Computer room air conditioners

To be sold in New Zealand, computer room (close control) air conditioners must meet minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), effective from 9 June 2011.

If you're an importer, manufacturer, retailer or seller of an affected product, this page tells you what you need to know.

Why have standards for these products?

The MEPS, which is effective from 9 June 2011, encourages improvement in the efficiency of computer room air conditioners and prevents poorly performing products from entering our market.

These systems tend to be purchased based on their capital costs and technical specifications. Lifetime energy costs are neither transparent nor accessible to the purchaser. The MEPS ensures that end-users end up with better performing systems, which saves them on energy and running costs over the life of the system.

While there is scope for 10 to 50% energy efficiency improvements across all size categories energy efficiency is only improving by around 1% per annum without intervention.

It is expected that, through these standards, projected growth in computer room air conditioner energy consumption will reduce by 10%, and New Zealand will save over $20 million in energy (175 GWh) and avoid 122 kt of CO2 emissions by 2020.

The MEPS for computer room air conditioners follows a comprehensive consultation and development process, and takes into consideration public comment.

Which products are affected

The products affected by this MEPS are factory-made close control air conditioners that use a single or multiple refrigerated direct expansion (DX) system, designed to control and monitor temperature and humidity. There are some exemptions - see below.

All affected close control air conditioners imported into, or manufactured in, New Zealand from 9 June 2011 must comply with the standard AS/NZS 4965 to be legally sold. Stock from before this date does not have to meet these requirements.

The MEPS level for all units is an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 2.62. The MEPS covers both water and air cooled units, and are based on testing the indoor unit alone.

Close control air conditioners are used for applications where temperature and humidity are required to be monitored and maintained within narrow limits - for example, computer rooms, data processing units, telecommunication facilities and other industrial process areas.

Exclusions

Close-coupled row-based cooling units are exempt from the MEPS. These are cooling devices designed to be mounted in the row containing the rack enclosures, and is placed in such a way that it takes air from a hot isle, cools it and discharges it to a cold aisle. To qualify for an exclusion the particular unit must be designed for, and the manufacturer shall have published operating data up to a minimum of 35C DB entering air temperature.

How to meet the regulatory requirements

If you import, manufacture or sell computer room air conditioners affected by the MEPS, there are regulatory requirements you must meet under the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002.

For manufacturers and importers, this means checking your products meet the standards, registering your products, and providing annual sales data to EECA.

For retailers, this means ensuring that the products you're carrying are legal for sale.

Which standards apply

The energy performance standards for computer room (close control) air conditioners are:

  • AS/NZS 4965.1, which includes the scope and test method.
  • AS/NZS 4965.2, which covers MEPS requirements.

Standards are available from Standards New Zealand.

 

More information

 

From the Resource Centre

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