New Zealand amended the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 on May 1 to include air conditioners and heat pumps above 65 kW. The amendment aligns New Zealand requirements with the Australian Government’s Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners above 65kW) Determination 2022.
All air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured in New Zealand or imported from May 1, 2026, must meet the new regulatory requirements before they can be supplied. The requirements include compliance with Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and product registration.
MEPS applies to air-to-air air conditioners using the vapour compression cycle with a cooling capacity, or heating capacity for heating-only products, greater than 65 kW. The rules cover single-phase and three-phase equipment, ducted and non-ducted units, and unitary, single-split or multi-split systems.
Products may also include extra features such as air purification, ventilation, heat recovery, water heating or a heating element for air heating. Excluded products include close control air conditioners, liquid-chilling packages, evaporative coolers, water-to-air air conditioners, dehumidifiers, certain mobile and industrial application units, and air conditioners that do not condition air sourced from the conditioned space.
The MEPS requirements are based on minimum Annual Energy Efficiency Ratio (AEER) and Annual Coefficient of Performance (ACOP) values under test conditions. AEER is tested at an outside temperature of 35°C and ACOP at an outside temperature of 7°C.
