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Today, environmental protection is among the top
priorities for the government, many consumers, and many companies.
That's why at Bardi, we're leading the way—using our expertise to match
products that meet our customers' environmental concerns, as well as
government requirements.
Energy efficiency and refrigerant leak
control are the perhaps the two biggest issues affecting Bardi today.
Both state and federal governments are working on regulations relating
to these two issues that will have profound impact on our business and
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- California sets the pace: Currently California is leading the way on energy efficiency regulations. The federal government is following that lead and will be using California’s regulations as a national standard.
- Global Warming Initiatives: People are becoming more aware of the global warming issue everyday. They see the evidence of global warming, such as glaciers melting and the reduction of the polar ice caps.
As public awareness grows, so will federal and state regulations affecting air conditioning contractors. In 2006, the California legislature passed the California Global Warming Solutions Act which empowers the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Certification is BIG: Technician certification is another issue facing our industry. California is proposing a ban of small canisters of refrigerant so that the do-it-yourselfers cannot buy refrigerant. The reasons are that it is believed that DIYers will leak more refrigerant because they are not trained properly. Also, they fear that a large percentage of the refrigerant will be emitted to the atmosphere when the DIYers attempt to charge their system. Some states are considered a requirement that all technicians be NATE certified….All of Bardi’s Quality Technicians are certified.
Contractors and their technicians must be familiar with proper refrigerant management. Section 608 of the U. S. Clean Air act requires the repair of refrigerant leaks that exceed 35% of the total capacity of the system. Fines have been levied by the EPA for non-compliance.
Free Tips to Green your Home
- Program the thermostat – Programmable thermostats allow them to
reduce output when they’re not needed, and can reduce energy bills by
$100 per year or more.
- Plug air leaks – This simple step can go a
long way toward keeping the home at the desired temperature, saving
money on heating and air conditioning bills.
- Tune Up the HVAC System – Having a checkup
for the HVAC system evey year makes sure that is is running
efficiently. Link to residential PMA
- Choose
Energy Star appliances – Energy Star qualified products meet a high
level of energy efficiency, which can translate into savings on
electric bills.
- Reduce water use – Use less water by adding aerators to sink faucets and changing to low-flow showerheads.
- Buy
local – Buying local produce reduces the amount of fossil fuels
required for the transportation of products from other parts of the
country or the world.
- Use low-VOC products – Improve indoor air quality by switching to products that don’t give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
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For additional energy-saving tips, visit the U.S. Green Builidng Council’s website at www.usgbc.org
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