Variable Refrigerant Flow

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 variable refrigerant flow products. 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.

Ongoing Rulemakings

Negotiated Rulemaking for Variable Refrigerant Flow Multi-Split Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps

Summary: The Department of Energy is giving notice that it intends to establish a negotiated rulemaking working group under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Negotiated Rulemaking Act to negotiate proposed test procedures and amended energy conservation standards for variable refrigerant flow multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps.

Type of Regulation: Test Procedure and Energy Conservation Standard

Rulemaking Link: Rulemaking Webpage

Docket ID: EERE-2018-BT-STD-0003

UPDATES:

Posted: October 2, 2019 — Notice of open teleconference/webinar
Posted: August 22, 2019 — Notice of public meetings and webinars
Posted: July 8, 2019 — Notice of data availability and request for information
Posted: April 2, 2019 — Notice of public meeting and webinar
Posted: February 5, 2019 — Notice of public meetings and webinar
Posted: September 5, 2018 — Notice of public meetings and webinar
Posted: July 20, 2018 — Notice of public meetings and webinar
Posted: April 11, 2018 — Notice of intent to establish a working group

Comment Period Close Date: Closed

Where to Comment: EERE-2018-BT-STD-0003

AHRI Comments to Previous Stages of Rulemakings:

August 22, 2019 — AHRI comments response to the notice of data availability and request for information

Future Regulations

N/A

Current Efficiency Standards

Current Standard:

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 found in the following tables.

Table 1. Minimum Cooling Efficiency Levels for Commercial Package Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps (including Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems)
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
	65,000 Btu/h	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
		AC	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 11.0	1/1/2010
		HP	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 11.0	1/1/2010
		HP	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
		AC	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 10.8	1/1/2010
		HP	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 10.6	1/1/2010
		HP	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
		AC	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 9.8	1/1/2010
		HP	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 9.5	1/1/2010
		HP	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
	17,000 Btu/h	HP	All	EER = 11.2	10/29/2003
	17,000 and 65,000	AC	All	EER = 12.1	10/29/2003
	17,000 and 65,000	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
		AC	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
	135,000 Btu/h and 240,000 Btu/h	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
		AC	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 10.8	1/10/2011
		HP	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 11.0	1/10/2011
		HP	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

For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this standard, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.

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
	≥ 65,000 Btu/h and 135,000 Btu/h	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
	≥ 135,000 Btu/h and 240,000 Btu/h	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 10.8	1/1/2010
	850 and 1,500	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	4.42 - 0.00028H	200 - 0.022H
	≥ 240,000 Btu/h and 760,000 Btu/h	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 10.0	1/1/2010
	≥ 240,000 Btu/h and 760,000 Btu/h	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 HSPF = 7.7	6/16/2008
	≥ 65,000 Btu/h and 135,000 Btu/h	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 11.0 COP = 3.3	1/1/2010
	≥ 65,000 Btu/h and 135,000 Btu/h	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 10.8 COP = 3.3	1/1/2010
	≥ 135,000 Btu/h and 240,000 Btu/h	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 10.6 COP = 3.3	1/1/2010
	≥ 135,000 Btu/h and 240,000 Btu/h	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 10.4 COP = 3.2	1/1/2010
	≥ 240,000 Btu/h and 760,000 Btu/h	No Heating or Electric Resistance Heating	EER = 9.5 COP = 3.2	1/1/2010
	≥ 240,000 Btu/h and 760,000 Btu/h	All Other Types of Heating	EER = 9.3 COP = 3.2	1/1/2010
VRF Multi-Split Air Conditioners	17,000 Btu/h	Without Heat Recovery	EER = 12.0 COP = 4.2	10/29/2012 (EER Level) 10/29/2003 (COP Level)
	17,000 Btu/h	With Heat Recovery	EER = 11.8 COP = 4.2	10/29/2012 (EER Level) 10/29/2003 (COP Level)
	≥ 17,000 Btu/h and 65,000 Btu/h	All	EER = 12.0 COP = 4.2	10/29/2013
	≥ 65,000 Btu/h and 135,000 Btu/h	All	EER = 12.0 COP = 4.2	10/29/2013
	≥ 135,000 Btu/h and 760,000 Btu/h	Without Heat Recovery	EER = 10.0 COP = 3.9	10/29/2013
	≥ 135,000 Btu/h and 760,000 Btu/h	With Heat Recovery	EER = 10.0 COP = 3.9	10/29/2013

_{*Variable Refrigerant Flow Equipment were previously covered under the broader classes of small, large, and very large commercial package air conditioning equipment before being distinguished as separate equipment classes in the May 16, 2012 final rule. 77 FR 28991.}

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.

Current Test Procedure

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, 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.
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.

AHRI comments to rulemaking:

AHRI Comment response to the published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) — September 1, 2015

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:

Light Commercial HVAC Program Requirements Version 3.1

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. Email [email protected] for more information.

More Information:

Energy Star Light Commercial HVAC Website

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