1. Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology
Contractor Unfamiliarity with VCHP
Designer Unfamiliarity with VCHP
Owner Unfamiliarity with VCHP
Lack of Information to prioritize measures
Uncertain Savings, Costs and Cost effectiveness
Difficult to Develop Measures and Incentive Programs
Codes and Standards
Others
Develop contractor qualifications and training
Develop screening tool for cost effective opportunities
Develop owner training on utility incentives and VCHP benefits
Select and define highest priority measures
Develop M&V approaches
Develop measures
Follow developing codes and standards
Define the value proposition for the utilities, building owners and contractors
Identify installations where performance could be monitored
Develop commissioning requirements
Develop program
Evaluate whether the amount of VCHP refrigerant is an issue
Document operation in lab tests
Develop best practices to ensure energy saving
Deliver program
Quantify savings and costs over a specific baseline
Develop designer training and outreach
Follow developing IECC and other economizer code exceptions
Follow developing IECC net zero requirements
Manufacturer training
Lessons learned from the previous projects
Lab testing resources
Existing owner training channels
VCHP Research and resources
Industry, professional and utility research and resources
Codes and standards research and resources

2. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Contractor Unfamiliarity with VCHP
Manufacturers training is difficult to access as nearest training centers are in Southern California
Lack of contractor knowledge/experience
Poor installation even by the trained contractors
Technology misapplication can affect deployment
Develop commissioning requirements
Develop contractor qualifications and training
Develop best practices to ensure energy savings
Lessons learned from ASHRAE Headquarters VRF demonstration project
Mira Vowles
Investigate lessons learned from Oakridge residential DHP field testing
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF mechanical tables
Mira Vowles
Daikin provides online classes (
Investigate lessons learned from Energy Trust New Buildings program has provided incentives for new community college buildings in Southern Oregon, installing Mitsubishi VRFs. M&V-completion date is Fall 2011
Erin Rowe
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF Handbook Chapter, which is scheduled to be available Spring of 2012
VRF contractor training in Irvine, California
Mark Jerome
Investigate savings and lessons learned from Corvallis Wild Life Preserve VRF system with HRV and economizers
Mark Jerome
Investigate lessons learned from Ecotope single-head DHP report (residential), including both field and lab testing. Contact Bob Davis or David Baylon at Ecotope.
Bob Davis
Investigate Cascade Energy Engineering VRF system; they have been monitoring system energy use for 5 years
Mike Condiff
Investigate new products and features, including US-centric controls, heat pump boilers, data center rack cooling, etc.
Mike Condiff
Collaborate with "Center for Built Environment" for post occupancy evaluation of comfort and behavior
Paul Delaney

3. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Designer Unfamiliarity with VCHP
Technology misapplication
Proprietary equipment makes it hard to understand or commission
Technology misapplication can affect deployment
Lack of education in design and construction fields on technology
Unfamiliar with controls
Some applications are not appropriate for VRV e.g. large OSA with not many zones
Engineers are designing systems around the technologies that they are more comfortable with
VCHP does not fit into standard design process
Not all applications of VCHP systems with simultaneous heating and cooling capability are cost effective
Codes and standards were not available until recently
Questionable cost effectiveness of economizers and ground coupled applications
Develop designer training and outreach
Lack of robust design and modeling tools
Lack of performance data to validate manufacturer claims
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF Handbook Chapter, which is scheduled to be available Spring of 2012
Document operation in lab tests
Develop best practices to ensure energy savings
Develop screening tool for cost effective opportunities
Daikin provides online classes (
Develop commissioning requirements
Lessons learned from ASHRAE Headquarters VRF demonstration project
Mira Vowles
Investigate lessons learned from Oakridge residential DHP field testing
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF mechanical tables
Mira Vowles
Investigate new products and features, including US-centric controls, heat pump boilers, data center rack cooling, etc.
Mike Condiff
EWEB commissioning case study
Collaborate with "Center for Built Environment" for post occupancy evaluation of comfort and behavior
Paul Delaney
Investigate lessons learned from Energy Trust New Buildings program has provided incentives for new community college buildings in Southern Oregon, installing Mitsubishi VRFs. M&V-completion date is Fall 2011
Erin Rowe
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF Handbook Chapter, which is scheduled to be available Spring of 2012
TI Project 216 EPRI Lab Testing
AHRI 1230
Mike Condiff
Investigate savings and lessons learned from Corvallis Wild Life Preserve VRF system with HRV and economizers
Mark Jerome
Investigate lessons learned from Ecotope single-head DHP report (residential), including both field and lab testing. Contact Bob Davis or David Baylon at Ecotope.
Bob Davis
Investigate Cascade Energy Engineering VRF system; they have been monitoring system energy use for 5 years
Mike Condiff
NREL may be a resource for lab testing VRF systems
Bruce Baccei

4. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Owner Unfamiliarity with VCHP
Perception of risk, uncertain owner and user, occupant acceptance
There are a lot of HVAC options in the market so this may not be perceived as the best option for a given application
Unsure of system operation
Owners are not familiar with the systems
Lack of data and market knowledge to promote technology
Uncertainty in the market about the benefits of the system over the other systems
Develop best practices to ensure energy savings
Develop owner training on utility incentives and VCHP benefits
Lessons learned from ASHRAE Headquarters VRF demonstration project
Mira Vowles
Investigate lessons learned from Oakridge residential DHP field testing
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF mechanical tables
Mira Vowles
Investigate new products and features, including US-centric controls, heat pump boilers, data center rack cooling, etc.
Mike Condiff
Collaborate with "Center for Built Environment" for post occupancy evaluation of comfort and behavior
Paul Delaney
NEEA and BOMA owner training
Investigate lessons learned from Energy Trust New Buildings program has provided incentives for new community college buildings in Southern Oregon, installing Mitsubishi VRFs. M&V-completion date is Fall 2011
Erin Rowe
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF Handbook Chapter, which is scheduled to be available Spring of 2012
Investigate savings and lessons learned from Corvallis Wild Life Preserve VRF system with HRV and economizers
Mark Jerome
Investigate lessons learned from Ecotope single-head DHP report (residential), including both field and lab testing. Contact Bob Davis or David Baylon at Ecotope.
Bob Davis
Investigate Cascade Energy Engineering VRF system; they have been monitoring system energy use for 5 years
Mike Condiff

5. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Lack of Information to Prioritize Measures
Uncertain cost effectiveness for some applications
Hard to define baselines to make comparisons
Select and define highest priority measures
Identify when and where designers include electric resistance heat with VRF systems
Quantify savings for replacing electric heat
Preliminary screening of cost effectiveness of measures
Understand engineering, Installation, ownership, utility barriers
Investigate savings for baselines that do not have cooling
Screen for where VRF HR systems are cost-effective
Evaluate whether the amount of VCHP refrigerant is an issue
Develop cost database
Verify the significance of duct losses and feasibility of M&V
Identify installations where performance could be monitored
ASHRAE Appendix G
Distribute and post EPRI VRF market studies, commissioned by BPA, when they are available
Mira Vowles
Mitsubishi office building analysis indicates 21% savings over A-A HP system
(based on EnergyPro model)
Nick Fernandez
VCHP measure potential research and studies (Power plan)

6. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Uncertain Savings, Costs and Cost Effectiveness
Uncertain savings
Uncertain cost
Unknown equipment life
Incremental costs of VRF systems could be higher or lower than baseline systems
Existing M&V approaches like energy modeling and deemed savings are not proven for VRF systems
Skepticism about savings and real cost/benefit ratio
Condensate piping and pumps are a costly oversight
Utilities can not incent if incremental cost is negative
Complex systems-hard to accurately measure and quantify savings
Challenges metering commercial VCHP systems
Quantify savings and costs over a specific baseline
Develop high consensus M&V protocols
Identify installations where performance could be monitored
Select baseline
Establish measure life
Develop models to quantify savings for top priority measures
Quantify non-energy benefits (O&M, gas savings, productivity due to improved comfort, etc.) to fully account for additional cost effective measures
Quantify energy savings for night setback
Quantify annual energy savings, benefits, costs
Possible opportunity for field testing in a set of test bed commercial buildings that are being constructed in Richland, WA at PNNL's headquarters.
Nick Fernandez
TI Project 216 EPRI VRF HR Lab Testing
Use AHRI 1230 equipment performance ratings (EER, COP, IEER) to estimate savings, including water cooled VRF system savings over air cooled VRF systems
Mike Condiff
Distribute and post EPRI VRF market studies, commissioned by BPA, when they are available
Mira Vowles
Share results from EPRI VRF&DHP EE Demo's
Mira Vowles
Mitsubishi office building analysis indicates 21% savings over A-A HP system
(based on EnergyPro model)
Nick Fernandez
Document savings trade-off for VRF HR without economizers, Paul Doppler
Jim Benville
Investigate lessons learned from PNNL/NEEA work to disaggregate electrical loads, and use to determine actual VRF system energy use
Nick Fernandez
Investigate savings and lessons learned from Corvallis Wild Life Preserve VRF system with HRV and economizers
Mark Jerome
Investigate new products and features, including US-centric controls, heat pump boilers, data center rack cooling, etc.
Mike Condiff
Systems have been in Asia for over 25 years
Mira Vowles
Investigate lessons learned from BC Hydro VRF office building retrofit in Vancouver; combination of modeled/measures savings. Presented at Emerging Tech Conference in Sacramento in Nov 2010
Ron Domitrovic
RTF VCHP Sub committee
IPMVP
Document M&V protocols from field tests

7. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Difficult to Develop Measures
Uncertain cost
Uncertain savings
Unknown equipment life
VRF may add cooling to uncooled baselines
Higher first cost
Complicated utility incentive process
Develop equipment based measures
Develop performance based measures
Define the value proposition for the utilities, building owners and contractors
Consider upstream program ($/ton), similar to SCE, based on energy models
Describe energy savings time-of-occurrence and duration: Load Shape, Lifetime
Quantify baseline EUIs for building types
Develop measure specific M&V protocols
Verify tenant billing system for M&V
VRF Pilot to verify measure savings
Develop simple savings calculators based on documented performance to be nimble, reduce reliance on energy models and lower program delivery cost
Develop simple system start-up requirements for incentives
Develop whole building savings estimation and M&V using billing data
Evaluate cost effectiveness of measures
Design program to minimize free ridership
Document magnitude and longevity of the incremental electric energy savings.
Determine sample size to quantify statistically significant savings
Investigate incorporating VRF systems into office of the future pilot projects which have 30-50% savings goals. Contact Amy Cortese, with New Building Institute,
Bruce Baccei
Summarize lessons learned based on evaluation of SCE's upstream VRF incentive program
Paul Delaney
Possible opportunity for field testing in a set of test bed commercial buildings that are being constructed in Richland, WA at PNNL's headquarters.
Nick Fernandez
Use AHRI 1230 equipment performance ratings (EER, COP, IEER) to estimate savings, including water cooled VRF system savings over air cooled VRF systems
Mike Condiff
Field test M&V protocols
Share results from EPRI VRF&DHP EE Demo's
Mira Vowles
RTF VCHP Sub committee
IPMVP
ASHRAE VRF mechanical tables
Mira Vowles

8. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Difficult to Develop Incentive Programs
Higher initial cost
Usually adds cooling to a space that did not have cooling before
Develop VCHP Incentives
Develop equipment based measures
Develop performance based measures
Consider upstream program ($/ton), similar to SCE, based on energy models
Quantify savings for baselines that do not have cooling
Develop VRF measures, possibly whole building/pay for performance incentives
Develop best practices and specifications for ERV design and operation
Quantify baseline EUIs for building types
Develop best practices to prevent electric resistance heat operation
Evaluate unoccupied temperature set-back/set-up, DOAS control, electric resistance heat lock-out, low-ambient performance and optimal start capabilities -develop best practices and pay for performance
Develop simple system start-up requirements for incentives
Determine free ridership. Design program to minimize free ridership
Summarize lessons learned based on evaluation of SCE's upstream VRF incentive program
Paul Delaney

9. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Codes and Standards
Costly to meet ventilation codes with VCHP systems
Codes and standards are still being developed
Safety concerns over refrigerant leaks
Difficult to meet net zero
Follow developing IECC and other economizer code exceptions
Follow developing codes and standards
Evaluate whether the amount of VCHP refrigerant is an issue
Follow developing IECC net zero requirements
Document savings trade-off for VRF HR without economizers, Paul Doppler
Jim Benville
IECC 2012
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF mechanical tables
Mira Vowles
IECC 2012
ASHRAE refrigerant standard
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF Handbook Chapter, which is scheduled to be available Spring of 2012

10. HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
Product/Service Area :
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING
VCHP Energy Efficiency Measure
Development Roadmap
Action Plan for Variable Capacity Heat Pump Technology: Others
Cheaper install equals less commission for sales man
Inertia of traditional (US) HVAC manufacturing design and contracting system
Negative experiences e.g. ASHRAE HQ Issues
Define the value proposition for the utilities, building owners and contractors
Lessons learned from ASHRAE Headquarters VRF demonstration project
Mira Vowles
Investigate lessons learned from Oakridge residential DHP field testing
Get early copies of ASHRAE VRF Handbook Chapter, which is scheduled to be available Spring of 2012
Investigate lessons learned from Energy Trust New Buildings program has provided incentives for new community college buildings in Southern Oregon, installing Mitsubishi VRFs. M&V-completion date is Fall 2011
Erin Rowe
Investigate lessons learned from Ecotope single-head DHP report (residential), including both field and lab testing. Contact Bob Davis or David Baylon at Ecotope.
Bob Davis
Investigate lessons learned from BC Hydro VRF office building retrofit in Vancouver; combination of modeled/measures savings. Presented at Emerging Tech Conference in Sacramento in Nov 2010
Ron Domitrovic
Investigate savings and lessons learned from Corvallis Wild Life Preserve VRF system with HRV and economizers
Mark Jerome
Share results from EPRI VRF&DHP EE Demo's
Mira Vowles