WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its latest Energy Star® specification for residential central A/C and heat pumps, including ductless mini-splits. This new specification establishes two tiers of efficiency levels for split systems, with the first tier 14 SEER, 11.5 EER, 8.2 HSPF effective on April 1, 2006, and the second tier 14.5 SEER, 12 EER, 8.2 HSPF effective on Jan. 1, 2009. The EPA, however, has indicated that it will assess the second tier efficiencies to ensure feasibility in the marketplace at least one year before it becomes effective.

For single-package systems, the specification was set at 14 SEER, 11 EER, and 8.0 HSPF effective on April 1, 2006.

Although the EPA originally intended to add a "quality installation" component to the specification, it decided instead to pursue the idea through the work of the Energy Star Home Improvement Team.