Carrier Passes DOE HVAC Challenge Testing for Commercial Rooftop Heat Pumps
Key Highlights
- Carrier's rooftop heat pumps met DOE performance standards, including heating capacity at -10°F and efficiency thresholds.
- Field trials are currently underway, with installations at a large retailer in New York and a commercial site in Pennsylvania.
- The new products are expected to be available for purchase by summer 2027, supporting energy savings and grid reliability.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Carrier Global Corporation announced it has passed U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lab testing for a 15-ton rooftop heat pump unit as part of the DOE’s Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge.
With the milestone, Carrier has completed testing in both product categories included in the challenge: 10–14-ton and 15–25-ton light commercial rooftop units.
Carrier said both rooftop units demonstrated performance that meets or exceeds DOE challenge requirements during verification testing. The units delivered 100% heating capacity at 5° F and more than 70% heating capacity at -10° F while meeting DOE commercial HVAC efficiency thresholds.
Testing for the next-generation rooftop units was conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Field trials for the equipment are now underway and are being monitored and verified by the National Laboratory of the Rockies.
The 10–14-ton unit has already been installed at a large national retailer in upstate New York. Carrier said the 15-ton unit will soon be installed at a commercial facility in Pennsylvania for additional field evaluation.
According to Carrier, the 10–14-ton product was also the first unit in that capacity range to demonstrate performance through DOE lab verification testing.
The Department of Energy’s Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge aims to accelerate adoption of high-efficiency equipment that reduces energy use and operating costs while supporting grid reliability through lower energy demand. The program includes two equipment categories: 10–14-ton and 15–25-ton light commercial rooftop systems.
Carrier reported that both rooftop heat pump units met or exceeded performance values for Integrated Variable Heating Energy Consumption (IVHEC), Integrated Variable Heating Efficiency (IVHEc), and Coefficients of Performance (COPs) during independent testing conducted by the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Field validation of the systems is continuing, and Carrier expects the products developed through the challenge to be available for purchase in summer 2027.
Note: This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.
Note: This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.