Rheem Rooftop Heat Pump Surpasses DOE Cold Climate HVAC Challenge Targets
Key Highlights
- Rheem completed laboratory validation testing for commercial unitary equipment in the 10–14-ton rooftop heat pump category, meeting and exceeding the DOE's rigorous cold climate commercial performance and efficiency benchmarks.
- The rooftop heat pump achieved 110% heating capacity at 5° F and maintained 90% at -10°F during testing, demonstrating superior cold climate performance.
- Field validation is ongoing to assess real-world performance, efficiency, and comfort in extreme winter conditions, advancing high-performance HVAC technology.
ATLANTA — Rheem announced it has reached a milestone in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Commercial Building HVAC Technology Cold Climate Challenge after completing laboratory validation testing for a commercial rooftop heat pump.
The testing covered commercial unitary equipment in the 10–14-ton rooftop heat pump category and verified that the system met or exceeded the DOE’s cold-climate performance and efficiency benchmarks. The results were validated by the Department of Energy and the National Laboratory of the Rockies.
According to Rheem, the rooftop heat pump delivered 110% heating capacity at 5° F and maintained 90% heating capacity at -10° F during testing. The system also exceeded several Department of Energy efficiency benchmarks.
The company reported the following performance improvements compared with DOE targets:
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55% higher Integrated Ventilation, Economizing, and Cooling Efficiency (IVEC);
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20% higher Integrated Ventilation and Heating Efficiency for Cold Climate regions (IVHEc); and
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25% higher Coefficient of Performance (COP2) at -10° F.
Rheem said the rooftop heat pump is built on its Renaissance Commercial HVAC platform, which is designed and manufactured in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Renaissance Commercial Packaged Units are certified to meet Build America, Buy America, and Buy American Act requirements.
The systems include Rheem PlusOne SmartShield MicroChannel Coil Technology, which the company said requires up to 50% less refrigerant than traditional fin-and-tube coil designs. Rheem also reported the coil assembly is 60% lighter, which can reduce rooftop structural load and simplify installation and maintenance.
The rooftop units use industry-standard footprints intended to support drop-in replacements for retrofit projects.
Field validation is underway to evaluate system performance, efficiency, and comfort in extreme winter conditions.
The Department of Energy Commercial Building HVAC Technology Challenge aims to accelerate development of high-performance heat pump technologies that reduce energy use, lower operating costs, and support grid reliability.
Note: This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.