Workshop Regarding Test Procedures, Labeling, Standards Compliance, and Related Matters for Commercial Water Heaters, Boilers, Furnaces, Air Conditioners, and Heat Pumps

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket Number EE-TP-98-101]

Workshop Regarding Test Procedures, Labeling, Standards

Compliance, and Related Matters for Commercial Water Heaters, Boilers,

Furnaces, Air Conditioners, and Heat Pumps

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

Energy.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) will hold an informal public

workshop to discuss issues and gather information related to DOE's

development of proposed rules for energy efficiency test procedures,

labeling, and standards compliance as they relate to commercial water

heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps. All

persons are hereby given notice of the opportunity to attend and

participate in this public workshop and to submit written comments.

DATES: The public workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 1998,

from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., and on Wednesday, April 15, 1998, from 9

a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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

Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585.

Written comments are welcome, especially following the workshop.

Please submit 10 copies (no faxes) and a computer diskette (WordPerfect

6.1) to: Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, ``Energy Conservation Program

for Commercial Products: Water Heaters, Boilers, Furnaces, Air

Conditioners, and Heat Pumps, Docket No. EE-TP-98-101,'' EE-43, 1000

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

586-2945; Telefax: (202) 586-4617.

Copies of the transcript of the public workshop, public comments

received, and this notice may be read (or copied) at the Freedom of

Information Reading Room, U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal

Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20585, (202) 586-3142, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cyrus Nasseri, U.S. Department of

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-43, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9138, e-

mail: [email protected]; or Edward Levy, Esq., U.S. Department

of Energy, Office of General Counsel, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9507, e-mail:

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy is drafting a

proposed rule to implement the Energy Policy and Conservation Act

(EPCA) provisions for energy efficiency test procedures, labeling, and

standards compliance concerning commercial water heaters, boilers,

furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps. 42 U.S.C. 6314-6316. While

EPCA calls for adoption of test procedures referenced in the American

Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.

(ASHRAE), Standard 90.1, several issues have been raised concerning how

the Standard should be interpreted. The purpose of the public workshop

is to discuss the following issues for developing the notice of

proposed rulemaking:

a. Clarification of coverage and category definitions in reference

standards for commercial water heaters;

b. Determination of procedures for measuring insulation value and

heat loss in unfired commercial hot water storage tanks;

c. Definition of ``packaged'' boiler for purposes of the proposed

rulemaking;

d. Treatment of ``jacket losses'' in combustion and thermal

efficiency calculations;

e. Uniformity of test conditions, procedures, and setup

requirements across different types of commercial boilers and furnaces;

f. Appropriate treatment of commercial boilers and furnaces with

unusual features for specialized applications;

g. Correct external static pressure test conditions for commercial

air conditioners and heat pumps in light of typical outlet duct

pressures observed in buildings;

h. Determination of cost-effective and reliable statistical

sampling regimes for standard certification and enforcement;

i. Identification of practical certification and enforcement

testing regimes for products with low production volumes;

j. Determination of the information that should be displayed on

certification labels; and

k. Effective schemes for labeling mixed component systems.

The Department is preparing a paper entitled, ``Issues Paper for

the Commercial Water Heaters, Boilers, Furnaces, Air Conditioners, and

Heat Pumps Workshop on April 14 and 15, 1998,'' that explains and

discusses these issues in greater detail. Copies will be available on

request. For many of the issues, the paper sets forth alternative

approaches that the Department is considering to include in the Notice

of Proposed Rulemaking.

The Department is particularly interested in receiving at the

workshop comments and views of interested parties concerning: (1) The

above-listed issues; (2) alternative approaches the Department is

considering for addressing these issues; (3) information that the

National Institute of Standards and Technology should take into account

in interpreting ASHRAE Standard 90.1 test procedures for commercial

water heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps for

DOE's consideration; and (4) any viable alternatives that may have been

overlooked in the preparation of the issue paper. The Department

encourages those who wish to participate in the workshop to obtain the

issue paper and to make presentations that address its contents.

Workshop participants need not limit their statements to those topics,

however. The Department is interested in receiving views concerning

other issues that participants believe would affect the content of test

procedures, labeling, and standards compliance for commercial water

heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps.

The meeting will be conducted in an informal, conference style. A

court reporter will be present to record the minutes of the meeting.

There shall be no discussion of proprietary information, costs or

prices, market shares, or other commercial matters regulated under

antitrust law. After the meeting and period for written comments, the

Department will consider the views presented in formulating a Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking regarding energy efficiency test procedures,

labeling, and standards compliance as they relate to commercial water

heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps.

If you would like to participate in the workshop, to receive

workshop materials, or to be added to the DOE mailing list to receive

future notices and information regarding commercial water heaters,

boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps, please contact Ms.

Brenda Edwards-Jones, (202)586-2945.

[[Page 16708]]

Issued in Washington, DC, on April 1, 1998.

Dan W. Reicher,

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

[FR Doc. 98-8952 Filed 4-3-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P