ARI Joins Energy-Efficiency Home Makeover Contest

The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), Arlington, VA, has partnered with the Alliance to Save Energy, the Edison Electric Institute and NBC Universal's SCI FI Channel on a campaign to educate Americans about how to reduce energy consumption in their homes.
“Considering central air conditioning accounts for about 15 percent of the electricity consumed by U.S. households, in order to conserve energy, we must replace older, inefficient cooling systems with newer, more efficient technology,” says ARI President Stephen R. Yurek. “But these gains can only be achieved if new systems are properly installed. In fact, poorly installed air-conditioning systems can be up to 40 percent less efficient than the certified efficiency rating noted on the equipment. We hope this campaign will help us reach more Americans with these important energy-saving messages.”
The campaign includes a national contest for a home energy-efficiency makeover that will be promoted on air, online, and through other communications vehicles reaching millions of Americans.
The campaign and contest website was launched on June 26, at www.scifi.com/homemakeover. The event coincides with a Eureka marathon, a television program in which the lead characters live in a "Smart House.” The popular program is the impetus for the overall Eureka $mart House Energy-Efficiency Challenge, a national drive for home energy efficiency.
Based on an energy audit, the grand prize winner could receive up to $25,000 worth of energy-efficiency improvements to create a "smarter" home. To enter, contestants are asked to answer a few energy-oriented questions about their homes and write a brief essay about why they deserve an energy-efficiency home makeover. After submitting their entry, they are encouraged to go to the 6 Degrees of Energy Efficiency Challenge Web site at www.sixdegreechallenge.org to "Test Their Energy IQ" and take the 6 Degree Challenge by committing to at least one tangible energy-efficiency action and encouraging others to do the same.
“ARI’s member companies, which produce the vast majority of central air conditioning systems installed in American homes, would not only like consumers to take advantage of the highly efficient systems they offer, but also to learn about what characterizes a quality installation and why they will save energy by working with qualified installers,” Yurek says. “As part of this campaign, ARI will be providing resources on its Web site to help consumers optimize the efficiency of their cooling systems.”
Other partners in the national campaign include the U.S. Department of Energy, American Gas Association, Consumer Electronics Association, Whirlpool Corporation, OSRAM Sylvania, The Dow Chemical Company, and CMC Energy Services.
The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment. An internationally recognized leader in developing standards for and certifying the performance of these products, ARI is also a major advocate for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) industry both domestically and abroad.
Visit ARI at www.ari.org, or go to www.aridirectory.org for free information about ARI Performance Certified equipment.