AAON, Inc. has announced that its cold climate heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) not only meet the performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge but have also been in production, shipped, and installed since February 2025.
The DOE initiative aims to accelerate the development of cold climate RTUs to enhance energy efficiency and electrification in commercial buildings. AAON's Alpha Class air-source heat pumps were developed prior to the launch of the challenge, with the company joining to demonstrate its established leadership in the segment. According to AAON, its heat pumps are engineered, lab-tested, and field-proven to operate in ambient conditions as low as –20°F (–28.9°C).
The Alpha Class EXTREME SERIES models deliver 100% heating capacity at 5°F (–15°C) and are available in capacities up to 30 tons. AAON states that larger models will be introduced in the coming months. The units incorporate variable-speed compressors, refrigerant injection, and low-GWP refrigerants to meet the DOE’s advanced performance standards.
Testing and validation are carried out at the Norman Asbjornson Innovation Center (NAIC), a facility capable of simulating extreme environmental conditions including temperatures from –20°F to 130°F (–28.9°C to 54.4°C), heavy precipitation, and high wind speeds, for equipment up to 540 tons.
“Production is in place, the supply chain is ready and we're positioned to make a real impact here,” said Andrew Edmondson, AAON Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
