The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI) certification program is making a transition.

As of Jan. 1, 2012, all certification programs under AHRI’s certification umbrella–ARI Performance Certified, GAMA Energy Efficiency Rating Certified, and I=B=R program (for hydronic heating equipment)–will be brought under one certification program and logo: AHRI Certified. Until Jan. 1, 2014, the I=B=R mark can be displayed simultaneously with the new AHRI Certified mark.

Design engineers and specifiers familiar with AHRI’s predecessor certification programs specify equipment and components bearing those marks. They will gradually disappear from the marketplace, replaced by the AHRI Certified logo, which is the only thing that has changed. Equipment performance claims are still independently measured and verified using independent third-party laboratories.

AHRI’s certification program is voluntary and open to manufacturers of HVACR and water heating equipment and components and to private brand marketers that produce or market products within the scope of one or more of the certification programs. AHRI’s certification program is recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and California Energy Commission (CEC).

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