The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will enact new nationwide efficiency requirements for HVAC equipment on January 1, 2023. As part of the DOE’s goal to reduce overall energy consumption, the rating procedure (i.e., the performance calculation) has become more stringent and complex. Excluding split system heat pumps, split system air conditioners that do not meet these new ratings will not be installable after January 1, 2023. Equipment currently in production is being phased out in anticipation of this new mandate, some as early as the end of August 2022. Although there will be different ratings per region, updated equipment should be reviewed and incorporated into all project designs immediately. As HVAC engineering experts who work closely with HVAC equipment manufacturers, we take pride in being at the forefront of what the DOE mandates mean to our industry and how these changes will affect the project design and the owner’s pocketbook. In order to prepare our clients and peers for this update, in this article, our team will provide:
DOE Region Map & Minimum Efficiency Requirements for 2023
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) has been the efficiency ratio for residential AC equipment, sized at 5 tons of cooling and below, for the past 25 years. There have been considerable increases in the SEER rating requirements and efficiency standards throughout that time. For example, in 2007, our industry moved from SEER 10 to SEER 13, and again in 2015 from SEER 13 to 14. In this latest update, The Department of Energy decided that parts of the criteria used to model the SEER rating needed modification to reflect more realistic scenarios. Due to this change in criteria, the nomenclature of the efficiency ratio was updated as well to SEER2. This upgrade has increased a variety of rating benchmarks for HVAC equipment.
These changes in multiple rating benchmarks will result in design implications.
Test Procedure Comparison
Approximately 70% of current products in the base tier of HVAC equipment will not meet the 2023 minimum efficiency requirement. All current products will need to be re-tested and re-rated using the new criteria to account for modifications and design revisions. However, we are learning that manufacturers are redesigning to enhance their equipment’s features and efficiency. It is important to note that increasing efficiency means equipment sizing is affected.
As of July 2022, manufacturers are still testing and rating equipment performance and specs, making it difficult, although still necessary, for design professionals to incorporate SEER2-rated equipment into designs.
Outdoor Unit Sizes Are Changing
While waiting for finalized manufacturers’ data, Jordan & Skala Engineers plans to immediately specify more energy-efficient equipment into our designs. We also intend to focus on client education to support mandate compliance and reduce revisions during design installation. We encourage our clients to expect revisions as new data is received and continue ongoing conversations with project Contractors regarding imported equipment status, supply chain logistics, and re-rating and re-testing protocol.
2023 Compliant EnergyGuide Label
Jordan & Skala’s team of expert HVAC engineers is well-prepared to proceed with design updates and consult our clients through this mandate. Contact our team with any questions.
