New and Underutilized Technology: Advanced Rooftop Packaged Air Conditioner
The following information outlines key deployment considerations for advanced rooftop packaged air conditioners within the Federal sector. This information spans:
Benefits
Products within this category are air conditioners with features that improve efficiency. These include improved fans, economizers, and diagnostics.
In addition, air conditioners within this category are rooftop units that have:
- Condensing units that drain to the interior of the building.
- Better insulation.
- Duct dampers that prevent off-cycle losses due to convection loops that lose heat from the building.
In addition, a rooftop unit with a modulating compressor will be more efficient and have better humidity control if the indoor blower or air handler is also variable speed.
Application
Advanced rooftop packaged air conditioners are applicable in most building categories.
Key Factors for Deployment
Efficiency ratings do not take into account all of the benefits these advanced features offer.
Manufacturer-installed economizers are recommended. Economizers have been known to fail in the past. Because of this, economizers should be commissioned.
Ranking Criteria
Federal energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and probability of success are ranked 0-5 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 5 representing the highest ranking. The weighted score is ranked 0-100 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 100 representing the highest ranking.
| Federal Energy Savings | Cost Effectiveness | Probability of Success | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.6 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 42 |
Resources
The following resources are available:
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High-Performance Commercial Rooftop Air Conditioners: Technology fact sheet covering commercial rooftop air conditioners.
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Emerging Energy-Saving HVAC Technologies and Practices for the Buildings Sector (2009): American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) report covering emerging HVAC technologies for the buildings sector.
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Packaged Rooftop Air Conditioners: Overview of packaged rooftop air conditioner options, considerations, emerging solutions, and manufacturers.
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Advanced Automated HVAC Fault Detection and Diagnostic (FDD) Commercialization Program: Overview of the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) FDD program.