G/TBT/N/USA/1841  
2 March 2022  
(22-1948) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OEERE), 
Department of Energy (DOE) [1870]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Variable 
refrigerant flow (VRF) multi -split air conditioners and VRF multi -split system heat pumps; 
Air conditioning machines comprising a motor -driven fan and elements for changing the 
temperature and humidity, incl. those machines in which the humidity cannot be 
separately regulated; parts thereof (HS 8415); Refrigerators, freezers and other 
refrigerating or freezing equipment, electric or other; heat pumps; parts thereof (excl. air 
conditioning machines of heading 8415) (HS 8418); Environmental protecti on (ICS 
13.020), Ventilators. Fans. Air -conditioners (ICS 23.120), Heat pumps (ICS 27.080)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Energy 
Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Variable Refrigerant Flow 
Multi-Split Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps (21 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment - In 
this document, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" or  the "Department") is proposing 
amended energy conser vation standards  for variable refrigerant flow (VRF) multi -split air 
conditioners and  VRF multi -split system heat pumps (collectively referred to as 
"VRF multi-split systems") that rely on a new cooling efficiency metric and  are equivalent 
to those levels specified in the industry standard. DOE  has preliminarily determined that 
it lacks the clear and convincing  evidence required by the statute to adopt standards more 
stringent than  the levels specified in the industry standard. This document 
also announces a public meeting webinar to receive comment on these 
proposed  standards and associated analyses and results.  
DOE will hold a public meeting via webinar on Wednesday, 23 March 2022, from 1:00 
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time . See section VII, "Public  Participation," for webinar 
registration information, participant  instructions, and information about the capabilities 
available to  webinar participants.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of the environment  G/TBT/N/USA/1841  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
87 Federal Register (FR) 11335, 1 March 2022; Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 431:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-03-01/html/2022 -03836.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-03-01/pdf/2022 -03836.pdf  
This notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment is identified by Docket 
Number EERE -2018-BT-STD-0003. The Docket Folder is available from Regulations.gov 
at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE -2018-BT-STD-0003/document  and 
provides access to primary and supporting documents as well as comments received. 
Documents are also accessible from  Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. 
WTO Members and their stakeholders are asked to submit comments to the  USA TBT 
Enquiry Point  by or before  4pm Eastern Time  on 2 May 2022.  Comments received by the 
USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their stakeholders will be shared with the 
regulator and w ill also be submitted to the  Docket  on Regulations.gov if received within 
the comment period.   
G/TBT/N/USA/1812  - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for VRF Multi -Split 
Systems; Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment  published 10 
December 2021.   
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  2 May 2022  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/TBT/USA/22_1894_00_e.pdf