Exinda HPERV is illegal
and non-compliant
Innova’s Million Dollar Challenge
Failure to be listed in the NRCan Searchable Product List
In Canada, all air-conditioning and heat-pump systems must be listed in the NRCan database. In fact, it is illegal to import or sell a unit that is not listed. At the time of this publication, March 16, 2026, the Exinda HPERV is not listed in the NRCan Searchable Product List.
Failure to meet NRCan Minimum Efficiency Requirements
Guangdong Exinda Technology manufactures the Exinda HPERV in China, with specifications claiming 12,500 BTU and a 10.8 EER.
The Exinda HPERV only lists an EER and a COP. Neither EER nor COP is a legal rating for this product category. For a heat pump, federal law requires SEER2 and HSPF2.
Under federal law (Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016, and AHRI 210/240), any 12,500-BTU heat pump in this class must meet a minimum SEER2 rating of 13.4 to be legally sold, installed, or used in Canada.
This alone renders the units illegal.
Illegal Misclassification
By using an EER instead of SEER2, Exinda is classifying the HPERV as PTHP, but HPERV does not meet the PTHP definition under Energy Efficiency Regulations:
A lawful PTHP must have:
- a wall sleeve,
- a separate unencased chassis,
- through-the-wall mounting
The Exinda HPERV unit lacks these traits.
Misclassifying the Exinda HPERV as a PTHP by using EER is a direct violation of NRCan rules and is illegal.
Fraudulent and Fake Numbers
Exinda HPERV is not capable of delivering 12,500 BTUs of cooling at 10.8 EER or 16,500 BTUs of heating at 3.72 COP. While these metrics are not relevant to this unit, the numbers are impossible to obtain. There is no way the Exinda HPERV will use only 1,157 watts to produce 12,500 BTU of cooling, or 1,300 watts to produce a whopping 16,500 BTU of heating.
With heat pumps, the heating and cooling outputs are similar, as one is just the reverse of the other. Exinda wants you to believe that the same unit can produce 32% more heat than cool, and at a 17.5% higher efficiency. Ask any first-year engineering student if a heat pump can have a 55% better performance in heating than cooling. Maybe Exinda has a bridge to sell you, too.
Summary of Violations
Exinda HPERV:
- Failure to list on the NRCan database
- Publishes fabricated numbers in cooling
- Publishes fabricated numbers in heating
- Uses illegal rating metrics, COP instead of HSPF2
- Uses illegal rating metrics EER instead of SEER2
- Violates NRCan product classification rules
- Violates NRCan labeling requirements
- Fails SEER2 minimums because efficiency numbers are falsified
- Fails HSPF2 minimums because numbers are fake
- Contradict basic mathematics in efficiency numbers
- Fails to use the correct testing methods
- Violate the Competition Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-34), which prohibits deceptive efficiency claims
Exinda HPERV cannot legally be sold, installed, or used in Canada, and we back that statement with a $1,000,000 Guarantee.
Illegal to Distribute, Install, and Use
Exinda HPERV is illegal to distribute, specify, install, or use because it is not listed in the NRCan database and does not meet NRCan’s energy-efficiency requirements for a heat pump. To meet those requirements, a unit of this size must have a SEER2 rating of at least 13.4 and an HSPF2 rating of at least 5.4 at the rated capacities of 12,500 BTU for cooling and 16,500 BTU for heating. This rating cannot simply be invented; it must be established through testing in a genuine lab.
How Everyone Gets Hurt
Sellers
Private labelers, Manufacturers,
Distributors, Dealers, Resellers
Selling a non-compliant HVAC product is a direct violation of the Energy Efficiency Act and NRCan regulations. Sellers are exposed to:
Federal Civil Penalties
NRCan may prosecute for non-compliance for every unit distributed in commerce. Penalties stack and can reach six-figure outcomes per model.
Product Seizure and Forced Recall
NRCan can seize inventory, block further distribution, and mandate recall or destruction of illegal equipment.
Competition Bureau enforcement… Competition Act Section 52
Publishing fabricated ratings constitutes a deceptive trade practice under the Competition Act. This exposes the seller to federal enforcement, mandatory corrective advertising, and civil penalties.
Breach of Contract and Indemnification Claims
Developers, contractors, and property owners can sue the seller for damages if the installed equipment fails inspection, fails commissioning, or causes code violations.
Class-Action Exposure
Tenants, condominium associations, and homeowners’ groups can sue for misrepresentation, damages, inflation in energy costs, or unsafe equipment.
Loss of Manufacturer and Distributor Licenses
OEM partnerships and distribution channels can be terminated for selling illegal equipment.
Selling these units is both legally and financially dangerous.
Installers
Contractors, HVAC technicians, MEP firms
Installing non-compliant equipment exposes the installer to direct professional and legal risk.
Violation of state and local mechanical codes
Most jurisdictions require installed equipment to be listed, certified, and compliant with NRCan minimums. Installing unlisted units violates the code.
Loss of contractor license
Boards can suspend or revoke licenses for installing non-certified or illegally rated equipment.
Civil liability for damage
If the unit fails, performs below specifications, overdrafts electrical circuits, leaks refrigerant, or causes mold or structural damage, the installer can be sued.
Professional negligence claims
Installing non-certified equipment is a breach of standard practice.
Insurance denial
Work performed with illegal equipment can void contractor liability insurance coverage.
Installers who choose these units are assuming direct legal and financial responsibility.
Loss of Contractor License
Boards can suspend or revoke licenses for installing non-certified or illegally rated equipment.
Civil Liability for Damage
If the unit fails, performs below specifications, overdrafts electrical circuits, leaks refrigerant, or causes mold or structural damage, the installer can be sued.
Professional Negligence Claims
Installing non-certified equipment is a breach of standard practice.
Insurance Denial
Work performed with illegal equipment can void contractor liability insurance coverage.
Installers who choose these units are assuming direct legal and financial responsibility.
Engineers
MEP engineers, Specifiers, Consultants
Engineers face a high risk of exposure if they specify or approve the use of illegal equipment.
Professional malpractice exposure
Specifying equipment that does not meet SEER2 or CEER requirements, or does not appear in AHRI/NRCan Searchable Product Lists with accurate data, is a breach of engineering duty.
Loss of PE license
Stamping drawings with illegal or misclassified equipment creates a direct disciplinary risk.
Design liability
If the equipment fails to meet code, fails load calculations, causes tenant complaints, or drives excessive energy use, the engineer is liable for damages.
Insurance exposure
Errors & Omissions insurers reject claims involving knowingly illegal equipment.
Any engineer who signs off on these units is accepting personal liability.
Building Owners
Developers, Property managers, REITs, Condo associations
Owning a building with illegal HVAC equipment exposes the owner to substantial financial and legal risks.
Code violations and failed inspections
Buildings containing non-certified equipment can fail Local Authority inspections.
Forced removal and replacement
Authorities can mandate the removal of every installed unit, at the owner’s expense.
Insurance cancellation or claim denial
If the equipment is not legal or not NRCan-compliant, insurers may deny coverage or void property insurance policies.
Reduced property value
Buildings with illegal equipment face valuation reductions, impaired financing, and lender objections.
Tenant lawsuits and warranty claims
Tenants can sue for non-performance, high heating/cooling costs.
Fines and enforcement actions
Owners can be fined for every illegal unit installed or operated within the building.
Owning or operating these units exposes the property to material legal and financial damage.
End-Users
Residents, Tenants, Homeowners
Even the resident or end-user is exposed to risk when using non-compliant equipment.
High energy bills and poor performance
Because the published performance data is fake, real-world operating costs are substantially higher than the claimed ratings suggest.
End-users bear financial burdens due to equipment that consumes more power and has limits.
The Million Dollar Challenge
Innova guarantees that the performance numbers published by “Zymbo Clima Puro” are fake.
Innova will pay one million CAD to any manufacturer, distributor, engineer, or entity that can produce a certified, independent laboratory test report corroborating the claimed capacity and efficiency when tested in accordance with DOE regulations.