We are pleased to announce that as of December 1st, 2009 Water-to-Water type geothermal heat pumps can be eligible for the Energy Star program.As of December 2nd, 2009 - ClimateMaster TMW and THW residential units were confirmed as eligible!
ClimateMaster's press release...
Energy Star 3.0 now in effect
December 3, 2009
The new Energy Star GHP rules are now in effect! Water-to-water units now qualify. Domestic water heating is no longer mandatory, and the definitions of GHP systems have been clarified and expanded in scope, which will really help answer many questions for tax purposes.
This was a MAJOR effort that was done at a record-setting pace for EPA (starting in April and taking effect December 1). ClimateMaster was the key driver that made this happen by using our lobbyists to set up several meetings in Washington D.C. with top EPA management to generate a priority for this issue. ClimateMaster President, Dan Ellis, authored the initial version of the new specification and then lead the charge to create an industry consensus draft through AHRI, and by directly working with the EPA staff that developed the specification on a weekly basis over several months to answer their questions, to make refinements, and to respond to the public comments that EPA received.
The scope of Energy Star 3.0 includes equipment designed for residential applications and excludes commercial and all 3-phase equipment. The new program calls for a three tier efficiency criteria phased in over time. Phase one went into effect on December 1, 2009. Tier two goes into effective on January 1, 2011 with tier 3 taking effect on January 1, 2012. Both new tiers specify efficiency requirements for water-to-air and water-to-water. As many are aware, until now water-to-water units were not eligible for Federal tax rebates due to their lack of Energy Star rating. Energy Star 3.0 will resolve this issue and allow water-to-water units purchased on or after December 1, 2009 to qualify for the Federal tax credits. The final efficiency ratings for Energy Star 3.0 are shown below.
Tier 1 Requirements (December 1, 2009)
Product Type - EER/COP
Water-to-Air
Closed Loop Water-to-Air 14.1/ 3.3
Open Loop Water-to-Air 16.2/ 3.6
Water-to-Water
Closed Loop Water-to-Water 15.1/ 3.0
Open Loop Water-to-Water 19.1 / 3.4
DGX
DGX 15.0/ 3.5
Tier 2 Requirements (January 1, 2011)
Product Type EER / COP
Water-to-Air
Closed Loop Water-to-Air 16.1/ 3.5
Open Loop Water-to-Air 18.2 / 3.8
Water-to-Water
Closed Loop Water-to-Water 15.1/ 3.0
Open Loop Water-to-Water 19.1 / 3.4
DGX
DGX 16.0 / 3.6
Tier 3 Requirements (January 1, 2012)
Product Type EER / COP
Water-to-Air
Closed Loop Water-to-Air 17.1 / 3.6
Open Loop Water-to-Air 21.1 / 4.1
Water-to-Water
Closed Loop Water-to-Water 16.1 / 3.1
Open Loop Water-to-Water 20.1 / 3.5
DGX
DGX 16.0 / 3.6
