is not intended to be connected to unitary ductwork. The controlled stream of air spans the entire height and width of an opening and reduces the infiltration or transfer of air from one side of the opening to the other and/or inhibits the passage of insects, dust, or debris.”
  • Fans designed and marketed to operate at or above 482⁰F (250⁰C).

Note that covered fans must bear a permanent label or separate permanent labels stating:

  • The name of the manufacturer, the model number, and the date of manufacture.
  • Fan-performance boundaries as defined in ANSI/AMCA Standard 214, operating duty points at which FEI is 1.00 or higher and beyond which energy inefficiency results.

A label must be affixed to a fan where it can be read without parts of the fan being removed or a magnifying glass or other instrument being used.

Originally, Title 20 required a ¼-in. font for all text on permanent labels. The removal of this requirement appears certain.

Federal Test Procedure

The jurisdiction of the federal test procedure is the United States, U.S. territories, and, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding between the DOE and Natural Resources Canada, Canada. Like all DOE regulations, it applies at the point of manufacture, meaning imported products are covered.

When the DOE published the final rule for the federal test procedure on May 1, 2023, it did so with a 180-day grace period for manufacturers making voluntary representations (values or ratings) of fan-performance parameters. Hence, the Oct. 30, 2023, compliance deadline. Compliance means all performance representations (FEI, brake horsepower, static efficiency, airflow, total efficiency, etc.) that are made were calculated using methods and data consistent with the test procedure.

Like the Title 20 efficiency regulation, the federal test procedure establishes the scope of products it governs, permissible metrics and means of calculating those metrics, and more. It does not promulgate energy-efficiency requirements, filing and marking/labeling requirements, compliance-assurance (surveillance) measures, or financial and civil penalties for noncompliance.

While large portions of ANSI/AMCA Standard 214, the original test procedure for the Title 20 efficiency regulation, were adopted for the federal test procedure, the DOE excluded some ratings-calculation sections of ANSI/AMCA Standard 214 that, on the whole, made the federal test procedure considerably different from the test procedure in the Title 20 efficiency regulation. These exclusions were the primary reason 34 manufacturers were granted six-month extensions of the test-procedure deadline.

What’s Next

For California, the complete Title 20 regulation, with changes, is on track to take effect on April 29, 2024. MAEDbS already is populated with filings by several manufacturers.

The federal test procedure is in effect, with 34 manufacturers having until April 29, 2024, to comply.

The DOE NOPR pertaining to energy-conservation standards for ACF and GFB is undergoing public review until March 19, 2024.

References

  1. Arnold, S. (2022). Q&A with new AMCA Executive Director Kevin Faltin and 2022-2023 AMCA President Mark Bublitz. AMCA inmotion, pp. 2-11. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/Faltin_Bublitz
  2. DOE. (2023, May 1). Energy conservation program: Test procedure for fans and blowers. Federal Register. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/DOE_CIFB
  3. CEC. (2023). California code of regulations, title 20: Division 2, chapter 4, article 4, sections 1601‐1609: Appliance efficiency regulations. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/ReferenceAce_Title20

About the Author

Michael Ivanovich is senior director, global affairs, for Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International. In this role, he works with AMCA committees in North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East to develop strategies and tactics that manifest the mission of the association “to advance the knowledge, growth, and integrity of the air-movement-and-control industry.” Most of this work involves energy-efficiency codes, standards, and regulations for fans, dampers, and air curtains. Advocacy arenas include the U.S. Department of Energy, ASHRAE, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Code Council, and the California Energy Commission.


SIDEBAR: Regulated Fans

Three main categories of fans are regulated. As defined by the U.S. Department of Energy, they are:

  • Large-diameter ceiling fan—a ceiling fan with a blade span larger than 7 ft (2.1 m).
  • Circulating fan that is not a ceiling fan—an air-circulating fan head or other type of circulating fan that is not a ceiling fan that has an electrical input power of 125 W or more.
  • Commercial or industrial fan or blower: A rotary-bladed machine used to convert electrical or mechanical power to air power, with an energy output limited to 25 kJ/kg of air. It consists of an impeller, a shaft, bearings and/or a driver supporting the impeller, and a structure or housing. It may include a transmission, a driver, and/or a motor controller.


SIDEBAR: Types of Regulations

Regulations take many forms:

  • Federal test standard—defines procedures, metrics, and other particulars for testing and rating products.
  • Federal energy-performance standard—sets minimum efficiency criteria for products and establishes compliance-filing and market-surveillance mechanisms.
  • State energy-efficiency regulation—establishes testing and listing/filing requirements and a market-surveillance mechanism for products sold within a state.
  • Consensus test standard—typically a method of test for a specific product.
  • Consensus rating (calculation) standard—sometimes combined with a test standard, it describes how to calculate one or more metrics used by regulators.
  • Commercial model energy code—typically an energy code that is adopted in whole or in part by a state.
  • Commercial state energy code—an energy code adopted in its entirety by a state or a specified version of a model energy code or standard adopted and, often, “customized” to local construction practices and policies by a state.

It is important to note:

  • Energy codes govern at the point of application, while energy regulations govern at the point of manufacture.
  • Consensus test and rating (calculation) standards are foundations for energy codes and regulations.
  • Federal test procedures and energy standards have primacy over state regulations and model and state energy codes. Energy codes cannot be more stringent than the federal minimum.
  • State energy codes and efficiency regulations tend to harmonize; minimum efficiency levels tend to be the same.

Update cycles can create messy situations, as energy codes typically are on three-year cycles, test/rating standards are on five-year cycles, and DOE regulations are on six-year cycles.


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FROM THE PRESIDENT: The Role of Ventilation in Ensuring Indoor-Air Safety

By MIKE WOLF, PE, 2023-2024 president, Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International

Mike Wolf, PE

Prior to 2020, the majority of us assumed the air we breathe indoors is safe. Then, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic happened. Suddenly, indoor-air quality (IAQ) became a hot topic over concerns of airborne viral transmission. While the threat of contracting COVID-19 may have since subsided, the need for healthy indoor air has not. Considering we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, the conversation is shifting from the quality of the air we breathe to the safety of it and what we can do to mitigate various issues—carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOC), pathogens—to create healthier indoor environments.

Foundational Air-Safety Technologies

For years, HVAC technologies have been used to maximize the quality and ensure the safety of indoor air. The following can be considered foundational technologies:

  • Outdoor-air (OA) ventilation.
  • Humidification.
  • Air filtration.

Ionization (e.g., bipolar, needlepoint bipolar), dry hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, and carbon filtration have become part of the indoor-air-safety (IAS) conversation but should be considered additive technologies, part of a multilayered utilization of HVAC technology and products. Because some additive technologies can have unwanted and unsafe side effects, such as ozone generation and increased concentration of VOC, it is imperative to verify the effectiveness of an additive technology through independent clinical studies and third-party verification of equipment performance, such as that from Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International; the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI); and the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI).

Of the foundational technologies, OA ventilation is the most reliable for improving and maintaining IAS. In fact, ventilation is the only technology solution that mitigates concentrations of CO2 and dangerous pathogens.

An effective ventilation system ensures IAS by:

  • Replacing contaminated air in a building with fresh air from outside.
  • Maintaining the circulation of air throughout a building to prevent the accumulation of pollutants in dead zones.
  • Maintaining optimal relative humidity.

Products that are proven effective in providing these functions include:

  • Dedicated-outdoor-air-system (DOAS) equipment.
  • Energy-recovery ventilators (ERV).
  • Air-distribution equipment.

DOAS Equipment

DOAS equipment can meet up to 100 percent of outdoor-air requirements. Some units provide fully conditioned outdoor air and precision temperature and humidity control while housing filters capable of reducing particulate matter in air. To help reduce heating and cooling loads, some manufacturers incorporate energy-saving enthalpy wheels or cores to transfer energy from contaminated exhaust air to fresh supply air.

ERV

Often, an ERV can be added to a rooftop unit (RTU) to avoid having to change out and upsize the RTU to meet air-conditioning loads associated with increased ventilation rates necessary to achieve IAS requirements. An ERV reduces conditioning loads by transferring heat, cold, and humidity from stale, contaminated exhaust air to oxygen-rich incoming outside air. Energy recovery can offer an enthalpy-recovery ratio of up to 80 percent and help meet requirements of standards such as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, and ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

Air-Distribution Equipment

Grilles, registers, and diffusers (GRD) as well as overhead ceiling fans offer an effective means of distributing air, preventing stagnation and the accumulation of harmful particulates or gases in dead zones of a room.

In addition to helping minimize high concentrations of contaminants, GRD help to ensure constant room temperature by directing airflow toward areas particularly affected by temperature fluctuation, such as exterior walls and windows.

Overhead fans—sometimes referred to as high-volume, low-speed fans or large-diameter ceiling fans—in addition to assisting in airflow direction and distribution in larger areas, increase occupant comfort and reduce energy costs by reducing temperature and humidity stratification in a room.

Evaluating Existing Equipment

Building owners with ventilation systems predating the COVID-19 pandemic may wonder if their equipment meets the evolving requirements for IAS. While updated IAQ standards were beginning to be embraced with many pre-COVID HVAC systems, much of the equipment may meet only minimum requirements for IAQ/IAS. Older equipment that fails to meet even minimum IAS requirements may need to be modified or replaced.

Before updating an HVAC system, verify the performance of the installed components. Focus on specific spaces, such as large common areas, classrooms, and offices, rather than the entire building. Regardless of the type of installation, it is wise to consult a qualified professional, such as a local manufacturers’ representative or HVAC engineering firm or contractor, to determine the best course of action.

Available Grants

Improving or replacing a ventilation system or its components can require a large financial investment. Fortunately, federal grants are available to help offset the cost. Grants for IAS include tax dollars from the American Rescue Plan and CARES Act. These grants are mainly for government buildings, schools, and universities. Businesses can apply for grants for energy-code updates through the Inflation Reduction Act. Your local manufacturers’ representative can help you to navigate this information.

About the Author

Mike Wolf, PE, is director of industry and regulatory relations for Greenheck.

AMCA Laboratory Project Coordinator Jordan Boyer.

About the AMCA Certified Ratings Program (CRP)

The primary means through which Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International fulfills its mission to “advance the … integrity of the air-movement-and-control industry,” the AMCA Certified Ratings Program (CRP) provides assurance not only that a product line was tested and rated in accordance with uniform and equitable technical standards and procedures but that manufacturers’ published performance data are accurate and, thus, reliable. This article answers common questions about the AMCA CRP.

Does a company need to be an AMCA member to participate in the CRP?

No. A company that is not a member of AMCA can participate in the CRP by becoming an AMCA affiliate. An AMCA affiliate is a company engaged in the design, fabrication, assembly, and sale of devices within the scope of one or more AMCA divisions as part of its regular product offerings. To learn more about joining AMCA, click here.

What products does the CRP encompass?

AMCA certifies 20 types of products: acoustic duct silencer, agricultural fan, air-circulating fan, air curtain, airflow-measuring station, axial fan, ceiling ventilator, centrifugal fan, damper, energy-recovery ventilator, evaporative cooler, induced-flow fan, jet fan, large-diameter ceiling fan, louver, mixed-flow fan, positive-pressure ventilator, power roof ventilator, propeller fan, and single-room air handler. To learn more, click here.

For what can a company’s products be certified?

AMCA offers 17 licenses—Acoustic Duct Silencer, Air Leakage, Air Performance, Airflow Measurement Station, CFM per Watt, Circulating Fan, Efficiency, Energy Star, FEG, FEI, Induced Flow Fan, Jet Fan, Positive Pressure Ventilator, Sound, Water Penetration, Wind Driven Rain, Wind Driven Sand—dependent on the type of product. To learn more, click here.

Is testing of a product required for certification?

Yes. Technical procedures used in connection with the CRP are described in AMCA program documents. AMCA program documents are available in PDF format free of charge and in printed format for a nominal fee. For a list of AMCA program documents, click here.

Where can I find information related to the testing and certification of a product?

Uniform methods for the laboratory testing of products are detailed in AMCA standards. For a list of AMCA standards, with links to purchase, click here. As for certification, the CRP is governed by AMCA Publication 11, Certified Ratings Program Operating Manual, which is available in PDF format free of charge and in printed format for a nominal fee here.

Is a product certified once testing is completed?

No. All requirements of certification, including the review of product catalogs to ensure the accuracy of published performance data and the inclusion of required statements, must be completed for certification to be granted.

How will the public know a company’s product is in the CRP?

AMCA maintains on its website a database of the certified models and performance data of all active CRP participants. Additionally, product catalogs that include performance data established through CRP testing are required to bear the applicable AMCA seal(s).

How is certification of a company’s product maintained?

Certification is maintained through check tests, whereby every 36 months, AMCA selects a model to be retested to ensure the product continues to perform as stated in the approved product catalog(s).

Are there costs associated with certifying products?

Yes. There are costs associated with testing and the required review of catalogs. For information on pricing, contact AMCA at [email protected].

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AMCA Updates Fan Sound-Testing Standard 320

Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International Inc. announces the publication of ANSI/AMCA Standard 320-23, Laboratory Method of Sound Testing of Fans Using Sound Intensity.

Superseding ANSI/AMCA Standard 320-08 (R2013), ANSI/AMCA Standard 320-23 contains extensive updates to reflect modern instrumentation and procedures and to clarify requirements that previously were subject to interpretation. Attempts were made to align the standard, to the extent practical and relevant, with AHRI 230, Sound Intensity Testing Procedures for Determining Sound Power of HVAC Equipment.

Notable changes to ANSI/AMCA Standard 320 include:

  • Removal of reference sound-source adjustment, which was partially replaced with high-frequency correction (Section 5.7 and Annex E) and Annex F, Correction to Standard Meteorological Conditions.
  • Clarification of the performance-verification section (5.8).
  • Introduction of the concept of dynamic capability.
  • Clarification and expansion of the definition of test surface for each fan type.
  • The requirement that measurements and calculations be done in the one-third octave band and then summed to full octave bands for reporting purposes.

The cost of ANSI/AMCA Standard 320-23 is $90 in printed or PDF format and $122 in both printed and PDF formats. To purchase a copy, click here.

For more information about ANSI/AMCA Standard 320-23, contact Director of Publications and Standards Joe Brooks, PE, at [email protected] or Senior Manager, Publications and Standards Shruti Kohli-Bhargava at [email protected].

Life-safety dampers prevent the spread of flames and/or smoke during a fire event, facilitating occupant evacuation. Credit: Wittybear/Shutterstock

Your Questions About Life-Safety Dampers Answered

Damper experts from AMCA member companies share their responses to the application, installation, and maintenance questions most commonly asked by customers.

By DANE CAREY, JAMES CARLIN, LARRY FELKER, and KENT MAUNE, AMCA Fire and Smoke Damper Subcommittee

Fire, smoke, and combination fire/smoke dampers—referred to collectively as life-safety dampers—are an integral part of active and passive fire-protection systems in commercial and industrial buildings, aiding in the pressurization and containment of flames and/or smoke in the event of a fire. As manufacturers, we regularly field questions—from building owners, system designers, contractors, inspectors—concerning the application, installation, and maintenance of life-safety dampers. Considering the critical nature of the devices, we felt the need to share our responses to the questions we most frequently are asked.

Read more