Rheem said it has completed laboratory validation testing in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge for commercial unitary equipment in the 10–14-ton (approx. 35–49 kW) rooftop heat pump category. According to the company, the results met and exceeded DOE cold-climate commercial performance and efficiency benchmarks.
Performance testing verified by the DOE and the National Laboratory of the Rockies found that the rooftop unit delivered 110% heating capacity at 5 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. -15 degrees Celsius) and 90% heating capacity at minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. -23 degrees Celsius). Rheem also reported 55% higher Integrated Ventilation, Economizing, and Cooling Efficiency (IVEC), 20% higher Integrated Ventilation and Heating Efficiency for Cold Climate regions (IVHEc), and 25% higher Coefficient of Performance (COP2) at minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. -23 degrees Celsius) than DOE benchmarks.
The company said the heat pump is based on its Renaissance Commercial HVAC Line platform, which is designed and manufactured in Arkansas. Rheem added that all current Renaissance Commercial Packaged Units are certified to meet Build America, Buy America and Buy American Act requirements.
Rheem said the Renaissance Commercial Packaged systems include PlusOne SmartShield MicroChannel Coil Technology, which requires up to 50% less refrigerant than traditional fin-and-tube designs. The company also said the coil assembly is 60% lighter and that the units use industry-standard footprints for drop-in replacement retrofits.
Field validation is underway to assess real-world performance, efficiency and comfort under extreme winter conditions. “These groundbreaking results, validated by the DOE and NLR, demonstrate Rheem's leadership in developing advanced heat pump technology that delivers consistent comfort and energy efficiency, even in the most challenging environments,” said Rosa Leal, director of Commercial Product Strategy and Customer Experience.