Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps – Proposed Amendment to the EE Regulations

Bulletin – September, 2004

Air conditioners and heat pumps of various types are prescribed as regulated products under Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations). The Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) proposes to amend the Regulations under which dealers would be required to comply with more stringent minimum energy performance standards for equipment imported or shipped interprovincially for sale or lease in Canada.

In 2002, NRCan undertook a study to assess the economics and technical feasibility of higher minimum efficiency levels for Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps (PTAC/HP). The purpose of this bulletin is to provide stakeholders with information for meaningful consultation on the proposed amendment to the Regulations before proceeding with pre-publication in the Canada Gazette. NRCan expects to pre-publish the amendment in 2005.

Product Description

PTAC/HP are factory manufactured air conditioners and heat pumps. PTAC/HP have a wall sleeve and a separate unencased combination of heating and cooling assemblies intended for mounting through the wall. This equipment is often found in motel and hotel rooms and used to heat and cool a single room.

A previous bulletin also addressed the efficiency of vertical packaged terminal equipment, stating it was NRCan's intent to provide minimum requirements for vertical equipment. Since no test method has been developed, the vertical equipment will not be covered in the upcoming amendment.

Energy Performance Test Procedures

The test method is a bi-national standard developed in cooperation with the Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and available from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) as ARI 310/380-2004 / CSA C744-04, "Standard for Packaged Terminal Air-Conditioners and Heat Pumps". This standard is available from CSA at:

or at: www.csa.ca

Proposed Energy Efficiency Standards

NRCan proposes that PTAC/HP equipment manufactured on or after the effective date must meet the minimum Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) and Coefficient of Performance (COP) as specified in column 2 of Table 1, which are the same efficiency levels as published in CSA C744-04.

Performance levels are taken from CSA-C744-04.

"cap" means the rated cooling capacity in watts (upper formula) or btu/h (lower formula).

Replacement units are to be labelled according to the requirements of CSA C744-04.

The definition from CSA C744-04 is as follows: Replacement units - units with wall sleeves less than 0.41m (16in) high or less than 1.07m (42 in) wide unless they meet the new construction minimum efficiency requirements.

Comments Received Previously

NRCan issued a bulletin previously. Comments were received about the definition and size of replacement units and the need to label replacement units. The CSA subcommittee discussed these points and decided to use the definition and label as described above.

Regarding vertical equipment, there were comments indicating the proposed efficiency levels were too stringent. This issue requires further examination. Along with the situation that no Canadian test method exists, NRCan has decided not to include the vertical equipment in the EE Regulations at this time.

Information was received on products with horizontal orientation and designed for ductwork. These design variations should be considered by the CSA subcommittee for inclusion into the test method or into a future test method for vertical equipment.

Labelling

Replacement units are to have the following nameplate data, according to the requirements in CSA C744-04 Section 10.4:

MANUFACTURED FOR REPLACEMENT APPLICATIONS ONLY. NOT TO BE INSTALLED IN NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

PIÈCE DE REMPLACEMENT UNIQUEMENT. NE PAS INSTALLER DANS DES APPAREILS NEUFS.

No EnerGuide label is proposed

Verification Requirements

Equipment must carry a verification mark indicating that the energy performance has been verified. The verification mark is the mark of a certification organization that has an energy performance verification program for this product. The certification organization must be accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.

Effective Dates

NRCan is proposing that these energy efficiency standards for PTC/HP equipment come into effect on September 1, 2005.

Comments Invited

This bulletin is being issued to gather further stakeholder comments. Written comments are requested by October 15, 2004, and should be directed to:

e-mail