RTF December 2019 Meeting Recap

The RTF ended its year with a bang, dedicating most December’s meeting to understanding and improving Air Source Heat Pump measures. The group spent the remaining meeting time getting an update on Commissioning, Controls and Sizing, a measure that will be discussed early this year, and considering the second batch of potential measures to develop in 2020. The end of 2019 means this RTF class is a third of the way through their tenure as members. We’ve appreciated their passion and engagement and are looking forward to their continued work and growth.  If you weren’t able to make the final meeting of the year, here’s what you missed.  

The meeting began with a discussion of Commissioning, Controls and Sizing for SF and MH. Staff presented the topic, without the intent of landing a decision, to update the group on progress and to get RTF guidance on future direction of the measure. The discussion focused on recent BPA research around installation practices as well as the importance of controls and sizing for heat pump savings, especially in colder climates. Contract analysts intend to call on subcommittee member expertise as they continue to develop this measure update. 

The RTF spent much of the meeting landing updates to the Single Family and Manufactured Homes ASHP Upgrades and Conversions Measures. For the conversion measure, the specification is converting from an electric FAF to an 8.5 HSPF heat pump. While the upgrade measure specifies upgrading from an 8.5 HSPF heat pump to either a 9.0 HSPF heat pump or a variable capacity heat pump. These measures are additive so a program can use both the conversion and the upgrade measure if the goal is, for example, conversion from an electric FAF to a 9.0 HSPF. Several changes to the proposed updates were made at the RTF meeting itself, so final savings, costs, or cost-effectiveness estimates are not yet ready to share. For ASHP Conversions the RTF opted to develop only an “any insulation” measure and to remove measure identifiers for good, fair and poor insulation.  The group determined that savings are to be based on weighted average results from evaluations and savings and costs will be estimated for two saving periods using an RUL approach. For ASHP Upgrades they did something similar, opting to develop an “any insulation” measure for upgrades as well, while savings are to be based on calibrated SEEM runs.

The group then snuck in some sunset date extensions, mostly concerning weatherization, and the much-anticipated efficient pumps measure. Then closed out the meeting with another vote on which new measure proposals to allocate resources towards developing, part two of a decision made at the November meeting.

2020 is shaping up to be an exciting year already. Coming up in January the RTF will consider a number of new measures including a Commercial and Industrial Efficient Fans UES, a Residential High Efficiency Air Conditioning measure, a generator engine block heater UES measure, and will be continuing the discussion around CC&S. We hope to see you there!