. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/551/Add.1 
7 January 2011  
 (11-0082) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
Addendum
 
  
 The following communication, dated 21 December 2010, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of the United States
.  
 
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TITLE:  Energy Conservation Program for Consum er Products: Test Procedures for Refrigerators, 
Refrigerator-Freezers, and Freezers; Fi nal Rule and Interim Final Rule 
 AGENCY:  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OEERE), Department of Energy (DOE) 
 
ACTION:  Final rule, Interim final rule  SUMMARY:  On 27 May 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NOPR) to amend the test procedures for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.  
That proposed rulemaking serves as the basis for today' s action.  DOE is issuing a final rule regarding 
Appendix A1 and Appendix B1, and an interim fina l rule for Appendix A and Appendix B.  The final 
rule amends the current procedures, incorporating ch anges that will take effect 30 days after the final 
rule publication date.  These changes will be mandato ry for product testing to demonstrate compliance 
with the current energy standards and for represen tations starting 180 days after publication.  These 
changes, which will not affect measured ener gy use, include test procedures to account for 
refrigerator–freezers equipped with variable anti-sw eat heater controls, establishing test procedures 
for refrigerator–freezers equipped with more than two compartments, making minor adjustments to 
eliminate any potential ambiguity regarding how to conduct tests, and clarifying certain reporting 
requirements.  The interim final rule establis hes amended test procedures for refrigerators, 
refrigerator–freezers, and freezers that would be  required for measuring energy consumption once 
DOE promulgates new energy conservation standards for these products.  These new standards are 
currently under development in a separate rulema king activity and will apply to newly manufactured 
products starting in 2014.  Today's action also discusses the treatment of combination wine storage–freezer products that were the subject of a recen t test procedure waiver, energy use measurement 
round–off, and additional topics raised by stake holders during the rulemaking's comment period. 
 
While the amended test procedures will be based la rgely on the test methodology used in the existing 
test procedures, they also include significant revisions with respect to the measurement of 
compartment temperatures and compartment volum es.  These measurements will provide a more 
comprehensive accounting of energy usage by th ese products.  The amended test procedure will 
modify the long–time automatic defrost test procedur e to capture all energy use associated with the 
defrost cycle, establish a test procedure for products with a single compressor and multiple 
evaporators with active defrost cycles, incorporat e into the energy use metric the energy use G/TBT/N/USA/551/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
  associated with icemaking for products with automatic icemakers, and clarify requirements on 
temperature control settings during testing.  DATES:  The amendments to Sec. Sec. 430.2, 430. 3, 430.23 and Appendix A1  and Appendix B1 (the 
final rule) are effective 18 January  2011.  The additions of Append ix A and Appendix B (the interim 
rule) are effective 15 April 2011. 
 The final rule changes will be mandatory for produc t testing starting 14 June 2011.  Comments on the 
interim final rule are due 14 February 2011.  
The incorporation by reference of ANSI/AHAM HRF–1–1979, ("HRF–1–1979"), (Revision of ANSI 
B38.1–1970), American National Standard, Hou sehold Refrigerators, Combination Refrigerator–
Freezers and Household Freezers, approved May 17 , 1979, IBR approved for Appendices A1 and B1 
to Subpart B, in the final rule is approved by the Di rector of the Office of the Federal Register as of 
18 January 2011. 
 
The incorporation by reference of AHAM Standa rd HRF–1–2008 ("HRF–1–2008"), Association of 
Home Appliance Manufacturers, Energy and Inte rnal Volume of Refrigerating Appliances (2008), 
including Errata to Energy and Internal Volume of Refrigerating Appliances, Correction Sheet issued 
17 November 2009, IBR approved for Appendices A a nd B to Subpart B, in the interim rule is 
approved by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register as of 15 April 2011. 
 
FULL TEXT URLs:  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-30071.htm
 
http://edocket.access.gpo.g ov/2010/pdf/2010-30071.pdf  
 
 
   
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