G/TBT/N/AUS/95  
 
26 August 2013  
(13-4528)  Page: 1/3  
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 Resources, Energy and Tourism 
GPO Box 1564 
Canberra, Australia Telephone: +61 2 6276 1000 
Fax: +61 2 6243 7037 
Email: ret@ret.gov.au  
Name and address (including telephon e 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 above :   
TBT Enquiry Point 
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 
Canberra ACT 2601 
Australia Telephone:  +61 2 6261 3998 
Email:  TBT.Enquiry@dfat.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 
Conditioners and Heat Pumps (HS Codes: Air Conditioners: 8415.10, Heat pumps: 
8418.61, reversible heat pumps comprising a motor-driven fan and elements for changing 
both the temperature and the humidity: 8415.81; ICS Codes: 23.120, 27.080) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:  Greenhouse and 
Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps) Determination 2013 (15 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:  Under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards 
(GEMS) Act 2012 , the Australian Government can set mandatory minimum efficiency 
performance standards (MEPS) and energy rati ng label (ERL) requirements for electrical 
equipment and appliance products.  These requirements are set out in legislative instruments called GEMS determinations.  
Technical requirements for MEPS and ERLs are set out in the relevant Australian 
Standards, which are published by Standards Australia.  
Under the GEMS Act, if a product is:  
 covered by a GEMS determination;   
 manufactured in or imported into Australia; and 
 G/TBT/N/AUS/95 
 
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   made available for sale on or after the date that the relevant GEMS Determination 
enters into force, 
then this product must meet the requirements set out in the relevant Determination. 
The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps) 
Determination 2013  establishes minimum energy efficiency and product performance 
requirements, and associated requirements for conducting tests, for air conditioners and 
heat pumps. This is a replacement Determination. Under section 35 of the GEMS Act, the 
relevant Minister may revoke a GEMS determination and issue a replacement GEMS determination. The revoked determination ceases to be in force immediately before the 
replacement determination comes into force.  
This replacement Determination regulates multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps 
within the scope of AS/NZS 3823.1.4, for the first time. It does this by calling up the requirements set out in AS/NZS 3823.2:2013. Many of the other components of this 
replacement Determination, including the definitions and testing requirements, remain 
the same as in the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners and 
Heat Pumps) Determination 2012 (F2012L02129) (the revoked Determination).  
The Determination references the following Joint Australian/New Zealand Standards for 
air conditioners and heat pumps: 
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 3823.1.1:1998 Performance of  
electrical appliances - air conditioners and heat pumps - Part 1.1: Non-ducted air 
conditioners and heat pumps-testing and rating for performance  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  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  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 3823.1.2:2001 Performance of 
 electrical appliances – air conditioners and heat pumps. Part 1.2: Test methods 
- ducted air conditioners and air-to-air heat pumps - Testing and rating for 
performance  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 3823.1.2:2012  Performance of 
electrical appliances - air conditioners and heat pumps - part 1.2: test methods - 
ducted air conditioners and heat pumps - testing and rating performance  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 3823.1.3:2005       Performance 
of electrical appliances - 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  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 3823.1.4:2012 Performance of 
electrical appliances – Air      conditioners and heat pumps. Part 1.4: Multiple 
split-system air conditioners and air-to-air heat  pumps - Testing and rating for performance (ISO 15042:2011, MOD) . 
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 3823.2:2013  (draft) 
Performance of electrical  appliances - air conditioners and heat pumps. Part 2: Energy labelling and minimum  energy performance standards (MEPS) requirements  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  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   
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard
 AS/NZS 3823.2:2011  Performance of 
electrical appliances - air conditioners and heat pumps. Part 2: Energy labelling and minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) requirements  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 4776.1.1:2008  Liquid-chilling      
packages using the vapour compression cycle - Part 1.1: Method of rating and testing performance - Rating  
 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard  AS/NZS 4965.1:2008  Performance of 
close control air conditioners - Part 1: Testing for rating  G/TBT/N/AUS/95 
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The objectives of the GEMS Act are to:  
 drive greater energy efficiency for regulated products; and  
 ensure that consumers can make informed choices to improve energy efficiency 
and reduce energy consumption, energy  costs and greenhouse gas emissions. 
The legislation also gives effect to certain commitments made under the United Nations 
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 
8. Relevant documents:   GEMS supplementary documents: 
 Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 
 Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps) 
Determination 2013 (draft). This Determination is subject to agreement of the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) Standing Council on Energy and 
Resources (SCER).  
 The relevant Standards are available from Standards Australia at: 
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=374874   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=1524332   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=374902   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store2/details.aspx?ProductID=1524333   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=374946   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=1595904   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=375066   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=1022453   
 http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/details.aspx?ProductID=1022455    
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    30 August 2014   1 April 2014   
10. Final date for comments:    60 days and more as of distribution date 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [  ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:    
The text of the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 can be found at: 
http://www.comlaw.gov .au/Details/C2012A00132  
 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/TBT/AUS/13_3353_00_e.pdf  
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