G/TBT/N/AUS/105  
 
25 August 2017  
(17-4538) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : AUSTRALIA   
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) :  
2. Agency responsible:  Department of the Environment and Energy GPO Box 787 Canberra 
ACT 2601  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification  shall be indicated if different from abov e:  
Phone: +61 -2-6275 9213  
Email: acrac@environment.gov.au   
Web: http://www.energyrating.gov.au  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6 .2 [ ], 5.7.1 [  ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Air conditioning 
machines, comprising a motor -driven fan and elements for changing t he temperature and 
humidity, including those machines in which the humidity cannot be separately regulated. 
(HS 8415). Ventilators. Fans. Air -conditioners (ICS 23.120).  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document:  Greenhouse and 
Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners and Hea t Pumps) Determination 2017 
(58 page(s), in English)    
6. Description of content:  Proposed changes to the energy efficiency regulations for air 
conditioners are set out in Items One to Four below.  
One: Adopt a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) methodology for rating air 
conditioner energy efficiency, by incorporating the following Australia/New Zealand 
Standards into regulation:  
 AS/NZS 3823.4.1:2014  Performance of electrical appliances - Air conditioners  and 
heat pumps - Part 4.1: Air -cooled air conditioners and air -to-air heat pumps - 
Testing and calculating methods for seasonal performance factors - Cooling 
seasonal performance factor  (ISO 16358 -1:2013, MOD) - Including Amendment 1, 
2017.  
 AS/NZS 3823.4. 2:2014 Performance of electrical appliances - Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Part 4.2: Air -cooled air conditioners and air -to-air heat pumps - 
Testing and calculating methods for seasonal performance factors - Heating 
seasonal performance factor (ISO 16 358-2:2013, MOD) - Including Amendment 1, 
2017. 
 AS/NZS 3823.1.5:2015 Performance of electrical appliances - Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Part 1.5: Non -ducted portable air -cooled air conditioners and air -to-
air heat pumps having a single exhaust duct - Testing and rating for performance . 
Note: the Standards AS/NZS 3823.4.1:2014 and AS/NZS 3823.4.2:2014 listed 
above are based on Parts 1 and 2 of ISO 16358:2013 Air-cooled air conditioners 
and air -to-air heat pumps -- Testing and calculating methods for se asonal G/TBT/N/AUS/105  
 
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  performance factors but they make use of local climate data. Amendments to 
these Standards were published in May 2017, to include more realistic operational 
hours.   The three Standards  listed above will supplement the following test 
standards that a pply under Australian regulation:  
 AS/NZS 3823.1.1:2012: Performance of electrical appliances – Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Part 1.1: Non -ducted air conditioners and heat pumps - Testing and 
rating for performance (ISO 5151:2010, MOD).  
 AS/NZS 3823.1. 2:2012: Performance of electrical appliances – Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Test methods - Ducted air conditioners and air -to-air heat pumps - 
Testing and rating for performance (ISO 13253:2011, MOD).  
 AS/NZS 3823.1.3:2005: Performance of electrical ap pliances – Air conditioners and 
heat pumps – Part 1.3 – Water -source heat pumps – Water -to-air and brine -to air 
heat pumps - Testing and rating of performance (ISO 13253:2011, MOD).  
 AS/NZS 3823.1.4:2012 Performance of electrical appliances – Air conditione rs and 
heat pumps - Part 1.4: Multiple split -system air conditioners and air -to-air heat 
pumps - Testing and rating for performance (ISO 13256 -1, Ed.01 (1998) MOD).  
These standards will also replace the following test standard that:  
 AS/NZS 3823.3:2002 Performance of electrical appliances – Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Part 3: Calculation of performance for minimum energy performance 
standard (MEPS) requirements  
 AS/NZS 3823.2:2013: Performance of electrical appliances – Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Part 2: Energy labelling and minimum energy performance standards 
(MEPS) requirements.  
Two: Adopt a Zoned Energy Rating Label to replace the existing Energy Rating Label, and 
report Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratings.  
Products up to 30kW capacity  
 Product s currently required  to display a label (i.e. single -phase non -ducted units, 
including double duct portable air conditioners) will need to display a Zoned Energy 
Rating Label in place of the existing Energy Rating Label.  
 Products  currently not required  to display a label (mainly single -phase ducted and 
three-phrase units) will not need to display a label but it will be mandatory to 
report SEER ratings for these products, with the ratings to be made available on 
the Energy Rating website.  
Products >30kW cap acity will not need to display a label but it will be mandatory 
to report SEER ratings for cooling only for these products, with the ratings to be 
made available on the Energy Rating website (SEER ratings for heating based on a 
physical test report can be provided voluntarily).  
Portable air conditioners (single duct) will need to display the Zoned Energy Rating 
Label, to be labelled with the test results obtained from testing in accordance with 
AS/NZS 3823.1.5:2015 Performance of electrical appliances - Air conditioners and 
heat pumps - Part 1.5: Non -ducted portable air -cooled air conditioners and air -to-
air heat pumps having a single exhaust duct - Testing and rating for performance . 
Three : Changes to MEPS requirements  
Portable air conditioners:  
 Double duc t units : Reduce the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) to a 
level of 2.5 based on the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and Coefficient Of 
Performance (COP).   (See AS/NZS 3823.2:2013 Performance of electrical 
appliances - Air conditioners and heat pump s - Part 2: Energy labelling and 
minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) requirements  for the current 
requirements.)  
 Single duct units : Introduce MEPS, also at a level of 2.5 based on the EER and 
COP. G/TBT/N/AUS/105  
 
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  Commercial/industrial air conditioners  
Introduce a MEPS of 2.9 for air conditioners with a capacity of >65 kW based on 
their Annual Energy Efficiency Ratio (AEER) and Annual Coefficient of Performance 
(ACOP).  
Note: MEPS for these products currently apply (at levels between 2.6 and 2.8) 
under the National  Construction Code (NCC).   Australia will include these MEPS (at 
the higher level of 2.9 shown above) under the Greenhouse Energy Minimum 
Standards (GEMS) Act 2012.  
Four: Minor changes  
Resolve some minor technical issues with air conditioner regulations.   These will 
not have significant impacts on the requirements of regulation.  
Remove H2 MEPS : Meeting a separate MEPS level at the H2 test point will no 
longer be required.  
Multi-split registration : Systems comprising of multiple, already registered outdoor 
units will no longer be required to register the combined systems.  
Supply of outdoor units only : MEPS requirements will apply to the supply of 
outdoor units that are not sold as a system.  
Noise test standard for products <30 kW : EN 12102:2013 Air conditione rs, liquid 
chilling packages, heat pumps and dehumidifiers with electrically driven 
compressors for space heating and cooling. Measurement of airborne noise. 
Determination of the sound power level will be used .  
Noise rating test points : Measured at the op erating points T1 (35 °C) for the rated 
capacity cooling test or H1 (7 °C) for heating only units.  
Noise test requirements :  
 Non-ducted split systems: indoor and outdoor noise levels.  
 Ducted units (both split and unitary units): outdoor noise levels only.  
 Non-ducted unitary units (e.g. window/wall units): indoor and outdoor noise levels.  
 Single and double duct 'portable' unitary units that sit wholly within the 
conditioned space: indoor noise levels only.  
 Multi-split systems: outdoor noise level of single o utdoor units, based on the 
representative combination used for registration.  
Changing the SEER degradation coefficient : The degradation coefficient from 
AS/NZS 3823.4 will be fixed at the default value of 0.25.  
Measurement of non -operative power : Non -opera tive power (e.g. standby) for the 
MEPS metric will change to the weighted average power consumption (Pia) of 
AS/NZS 3823.4.  
H2 and H3 testing : Air enthalpy tests or a shorter calorimeter room test will be 
accepted for H2/H3 (2 °C/ -7 °C) tests for all air c onditioners.  
Use of default SEER values : Fixed speed products will be allowed to use the default 
values for the 29 °C cooling test and variable speed products will be allowed to use 
the fixed speed test points.  
Certifying test results for >30 kW products : Eurovent, and Air conditioning, 
Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) certification and regional adoptions of 
International Standards Organisation (ISO) test standards will be able to be used.  
Simulation testing of >30 kW products : Simulation software  that can be 
demonstrated to yield equivalent results to a physical test will be able to be used.  
Maximum cooling test : Will no longer be a requirement for labelled products.  
Rating commercial products : Products may be rated on either a commercial or 
domes tic operating basis.  G/TBT/N/AUS/105  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Consumer information, labelling; Protection of the environment; Harmonization; Cost 
saving and productivity enhancement;  
1. Alignment of standards and  regulation with international standards.  
2. Contribute to Australia's plan to improve energy productivity by 40 per cent by 
2030.  
3. Contribute to Australia's target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 26 to 28 
per cent below 2005 levels  by 2030.  
8. Releva nt documents:  A full list of policy documents on these proposed changes can be 
found under "Key Documents" at: http://www.energyrating.gov.au/products /space -
heating -and-cooling/air -conditioners#toc4  
9. Proposed date of adoption: If adopted, the proposed regulatory changes will be included 
in regulation by the end of 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force: The lower MEPS requirements for double duct 
portable air conditioners will come into force the day after the regulations are approved (e.g. 
December 2017). The MEPS requirements for air conditioners with a capacity >65kW will 
come into force no earlier than 1 October 2020. All of the other proposed re gulatory changes 
will come into force no earlier than 1 April 2019 (the main date of entry into force)  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body:   
Department of the Environment and Energy  
GPO Box 787  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
Phone: +61 -2-6275 9213  
Email: acrac@environment.gov.au   
Web: http://www.energyrating.gov.au  
http://www. energyrating .gov.au/products/space -heating -and-coolin g/air-
conditioners#toc4