Water-Source Heat Pump
Department of Energy
The Department of Energy (DOE) regulates the energy efficiency of small, large, and very large commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps, which includes water-source heat pumps. Commercial air conditioners and heat pumps are air-cooled, water-cooled, evaporatively-cooled, or water source unitary air conditioners or heat pumps that are used for space conditioning of commercial and industrial buildings.
Water–Source Heat Pumps (WSHPs) Test Procedure
Summary: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended, requires DOE to conduct a review of its test procedure for each covered class once every seven years to determine if amendments are needed (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(1)(A)). If DOE determines that amended test procedures would more accurately or fully comply with the requirements under 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2) and (3), (related to representativeness during an average use cycle and not being unduly burdensome to conduct), DOE must prescribe amended test procedures for that equipment. Otherwise, DOE must publish a notice regarding its determination that the test procedure does not need to be amended (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(1)(A)). DOE is initiating an effort to determine whether amendments to the WSHPs test procedure are warranted.
Type of Regulation: Test Procedure
Rulemaking Link: Rulemaking Webpage
Docket ID: EERE-2017-BT-TP-0029
Updates:
- Posted: July 9, 2018 — Extension of public comment period
- Posted: June 22, 2018 — Request for information
Comment Period Close Date: Closed
Where to Comment: EERE-2017-BT-TP-0029
AHRI Comments to Previous Stages of Rulemakings:
- June 25, 2018 — AHRI request for extension of comment period
N/A
For the purposes of this regulation, standards cover air-cooled, evaporatively cooled, and water-cooled and water source commercial packaged air conditioners and heat pumps.
Commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured and distributed in commerce, as defined by 10 CFR 431.92, must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 431.97. Compliance dates and minimum efficiencies are available in the following tables.
Table 1. Minimum Cooling Efficiency Levels for Commercial Package Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps (including Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems) |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equipment Type |
Cooling Capacity |
Sub-Category |
Heating Type |
Efficiency Level |
Compliance Date |
Small Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled, 3 Phase) |
< 65,000 Btu/h |
AC |
All |
SEER = 13 |
6/16/2008 |
HP |
All |
SEER = 13 |
6/16/2008 |
||
Small Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled) |
65,000 Btu/h and < 135,000 Btu/h |
AC |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.2 |
1/1/2010 |
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/1/2010 |
|||
HP |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/1/2010 |
||
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.8 |
1/1/2010 |
|||
Large Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled) |
135,000 Btu/h and < 240,000 Btu/h |
AC |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/1/2010 |
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.8 |
1/1/2010 |
|||
HP |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 10.6 |
1/1/2010 |
||
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.4 |
1/1/2010 |
|||
Very Large Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled) |
240,000 Btu/h and < 760,000 Btu/h |
AC |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 10.0 |
1/1/2010 |
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 9.8 |
1/1/2010 |
|||
HP |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 9.5 |
1/1/2010 |
||
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 9.3 |
1/1/2010 |
|||
Small Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Water-Cooled, Evaporatively-Cooled, and Water-Source) |
< 17,000 Btu/h |
AC |
All |
EER = 12.1 |
10/29/2003 |
HP |
All |
EER = 11.2 |
10/29/2003 |
||
17,000 and < 65,000 |
AC |
All |
EER = 12.1 |
10/29/2003 |
|
HP |
All |
EER = 12.0 |
10/29/2013 |
||
65,000 Btu/h and < 135,000 Btu/h |
AC |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.3 |
10/29/2003 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 11.3 |
10/29/2003 |
|||
HP |
All |
EER = 12.0 |
10/29/2003 |
||
Large Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Water-Cooled, Evaporatively-Cooled, and Water-Source) |
135,000 Btu/h and < 240,000 Btu/h |
AC |
All |
EER = 11.0 |
10/29/2003 |
HP |
All |
EER = 11.0 |
10/29/2004 |
||
Very Large Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Water-Cooled, Evaporatively-Cooled, and Water-Source) |
240,000 Btu/h and < 760,000 Btu/h |
AC |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/10/2011 |
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.8 |
1/10/2011 |
|||
HP |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/10/2011 |
||
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.8 |
1/10/2011 |
Table 2. Minimum Heating Efficiency Levels for Commercial Package Heat Pumps (including Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Equipment Type |
Cooling Capacity |
Efficiency Level |
Compliance Date |
Small Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled, 3 Phase) |
< 65,000 Btu/h |
HSPF = 7.7 |
6/16/2008 |
Small Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled) |
65,000 Btu/h and < 135,000 Btu/h |
COP = 3.3 |
1/1/2010 |
Large Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled) |
135,000 Btu/h and < 240,000 Btu/h |
COP = 3.2 |
1/1/2010 |
Very Large Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Air-Cooled) |
240,000 Btu/h and < 760,000 Btu/h |
COP = 3.2 |
1/1/2010 |
Small Commercial Packaged Air-Conditioning and Heating Equipment (Water-Source) |
< 135,000 Btu/h |
COP = 4.2 |
10/29/2003 |
Amended Standards
On May 16, 2012, DOE published a final rule that amended energy conservation standards for water-cooled and evaporatively-cooled commercial package air-conditioning and heating equipment and established new standards for certain variable refrigerant flow multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps.
Table 4. Energy Conservation Standards for Variable Refrigerant Flow Multi-Split Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps* |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Equipment Type |
Cooling Capacity |
Heating Type |
Efficiency Level |
Compliance Date |
VRF Multi-Split Air Conditioners (Air-cooled) |
< 65,000 Btu/h |
All |
SEER = 13.0 |
6/16/2008 |
≥ 65,000 Btu/h and < 135,000 Btu/h |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.2 |
1/1/2010 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/1/2010 |
||
≥ 135,000 Btu/h and <240,000 Btu/h |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/1/2010 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.8 |
1/1/2010 |
||
≥ 240,000 Btu/h and < 760,000 Btu/h |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 10.0 |
1/1/2010 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 9.8 |
1/1/2010 |
||
VRF Multi-Split Heat Pumps (Air-Cooled) |
< 65,000 Btu/h |
All |
SEER = 13.0 |
6/16/2008 |
≥ 65,000 Btu/h and < 135,000 Btu/h |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 11.0 |
1/1/2010 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.8 |
1/1/2010 |
||
≥ 135,000 Btu/h and < 240,000 Btu/h |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 10.6 |
1/1/2010 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 10.4 |
1/1/2010 |
||
≥ 240,000 Btu/h and < 760,000 Btu/h |
No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating |
EER = 9.5 |
1/1/2010 |
|
All Other Types of Heating |
EER = 9.3 |
1/1/2010 |
||
VRF Multi-Split Air Conditioners (Air-cooled) |
< 17,000 Btu/h |
Without Heat Recovery |
EER = 12.0 |
10/29/2012 (EER Level) |
With Heat Recovery |
EER = 11.8 |
10/29/2012 (EER Level) |
||
≥ 17,000 Btu/h and < 65,000 Btu/h |
All |
EER = 12.0 |
10/29/2013 |
|
≥ 65,000 Btu/h and < 135,000 Btu/h |
All |
EER = 12.0 |
10/29/2013 |
|
≥ 135,000 Btu/h and < 760,000 Btu/h |
Without Heat Recovery |
EER = 10.0 |
10/29/2013 |
|
With Heat Recovery |
EER = 10.0 |
10/29/2013 |
Links:
- Final Rule: Standards, Federal Register, 77 FR 28928 (May 16, 2012)
- Technical Support Document
- Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-STD-0029 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.
To determine compliance with DOE standards, manufacturers must follow the test procedures specified at 10 CFR 431.96 for commercial package air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured or distributed into commerce on or after January 8, 2007.
- Final Rule: Test Procedures, Federal Register, 80 FR 79655 (December 23, 2015)
- Docket No. EERE-2015-BT-TP-0015 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.
- Final Rule: Test Procedures, Federal Register, 71 FR 71340 (Dec. 8, 2006)
- Docket No. EERE-2006-TP-0121 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.
- Final Rule: Test Procedures, Federal Register, 77 FR 28928 (May 16, 2012) (This rule contained test procedures for products in addition to those in the 2006 rule.)
- Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-STD-0029 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents.
For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this test procedure, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.
EPA Energy Star
Current Product Specifications:
— Geothermal Heat Pumps Program Requirements Version 3.1 (89KB)
— Clarification to the Geothermal Heat Pump Verification Testing Requirements and Basic Model Group Definition (71KB)
In Development:
There are no new versions currently in development.
Applying for Energy Star:
To qualify a new product, contact an EPA-recognized Certification Body (CB) to have the product's performance certified. A list of EPA-recognized CBs, as well as an overview of EPA's third-party certification procedures, is available at Third-Party Certification. AHRI is an EPA-recognized CB. Contact [email protected] for more information.
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