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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7550-7553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02842]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 460

[Docket Number EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021]
RIN 1904-AC11

Energy Conservation Program: Energy Efficiency Standards for 
Manufactured Housing

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

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated the process 
to develop and publish energy efficiency standards for manufactured 
housing, as directed by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 
2007 (EISA). To facilitate this process, enhance the quality of the 
standards and supporting documentation, and to allow interested parties 
to provide comments and information, DOE is publishing this request for 
information (RFI). DOE specifically is interested under this RFI in 
receiving information that relates to

[[Page 7551]]

solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and window fenestration pertaining 
to manufactured housing for consideration under the proposed rule that 
currently is in development.

DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before 
March 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments 
electronically. However, comments may be submitted by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: MfgHousing2009BC0021@ee.doe.gov. Include docket 
number EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021 and/or Regulatory Identification Number 
(RIN) 1904-AC11 in the subject line of the message. All comments should 
clearly identify the name, address, and, if appropriate, organization 
of the commenter.
     Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-5B, Request for 
Information for Energy Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Housing, 
Docket No. EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. Please submit one signed paper original.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, Sixth Floor, 950 L'Enfant 
Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024. Please submit one signed paper 
original.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this rulemaking. No telefacsimiles (faxes) will 
be accepted. Due to potential delays in DOE's receipt and processing of 
mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service, we encourage respondents to 
submit comments electronically to ensure timely receipt.
    Docket: This RFI and any comments that DOE receives will be made 
available on the docket, which is available for review at 
www.regulations.gov and includes all Federal Register notices, public 
meeting attendees' lists and transcripts, comments, and other 
supporting documents/materials applicable to this rulemaking. All 
documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. 
However, not all documents listed in the index may be publicly 
available, such as information that is exempt from public disclosure.
    A link to the docket Web page can be found at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx?ruleid=97. This Web page contains a link to the docket 
for this notice on the www.regulations.gov Web site. The 
www.regulations.gov Web page contains simple instructions on how to 
access all documents, including public comments, in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joseph Hagerman, Senior Advisor, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC, 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-4549. Email: 
Manufactured_Housing@ee.doe.gov.
    Kavita Vaidyanathan, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the 
General Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-0669. Email: 
Kavita.Vaidyanathan@hq.doe.gov.
    For information on how to submit or review public comments, contact 
Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, 
Mailstop EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. Email: Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
    A. Authority
    B. Background
II. Request for Information and Comments
    A. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient Sensitivity Analysis
    B. Window Fenestration Energy Efficiency Programs for 
Manufactured Housing
III. Submission of Comments

I. Introduction

A. Authority

    The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, Pub. L. 
110-140) requires that DOE establish by regulation standards for energy 
efficiency in manufactured housing. DOE is directed to base the 
standards on the most recent version of the International Energy 
Conservation Code (IECC) and any supplements to that document, except 
where DOE finds that the IECC is not cost-effective, or where a more 
stringent standard would be more cost-effective, based on the impact of 
the IECC on the purchase price of manufactured housing and on total 
life-cycle construction and operating costs. See 42 U.S.C. 17071(b)(1).

B. Background

    On June 13, 2014, DOE published a notice of intent to establish a 
manufactured housing working group (MH working group) to discuss and, 
if possible, achieve consensus on recommendations for a proposed rule. 
79 FR 33873. On July 16, 2014, the MH working group was established 
under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee 
(ASRAC) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the 
Negotiated Rulemaking Act. See 79 FR 41456; 5 U.S.C. 561-570, App. 2. 
The MH working group was to consist of representatives of parties 
having a defined stake in the outcome of the proposed standards, and 
the group would consult, as appropriate, with a range of external 
experts on technical issues.
    The MH working group consisted of 22 members, including one member 
from ASRAC and one DOE representative. The MH working group met in-
person during six sets of meetings held August 4-5, August 21-22, 
September 9-10, September 22-23, October 1-2, and October 23-24. See 79 
FR 48097 and 79 FR 59154.
    On October 31, 2014, the MH working group reached consensus on 
energy efficiency standards in manufactured housing and assembled its 
recommendations for DOE into a term sheet that was presented to ASRAC. 
See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107. ASRAC approved the term sheet during an 
open meeting on December 1, 2014. As part of the term sheet, the MH 
working group recommended that DOE conduct additional analysis to 
inform the selection of solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) requirements 
in certain climate zones. See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107, p. 3, 
Recommendation 5. For more information on the MH working group's 
recommendations, please refer to the complete term sheet posted in the 
public docket. See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107.

II. Request for Information and Comments

A. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient Sensitivity Analysis

    The MH working group did not recommend a specific SHGC value for 
climate zones 1B and 2. See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107, p. 2, 
Recommendation 3.1 for climate zones. Instead, the MH working group 
requested that DOE complete additional sensitivity analysis and select 
the SHGC based on that data. Specifically, the MH working group 
requested that DOE analyze window fenestration SHGC values of 0.25, 
0.30, and 0.33. In previous energy simulation analysis, DOE performed a 
modeling analysis

[[Page 7552]]

with windows uniformly distributed on the exterior walls of a 
manufactured home. While windows are frequently concentrated on one 
side of typical manufactured homes in practice, a uniform configuration 
for the energy simulation represented the fact that manufactured homes 
are sited in a full range of orientations (east, west, north, south, 
etc.). This configuration effectively calculates a weighted average 
energy use for homes facing all directions. For the sensitivity 
analysis, the MH working group requested energy simulation analysis 
that places all windows on a single side of the home, with windows 
facing the cardinal direction that would give SHGC the greatest impact 
on energy use. In response to the MH working group's request, DOE 
completed additional energy simulation analysis and life-cycle cost 
(LCC) analysis. For more information on the MH working group's 
recommendations with regard to SHGC, please refer to the complete term 
sheet posted in the public docket. See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107.
    For simulation of manufactured housing energy use, DOE used the 
EnergyPlus 5.0 software that was also used for energy simulation 
analytical support during meetings of the MH working group. EnergyPlus 
5.0 is a detailed whole-building energy modeling tool that is useful 
for simulating the heating, cooling, and ventilation loads in a 
building. To simulate manufactured home energy use, DOE created a 
representative manufactured home using typical construction assumptions 
such as building geometry and framing member size. These assumptions 
are the same as those used for energy simulation during the MH working 
group process.
    To maximize the impact of SHGC on energy use, DOE placed all 
windows on one side of the representative manufactured home, with that 
side facing west. DOE then generated energy use values for the three 
SHGC values in nine cities (four cities in climate zone 1B and five 
cities in climate zone 2, as recommended by the MH working group) and 
for two sizes of manufactured homes (single-section and double-
section).
    The LCC analysis calculates the total cost of ownership savings 
over a specified period of time. The total cost of ownership savings is 
equal to the total cost of ownership of a reference manufactured home 
minus the total cost of ownership of a manufactured home constructed in 
accordance with DOE's proposed standards. The reference home is modeled 
to meet the minimum energy efficiency requirements of the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development Code. See 24 CFR 3280 et seq. The LCC 
analysis includes both operating costs (primarily energy costs) and 
purchase cost of the manufactured home. DOE calculated energy costs 
(using the energy simulation results) and added those to the purchase 
cost of the manufactured home, accounting for differences in the cost 
of the three window fenestration types. Regarding the purchase cost of 
the standards-compliant manufactured home, only the cost of window 
fenestration varied for each scenario of the SHGC sensitivity analysis. 
Other building thermal envelope components were modeled (for energy 
simulation and cost analysis) as specified in the MH working group term 
sheet. See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107. DOE calculated the 10-year total 
cost of ownership savings for manufactured housing with window 
fenestration SHGC of 0.25, 0.30, and 0.33. The 10-year analysis period 
represents the total cost of ownership for the first owner of the 
manufactured home and assumes the first owner keeps the manufactured 
home for 10 years. For more information with regard to DOE's LCC 
analysis, please refer to the complete term sheet posted in the public 
docket. See EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0107.
    The energy simulation analysis indicated SHGC of 0.25 had the 
lowest energy use and SHGC of 0.33 had the highest energy use. Based on 
industry input collected from the MH working group, DOE assigned 
single-section manufactured home window fenestration prices (retail 
prices before sales tax) of $1446, $1389, and $1355 for SHGC of 0.25, 
0.30, and 0.33, respectively.
    The LCC analysis, based on the energy simulation results and window 
fenestration prices, determined that SHGC of 0.30 provided the largest 
10-year cost of ownership savings in all four cities analyzed in 
climate zone 1B and in four of the five cities analyzed in climate zone 
2. SHGC of 0.33 had the second most 10-year cost-of-ownership savings, 
and SHGC of 0.25 had the least 10-year cost-of-ownership savings. These 
10-year cost-of-ownership savings results are listed in Table II.1.

                                                  Table II.1--10-Year Cost-of-Ownership Savings Results
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                                                                            Single section 10-year total cost-of-  Double section 10-year total cost-of-
                                                                                      ownership savings                      ownership savings
                Climate zone                              City             -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             SHGC 0.25    SHGC 0.30    SHGC 0.33    SHGC 0.25    SHGC 0.30    SHGC 0.33
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1B.........................................  Atlanta......................       $1,030       $1,046       $1,036       $2,003       $2,028       $2,007
1B.........................................  Charleston...................          734          746          726        1,479        1,497        1,460
1B.........................................  Jackson......................          928          942          925        1,807        1,830        1,799
1B.........................................  Birmingham...................          836          854          842        1,652        1,681        1,658
2..........................................  Memphis......................          962          974          962        1,736        1,757        1,733
2..........................................  El Paso......................          828          830          793        1,524        1,528        1,461
2..........................................  San Francisco................          179          197          195          504          532          520
2..........................................  Baltimore....................        1,240        1,265        1,281        1,996        2,037        2,059
2..........................................  Albuquerque..................          927          934          920        1,702        1,714        1,682
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    Based on the 10-year cost-of-ownership savings results, DOE 
concluded that an SHGC requirement of 0.30 would lead to the most cost-
effective manufactured home for both climate zones 1B and 2. DOE 
requests comment on whether to include an SHGC requirement of 0.30 for 
climate zones 1B and 2 in development of the proposed rule.

B. Window Fenestration Energy Efficiency Programs for Manufactured 
Housing

    DOE is interested in receiving information that relates to window 
fenestration manufacturing and programs available to the manufactured 
housing industry. DOE requests comment on several topics related to 
window fenestration efficiency and manufactured homes:
    1. DOE is interested in receiving additional information on 
existing

[[Page 7553]]

window fenestration labeling programs available to the manufactured 
housing industry that may label the whole window or individual 
insulated glass units (IGUs).
    2. DOE requests comment on the potential challenges related to 
determining the energy efficiency of IGUs in manufactured homes or 
insuring the efficiency of IGUs in manufactured homes in connection 
with voluntary window fenestration labeling programs.
    3. DOE requests comment on any other issues related to the 
regulation of window fenestration in manufactured housing.

III. Submission of Comments

    DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by March 
13, 2015, comments and information on matters addressed in this RFI. 
After the close of the comment period, DOE will consider the public 
comments in development of the proposed rule.
    DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of 
the process for developing energy efficiency standards for manufactured 
housing. DOE actively encourages the participation and interaction of 
the public during the comment period at each stage of the rulemaking 
process. Interactions with and between members of the public provide a 
balanced discussion of the issues and assist DOE in the rulemaking 
process. Anyone who wishes to be added to the DOE mailing list to 
receive future notices and information about this rulemaking should 
contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945, or via email at 
Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2015.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015-02842 Filed 2-10-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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