This week I learned that 60-ton packaged units are not provided with an EER.
What is the protocol / equation(s) used to determine the unit’s cooling efficiency in this instance?
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Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5928 thumbs up
February 18, 2025 - 10:58 am
Assuming these units come under Table 6.8.1A, it appears that the AHRI 340/360 still applies for units over 60 tons. What efficiency value are you able to obtain from the manufacturer?
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
542 thumbs up
February 18, 2025 - 1:02 pm
Hi Marcus, you are correct in your assumption. The unit in question is included within Table 6.8.1A. It is an air conditioner, air cooled, electric resistance and is over 760,000 btu/h in capacity. The manufacturer's submittal sheet states "Outside the scope of AHRI Standard 340/360". I looked through various manufacturers that provide 70+ ton packaged units, and the EER table always stop at the 60-ton size.
The efficiency values provided by the manufacturer are below the allowable limits of ASHRAE 90.1-2010 and are also below the allowable limits of the local code (IECC 2018). Which makes me wonder how they produce a unit that does not demonstrate code compliant energy efficiency.
I read through ANSI/AHRI 340/360-2007 and it states the certification program includes:
"all air-cooled packaged unitary air-conditioners from 250,000 btu/h to less than 760,000 btu/h at AHRI Standard Rating Conditions (cooling)"
https://www.ahrinet.org/system/files/2023-06/ANSI_AHRI_Standard_340-360-...
I have this question into GBCI, manufacturers, HVAC designers, HVAC contractors, and energy modelers. Will post response(s) and solutions to this forum as they are received.
When units get this big there has always been chilled water coils and then we confirm efficiency of the chillers, never had a packaged unit this large hence this is my first rodeo!
Thanks Marcus for your response and for lending your expertise to this forum.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5928 thumbs up
February 18, 2025 - 1:23 pm
Interesting. I don't think we ever ran into this either.
Jamy Bacchus
Associate PrincipalME Engineers
29 thumbs up
February 18, 2025 - 6:24 pm
Dave,
Looking at the newer AHRI 340/360-2022, it doesn't seem to clarify anything you've raised. It no longer has the scope's capacity limits you noted in the older version, but only lists "760" MBH once inside the subsection on lab testing criteria but does not repeat it to modeled testing criteria. https://www.ahrinet.org/system/files/2023-06/AHRI%20Standard%20340-360-2...
Let us know what you find. If you haven't already, I would ping Dick Lord at Carrier, Mike Patterson at Trane, Mark Lessans at JCI, Ivan Rydkin at Daikin and Jaime Yeh at AHRI.
-JB
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
542 thumbs up
March 14, 2025 - 12:42 pm
This morning I received response from the manufacturer, simply put...'this is a new unit with R454B refrigerant and last fall when the spec sheets were prepared the manufacturer was waiting on AHRI approval of performance - so technically they could not print the actual EER information due to legal purposes'.
They also confirmed that units larger than 760,000 btu/h are still required to demonstrate efficiency requirements through AHRI approval.
So in hindsight, the spec sheet should have stated "actual efficiency of the unit is currently awaiting AHRI approval and cannot legally list an efficiency" instead of "Outside the scope of AHRI Standard 340/360".
Definately learned something on this project, always happy to share learnings with the greater community.