Light Commercial HVAC Key Product Criteria

The tables below summarize the ENERGY STAR Light Commercial HVAC requirements.

ENERGY STAR Efficiency Criteria

A product shall meet all of the identified criteria if it is to earn the ENERGY STAR.

*VRF models must meet these requirements in ducted, ductless, and mixed configurations to be certified. 

B. Cold Climate Heat Pumps: For purposes of ENERGY STAR certification, a Heat Pump model may be designated as Cold Climate if it meets the following:

a. Certification Metric Criteria

* VRF models must meet these requirements in ducted, ductless, and mixed configurations to be certified.

** In addition to meeting these criteria, very small CUHP and VRF must demonstrate low ambient performance according to section 3.B.b. below.

b. Low Ambient performance for Very Small Cold Climate Heat Pumps: Heat pumps shall demonstrate low ambient performance through one of two paths.

i. Using Proposed Appendix B1 to 10 CFR part 431, Subpart F2

• COP at 5° F ≥ 1.75, measured in accordance with the Appendix B1 H4Full test.

• Percent of Heating Capacity at 5°F ≥ 70% of that at 47°F, with the 5° F capacity measured per Appendix B1 H4Full test and the 47°F capacity measured as the nominal heating capacity per Appendix B1 (i.e., from the Appendix B1 H1N test for units having a variable-speed compressor where the compressor speed shall be the maximum speed that the system controls would operate at 47°F, otherwise from the Appendix B1 H12 test)

• Perform a controls verification procedure (CVP)3 to confirm that the above performance metrics measured at the Appendix B1 low ambient test point at 5° F are achieved by the native controls operating as they would in the field. Models of very small heat pumps (i.e., commercial package heat pumps and VRF with cooling capacity <65,000 Btu/h) that are otherwise identical to central air conditioner and heat pump models (meaning differing only in phase of the electrical system and the phase of power input for which the motors and compressors are designed), may be recognized as cold climate if the corresponding single phase models are recognized as cold climate under the ENERGY STAR Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pumps Version 6.1 specification.

Glossary

Coefficient of Performance (COP): The ratio of the average rate of space heating delivered to the average rate of electrical energy consumed by the heat pump. These rate quantities must be determined from a single test or, if derived via interpolation, must be determined at a single set of operating conditions. COP is a dimensionless quantity.

Cooling Capacity: The capacity associated with the change in air enthalpy between the air entering the unit and the air leaving the unit, which includes both the latent (change in humidity ratio) and sensible (change in dry-bulb temperature) capacities expressed in Btu/h and include the heat of circulation fan(s) and motor(s).

Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): The ratio of the produced cooling effect of an air conditioner or heat pump to its net work input, expressed in Btu/watt-hour. For very small equipment covered in this specification, the represented value may alternatively be EER measured per the proposed Appendix B1 to 10 CFR Part 431, Subpart F.

Integrated Energy Efficiency Ratio (IEER): A weighted average calculation of mechanical cooling EERs determined for four load levels and corresponding rating conditions, expressed in Btu/watt-hour.

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF): The total space heating required in region IV during the space heating season, expressed in Btu, divided by the total electrical energy consumed by the heat pump system during the same season, expressed in watt-hours.