Equipment emissions standards are a critical policy option that states can use to improve air quality and achieve climate goals equitably and affordably. Emissions standards are feasible and effective ways to tackle a major source of building pollution at the time of equipment turnover, replacing fossil-fueled appliances with readily available zero-emissions equipment such as heat pumps. 

RAP and the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) worked together with consultants Energy Solutions and Dwight Alpern to produce a new equipment model rule. It presents state-level emissions standards designed to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and greenhouse gas pollution from space and water heaters. 

Emissions standards fill an important gap between other regulatory tools. Building performance standards apply only to large buildings, and building codes apply to new buildings. Emissions standards fill this gap by addressing pollution from small buildings and by covering both new and existing buildings. They also set a clear market signal with a clear date for a market transition to clean technologies. 

This model rule is intended to be part of a comprehensive regulatory and incentive-based approach to building decarbonization. States can use it as a template to develop their own regulations to achieve public health and climate goals.

The rule comes with a technical support document, which provides background and analysis on the development of zero-emissions and ultra-low-NOx standards for space and water heaters. The technical support document and other resources are available on NESCAUM’s Zero-Emission Heating Equipment Standards webpage.

For more on the subject, see Raphael Breit’s blog on Modeling the Future of Low-Emissions Space and Water Heat and the related webinar.