New Testing Procedures
Along with increasing the minimum efficiency in 2023, HVAC manufacturers will also be required to comply with a new M1 testing procedure for developing efficiency ratings. Compared to today’s M test procedure, the external static pressure used when testing will be increased by up to 5X to better reflect field conditions.
Since the new M1 testing requirements are more stringent and reduce the resulting efficiency rating, in 2023, there will be new metrics and nomenclature – SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2. Note the following:
- The new SEER2 ratings will be lower and the minimum efficiencies will be reduced to account for the more difficult test procedures, compared to the SEER ratings on the same system – e.g. the North region’s 14.0 SEER minimum efficiency under the current test procedure will become a 13.4 SEER2 under the new test procedure.
- All tiers of products will need to be rerated, optimized, and relaunched in accordance with the new M1 test procedure – resulting in a much larger scale project for manufacturers compared to prior minimum efficiency changes.
- The new test procedure will also drive changes to the airflow set point on indoor blowers (fan coils and furnaces).