Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Notice of Public Workshop on Test Procedures for Central Air Conditioners, Including Heat Pumps

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. CAS-RM-79-102]

Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Notice of

Public Workshop on Test Procedures for Central Air Conditioners,

Including Heat Pumps

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of

Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Public Workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (Department or DOE) today gives

notice that it will convene a public workshop to discuss issues and

gather information related to test procedures for central air

conditioners and heat pumps.

DATES: The public workshop will be held on Thursday, September 25,

1997, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy,

Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585.

Copies of the transcript of the public workshop, public comments

received, and this notice may be read at the Department of Energy,

Freedom of Information Reading Room, U.S. DOE, Forrestal Building, Room

1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-

6020, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays. If you are planning to attend this workshop

and would like to receive material prepared for the workshop, please

contact Ms. Sandy Beall, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Energy, Mail Station EE-43, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202)

586-7574; Telefax: (202) 586-4617.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Raymond, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency

and Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE-43, Forrestal Building, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9611.

Ms. Sandy Beall, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency

and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Mail Station EE-43,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-

7574.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

To develop a proposed rule revising the test procedures for central

air conditioners and heat pumps, the Department is convening a workshop

to receive and discuss public comments on a number of technical issues.

This is a proposed agenda for the workshop:

2. Preliminary Agenda

9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

Should the DOE test procedure be expanded to cover any of the

following equipment categories?

--Triple capacity heat pumps

--Multiple-split heat pumps

--Two-capacity heat pumps with variable-speed indoor fans that are

modulated to best match the building load

--Single-speed heat pumps with variable-speed indoor fans that are

modulated to best match the building load

--No-defrost heat pumps

--Heat pumps that incorporate a heat comfort controller

--Two-capacity heat pumps for an application where the unit is sized to

meet the space cooling load at 95 deg. F while operating at low

capacity

--Multi-capacity units having a ``turbo'' cooling mode

--Others?

Break

11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Test method for units having a variable-speed constant CFM blower

--with indoor fan operating versus not operating

--tolerances on air volume rate if tested with the indoor fan

operating

11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Capacity adjustments

[[Page 44915]]

--criteria for taking the demand defrost credit (defrost adjustment

factor)

--barometric pressure adjustment(s): needed? If so, what values?

12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Lunch (on your own)

1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Lab Set-up and Testing Issues

--should an outdoor wet bulb temperature be specified when testing

packaged systems where the indoor coil is located in the outdoor

chamber?

--discussion of proposed Section 4.2.4, ``Exclusion of special

setup requirements if stated in the manufacturers installation manual''

--electrical energy/power measurements

--accuracy of dry bulb temperature measurements

--pretest intervals

--manifolded static pressure taps

2:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Break

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Accounting for time delay relays within mixed system rating

procedures

4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Metrification of the DOE test procedure

--brief status report

--what issues should be raised during upcoming revisions to ISO

Standards for ducted (Std. 13253) and non-ducted (Std. 5151) units?

Please notify Sandy Beall or Michael Raymond at the address listed

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section if you intend to attend

the workshop, if you wish to receive material prepared for the

workshop, or if you wish to be added to the DOE mailing list for

receipt of future notices and information concerning central air

conditioner and heat pump test procedures.

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 19, 1997.

Joseph J. Romm,

Acting Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

[FR Doc. 97-22485 Filed 8-22-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P