G/TBT/N/PAN/111  
20 November  2020 
(20-8348) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : PANAMA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:  
Ministerio  de la Presidencia - Secretaria Nacional de Energía (Ministry of the President's 
Office, National Energy Secretariat)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to han dle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:  
Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias (Ministry of Trade and Industry)  
Dirección General de Normas y Tecnología Industrial (Directorate -General for Standards 
and Industrial T echnology)  
Vía Ricardo J. A lfaro, Edificio Plaza Edison, 3er Piso  
Panamá, Panama  
Tel.: (+507) 560 -0716 / (+507) 560 -0600, Ext. 5966  
Email: dgnti@mici.gob.pa  
Website: https://www.mici.gob.pa/normalizacion -tecnica/consulta -publica  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN wher e applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Air 
conditioners  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : RTCA 
23.01.78:20 Productos eléctricos . Acondicionadores de aire tipo dividido inverter, con 
flujo de refrigerante variable descarga libre y sin ductos de aire . Especificaciones de 
eficiencia energética  (Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 23.01.78:20 : 
Electrical products . Split-type, free -flow, ductless inverter air conditioners with variable 
refrigerant flow . Energy efficiency specifications) (14 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The notified Regulation seeks to establish the minimum 
seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SE ER), test methods, conformity assessment procedure 
and labelling requirements for split -type, free -flow, ductless inverter air conditioners with 
variable refrigerant flow, which are manufactured, imported or marketed in the States 
Parties.  
The Regulation a pplies to split -type, free -flow, ductless inverter air conditioners with 
variable refrigerant flow, powered by electricity, with nominal cooling capacities of up to 
19,050W (65,000 BTU), which operate by mechanical compression and include an air -
cooling ev aporator coil, a frequency compressor with variable refrigerant flow and an air -
cooled condensing coil, and which are manufactured, imported or marketed in the States 
Parties.  
The following devices are excluded from the scope of this Technical Regulation:  G/TBT/N/PAN/111  
- 2 - 
  1. Water -source heat and cooling -only pumps  
2. Units designed for use with additional ducting  
3. Mobile units (not window -type) with a condenser exhaust duct  
4. Multi-split units with a frequency compressor and variable refrigerant flow  
5. Floor/ceiling units that exceed the limit of 10,050W (65,000 BTU)  
6. Household goods  
7. Samples of no commercial value, depending on each State Party's procedure  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Consumer prot ection and information ; Consumer information, Labelling  
8. Relevant documents:  
1. AHRI 210 /240-2017: Performance Rating of Unitary Air -Conditioning & Air -Source 
Heat Pump Equipment;  
2. ANSI/ASH RAE 37 -2009: Methods of Testing for Rating Electrically Driven Unitary 
Air-Conditioning and Heat Pump Equipment;  
3. ANSI/ASH RAE 116 -2010: Methods of Testing for Rating Seasonal Efficiency of 
Unitary Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps;  
4. CSA C656 -2014: Performance Standard For Split -System and Single -Package Air 
Conditioners a nd Heat Pumps;  
5. NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM 026  ENER 2015 , Eficiencia energética en 
acondicionadores de aire tipo dividido (Inverter) con flujo de refrigerante variable, 
descarga libre y sin ductos de aire ; 
6. ISO 16358 -1:2013 : Air-cooled air conditioners and air -to-air heat pumps - 
Testing and calculating methods for seasonal performance factors - Part 1 : 
Cooling seasonal performance factor.  
9. Proposed date of adoption : To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force : To be determined  
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias  
Dirección General de Normas y Tecnología Industrial  
Vía Ricardo J. A lfaro, Edificio Plaza Edison, 3er Piso  
Panamá, Panama  
Tel.: (+507) 560 -0716 / (+507) 560 -0600, Ext. 5966  
Email: dgnti@mici.gob.pa  
Website: https://www.mici.gob.pa/normalizacio n-tecnica/consulta -publica