ASHRAE Journal - January 2023 - 51

INDUSTRY NEWS
year. While the EU is currently succeeding in filling in
their strategic reserves before what is predicted to be
a moderate winter, the real test will be next year when
these reserves have been spent. In the meantime, the
IEA says that it is crucial for more renewable energy to
be brought online and for mandated improvements in
energy efficiency to be accelerated.
France and Other European Countries Withdraw From
The Energy Charter Treaty
France will become the latest European Union country
to leave the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), which
climate activists claim is being used by the fossil fuel
industry to legally challenge environmental policies.
The ECT was adopted in 1998 to protect foreign investments
in the energy sector of other EU countries.
However, the treaty has more recently been used by
fossil fuel corporations to sue foreign governments
who are enacting environmental policies that limit
their market or reduce their income. RWE, for exASHRAE
Remembers
Laurence (Larry) Felker
Laurence (Larry) Felker,
Member ASHRAE, who was
a mechanical engineer who
joined ASHRAE in 1978,
passed away in December.
Felker was a recognized
industry expert. He worked
at Belimo for more than 31
years in sales and product
management, where he was
most recently a senior product manager for Belimo's
Fire & Smoke line, based in Reno, Nev. Originally
from Chicago, Ill., Felker, 76, was vice president of engineering
for Southside Controls, an author of countless
articles, white papers and books. He coauthored
ASHRAE's book, Dampers and Airflow Control, with his
son, Travis. Felker also enjoyed teaching and passing
his knowledge on to others via webinars, trade and
customer events, and often at local ASHRAE Chapter
meetings. Felker was passionate and knowledgeable
of fire and smoke codes, standards and product applications.
ample,
brought legal action against the Netherlands,
which enacted policies to transition its economy away
from fossil fuels. This may have also played a part in
the Netherlands' withdrawal from the ECT.
DOE Seeks Input on Home Energy Rebate Programs
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be holding
a series of listening sessions to seek input on the nearly
$9 billion provided in the Inflation Reduction Act for
home energy rebate programs. The rebates are authorized
for the installation of energy efficient and clean
energy equipment like heat pumps, as well as a wide array
of weatherization improvements to cut energy use.
After holding the listening sessions, DOE is expected to
issue a Request for Information (RFI) for public input in
early 2023.
ASHRAE President Mehboob and Treasurer Knight
Speak at COP 27
The COP27 climate summit brought global leaders
to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where a two-week climate
summit hosted by the United Nations produced a historic
agreement for a new global fund to pay for climate
damage suffered by developing and poorer countries.
ASHRAE President Farooq Mehboob and Treasurer
Dennis Knight both provided remarks at a COP27 event,
" Planning, Design and Development in the Global South:
The 'How To' for People + Planet. " This event, hosted
by Architecture 2030, ASHRAE and the International
Network of Women Engineers + Scientists, included
a diverse panel of leading practitioners in planning,
design and construction of buildings, landscapes and
infrastructure.
ASHRAE Submits Response to Treasury Department on
Changes to 179D Tax Credit
The U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue
Service called on the public to provide feedback on
how to apply the $270 million in tax incentive funding
received from the Inflation Reduction Act. The 179D
Commercial Buildings Energy-Efficiency Tax Deduction
incentivizes building owners and designers to opt for
building designs at least 25% more energy efficient than
a reference building from ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1.
Presently, the tax deduction relies on ASHRAE/IESNA
Standard 90.1-2007 because Treasury has not affirmed
the 2019 version of the standard.
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ASHRAE Journal - January 2023

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