Status Update on Amendment 17

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On January 10, 2022, NRCan provided HRAI a status update on Amendment 17.

HRAI can now confirm that Spring 2022 is the intended date which NRCan will pre-publish the regulatory proposal in Canada Gazette, Part I.

As members may be aware, NRCan intends to amend Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations to align single-phase central air conditioners and heat pumps with DOE Appendix M1 test standards coming into force in the United States January 1, 2023.

The test standard will introduce new performance metrics and prescribe more stringent minimum energy performance standards.

However, as noted in the technical bulletin attached to Amendment 17, NRCan is willing to align with Appendix M1 with the following adjustments:

  • The optional -15°C (5°F) test point in the US DOE test procedure would become mandatory in Canadian regulations.
  • The HSPF2 metric that is used to evaluate compliance would be based on Climate Region V (for calculation of the performance metric in the test standard).

On March 10 and June 7, 2021, HRAI-AHRI submitted joint comments – attached below – in which members strongly recommended to NRCan complete regulatory harmonization with Appendix M1.

NRCan is seeking these adjustments to the regulations because it wants to assure Canadian consumers that products will function reliably in cold climate conditions.

While members understand and appreciate that position, they believe what NRCan is asking for will impose unnecessary cost and compliance burdens on industry and hinder consumer choice in the market.

With the pre-publication of Amendment 17, this will launch an official 70-day comment period in which members and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide further expert comments on regulatory harmonization with Appendix M1.

These changes to the energy efficiency regulations will come into force after the date of publication in Canada Gazette, Part II following Cabinet approval and will be applicable to products manufactured after January 1, 2023.

For more information, contact Stephen Chartrand at 1-800-267-2231 ext. 276, or email schartrand@hrai.ca

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