G/TBT/N/USA/987  
 
22 April 2015  
(15-2112)  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) [1005] 
Name and address (including telephon e 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:  ncsci@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 applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable): Commercial water 
heaters 
– Instantaneous or storage water heaters, non-electric: (HS: 84191), – Instantaneous gas 
water heaters (HS: 841911), Electric instanta neous or storage water heaters and immersion 
heaters; electric space heating apparatus and soil heating apparatus; electro-thermic 
hair-dressing apparatus (for example, hair dryers, hair curlers, curling tong heaters) and 
hand dryers; electric smoothing irons; other electro-thermic appliances of a kind used for domestic purposes; electric heating resistors, other than those of heading 85.45. 
(HS: 8516), – Electric instantaneous or storage water heaters and immersion heaters 
(HS: 851610) 
Environmental protection (ICS: 13.020), Domestic, commercial and industrial heating 
appliances (ICS: 97.100) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Energy 
Conservation Program for Consumer Products and Certain Commercial and Industrial 
Equipment: Test Procedures for Consumer an d Commercial Water Heaters (33 pages, in 
English).  
6. Description of content: As required by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 
(EPCA), as amended, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to establish a mathematical conversion factor for the purpose of translating efficiency ratings for water 
heaters under the test method currently in effect to the ratings under the amended test 
method promulgated by DOE in a final rule published on 11 July 2014 (hereinafter referred to as the "the July 2014 final rule''). Compliance with the amended test procedure is required beginning on the later of: one year after the publication of a final rule that 
establishes a mathematical conversion factor, or 31 December 2015. This rulemaking 
document proposes a mathematical conversion factor which may be used to convert the existing efficiency ratings under the current Federal test procedure to efficiency ratings 
under the test procedure adopted in the July 2014 final rule for water heater basic models 
manufactured, tested and certified prior to  the compliance date of the amended test 
procedure. The amended test procedure applies to all covered consumer water heaters and 
the covered commercial water heating equipment with residential applications defined in G/TBT/N/USA/987 
 
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  the July 2014 final rule as a "residential-duty commercial water heater.'' In addition, this 
document proposes amendments to the minimum energy conservation standards for consumer water heaters and residential-duty commercial water heaters to account for the 
impact of the new metric, but does not alte r the stringency of the existing energy 
conservation standards. While DOE has not planned a public meeting to discuss this proposal, DOE is willing to consider a request to hold a meeting.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Protection of the environment 
8. Relevant documents:  80 Federal Register (FR) 20115, 14 April 2015; Title 10 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 429, 430 and 431. Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined   
10. Final date for comments: 14 May 2015 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2015-04-14/html /2015-07932.htm  
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2015-04-14/pd f/2015-07932.pdf