Portable air conditioners
July 2022
Technical bulletin on amending the standards
On April 1, 2022, the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) updated its Forward Regulatory Plan which identifies its intention to amend Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations) to align portable air conditioners (PACs) with the energy efficiency standards in the United States.
This technical bulletin has been released to initiate the consultation process and to collect stakeholder views on the requirements being considered for PACs.
Input received during this stage of the process will inform the development of the next amendments considered. In addition, NRCan will undertake a cost-benefit analysis using the best available Canadian market data to assess the economic and environmental impacts of these updated standards and to ensure Canadian consumers and businesses benefit from their implementation.
The Government of Canada intends to pre-publish a regulatory proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I, in 2023.
Background
In Canada, PACs manufactured as of July 1, 2020, are subject to the Regulations regarding reporting and verification requirements.
PACs contribute to total residential building energy consumption. The energy efficiency standards for PACs save energy and reduce energy costs for Canadians. The efficiency standards also reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and help encourage manufacturers to adopt efficient product designs.
In 2018, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the United States Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Regarding the Canada–United States Regulatory Cooperation Council was signed to move forward on energy efficiency and foster alignment of federal regulations where feasible and appropriate. In 2021, NRCan and the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Department of Natural Resources of Canada and the Department of Energy of the United States of America Concerning Cooperation on Energy, which acknowledges that both countries will collaborate on new and updated energy efficiency and testing standards where feasible and appropriate.
On January 10, 2020, the U.S. DOE published a Federal Register final rule pertaining to PACs, which introduced energy efficiency standards (85 FR 1378). This U.S. rule will become mandatory on January 10, 2025.
NRCan is considering amending the Regulations to align with the energy efficiency standards of the U.S. DOE for PACs.
Product description
A PAC means a single package air conditioner, other than a packaged terminal air conditioner, room air conditioner or dehumidifier, with or without mounted wheels, that is portable and that
- is designed to deliver cooled and conditioned air to an enclosed space;
- is powered by single-phase electric current; and
- has a cooling capacity of less than 19 kW (65,000 Btu/h).
Two types of PACs would be considered:
- Single-duct PACs which are defined as PACs that draw all of the condenser inlet air from the conditioned space without the means of a duct and discharges the condenser outlet air outside the conditioned space through a single duct attached to an adjustable window bracket.
- Dual-duct PACs which are defined as PACs that draw some or all of the condenser inlet air from outside the conditioned space through a duct attached to an adjustable window bracket and discharges the condenser outlet air outside the conditioned space by means of a separate duct attached to an adjustable window bracket.
Energy efficiency standard
The energy efficiency standard under consideration for PACs is summarized in the table below.
| Product type | Minimum CEERa (Btu/Wh) |
|---|---|
| Single-duct and dual-duct PACs | |
| aRepresents the combined energy efficiency ratio. | |
Text version
The title of the table is “Energy efficiency standards being considered for portable air conditioners”. The first column of the table provides the product type and the second column provides the minimum combined energy efficiency ratio, expressed in units of British thermal units per Watt-hour.
The product type is “single-duct and dual-duct portable air conditioners”. The minimum combined energy efficiency ratio for single-duct and dual-duct portable air conditioners, in British thermal units per Watt-hour, are described by the following equation: the coefficient 1.04 multiplied by the quotient of the seasonally adjusted cooling capacity, in British thermal units per hour, over the quantity of, open bracket, 3.7117 multiplied by the seasonally adjusted cooling capacity to the power of 0.6384, close bracket.
The table includes the note that the seasonally adjusted cooling capacity, expressed in British thermal units per hour, is determined in accordance with the hyperlinked test procedure Appendix CC to Subpart B, Part 430 of Title 10 to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Portable Air Conditioners.
Note: SACC is the representative value of seasonally adjusted cooling capacity, in Btu/h, as determined in accordance with Appendix CC to Subpart B, Part 430 of Title 10 to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Portable Air Conditioners.
Testing standard
NRCan is not considering any changes to the referenced testing standard for these products in the Regulations.
Important dates
These modifications to the Regulations would come into force six months after the date of publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.
NRCan is considering applying the updated standards and mandatory EnerGuide label to products manufactured on or after January 10, 2025.
Labelling requirements
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission amended the Energy Labeling Rule to require, from October 1, 2022, EnergyGuide labels for PACs to help consumers compare the energy efficiency between differing models.
NRCan is considering introducing a mandatory EnerGuide labelling requirement for PACs.
Verification requirements
NRCan is not considering any changes for the verification requirements for PACs.
These products will continue to carry a third party verification mark indicating that the product meets the energy efficiency standard and that the information to be reported has been verified.
The verification mark is the mark of a Standards Council of Canada accredited certification body that operates an energy efficiency certification program for the product.
Reporting requirements
Energy efficiency report
NRCan is not considering any changes to the energy efficiency report requirements for PACs.
The Regulations apply to products imported or shipped inter-provincially for sale or lease in Canada. This report must be submitted, by the dealer, to NRCan before the product is imported into Canada or traded inter-provincially for the first time.
Import report
There is no change to import reporting.
Comments invited
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide stakeholders with the technical detail required to comment on the requirements under consideration for PACs.
It is important to NRCan that we engage the public and stakeholders on amendments to the Energy Efficiency Regulations. If you are aware of any dealer, manufacturer, importer, retailer, utility provider, small business, consumer group, organization, or representative of a specific group(s) of the population (including, but not limited to, women, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, socio-economic status, residency, housing status, etc.), Indigenous peoples/communities, and/or other person or group that may be interested in participating in the amendment discussion and/or may be negatively impacted by this proposal, please forward them or the representative this bulletin. Please email equipment-equipement@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca to be added to the email distribution list (emails are used to notify stakeholders of upcoming amendments, technical bulletins, webinar registrations, and official publication in the Canada Gazette).
Additional information on Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations including a current list of Standards Council of Canada accredited certification bodies can be found on the Department’s website.
We welcome your comments by September 15, 2022. All correspondence should be forwarded to:
Natural Resources CanadaOffice of Energy Efficiency
580 Booth Street
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0E4
E-mail: equipment-equipement@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
All correspondence should contain the following subject line:
Bulletin – Portable Air Conditioners – Climatiseurs portatifs – July 2022 juillet
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