Last year Congress granted an exemption from the 12 percent federal excise tax for idle-reduction systems such as auxiliary power units, and now the Environmental Protection Agency has come up with a list of approved systems.


EPA said the exemption applies to sales and installation of these systems since Oct. 4, 2008. The law says that the exemption also applies to specific standards of insulation, but the agency's announcement did not address that issue.

The EPA announcement is posted at http://www.epa.gov/smartway/transport/what-smartway/idling-reduction-fet.htm. Included in the announcement is contact information for manufacturers that wish to get their products on to the list. As in all matters related to taxation, the wise move is to consult your tax accountant.

EPA organized the approved systems by technology type.

Fuel Operated Heaters:
* Automotive Climate Control, Fuel Fired Heater FFHD 2
* Espar: D1LC; D3LC; Airtronic D2; Airtronic D4; Hydronic 5; Hydronic 8-10-12
* Teleflex: A2; A4; X45
* Volvo 41-11
* Webasto: Air Top 2000; Air Top 3500; TSL 17; Thermo 90S

Battery Air Conditioning Systems:
* AuraGen Inverter and Charger System
* Autotherm Division Enthal Systems T-2500 Energy Recovery System
* Bergstrom NITE
* DC Power Systems APU/AC
* Dometic Corp. Dometic
* Driver Comfort System
* Freightliner Cascadia Park Smart System
* Glacier Bay Climacab
* Idle Free Systems Reefer Link System
* Kenworth Clean Power
* Paddock Solar
* Peterbilt Comfort Class System
* Safer Corporation VIESA
* Sun Power Technologies Sun Power
* Volvo 971-001/2

Auxiliary Power Units and Generator Sets:
* Aux Generators Idle Hawk
* Auxiliary Power Dynamics Willis APU
* Black Rock Systems Black Rock
* Carrier Transicold ComfortPro APU
* Centramatic APU
* Comfort Master
* Cummins ComfortGuard
* Diamond Power Systems
* Double Eagle Industries Gen-Pac
* Dunamis Power Systems APU
* E-Z On APU
* Flying J Inc Cab Comfort System
* Frigette Truck Systems: APU; Gen Set 1; Gen Set 2
* Gates Corporation Cab Runner
* Idle Solutions APU
* Idlebuster
* Kohler: 3APU; 7APU
* Kool-Gen KG-1000
* Mechron Power Systems CCS Lightning Cab Comfort System
* Navistar Fleetrite APU
* Peterbilt Comfort Class
* Pony Pack, Inc. Pony Pack
* RigMaster Power Systems Rig Master Power
* Star Class: GEN-STAR 4500; GEN-STAR 6000
* Thermo King TriPac
* TRIDAKO Energy Systems Power Cube
* Truck Gen: UCT 2-5.5; UCT I-3.5; UCT-APU
* Volvo 971-003/4 (optional 82A-B1X)

Thermal Storage Systems:
* Webasto BlueCool Truck

Shore Connection Systems:
* Comfort Duo-Therm heat pump
* Freightliner Shorepower System
* Phillips and Temro Industries Cab Power 8500633
* Shurepower, LLC Shurepower
* Teleflex CCU Shore Power
* Volvo: 5H-A1 120 V Short Power Kit; LN-A1 Inverter Charger Kit
* Xantrex Technology TRUCKPOWER Inverter/Charger & Cab