In light of the global trend of energy conservation, designing energy-efficient products is becoming essential and challenging for heating and cooling equipment manufacturers. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires that new residential air-conditioners manufactured after January 23, 2006 meet a minimum Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of 13. This implies that air-conditioning manufacturers are faced with increasing technical requirements.

The SEER rating of 13 represents 30% more efficiency than the current 10 SEER standard does. In the US, residential and commercial heating and cooling equipment accounts for up to half of a typical building's energy consumption. In recent years, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment manufacturers are under increased federal pressure to meet minimum energy efficiency standards.

To assist HVAC/R equipment manufacturers in developing more energy-efficient products, UL has opened a new 16,000 square foot testing facility in the metro-Dallas area in the US. It is dedicated to energy efficiency testing of heat pumps, air conditioning equipment, and electrically operated vapor compression refrigeration systems. It is a full-service HVAC/R test laboratory offering integrated safety certification, prototype testing, benchmark testing, as well as component compatibility evaluations.

"This new facility will greatly benefit our HVAC/R customers looking to gain compliance to federal mandates and ARI as well as those looking for help with their research and development efforts," said John Byrne, UL's vice president and general manager for consumer products. "Though our energy efficiency testing service is new to the industry, our staff is not. Our engineers have a wealth of experience in HVAC/R energy efficiency testing and can help our customers reach their specific energy efficiency goals."

UL's new HVAC/R testing facility features:

• Two psychrometric testing chambers capable of testing heating and cooling equipment up to 25 tons
• Airflow measurements from 100 to 14,000 CFM
• Temperature controlled chambers that can vary the environment from 0°F to 125°F
• Ability to test international or domestic units that run at 50 or 60 hertz
• Data collection speeds up to thirty times per minute
• Grade-level and dock-height doors to easily move equipment in and out of the facility.

In Asia, UL's HVAC/R solution can help manufacturers conduct energy efficiency testing in accordance with the most globally accepted methods and standards from organizations including the ARI; the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC); and UL. Additionally UL's energy efficiency testing services feature:

Bundled safety testing

UL can perform safety testing on your HVAC/R unit at the same location energy efficiency testing is performed, thus saving testing time and cost.

Flexible component testing options

UL helps you determine which components optimize the energy efficiency of your HVAC/R unit.

Convenient data tracking

You can view the testing data live from a remote location through UL's online data tracking software.

Expert staff

UL engineers have a wealth of experience in HVAC/R energy efficiency testing and can help customers in their research and development efforts.