Gas rooftop units (RTUs) are packaged HVAC equipment that supply heating, cooling, and ventilation to meet the thermal requirements of commercial buildings. While code-minimum RTUs may be cheaper at first, they waste so much energy that they end up costing far more over the equipment’s lifetime. Advanced performance RTUs, on the other hand, significantly reduce HVAC energy use and fueling costs by reducing heat loss and leveraging energy recovery technology.

Box out energy waste

For the same reason R12 insulation is required by code in building ducts, stronger RTU enclosures, low-leak dampers, and higher insulation values are critical to saving HVAC energy use. In addition to helping you save 10%[1] on annual HVAC energy consumption, improved enclosures make your unit sturdier, quieter, and easier to clean.

The healthy and efficient road to recovery

Energy ventilation is an important way to save energy if your building uses fresh outside air to increase building health and reduce viral spread. Even if your building only meets code-minimum ventilation requirements, using energy recovery ventilation can save an average of 26% on energy costs.[2]

While advanced performance RTUs can come with a higher initial cost compared to standard RTUs, the 36% monthly energy savings and added durability more than make up for it over the equipment’s lifetime. Each year, more product variations enter the market, making advanced performance RTUs a versatile way to meet the demands of a wide range of building and project types, achieve comfort goals, and surpass energy codes and performance standards.

[1] Expected advanced performance RTU results for climate zone 4C. National Efficient Rooftop Unit Energy Modeling. NEEA, 2025.

[2] Based on packaged RTUs supplying commercial buildings with code-minimum ventilation rates, per ASHRAE 62.1.