71570 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

represent the interested parties and 

operate most effectively with no more 

than 12–16 members. The facilitator 

will not count against the membership. 

Section 568(c) of the NRA states: 

Members of a negotiated rulemaking 

committee shall be responsible for their own 

expenses of participation in such committee, 

except that an agency may, in accordance 

with section 7(d) of the FACA, pay for a 

member’s reasonable travel and per diem 

expenses, expenses to obtain technical 

assistance, and a reasonable rate of 

compensation, if (1) Such member certifies a 

lack of adequate financial resources to 

participate in the committee; and (2) The 

agency determines that such member’s 

participation in the committee is necessary to 

assure an adequate representation of the 

member’s interest. 

D. Request for Nominations 

AMS solicits nominations for 

appointment to membership on the 

Committee. Members can be individuals 

or representatives of organizations. An 

organization should identify the 

individual who will be its 

representative. Committee members 

need to have authorization to negotiate 

on behalf of their interests and be 

willing to negotiate in good faith. AMS 

interprets good faith to include: (1) A 

willingness to bring all issues to the 

table; and (2) not to discuss the issues 

in other forums. Good faith also 

includes a willingness to move away 

from taking adversarial positions and 

instead to explore openly all relevant 

and productive ideas that may emerge 

from the discussion of the Committee. 

Authorization for each application or 

nomination must include: 

1. The name of the applicant or 

nominee and a description of the 

interests such person will represent; 

2. A description of the person’s 

qualifications and expertise regarding 

those interests; 

3. Whether the participant will be 

seeking agency resources to participate 

on the committee; and 

4. A written commitment of the 

applicant or nominee to actively 

participate in good faith in the 

negotiated rulemaking. 

E. Tentative Schedule 

Once AMS makes the final 

determination on Committee 

membership, it will publish another 

document in the Federal Register 

announcing the final list of members. A 

proposed agenda and schedule for 

completing the work of the Committee, 

including a date for the first meeting, 

will also be included in the document. 

Once formally established and 

assembled, the Committee will have 

reasonable latitude to determine 

appropriate number and frequency of 

meetings necessary to achieve its 

objectives. However, for planning 

purposes, AMS expects the Committee 

will meet three to four times at various 

locations across the country. AMS 

expects that each meeting will last 

approximately three days. The 

Committee’s work is expected to occur 

over the course of 3 to 4 months in order 

to allow sufficient time to reach 

consensus for a proposed rule. 

AMS and its facilitator will, 

throughout the process, provide 

necessary technical and logistical 

support to the Committee. In addition, 

once the Committee is established, it 

may seek advisors or subject matter 

experts to provide information valuable 

to the decision-making process. 

V. Requests for Nominations and 

Comments 

To comply with negotiated 

rulemaking procedures, AMS invites 

written comments on this initiative and 

nominations for the negotiated 

rulemaking committee. Nominations are 

for all interests that could be affected by 

mandatory pork reporting and must 

comply with paragraph IV, D, Request 

for Nominations, of this document. All 

written comments and nominations 

must be sent to an appropriate address 

as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

Notice. 

Dated: November 18, 2010. 

David R. Shipman, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–29551 Filed 11–23–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket No. EERE–2009–BT–TP–0016] 

RIN 1904–AB99 

Energy Conservation Program: Test 

Procedures for Fluorescent Lamp 

Ballasts 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Supplemental notice of 

proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test 

procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts 

established under the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act. The proposed test 

method would eliminate the use of 

photometric measurements in favor of 

purely electrical measurements with the 

goal of reducing measurement variation. 

Furthermore, this proposed test 

procedure would measure a new metric, 

ballast luminous efficiency (BLE), 

which more directly assesses the 

electrical losses in a ballast compared to 

the existing ballast efficacy factor (BEF) 

metric. Rather than testing a ballast with 

a resistive load as proposed in the 

March 24, 2010 notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NOPR), the BLE test 

procedure would measure the 

performance of a ballast while operating 

a fluorescent lamp. 

DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, 

and information regarding this 

supplemental notice of proposed 

rulemaking (SNOPR) no later than 

December 27, 2010. See section V, 

‘‘Public Participation,’’ of this SNOPR 

for details. 

ADDRESSES: Any comments submitted 

must identify the Fluorescent Lamp 

Ballast Active Mode Test Procedure 

SNOPR, and provide the docket number 

EERE–2009–BT–TP–0016 and/or 

Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 

1904–AB99. Comments may be 

submitted using any of the following 

methods: 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

E-mail: FLB-2009-TP0016@ee.doe.gov. Include the docket 

number EERE–2009–BT–TP–0016 and/ 

or RIN 1904–AB99 in the subject line of 

the message. 

Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, 

U.S. Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

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, 6th 

Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: 

(202) 586–2945. Please submit one 

signed paper original. 

For detailed instructions on 

submitting comments and additional 

information on the rulemaking process, 

see section V, ‘‘Public Participation,’’ of 

this document. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, visit the U.S. 

Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 

20024, (202) 586–2945, between 9 a.m. 

and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. Please call Ms. 

Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945 for 

additional information regarding 

visiting the Resource Room. 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71571 

1American National Standards Institute. 

2 ‘‘American National Standards for Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballasts—Methods of Measurement.’’ 

Approved October 21, 1983. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Linda Graves, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, EE–2J, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. 

Telephone: (202) 586–1851. E-mail: 

Linda.Graves@ee.doe.gov. In the Office 

of General Counsel, contact Ms. 

Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of the General Counsel, 

GC–71, 1000 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: 

(202) 586–7796. E-mail: 

Elizabeth.Kohl@hq.doe.gov. 

For additional 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, EE–2J, 

1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. 

Telephone: (202) 586–2945. E-mail: 

Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Authority and Background 

II. Summary of the Supplemental Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking 

III. Discussion 

A. Existing Test Procedure 

B. Metric 

C. Test Procedures Considered 

1. Resistor-based Ballast Efficiency 

Correlated to BEF 

2. Lamp-based Ballast Efficiency Correlated 

to BEF 

3. Improved Light-Output-Based Test 

Procedure 

4. Relative System Efficacy 

5. Dimming Ballast Test Procedure 

D. Test Procedure Proposal 

1. Test Conditions 

2. Test Setup 

3. Test Method 

4. Calculations 

5. Updates to Existing Test Procedure 

6. Normative References for ANSI C82.2– 

2002 

E. Burden To Conduct the Proposed Test 

Procedure 

F. Impact on Measured Energy Efficiency 

G. Scope of Applicability 

H. Certification and Enforcement 

IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review 

A. Executive Order 12866 

B. National Environmental Policy Act 

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

D. Paperwork Reduction Act 

E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

F. Treasury and General Government 

Appropriations Act, 1999 

G. Executive Order 13132 

H. Executive Order 12988 

I. Treasury and General Government 

Appropriations Act, 2001 

J. Executive Order 13211 

K. Executive Order 12630 

L. Section 32 of the Federal Energy 

Administration Act of 1974 

V. Public Participation 

A. Submission of Comments 

B. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment 

1. Impact of Ballast Output on Lamp 

Efficacy 

2. Ballast Factor Calculation 

3. Impact of Reference Lamp Measured 

Power Variation on Ballast Factor 

4. NVLAP Accreditation 

VI. Approval of the Office of the Secretary 

I. Authority and Background 

Title III of the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6291 et 

seq.; EPCA) sets forth a variety of 

provisions designed to improve energy 

efficiency. Part A of Title III (42 U.S.C. 

6291–6309) establishes the ‘‘Energy 

Conservation Program for Consumer 

Products Other Than Automobiles,’’ 

which covers consumer products and 

certain commercial products (all of 

which are referred to below as ‘‘covered 

products’’), including fluorescent lamp 

ballasts (ballasts). (42 U.S.C. 6291(1), (2) 

and 6292(a)(13)) 

Under EPCA, the overall program 

consists essentially of the following 

parts: Testing, labeling, certification and 

enforcement, and Federal energy 

conservation standards. The testing 

requirements consist of test procedures 

that manufacturers of covered products 

must use as the basis for certifying to 

DOE that their products comply with 

energy conservation standards and for 

representing the efficiency of their 

products. Also, these test procedures 

must be used whenever testing is 

required in an enforcement action to 

determine whether covered products 

comply with EPCA standards. 

Section 323 of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6293) 

sets forth generally applicable criteria 

and procedures for DOE’s adoption and 

amendment of test procedures. It states, 

for example, that ‘‘[a]ny test procedures 

prescribed or amended under this 

section shall be reasonably designed to 

produce test results which measure 

energy efficiency, energy use, * * * or 

estimated annual operating cost of a 

covered product during a representative 

average use cycle or period of use, as 

determined by the Secretary [of Energy], 

and shall not be unduly burdensome to 

conduct.’’ (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) In 

addition, if DOE determines that a test 

procedure amendment is warranted, it 

must publish proposed test procedures 

and offer the public an opportunity to 

present oral and written comments on 

them. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(2)) Finally, in 

any rulemaking to amend a test 

procedure, DOE must determine ‘‘to 

what extent, if any, the proposed test 

procedure would alter the measured 

energy efficiency * * * of any covered 

product as determined under the 

existing test procedure.’’ (42 U.S.C. 

6293(e)(1)) If DOE determines that the 

amended test procedure would alter the 

measured efficiency of a covered 

product, DOE must amend the 

applicable energy conservation standard 

accordingly. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) 

As to fluorescent lamp ballasts 

specifically, DOE must ‘‘prescribe test 

procedures that are in accord with 

ANSI 1 standard C82.2–1984 2 or other 

test procedures determined appropriate 

by the Secretary.’’ (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(5)) 

DOE’s existing test procedures for 

ballasts, adopted pursuant to these and 

the above-described provisions, appear 

at 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, 

Appendix Q. 

The Energy Independence and 

Security Act of 2007 also amended 

EPCA to require DOE to review test 

procedures for all covered products at 

least once every seven years. DOE must 

either amend the test procedures or 

publish notice in the Federal Register of 

any determination not to amend a test 

procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(1)(A)) To 

fulfill this periodic review requirement, 

DOE invites comment on all aspects of 

the existing test procedures for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts that appear at 

Title 10 of the CFR part 430, subpart B, 

appendix Q (‘‘Uniform Test Method for 

Measuring the Energy Consumption of 

Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts’’). 

In a separate rulemaking proceeding, 

DOE is considering amending energy 

conservation standards for fluorescent 

lamp ballasts (docket number EERE– 

2007–BT–STD–0016; hereinafter 

referred to as the ‘‘fluorescent lamp 

ballast standards rulemaking’’). DOE 

initiated that rulemaking by publishing 

a Federal Register (FR) notice 

announcing a public meeting and 

availability of the framework document 

(‘‘Energy Efficiency Program for 

Consumer Products: Public Meeting and 

Availability of the Framework 

Document for Fluorescent Lamp 

Ballasts’’) on January 22, 2008. 73 FR 

3653. On February 6, 2008, DOE held a 

public meeting in Washington, DC to 

discuss the framework document for the 

fluorescent lamp ballast energy 

conservation standards rulemaking 

(hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘2008 

public meeting’’). At that meeting, 

attendees also discussed potential 

revisions to the test procedure for active 

mode energy consumption relevant to 

this test procedure rulemaking. On 

March 24, 2010, DOE published a notice 

of public meeting and availability of the 

preliminary technical support document 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
71572 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

3 ‘‘American National Standards for Lamp 

Ballasts—Method of Measurement of Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballasts,’’ approved June 6, 2002. 

(TSD) for the fluorescent lamp ballast 

standards rulemaking. 75 FR 14319. 

DOE also published a test procedure 

notice of proposed rulemaking NOPR on 

March 24, 2010. 75 FR 14288. On April 

26, 2010, DOE held a joint public 

meeting to discuss the test procedure 

proposals in the NOPR and the 

preliminary TSD for the fluorescent 

lamp ballast standards rulemaking 

(hereafter ‘‘NOPR public meeting’’). All 

comments on the fluorescent lamp 

ballast test procedure rulemaking are 

discussed in section III of this proposed 

rulemaking. 

As mentioned in the NOPR, DOE has 

also completed a standby mode and off 

mode test procedure. The Energy 

Independence and Security Act of 2007 

(Pub. L. 110–140) amended EPCA to 

require that, for each covered product 

for which DOE’s current test procedures 

do not fully account for standby mode 

and off mode energy consumption, DOE 

amend the test procedures to include 

standby mode and off mode energy 

consumption into the overall energy 

efficiency, energy consumption, or other 

energy descriptor for that product. If an 

integrated test procedure is technically 

infeasible, DOE must prescribe a 

separate standby mode and off mode 

energy use test procedure, if technically 

feasible. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) DOE 

published a final rule addressing 

standby mode and off mode energy 

consumption for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts in the Federal Register on 

October 22, 2009. 74 FR 54445. This 

supplemental notice of proposed 

rulemaking does not propose any 

changes to the measurement of standby 

and off mode energy consumption for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts. 

II. Summary of the Supplemental 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

In this supplemental notice of 

proposed rulemaking (SNOPR), DOE 

proposes to modify the current 

procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts 

to reduce measurement variation and 

reduce testing burden. The proposed 

method would eliminate photometric 

measurements and propose the use of 

electrical measurements of a lamp-andballast system. In addition, this test 

procedure measures a new metric, 

ballast luminous efficiency (BLE), 

which more directly assesses the 

electrical losses in a ballast compared to 

the existing ballast efficacy factor (BEF) 

metric. The SNOPR proposal also 

describes a new method for calculating 

the ballast factor (BF) of a system. DOE 

also outlines the scope of applicability 

of the test procedure and proposes a 

minor update of the existing test 

procedure in appendix Q. The following 

paragraphs summarize these proposed 

changes. 

In the NOPR, DOE proposed a 

resistor-based ballast efficiency 

measurement that would then be 

correlated to BEF. In response to 

comments received citing the 

limitations of a resistor-based 

measurement, DOE proposes in this 

SNOPR to measure ballast input power 

and lamp arc power using only 

electrical measurements of a lamp-andballast system. Variation in the 

measured power of a reference lamp is 

minimized by the calculation of ballast 

luminous efficiency, where BLE is equal 

to total lamp arc power divided by 

ballast input power. To account for the 

increase in lamp efficacy associated 

with high-frequency lamp operation 

versus low-frequency, DOE is also 

proposing an adjustment to the BLE of 

low-frequency systems. DOE is 

proposing that low-frequency BLE be 

multiplied by 0.9 to account for the 

approximately 10% increase in lighting 

efficacy associated with high-frequency 

lamp operation. DOE also proposes a 

method for calculating the ballast factor 

(BF) of a ballast by dividing the 

measured lamp arc power on the test 

ballast by the measured lamp arc power 

on a reference ballast. Ballast factor is 

under consideration in the fluorescent 

lamp ballast standards rulemaking as 

criteria for defining product classes. In 

cases where reference ballast operating 

conditions are unavailable, the SNOPR 

provides a reference lamp power 

(specific to the ballast type) from an 

ANSI standard or from empirical 

results. Particular lamp and ballast 

pairings are specified for both the BLE 

and BF measurements. 

In the preliminary technical support 

document for the fluorescent lamp 

ballast standards rulemaking, DOE 

makes a preliminary determination of 

the scope of coverage. Today’s proposed 

test procedure includes specific 

provisions for the testing of ballasts 

identified in the preliminary 

determination of scope. If the scope of 

coverage changes in later stages of the 

fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking, DOE will add or remove 

provisions from the test procedure so 

that it is consistent with the final scope 

of coverage of standards. See section 

III.G for further detail. 

In any rulemaking to amend a test 

procedure, DOE must determine ‘‘to 

what extent, if any, the proposed test 

procedure would alter the measured 

energy efficiency * * * of any covered 

product as determined under the 

existing test procedure.’’ (42 U.S.C. 

6293(e)(1)) If DOE determines that the 

amended test procedure would alter the 

measured efficiency of a covered 

product, DOE must amend the 

applicable energy conservation standard 

accordingly. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) The 

proposed test procedure will describe 

the efficiency of a ballast in terms of a 

new metric, BLE. To ensure that the 

standards developed in the ongoing 

fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking account for any changes to 

the test procedure, DOE is developing 

the standards based on the measured 

BLE generated by the active mode test 

procedure proposed in this rulemaking. 

As a result, DOE proposes that use of 

any revised test procedure, to be 

published as Appendix Q1 of 10 CFR 

part 430 Subpart B, would be required 

concurrent with the compliance date of 

any amended fluorescent lamp ballast 

standards. DOE is required by a consent 

decree to issue any amended fluorescent 

lamp ballast standards by June 30, 2011. 

As described in the NOPR, DOE notes 

that ballasts that operate one or two 40 

or 34 watt (W) 4-foot T12 medium bipin 

lamps (F40T12 and F34T12), two 75 W 

or 60 W 8-foot T12 single pin slimline 

lamps (F96T12 and F96T12/ES); and 

two 110 W and 95 W 8-foot T12 

recessed double contact high output 

lamps (F96T12HO and F96T12HO/ES) 

are covered by existing energy 

conservation standards. 10 CFR 

430.32(m). Until use of any amended 

test procedure to be published at 

Appendix Q1 is required, manufacturers 

should continue testing these ballasts 

using the existing test procedure to 

determine compliance with existing 

standards. In the NOPR, DOE proposed 

to make minor updates to the existing 

test procedure, published at Appendix 

Q to Subpart B of part 430. The SNOPR 

does not affect this proposal. DOE 

would update the reference to ANSI 

C82.2–1984 in the existing test 

procedure (appendix Q) to ANSI C82.2– 

2002.3 Because DOE does not believe 

the updated standard will impose 

increased testing burden or alter the 

measured BEF of fluorescent lamp 

ballasts, DOE proposes that use of the 

amendments to Appendix Q be required 

upon the effective date of any test 

procedure final rule, 30 days after 

publication. In addition, the test 

procedures for any ballasts that operate 

in standby mode are also located in 

Appendix Q. 

III. Discussion 

A. Existing Test Procedure 

The existing ballast test procedure (in 

Appendix Q to subpart B of 10 CFR part 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71573 

4The photocell output of a light source is 

measured in units of watts. Photocell output (watts) 

is one method of measuring the light output of a 

light source. Through the remainder of this 

document, DOE refers to the output of a fluorescent 

lamp as ‘‘light output,’’ even though the existing test 

procedure indicates measuring the light with 

photocell output. 

5A notation in the form ‘‘ASAP, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 98–99’’ identifies a 

statement made in a public meeting that DOE has 

received and has included in the docket of this 

rulemaking. This particular notation refers to a 

comment: (1) Submitted during the public meeting 

on April 26, 2010; (2) in document number 12 in 

the docket of this rulemaking; and (3) appearing on 

pages 98 through 99 of the transcript. 

430) determines the energy efficiency of 

a fluorescent lamp ballast based on light 

output measurements and ballast input 

power. The metric used is called ballast 

efficacy factor. BEF is the relative light 

output divided by the power input of a 

fluorescent lamp ballast, as measured 

under test conditions specified in ANSI 

standard C82.2–1984, or as may be 

prescribed by the Secretary. (42 U.S.C. 

6291(29)(C)) 

The BEF metric uses light output of 

the lamp-and-ballast system instead of 

ballast electrical output power in its 

calculation of the efficiency of a ballast. 

To measure relative light output, ANSI 

C82.2–1984 directs the user to measure 

the photocell output 4 of the test ballast 

operating a reference lamp and the light 

output of a reference ballast operating 

the same reference lamp. Dividing 

photocell output of the test ballast 

system by the photocell output of the 

reference ballast system yields relative 

light output or ballast factor. Concurrent 

with measuring relative light output, the 

user is directed to measure ballast input 

power. BEF is then calculated by 

dividing relative light output by input 

power and multiplying by 100. A ballast 

that produces more light than another 

ballast with the same input power will 

have a larger BEF. 

The National Electrical Manufacturers 

Association (NEMA) commented that 

BEF measurements would vary by plus 

or minus five percent and that this 

variation is unacceptable when trying to 

differentiate between products that vary 

in efficiency by three to five percent. 

(NEMA, No. 15 at p. 13) For BEF, the 

variation in measured power of the 

reference lamps (rated power ± 2.5%) 

plus the variation in the photometric 

measurement system itself leads to the 

plus or minus 5% variation. Given the 

variation observed in BEF measurement, 

NEMA also does not believe a 

thousandths place digit in a BEF 

measurement discussed in the proposed 

rule has any statistical validity. In 

contrast, NEMA noted that for the 

ballast efficiency (BE) measurement 

proposed in the NOPR, the power 

analyzer equipment introduces plus or 

minus 1.5% variation into the 

measurement and the current transducer 

and wiring capacitances contribute 1% 

for a total of plus or minus 2.5% 

variation (NEMA, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 15–16, 22–25). 

DOE agrees that photometric based BEF 

measurements are more variable than 

electrical measurement based BE 

measurements. In this test procedure 

SNOPR, DOE is proposing a 

methodology that uses electrical 

measurements of a lamp and ballast 

system to measure BLE. The BLE metric 

includes a modification to the BE metric 

discussed in the NOPR to account for 

changes in lamp efficacy as a result of 

differences in lamp operating frequency. 

B. Metric 

In the NOPR, DOE proposed a 

resistor-based ballast efficiency 

measurement that would then be 

correlated to BEF, for consistency with 

the standards set forth at 42 U.S.C. 

6295(g)(5) and (8). At the NOPR public 

meeting, the Appliance Standards 

Awareness Project (ASAP) and 

Earthjustice commented that they did 

not believe DOE was required to 

regulate ballasts using the BEF metric. 

(ASAP, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 98–99 5; Earthjustice, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 100) 

In response to these comments, DOE 

is proposing a new metric to describe 

the efficiency of a ballast called ballast 

luminous efficiency (BLE). EPCA does 

not require DOE to set standards for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts using the BEF 

metric and grants DOE the authority to 

use test procedures for measuring 

energy efficiency that it determines are 

appropriate. (42 U.S.C. 6291, 6295(g), 

and 6293(b)(5)) The BLE metric and test 

procedure are based on the NEMA 

lamp-based ballast efficiency (BE) test 

procedure considered in the test 

procedure NOPR. Similar to the 

procedure considered in the NOPR, the 

BLE test procedure measures ballast 

input power and lamp arc power of a 

lamp-and-ballast system. The only 

difference between the BE procedure 

considered in the NOPR and the 

proposed BLE test procedure is the 

proposed adjustment to the BLE of lowfrequency systems to account for the 

increase in lamp efficacy associated 

with high-frequency lamp operation 

versus low-frequency. Specifically, DOE 

is proposing that low-frequency BLE be 

multiplied by 0.9 to account for the 

approximately 10% increase in lighting 

efficacy associated with high-frequency 

lamp operation. DOE also proposes a 

method for calculating the ballast factor 

(BF) of a system by dividing the 

measured lamp arc power on the test 

ballast by the measured lamp arc power 

on a reference ballast. In cases where 

reference ballast operating conditions 

are unavailable, the SNOPR provides a 

reference lamp power (specific to the 

ballast type and operating frequency) 

from an ANSI standard or from 

empirical results. The ballast factor 

measurement is described in more detail 

in section III.D.4. Particular lamp and 

ballast pairings are specified for both 

the BLE and BF measurements. 

DOE is proposing the BLE test 

procedure because it reduces 

measurement variation and testing 

burden compared to the existing test 

procedure. In contrast to BEF and RSE, 

the BLE metric can be used to compare 

the efficiency across many different 

types of ballasts. DOE also believes the 

use of a lamp-and-ballast system allows 

the ballast to operate at its natural 

operating point and will more 

accurately assess ballast performance 

than when the ballast test load is a 

resistor. Furthermore, a resistive load 

can only model the effective resistance 

of a lamp operated at a particular ballast 

factor, requiring multiple ballast factor 

specific resistors to be specified and 

increasing the testing cost to 

manufacturers. DOE also believes that 

the use of electrical measurements and 

the calculation of BLE reduce the 

impact of lamp manufacturing variation 

on the efficiency descriptor compared to 

the existing test procedure. 

C. Test Procedures Considered 

In the NOPR, DOE proposed a 

resistor-based ballast efficiency 

measurement correlated to BEF. DOE 

also provided descriptions of alternative 

test procedures it considered in the 

course of developing its proposal. 

Interested parties commented on the 

proposed methodology and the three 

alternative methods considered. The 

following sections discuss DOE’s 

responses to interested party comments. 

1. Resistor-Based Ballast Efficiency 

Correlated to BEF 

In the NOPR, DOE proposed a test 

procedure to measure a resistor-based 

BE, which would then be correlated to 

BEF. This procedure used precision 

resistive loads to simulate the effective 

resistance of a fluorescent lamp as the 

ballast load. In response, DOE received 

many comments suggesting performance 

measurements of a lamp-and-ballast 

system will provide more realistic data 

than a resistor and ballast system while 

still reducing measurement variation 

compared to the existing method. These 


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71574 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

6High ballast factor: BF ≥ 1.10; Normal ballast 

factor: 0.78 > BF > 1.10; Low ballast factor: BF ≤ 

0.78. 

comments are discussed in additional 

detail in section III.C.2. Discussed in the 

following paragraphs are comments 

DOE received on the proposed transfer 

equations, the ballasts selected for 

testing, and ballasts that do not operate 

resistors. 

NEMA commented that it supports 

the BE method but prefers the ballast to 

be paired with reference lamps rather 

than precision resistors. NEMA and 

Osram Sylvania (OSI) commented that 

the ballast needs to be paired with a 

resistor matched to the ballast factor of 

the ballast for it to operate at its design 

point. A test procedure that requires 

multiple ballast factor specific resistors 

would be very expensive considering 

each resistive load bank costs 1000 to 

2000 dollars and is only available on a 

custom order basis. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 

5, 11; NEMA, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 21–22, 38–39, 

105; OSI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 80) 

DOE agrees that specifying multiple 

ballast-factor specific resistors would be 

burdensome and that the actual 

performance of a ballast is better 

measured while it is operating the 

natural lamp load. In this SNOPR, DOE 

proposes a procedure which is 

applicable to all ballasts and uses lamp 

loads in the measurement of ballast 

luminous efficiency. 

DOE also received several comments 

in response to its proposed transfer 

equations between BE and BEF. The 

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance 

and the Northwest Power Conservation 

Council (NEEA and NPCC) commented 

that the transfer equations between BE 

and BEF may be error prone and may 

not attribute the correct BEF to a ballast. 

(NEEA & NPCC, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 86–87, 89, 167– 

168; NEEA & NPCC, No. 16 at p. 4–5) 

NEMA commented that a lighting 

designer might prefer BE to be 

correlated to BEF in order to compare 

lighting efficacy. NEMA also added that 

it does not believe small errors in the 

transfer equation to be an issue, because 

lighting designers do not require as high 

a level of accuracy when specifying a 

system. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 9) Philips 

commented that the approach with the 

transfer equations is essentially to 

average the BEF values at a particular 

BE value and to plot a line through 

these points. Philips noted that the 

average BEF helps to account for the 

wide variation in BEF values. (Philips, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

87–91) Philips also indicated general 

agreement with the transfer equations 

for the ballasts that operate four foot 

medium bipin lamps. (Philips, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 94–95) 

OSI commented that the test data used 

to develop the transfer equations could 

bias the results if the BEF or BE values 

happened to test on the high or low end 

of the expected distribution of data. 

(OSI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 

at p. 166–167) NEMA commented that 

a percentage shift in the transfer 

equation between BE and BEF based on 

ballast factor would not necessarily be 

the same for all ballast types. In 

addition, NEMA commented that 

instant start ballasts should generally be 

more efficient than programmed start 

ballasts and the transfer equations 

should be consistent with this 

difference. (NEMA, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 21, 25–26) DOE 

appreciates the comments on the 

transfer equations. Because DOE is 

proposing a test procedure for BLE 

without correlation to another metric, 

however, DOE does not need to develop 

transfer equations or scaling 

relationships between equations. 

In response to the test data presented 

in the fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking, NEEA and NPCC 

commented that they understood DOE 

tested only normal BF ballasts and used 

scaling relationships to derive the BE 

and BEF for the high and low BF 

ballasts. (NEEA & NPCC, No. 32 at p. 4) 

DOE did test ballasts of all ballast 

factors, including low and high BF 

models. However, DOE tested low and 

high BF models using a resistor load 

that corresponded to a lamp driven by 

a normal BF ballast in an effort to 

reduce the inventory of resistors 

required for testing and reduce 

measurement burden. Because the 

ballast operates differently when 

attached to a resistor that does not 

properly match the ballasts’ impedance, 

DOE developed separate transfer 

equations to correlate BE to BEF for 

different bins of BF (high, normal, and 

low 6). In this SNOPR, however, DOE is 

proposing a test procedure based on a 

lamp-and-ballast system that does not 

employ resistive loads. 

In its testing for development of the 

resistor-based BE test method for the 

NOPR, DOE observed that some ballasts 

did not operate resistors. NEMA 

commented that its round robin testing 

for its own investigation of the resistorbased BE test procedure showed that 

some ballasts do not start or operate 

correctly with resistor loads. NEMA 

commented that in some cases, the 

ballast senses the resistor is a non-lamp 

load and will shut down or fail to start 

entirely. Some labs overcome this issue 

by starting the ballast without this 

resistive load connected and then 

introducing the resistor after a short 

time (as short as 500 milliseconds). This 

setup can require program controllers 

which add parasitic capacitance and 

inductance. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 5, 8) 

NEMA and General Electric (GE) also 

commented that the issue of some 

ballasts not operating resistors can be 

resolved by changing the procedure to 

involve lamp loads rather than resistors. 

NEMA noted that ballasts are designed 

to operate lamps, not resistors, and that 

using a lamp load will ensure a ballast 

starts and operates properly. (NEMA, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

39, 96–97; GE, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 97–98; NEMA, 

No. 15 at p. 6) Finally, the CA Utilities 

commented that they did not support 

the use of different test procedures for 

ballasts that do and do not operate 

resistors. (CA Utilities, No. 13 at p. 2– 

3) DOE agrees that a change of test 

procedure to involve lamp loads rather 

than resistive loads will resolve the 

issue of some ballasts not operating 

resistors properly and will provide a 

procedure applicable to all ballasts. 

2. Lamp-Based Ballast Efficiency 

Correlated to BEF 

In the NOPR, DOE considered a lampbased BE measurement that would then 

be correlated to BEF using transfer 

equations. DOE defined this lamp-based 

BE as lamp arc power divided by ballast 

input power such that cathode heating 

power was included in the input but not 

in the output. This procedure is based 

largely on the BE test procedure 

described in the NEMA Alternative Test 

Procedure Handout, available at http:// 

www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ 

appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/ 

fl_ballast_tp_nema.pdf. In this SNOPR, 

DOE is proposing a variation of lampbased BE called ballast luminous 

efficiency (BLE). BLE is equal to lamp 

arc power divided by input power and 

then multiplied by an adjustment factor 

based on high- or low-frequency lamp 

operation. This adjustment factor 

accounts for the decreased lighting 

efficacy of low-frequency lamp 

operation. DOE references the BLE 

procedure in the responses to comments 

that follow on the lamp-based BE 

procedure, and provides more detail on 

the BLE procedure in section III.D. As 

discussed in the following paragraphs, 

DOE received comments suggesting a 

ballast should be tested with a lamp 

load (not a resistor), as well as 

comments on the potential drawbacks 

and benefits of the BE metric compared 

to BEF, a new method for the 

measurement of ballast factor, and the 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71575 

7This written comment was submitted to the 

docket of the fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking [Docket No. EERE–2007–BT–STD–0016; 

RIN 1904–AB50]. 

validity of the lamp-based BE procedure 

for ballasts other than instant- and 

programmed-start ballasts with full 

cathode cutout. 

DOE received several comments 

suggesting that BE is better measured 

with a lamp-and-ballast system rather 

than a resistor and ballast system. 

NEMA commented in the NOPR public 

meeting that it supports the adoption of 

the lamp-based BE test procedure. 

NEMA commented that the lamp-based 

BE procedure is simple, repeatable 

(testing variation of ±2.5 percent), and 

can be used to generate a stand-alone BE 

value or combined with a transfer 

equation to calculate BEF. NEMA also 

indicated that the procedure provides a 

clear description of ballast performance 

while minimizing the effects of 

reference lamps on the ballast and lamp 

system. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 2, 7, 14; 

NEMA, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 20–21, 165–166; NEMA, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 38) 

NEMA commented that the ballast 

should operate a reference lamp when 

lamp arc power and ballast input power 

are measured. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 14) 

Finally, OSI commented that ballast 

design laboratories are familiar with 

electrical efficiency testing, and 

typically make these measurements 

rather than photometric measurements 

when designing ballasts. (OSI, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 60). 

NEEA and NPCC commented that 

they prefer the usage of fluorescent 

lamps as the load for a ballast when 

testing for ballast efficiency compared to 

the usage of resistive loads. (NEEA & 

NPCC, No. 16 at p. 5; NEEA & NPCC, 

No. 32 at p. 4 7) NEMA and GE also 

recommended that lamps be utilized as 

the load for testing the BE of a ballast. 

They also noted that lamps respond to 

the current supplied by a ballast, are 

readily available and inexpensive to 

procure, and provide a natural operating 

load for the ballast. (NEMA, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 22, GE, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

103; NEMA, No. 15 at p. 6–7) Philips 

agreed that the ballast should operate a 

lamp for the measurement of BE. 

(Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 39) NEMA also commented that 

by correctly matching the lamp 

impedance to the ballast, the maximum 

power transfer from the ballast to the 

lamp occurs and the ballast operates at 

its design point and design efficiency. 

(NEMA, No. 15 at p. 6) Reference lamps 

are standardized and well characterized 

and can be procured from any lamp 

manufacturer. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 6) 

Philips and GE commented that the 

lamp load should be a reference lamp to 

keep the ballast near its designed 

operating point. The reference lamp 

provides a common electrical operating 

point. (Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 64; GE, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 63, 80) 

The CA Utilities agreed, commenting 

that if DOE adopts a BE based test 

procedure, it should use reference 

lamps as the ballast load. (CA Utilities, 

No. 13 at p. 2) 

DOE agrees that electrical 

measurements of ballast performance 

are more realistic while the ballast is 

operating a lamp load compared to a 

purely resistive load. Though a resistive 

load provides a constant and repeatable 

operating point, a precision resistor is 

more expensive than a lamp, does not 

change impedance in response to 

ballasts of different ballast factor, and 

does not always provide the proper 

operating point for the ballast. DOE also 

understands that electrical 

measurements are commonly used in 

ballast design labs to ascertain 

performance. In this SNOPR, DOE is 

proposing ballast performance 

measurements based on a reference 

lamp-and-ballast system as the new test 

procedure for fluorescent lamp ballasts 

based on the NEMA Test Procedure 

Handout and comments from Philips 

and GE. 

Philips and GE also commented that 

BE would be a more appropriate metric 

than BEF, because BE is a metric that 

allows for the comparison of all ballast 

systems, including different numbers of 

lamps or lamp type, using a common 

basis for the metric. (Philips, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 71; GE, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

74) GE also commented that BE is a 

useful metric for original equipment 

manufacturers when deciding which 

products to combine into their lighting 

systems. (GE, Public Meeting Transcript, 

No. 12 at p. 74–75) NEEA and NPCC 

commented, however, that a lighting 

designer may be more interested in 

meeting a lumen per unit area 

requirement than achieving a one or two 

percent difference in ballast efficiency. 

(NEEA & NPCC, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 73) NEEA and 

NPCC commented that ballasts are not 

useful except as part of a lighting 

system, suggesting that for a lighting 

product, lighting output per unit power 

input is the metric that matters. Because 

ballasts of increased electrical efficiency 

do not always produce the same amount 

of light, NEEA and NPCC gave first 

preference to an improved light-outputbased test procedure, followed by a 

lamp-based BE metric without 

correlation to BEF, and finally the 

resistor-based BE test procedure with 

multiple ballast-factor specific resistors 

specified for each lamp. NEEA and 

NPCC also commented that lamp 

operating frequency has a large impact 

on light output. (NEEA & NPCC, No. 16 

at p. 2, 5) In its written comments, 

NEMA stated that BEF could be 

calculated from BE using the reference 

arc power listed in ANSI C78.81–2010. 

NEMA also noted that its method of 

correlating BE to BEF would allow 

manufacturers to express the 

performance of the ballast in terms of 

BEF to engineers and lighting 

consultants while still using an 

electrical measurement for indicating 

compliance with energy conservation 

standards. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 9) 

The CA Utilities commented that the 

existing test procedure is more 

appropriate than the lamp-based BE 

measurement because it measures the 

two most important parameters to 

ballast consumers: Input power and 

light output. The CA Utilities 

commented that ballasts with the same 

BE may produce more or less light from 

the same lamp depending on the 

frequency at which they operate the 

lamp. Furthermore, the CA Utilities 

commented that for high-frequency 

ballasts, variations in frequency, crest 

factor, and wave shape can affect lamp 

efficacy. However, if DOE proposes a BE 

test procedure, the CA Utilities 

commented that they encourage DOE to 

keep the standards in terms of BE and 

not correlate to BEF. (CA Utilities, No. 

13 at p. 1–3) 

DOE believes BLE is the best metric 

for assessing the performance of a 

ballast. BLE provides for wide 

comparability among all types of 

ballasts and can distinguish between the 

efficacy of high- and low-frequency 

lamp operation. For ballast customers 

who prefer the BEF metric, DOE agrees 

that manufacturers could provide a BEF 

value calculated from the BLE 

measurement using the technique 

suggested by NEMA. As explained in 

the paragraphs that follow, DOE 

proposes a modification to the 

measurement of BE (resulting in the BLE 

metric) in this SNOPR to address the 

concerns of the CA Utilities and NEEA 

and NPCC on the impact of lamp 

operating frequency on light output. 

More detail on the BLE metric proposed 

in this SNOPR is provided in section 

III.D. 

To account for the change in lighting 

efficacy as a result of lamp operating 

frequency, DOE has developed a 

modification to the metric measured in 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
71576 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

8Rea, Mark S., ed. The IESNA Lighting 

Handbook: Reference & Application, 9th Edition. 

2000. The Illuminating Engineering Society of 

America: New York, New York. 

the NEMA Alternative Test Procedure 

Handout that DOE calls BLE. Under this 

metric, the lamp arc power for ballasts 

that operate lamps at low frequency will 

be multiplied by 0.9. This adjustment 

factor compensates for the reduced lamp 

efficacy that results from low-frequency 

operation. Figure III.1 shows lamp 

efficacy increases with increased 

operating frequency up to about 20 kHz, 

after which, lamp efficacy is close to 

constant.8 DOE believes it is reasonable 

to assume a fixed adjustment factor for 

all high-frequency ballasts, as most 

high-frequency ballasts operate at 

greater than 20 kHz. DOE believes the 

impact of lamp current crest factor 

(LCCF) and waveform to have a minimal 

impact on efficacy compared to the 

difference between low and high 

frequency operation. Lamp current crest 

factor is limited by ANSI standards and 

does not affect lamp efficacy 

significantly. DOE also believes the 

difference in waveform has a minimal 

impact on lamp efficacy because the 

limitations on lamp current crest factor 

and power factor constrain the variety of 

waveforms present in the market. DOE 

seeks comment and data on the impact 

of LCCF and waveform on lamp efficacy 

and on its decision to adjust BLE for 

low-frequency ballasts by a factor of 0.9. 

DOE received comment that the term 

ballast efficiency already has an 

accepted meaning in industry. NEMA 

commented that ballast efficiency can 

be defined as a purely electrical 

measurement that documents the true 

efficiency of a ballast by dividing total 

ballast output power by ballast input 

power. NEMA commented that ballast 

efficiency by itself does not account for 

the reduced system efficiency associated 

with ballasts that employ cathode 

heating and suggested measuring a 

metric defined as lamp arc power 

divided by ballast input power. (NEMA, 

No. 15 at p. 15; Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 71–72) Philips 

commented that while cathode heating 

does increase lamp column efficacy, it 

does not offset the added energy 

required to heat the lamp electrodes. 

(Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 44–46) In the NOPR, DOE 

defined ballast efficiency as lamp arc 

power divided by ballast input power, 

but in the SNOPR, DOE is proposing the 

metric ballast luminous efficiency 

(BLE), which is defined as lamp arc 

power divided by ballast input power 

multiplied by an adjustment factor for 

low-frequency operation. The 

alternative nomenclature BLE also 

indicates that the metric is slightly 

different than a true ballast efficiency 

measurement. DOE believes the BLE 

procedure accurately accounts for the 

diminished system efficacy associated 

with lamp cathode heating by only 

including lamp arc power (not cathode 

heating) in the ballast output 

measurement. 

GE and NEMA commented that the 

impact of lamp to lamp variation is 

minimized with the lamp-based BE test 

procedure because variations in lamp 

measured power will impact ballast 

input power and ballast output power in 

such a way that the ratio of ballast 

efficiency is mostly unaffected. (GE, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

62–63; NEMA, No. 15 at p. 6) DOE 

agrees that the metric of lamp arc power 

divided by ballast input power is mostly 

unaffected by lamp to lamp variation. 

Because variations in lamp power affect 

both the numerator and denominator, 

the calculation of BE (as defined in the 

NOPR) or BLE (as defined in this 

SNOPR) minimizes the impact. This is 

in contrast to the existing light-output 

based test procedure where variations in 

lamp measured power have significant 

impact on ballast input power but not 

relative light output. 

NEMA commented that the lampbased BE measurement would be 

preferable to the resistor-based BE 

measurement proposed in the NOPR 

because it would allow for measurement 

of ballast performance at steady state. 

The resistor-based BE method involves 

measurement of ballast performance 

within one minute of energizing the 

ballast, and the resistor then needs to 

rest for one minute so that an increase 

in temperature would not impact its 

resistance. NEMA commented that 

unlike resistors, lamps do not have a 

duty cycle requirement necessitating 

them to be run for long periods of time 

without deviation from the desired 

operating point. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 6) 

GE commented that the lamp-based BE 

test procedure measures ballast 

performance at steady-state, in contrast 

to the resistor-based test procedure 

proposed in the NOPR. NEMA and GE 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1ep24no10.375</GPH>
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71577 

9American National Standard for Electric 

Lamps—Double-Capped Fluorescent Lamps— 

Dimensional and Electrical Characteristics, 

Approved January 14, 2010. 

commented that certain ballast 

components such as magnetics and 

diodes operate at higher efficiency once 

they have reached a steady state 

temperature. Testing at steady state 

therefore captures the in-practice 

performance of a ballast. (GE, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 82–83; 

NEMA, No. 15 at p. 6) Philips agreed 

that measurement of the ballast 

performance is more realistic at steady 

state than within one minute of 

energizing. (Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 163) 

DOE agrees that the lamp-based BE 

test procedure is simpler and more 

representative of ballast performance 

than the resistor-based method. Because 

a lamp does not have a short duty cycle, 

the lamp-and-ballast system can be 

operated for a long enough time to reach 

steady state and the ballast 

measurement can be representative of 

typical operation. In this SNOPR, DOE 

is proposing a BLE test procedure in 

which, like the BE method, the 

performance of a ballast is measured at 

steady state while operating a lamp 

load. 

The lamp-based BE test procedure 

would define particular lamp and 

ballasts pairings for testing ballast 

performance. In its written comments, 

NEMA recommended that instant-start 

ballasts and programmed-rapid-start 

ballasts with cathode cut-out should be 

tested with a full wattage load. (NEMA, 

No. 15 at p. 6–7) In this SNOPR, DOE 

is proposing to pair ballasts with the 

most common wattage lamp for testing 

purposes (see section III.D.2 for 

additional detail). In the case of instantstart ballasts and programmed-rapidstart ballasts (with or without full 

cathode cut-out), DOE is proposing that 

these ballasts operate full-wattage lamps 

which are also the most common 

wattage in these groupings. Some 

ballasts, such as rapid start T12 ballasts, 

are paired with reduced wattage or 

energy saver lamps as this will be the 

most common pairing. The proposal for 

lamp-and-ballast pairing in this SNOPR 

is the same as discussed in the test 

procedure NOPR. 

GE also commented on the transfer 

equations for BE to BEF, stating that 

fitting a line of best fit to tested BEF and 

BE data would be a reasonable method 

of developing a transfer equation 

between the two metrics. (GE, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 64–65) 

GE commented that separate empirically 

derived transfer equations would likely 

be needed for ballasts that either employ 

or do not employ cathode heating. (GE, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

65–66) At the NOPR public meeting, 

Philips commented that it developed 

correlations between BE and BEF for 

instant start ballasts and ballasts with 

cathode cutout when using the lampbased BE test procedure. (Philips, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 36) 

NEMA commented that separate transfer 

equations for ballasts of different ballast 

factor would be unnecessary with a 

lamp-based BE test procedure. (NEMA, 

No. 15 at p. 6) The CA Utilities 

commented that they did not agree with 

using the same transfer equations for 

converting BE to BEF for high and low 

frequency ballasts because of the change 

in lamp efficacy. A high- and lowfrequency ballast with the same BE 

would not have the same BEF. (CA 

Utilities, No. 13 at p. 2) In its written 

comments, NEMA stated that BEF could 

be calculated from BE using the 

reference arc power listed in ANSI 

C78.81–2010 9. NEMA suggested 

multiplying BE by 100, dividing by 

number of lamps, and dividing by the 

ANSI reference lamp arc power. Philips 

commented that this technique is based 

on the assumption that light output is 

directly proportional to arc power for all 

ballast types over the ballast factor range 

from 0.75 to 1.15. NEMA provided test 

data that supports this claim. NEMA 

also commented that the calculation 

favors ballasts with less cathode 

heating, which is consistent with the 

goal of promoting energy efficient 

systems. (NEMA, No. 29 at p. 3; NEMA, 

No. 15 at p. 15–16; Philips, Public 

Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 51–53) 

In the SNOPR, DOE is proposing to 

measure BLE directly without 

correlation to another metric. To convert 

the existing standards from BEF to BLE, 

however, DOE used the NEMA 

suggested calculation (rather than 

empirical correlations) to convert the 

existing BEF energy conservation 

standards to BLE standards. DOE used 

different conversion equations to assign 

the associated BLE for high- or lowfrequency ballasts, in agreement with 

the CA Utilities’ comment. 

To convert from BEF to BLE, DOE 

multiplied the BEF values by the 

corresponding reference lamp arc power 

listed in Table III.2 and the number of 

lamps operated by the ballast. As 

described in section III.D.4, these 

reference arc powers originate from 

ANSI C78.81–2010 or IEC 60081 Ed 5.0, 

the results of empirical analysis 

performed by DOE, or scaling from a 

similar lamp type (as described in the 

next paragraph). For example, for 

ballasts that operate two F34T12 lamps, 

DOE multiplied 1.35 (BEF) by two 

(number of lamps) and 29.81 (highfrequency reference lamp arc power 

based on empirical testing) which 

resulted in a BLE of 80.5%. To convert 

the same BEF to a low-frequency 

equivalent BLE, DOE multiplied 1.35 by 

two (number of lamps), 32 (lowfrequency reference lamp arc power), 

and 0.9 (lamp operating frequency 

adjustment factor) which resulted in a 

BLE of 77.8%. Table III.1 lists the 

existing standards and their 

corresponding values in BLE using the 

methodology described in this 

paragraph. 

DOE did not have high-frequency 

ANSI reference specifications or 

empirical data for F40T12 or F96T12 

lamps. To estimate high-frequency lamp 

arc powers for the F40T12 lamp, DOE 

scaled the low-frequency ANSI-based 

F40T12 reference power using the ratio 

of high-frequency to low-frequency 

reference powers for the F34T12 lamp. 

For the F96T12 lamp, DOE used the 

same methodology using the ratio of 

high- to low-frequency reference power 

for the F96T12/ES lamp to scale the 

low-frequency ANSI-based F96T12 

reference power to high-frequency. 

TABLE III.1—EXISTING BEF STANDARDS AND CORRESPONDING BLE CONVERSION

Ballasts that operate: 

Ballast 

input 

voltage 

Total 

nominal 

lamp watts 

Ballast 

efficacy 

factor 

BLE Lowfrequency BLE Highfrequency 

One F40T12 lamp .............................................................................................. 120/277 40 2.29 80.4 83.2 

Two F40T12 lamps ............................................................................................ 120/277 80 1.17 82.1 85.0 

Two F96T12 lamps ............................................................................................ 120/277 150 0.63 85.1 89.7 

Two F96T12HO lamps ....................................................................................... 120/277 220 0.39 74.4 78.0 

One F34T12 lamp .............................................................................................. 120/277 34 2.61 75.2 77.8 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
71578 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE III.1—EXISTING BEF STANDARDS AND CORRESPONDING BLE CONVERSION—Continued 

Ballasts that operate: 

Ballast 

input 

voltage 

Total 

nominal 

lamp watts 

Ballast 

efficacy 

factor 

BLE Lowfrequency BLE Highfrequency 

Two F34T12 lamps ............................................................................................ 120/277 68 1.35 77.8 80.5 

Two F96T12/ES lamps ...................................................................................... 120/277 120 0.77 83.9 88.4 

Two F96T12/HO/ES lamps ................................................................................ 120/277 190 0.42 68.0 71.3 

While DOE is proposing the BLE 

metric in this SNOPR, DOE also 

proposes a method for calculating 

ballast factor of a ballast by dividing the 

measured lamp arc power on the test 

ballast by the measured lamp arc power 

on a reference ballast. In some cases, 

when reference ballast operating 

conditions are unavailable, the SNOPR 

provides a reference lamp power from 

an ANSI standard or from empirical 

results. As described in the preliminary 

analysis of the fluorescent lamp ballast 

standards rulemaking, DOE is 

considering categorizing ballasts into 

different groups (product classes) based 

on ballast factor. These product classes 

could then be subject to different energy 

conservation standards. DOE could use 

the ballast factor measurement in this 

test procedure to assign a ballast to a 

particular product class. See section 

III.D.4 for additional detail on the 

ballast factor calculation. 

In commenting on the lamp-based BE 

procedure, which is similar to the 

suggested lamp-based BE test procedure 

outlined in the NEMA Alternative Test 

Procedure Handout, Philips indicated 

that the NEMA procedure was only 

valid for instant-start ballasts and 

programmed-start ballasts with full 

cathode cutout. Philips stated that 

NEMA had not completed enough due 

diligence for ballasts with cathode 

heating to make a proposal. Philips 

indicated that the existing light output 

based procedure could be used for 

ballasts without cathode heating. 

Philips also commented that DOE could 

make the assumption in the test 

procedure to include cathode heating as 

ballast losses and account for this 

difference in the energy conservation 

standard. (Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 36, 38, 47, 65, 

71–72) Then, in written comments, 

NEMA provided supplemental 

information suggesting a modification to 

the test setup to support ballasts that 

employ cathode heating. NEMA 

indicated that two 1,000 ohm resistors 

should be placed in parallel with both 

sets of lamp pins, generating a midpoint 

from which to measure the lamp 

discharge voltage. NEMA also noted that 

the resistors are of high enough 

impedance not to affect the lamp 

operating characteristics and low 

enough impedance not to affect the 

measurement system. (NEMA, No. 15 at 

p. 7) In response to the original NEMA 

proposal that was applicable only to 

ballasts without cathode heating, NEEA 

and NPCC commented that they do not 

support a test procedure that is only 

applicable to certain ballasts. (NEEA & 

NPCC, No. 16 at p. 3–4) NEEA and 

NPCC commented that the existing test 

procedure for BEF applies equally well 

to all ballast types, which is not the case 

for the lamp-based BE alternative, the 

NOPR resistor-based BE proposal, or the 

procedure as outlined in the NEMA 

Alternative Test Procedure Handout. GE 

commented that the use of more than 

one test procedure for ballasts subject to 

the same energy conservation standard 

was not desirable. (GE, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 97–98) 

DOE agrees that the test procedure for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts should be 

applicable to all ballasts subject to the 

same standards. DOE believes that the 

test setup with resistors in parallel with 

the lamp pins would allow for 

repeatable BE measurements, as well as 

BLE measurements, for rapid- and 

programmed-start ballast regardless of 

the level of cathode heating. Rather than 

require the ballast to be tested to 

determine the level of cathode heating, 

DOE would use the voltage divider for 

all rapid- and programmed-start ballasts. 

The voltage divider would provide a 

position in the circuit to measure the 

lamp arc voltage assuming the arc 

begins near the center of the ballast. 

This is in contrast to a setup without the 

divider when lamp arc voltage would 

vary depending on the position of the 

hotspot on each electrode. As a result, 

DOE believes that NEMA’s suggested 

test setup augments the BE procedure, 

and the proposed BLE procedure, such 

that both procedures are applicable to 

all ballasts. 

3. Improved Light-Output-Based Test 

Procedure 

In the NOPR, DOE considered 

improving the existing light-output 

based test procedure to reduce 

measurement variation. The 

measurement variation in the existing 

procedure can be attributed to operating 

conditions, variation in measured power 

of reference lamps, inconsistent output 

power measurements in determining 

ballast factor, and ambient temperature. 

DOE invited comment on the clarified 

methodologies and tighter tolerances for 

temperature and reference lamp 

measured power. 

The CA Utilities commented that they 

supported the improvements to the 

existing test procedure presented in the 

NOPR to reduce measurement variation, 

including tightening reference lamp 

tolerance, requiring uniform operating 

conditions, taking measurements at 

constant voltage (consistent with the 

general service fluorescent lamps test 

procedure listed in 10 CFR part 430 

appendix R to subpart B), using only 

one approach for calculating BF, and 

testing universal voltage commercial 

ballasts at 277V and residential 

universal voltage ballasts at 120V. (CA 

Utilities, No. 13 at p. 2) NEEA and 

NPCC also supported the improvements 

to the existing test procedure with the 

exception of the ambient temperature 

specification, which they believed 

would be extraordinarily costly. NEEA 

and NPCC preferred the improved lightoutput-based method to all other test 

procedure proposals. (NEEA & NPCC, 

No. 16 at p. 1–3) NEEA and NPCC also 

commented that DOE should test the 

proposed changes with a large sample 

size so that statistics such as standard 

deviation can be computed. NEEA and 

NPCC commented that this data is 

needed to judge the existing test 

procedure against the proposed 

amendment and alternatives. (NEEA & 

NPCC, No. 16 at p. 3) General Electric 

(GE), Philips, and NEMA agreed that 

controlling a photometric laboratory to 

25 °C ± 0.5 °C is a significant 

undertaking and would require 

upgrades of the air conditioning and air 

handling controls and could require 

some specialized equipment. (GE, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

59, 105; Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 60–61; NEMA, 

No. 15 at p. 7) Philips and NEMA also 

commented that decreasing the 

tolerance on reference lamps would 

significantly increase the burden in 

identifying reference lamps compared to 

the already difficult process of meeting 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71579 

the current specification. (Philips, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

60–61; NEMA, No. 15 at p. 7–8) NEEA 

and NPCC disagreed with NEMA on the 

issue of reference lamp variation, 

commenting that while the process of 

identifying reference lamps is tedious, 

they did not see any reason why this 

technique introduced unmanageable 

variation into the test process. (NEEA & 

NPCC, No. 16 at p. 2) GE commented 

that the BEF metric is based heavily on 

the input power to the ballast. However, 

a vast majority of the input power is 

dependent on the lamp, and the ballast 

manufacturer has no control over this 

lamp power. As a result, input power 

and BEF will vary in response to the 

measured power of the lamp, potentially 

making high performance ballasts look 

less efficient. Furthermore, the BEF test 

procedure, as defined, contains some 

latitude that permits variation between 

test laboratories. (GE, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 35–36) 

DOE agrees that a tighter tolerance on 

ambient temperature would be more 

burdensome to manufacturers, though it 

would decrease measurement variation. 

DOE also believes that tightening the 

tolerance on reference lamp measured 

power would increase the burden for 

lamp identification because fewer lamps 

would meet the more stringent 

specification. While DOE agrees with 

NEEA and NPCC that the process of 

identifying reference lamps can be 

accurately carried out at any test 

laboratory, because a reference lamp can 

vary in measured power up to plus or 

minus 2.5% of the rated lamp power 

(existing requirements) or up to 1% in 

the improved light output based test 

procedure, the permitted variation in 

measured power introduces variation 

into the BEF metric. The same ballast 

paired with reference lamps of different 

measured power will measure different 

ballast input power, impacting the value 

of BEF. All other procedural 

improvements and clarifications 

including requiring uniform operating 

conditions, taking measurements at 

constant voltage, using only one 

approach for calculating BF, and testing 

universal voltage commercial ballasts at 

277V and residential universal voltage 

ballasts and cold-temperature sign 

ballasts at 120V would reduce testing 

variation without appreciably increasing 

testing burden. DOE does not plan to 

investigate the improved light output 

based test procedure through testing 

because it believes BLE to be a better 

metric and test procedure. DOE believes 

its proposal of BLE is less burdensome 

than an improved light-output based 

method, potentially reduces 

measurement variation to a greater 

extent, and generates a straightforward 

descriptor of electrical losses. The BLE 

measurement and calculation also 

minimize the impact of lamp measured 

power variation. Therefore, DOE 

believes there is minimal benefit to 

requiring a tighter tolerance on 

reference lamp power variation in the 

context of the proposed test procedure. 

Because discrepancies may exist in 

BEF test data from different sources, 

NEEA and NPCC suggested that any 

changes to the existing test procedure 

should place ballasts both above and 

below the mean values, not 

systematically generate tested 

performance above the mean. (NEEA & 

NPCC, No. 16 at p. 6) GE commented 

that the discrepancies in data could 

signify a compliance problem and that 

manufacturers should notify DOE of 

observed instances of non-compliance. 

GE also indicated that manufacturers 

may shop around at different 

laboratories to find an improvement in 

ratings. (GE, Public Meeting Transcript, 

No. 12 at p. 35, 172–173) Philips 

commented that variation in test data 

between different sources should be 

expected given the variation in the 

underlying measurement technique. 

(Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 162–164, 173–174) 

DOE understands that the existing test 

procedure has some latitude in its 

definition in that several slightly 

different setups (lamp operating 

conditions, reference lamps) and 

conditions are permitted. Even the 

improved light-output-based procedure 

with its procedural clarifications still 

allows a ballast to be tested with 

reference lamps of slightly different 

measured power. These light-outputbased procedures and the BEF metric 

could allow for a systematic bias as GE 

indicated at the NOPR public meeting. 

DOE believes that the proposal in 

today’s SNOPR of BLE limits the impact 

of reference lamp measured power on 

the efficiency descriptor for fluorescent 

lamp ballasts and provides a clearly 

defined procedure that limits 

procedural variations from test facility 

to test facility. The BLE metric is more 

robust to changes in reference lamp 

measured power because variations in 

lamp power generally have a 

proportional effect on both the input 

power and lamp arc power 

measurements (numerator and 

denominator, respectively). 

Philips commented that BEF can only 

be used to compare ballasts of similar 

light output. For example, T5 standard 

output and T8 ballasts cannot be 

compared using BEF because of their 

different system lumen outputs. 

(Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 50, 70–71) DOE agrees that BEF 

cannot be used to compare ballasts that 

are part of systems with different light 

output. The measurement of ballast 

luminous efficiency proposed in this 

SNOPR can be used to compare ballasts 

that are part of systems with different 

light output. 

4. Relative System Efficacy 

In the NOPR, DOE considered a test 

procedure to measure the relative 

system efficacy of fluorescent lamp 

ballasts. RSE is intended to normalize 

the existing metric of BEF to rated lamp 

efficacy to make it more comparable 

across different lamp-and-ballast 

systems. DOE received comment from 

some interested parties regarding 

potential problems and benefits 

resulting from the use of RSE. 

The CA Utilities supported the 

normalization of BEF to RSE to allow 

better comparison between ballasts that 

operate different numbers of lamps. The 

CA Utilities recommended measuring 

BE, converting to BEF, and finally 

converting to RSE or measuring BEF 

directly using light output based 

measurements. The CA Utilities also 

commented that RSE is more useful 

than BEF for designing and 

implementing rebate programs. (CA 

Utilities, No. 13 at p. 3; CA Utilities, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

41, 53–54, 67–68) Lutron and NEMA 

commented that if RSE is based on 

photometric measurements, then RSE 

will suffer from the same variation as 

the existing test procedure. (Lutron, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

51, 54; NEMA, No. 15 at p. 14) Philips 

commented that though RSE may allow 

for greater comparability of losses 

among the product classes considered in 

the preliminary analysis, these different 

categories of ballasts may need to be 

subject to different standards. As the 

ballast operates increased wattage loads, 

efficiency generally increases. As a 

result, RSE would not automatically 

reduce the number of product classes. 

(Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

34 at p. 54–55) NEEA and NPCC 

disagreed with the use of RSE, 

commenting that the utility of RSE may 

be minimal to the lighting designer. The 

lighting designer is interested in room 

cavity ratio, fixture efficiency, fixture 

spacing, and other factors for meeting a 

lumen per unit area requirement and 

not for a one or two percent efficiency 

difference in the ballast. (NEEA & 

NPCC, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 72–73) Philips and NEMA 

commented that a lighting designer 

might prefer BEF to RSE because BEF 

can be used directly to convert to 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
71580 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

10This written comment was submitted to the 

docket of the fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking [Docket No. EERE–2007–BT–STD–0016; 

RIN 1904–AB50). 

11 ‘‘American National Standard for Fluorescent 

Lamps—Guide for Electrical Measurements,’’ 

approved September 25, 1997. 

system lumen output while RSE must 

first be converted to BEF. (Philips, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

73; NEMA, No. 15 at p. 13) The CA 

Utilities commented that a more 

understandable efficiency metric will 

help lighting designers with less 

expertise make better decisions when 

specifying the ballasts for their lighting 

systems. (CA Utilities, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 76) 

Philips and NEMA commented that 

while RSE does give a set of numbers 

that are easier to understand and can be 

compared for ballasts operating the 

same lamp type, test data cannot be 

compared for different lamp types. 

(Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 54; NEMA, No. 15 at p. 8, 14) 

NEMA also commented that another 

problem with RSE is that the four foot 

MBP lamp is referenced at 60 Hz. 

Therefore, the rated wattage of 32.5 

watts (W) only corresponds to a lowfrequency ballast operating at ballast 

factor of one. A high-frequency ballast 

operating at ballast factor of one will 

require less than 32.5 W. Because RSE 

is defined as BEF divided by one 

hundred and multiplied by the total 

rated lamp power of the system, RSE 

normalizes low- and high-frequency 

four foot MBP T8 systems with the same 

factor. (NEMA, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 55) Philips 

commented that because of the 

difference in the rated lamp power used 

to normalize the values, comparison of 

four foot T8 high-frequency ballasts to 

four foot T5 high-frequency ballasts is 

inappropriate. (Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 68–69, 101) 

Though RSE could be modified such 

that BEF is normalized with a rated 

power at the appropriate frequency, 

DOE believes that BLE has many 

advantages to RSE. The BLE metric is 

measured directly with electrical 

measurements and can be used to 

compare the efficiency of ballasts that 

operate different numbers of lamps and 

different types of lamps. The 

straightforward definition of BLE and its 

wide range of comparability should help 

inexperienced lighting designers select 

more efficient ballasts for their lighting 

systems to the same or greater extent 

than the use of RSE. 

5. Dimming Ballast Test Procedure 

In the NOPR, DOE requested 

comment on potential test procedures 

for dimming ballasts in the event they 

were added to the scope of coverage in 

the fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking. Philips commented that 

testing a dimming ballast at full light 

output may be misleading because a 

dimming ballast may have a different 

efficiency at reduced light levels than at 

full light output. Furthermore, a 

practicable method of characterizing the 

overall efficiency of a dimming ballast 

had not yet been identified. (Philips, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

122–124) NEMA also commented in 

response to the energy conservation 

standard that it has not conducted 

sufficient analysis to determine the 

appropriate light level at which to test 

dimming ballasts and that testing at 

multiple light levels would be 

burdensome. (NEMA, No. 29 at p. 2 10) 

In written comments in response to the 

test procedure NOPR, NEMA indicated 

that testing a dimming ballast at full 

light output was acceptable so long as 

energy conservation standards were 

adjusted appropriately—similar to 

standards for programmed start versus 

instant start ballasts. (NEMA, No. 15 at 

p. 4–5) Because DOE is not currently 

considering dimming ballasts in the 

scope of coverage in the energy 

conservation standard, DOE is also not 

developing a test procedure for these 

ballasts. If the scope of coverage later 

includes dimming ballasts, DOE would 

consider NEMA’s comment in 

development of a dimming ballast test 

procedure. 

D. Test Procedure Proposal 

DOE is proposing a test procedure for 

the measurement of ballast luminous 

efficiency (BLE) using electrical 

measurements of a lamp-and-ballast 

system. This proposal is based on a test 

procedure developed by NEMA and 

considered in the NOPR to measure 

lamp-based BE and correlate the result 

to BEF. The proposal includes a 

calculation of ballast factor without 

photometric measurements and a 

repeatable method of measuring lamp 

arc power for systems with cathode 

heating. The proposed method also 

includes a modification to the 

calculation of the BE efficiency metric 

to incorporate an element of system 

efficacy. 

In sections 1 through 4 that follow, 

DOE discusses the language proposed 

for a new appendix Q1 to subpart B of 

10 CFR part 430 (hereafter ‘‘appendix 

Q1’’). The new appendix Q1 would 

contain the new test procedure for the 

measurement of BLE that would be used 

for demonstrating compliance with any 

future amended standards. DOE 

proposes that use of the test procedure 

would be required upon the effective 

date of any amended energy 

conservation standards for fluorescent 

lamp ballasts. In section 5, DOE 

describes an update to the existing test 

procedure in appendix Q to subpart B 

of 10 CFR part 430. The change to 

appendix Q updates an industry 

reference from ANSI C82.2–1984 to the 

current ANSI C82.2–2002. DOE would 

retain the existing BEF test procedure 

for compliance with existing standards. 

In section 6, DOE discusses proposed 

amendments regarding references to 

ANSI C82.2–2002. 

1. Test Conditions 

The test conditions required in the 

SNOPR are unchanged from the NOPR 

proposal. DOE proposes that testing be 

conducted at 25 degrees Celsius ± 2.0 

degrees and in a draft-free environment 

according to ANSI C78.375–1997 11. 

These conditions provide for mostly 

uniform electrical operating 

characteristics for the lamp-and-ballast 

system. In addition, DOE proposes that 

ballasts be tested using the electrical 

supply characteristics found in section 

4 of ANSI C82.2–2002 with the 

following changes: (1) Ballasts capable 

of operating at a single voltage would be 

tested at the rated ballast input voltage; 

(2) users of universal voltage ballasts 

would disregard the input voltage 

directions in section 4.1 of ANSI C82.2– 

2002 that indicate a ballast capable of 

operating at multiple voltages should be 

tested at both the lowest and highest 

USA design center voltage; and (3) 

manufacturers use particular revisions 

to the normative references associated 

with ANSI C82.2–2002 (see section 

III.D.6 for additional detail). Instead of 

testing universal voltage ballasts at the 

voltages indicated in ANSI C82.2–2002, 

DOE believes that testing ballasts at a 

single voltage is more appropriate and 

less burdensome. DOE believes 277 V is 

the most common input voltage for 

commercial ballasts and that 120 V is 

the most common for residential ballasts 

and commercial cold-temperature 

outdoor sign ballasts. Therefore, DOE 

proposes that all universal voltage 

commercial ballasts be tested at 277 V 

and that universal voltage residential 

and commercial cold-temperature 

outdoor sign ballasts be tested at 120 V. 

2. Test Setup 

For the BLE measurements, DOE 

proposes in this SNOPR that the 

fluorescent lamp (ballast load) be 

mounted in a standard strip fixture with 

lamps facing upward to minimize selfheating according to ANSI C82.1– 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71581 

12 ‘‘American National Standards for Lamp 

Ballast—Line Frequency Fluorescent Lamp Ballast,’’ 

approved November 19, 2004. 

13 ‘‘American National Standard for Lamp 

Ballasts—Definitions—for Fluorescent Lamps and 

Ballasts,’’ approved July 23, 2002. 

14 ‘‘American National Standard for Fluorescent 

Lamps—Guide for Electrical Measurements,’’ 

approved September 25, 1997. 

2004 12 and C78.81–2010. The 

fluorescent lamp should be seasoned for 

at least twelve hours and be tested to be 

electrically stable and meet reference 

lamp conditions as defined in ANSI 

C82.13–2005.13 The ballast can be 

placed on the test bench and the fixture 

should be electrically connected to the 

ballast case and to earth ground. The 

ballast wire lengths would be as 

specified in the manufacturer’s catalog 

and not bundled or coiled to minimize 

capacitive and inductive effects. If the 

wire lengths supplied by the 

manufacturer are of insufficient length 

to reach both ends of lamp, additional 

wire may be added. The minimal 

additional wire length necessary would 

be added, and the additional wire 

would be the same wire gauge as the 

wire supplied with the ballast. If no 

wiring is provided with the ballast, DOE 

proposes 18 American wire gauge 

(AWG) or thicker wire should be used. 

The wires would be separated from each 

other and ground to prevent parasitic 

capacitance for all wires used in the 

apparatus, including those wires from 

the ballast to the lamps and from the 

lamps to the measuring devices. The test 

fixture would be wired with 18 AWG 

solid conductor wire. All wires in the 

fixture would be kept loose and not 

bundled or taped to the fixture metal, 

representing common wiring setups in 

practice. The ballast under test may be 

connected to the fixture through a 

terminal strip mounted on the side of 

the fixture or may be directly connected. 

The ballast would be wired to the lamps 

in the fixture according to the 

manufacturer’s wiring instructions. 

As previously proposed in the NOPR, 

instrumentation for current, voltage, and 

power measurements would be selected 

in accordance with ANSI C78.375– 

1997 14 Section 9, which specifies that 

instruments should be ‘‘of the true RMS 

type, essentially free from wave form 

errors, and suitable for the frequency of 

operation.’’ DOE would further specify 

instrument performance within the 

guidelines of the ANSI C78.375–1997 

and ANSI C82.2–2002. Specifically, 

lamp arc current would be measured 

using a galvanically isolated current 

probe/monitor with frequency response 

between 40 Hertz (Hz) and 20 MHz. In 

addition, lamp arc voltage and input 

voltage would be measured directly by 

a power analyzer with a maximum 100 

picofarad (pF) capacitance to ground 

and with frequency response between 

40 Hz and 1 MHz. Coaxial cables would 

not be used due to the excessive 

capacitance associated with this wiring. 

The input current may be measured 

either with the internal shunt of a power 

analyzer or with an external current 

transducer specifically calibrated with 

the power analyzer. 

For the lamp arc current 

measurement, the galvanically isolated 

current probe must be calibrated with 

the power analyzer. Furthermore, the 

current transducer ratio must be set in 

the analyzer to match the transducer to 

the analyzer. The output from noninvasive current transducers is usually a 

low voltage signal, so the actual current 

to voltage ratio to the power analyzer 

must consider the losses in addition to 

the transducer ratio. Therefore, the full 

current to voltage ratio (transducer ratio) 

includes the voltage divider effect 

between the transducer and the power 

analyzer input. Assuming both the 

power analyzer and non-invasive 

current transducer are properly 

calibrated, the actual current to voltage 

ratio to use to fully correct the 

measurement is as described in equation 

1. 

Iin = Current through the current transducer 

Vout = Voltage out of the transducer 

Rin = Power analyzer impedance 

Rs = Current transducer output impedance 

The test setup would be different 

depending on the ballast starting 

method. As discussed in section III.C.2 

and depicted in Figure III.2, rapid- and 

programmed-start ballast test setups 

would include two 1000 ohm resistors 

placed in parallel with both sets of lamp 

pins. This voltage divider provides a 

midpoint from which to measure the 

lamp arc voltage, minimizing the impact 

of cathode heating. Instant-start ballasts 

would not employ a voltage divider, but 

would require a jumper wire or an 

adapter to connect to lamps with two 

pins per electrode. 


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71582 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

DOE proposes that the power analyzer 

voltage leads be attached to the wires 

leading to and from the main power 

source for input voltage measurements 

and that the current probe be placed 

around the same wires for input current. 

The power analyzer should have at least 

one channel per lamp plus one 

additional channel for the ballast input 

power measurement. Figure III.3 shows 

the instrumentation placement for the 

lamp arc power measurement for 

programmed- and rapid-start ballasts 

with full cathode cutout, and Figure 

III.4 and Figure III.5 show the placement 

for instant-start ballasts. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71583 

As discussed in the NOPR, DOE 

proposes that the ballasts be tested with 

the most common wattage lamp 

operated by the ballast. In many cases, 

a ballast can operate several reduced 

wattage lamps in addition to the most 

common variety. For example, ballasts 

designed to operate four-foot MBP T8 

lamps can operate 32 W, 30 W, 28 W, 

and 25 W lamps. To test every lampand-ballast combination would impose 

a significant burden on manufacturers. 

Thus, to mitigate the testing burden on 

manufacturers, the proposed test 

procedure would require only one lampand-ballast combination to be tested in 

each product class. Therefore, DOE 

proposes a test procedure based on the 

ballast operating the most common 

lamp wattage, resulting in a ballast 

luminous efficiency that represents the 

way the product is primarily used in the 

market. Table III.2 indicates the nominal 

lamp wattage that would be paired with 

a ballast for testing. 

TABLE III.2—BALLAST AND LAMP PAIRINGS

Ballast type 

Nominal 

lamp 

wattage 

Lamp 

diameter 

and base 

Reference lamp arc 

power 

Lowfrequency Highfrequency 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, four, five, or six straight-shaped lamps (commonly 

referred to as 4-foot medium bipin lamps) with medium bipin bases, a nominal overall 

length of 48 inches, a rated wattage of 25 W or more, and an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

32 

34 

T8 MBP ........

T12 MBP ......

30.8 

32 

29 

*29.81 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, four, five, or six U-shaped lamps (commonly referred to as 2-foot U-shaped lamps) with medium bipin bases, a nominal overall 

length between 22 and 25 inches, a rated wattage of 25 W or more, and an input 

voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

32 

34 

T8 MBP ........

T12 MBP ......

30.8 

32 

29 

*29.81 

Ballasts that operate one or two rapid-start lamps (commonly referred to as 8-foot high 

output lamps) with recessed double contact bases, a nominal overall length of 96 

inches and an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

86 

95 

T8 HO RDC

T12 HO RDC 

N/A 

90 

86 

*84.88 

Ballasts that operate one or two instant-start lamps (commonly referred to as 8-foot 

slimline lamps) with single pin bases, a nominal overall length of 96 inches, a rated 

wattage of 52 W or more, and an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

59 

60 

T8 slimline 

SP.

T12 slimline 

SP.

60.1 

60.5 

57 

*56.91 


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71584 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

15Root mean square (RMS) voltage is a statistical 

measure of the magnitude of a voltage signal. RMS 

voltage is equal to the square root of the mean of all squared instantaneous voltages over one 

complete cycle of the voltage signal. 

TABLE III.2—BALLAST AND LAMP PAIRINGS—Continued 

Ballast type 

Nominal 

lamp 

wattage 

Lamp 

diameter 

and base 

Reference lamp arc 

power 

Lowfrequency Highfrequency 

Ballasts that operate one or two straight-shaped lamps (commonly referred to as 4-foot 

miniature bipin standard output lamps) with miniature bipin bases, a nominal length 

between 45 and 48 inches, a rated wattage of 26 W or more, and an input voltage at 

or between 120 V and 277 V.

28 T5 SO MiniBP.N/A 27.8 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, or four straight-shaped lamps (commonly referred 

to as 4-foot miniature bipin high output lamps) with miniature bipin bases, a nominal 

length between 45 and 48 inches, a rated wattage of 49 W or more, and an input 

voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

54 T5 HO MiniBP.N/A 53.8 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, or four straight-shaped lamps (commonly referred 

to as 4-foot medium bipin lamps) with medium bipin bases, a nominal overall length 

of 48 inches, a rated wattage of 25 W or more, an input voltage at or between 120 V 

and 277 V, a power factor of less than 0.90, and that are designed and labeled for 

use in residential applications.

32 

34 

T8 MBP ........

T12 MBP ......

30.8 

32 

29 

*29.81 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, four, five, or six rapid-start lamps (commonly referred to as 8-foot high output lamps) with recessed double contact bases, a nominal 

overall length of 96 inches, an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V, and that 

operate at ambient temperatures of 20 °F or less and are used in outdoor signs.

86 

110 

T8 HO RDC

T12 HO RDC 

N/A 

106 

86 

*100.03 

MBP, Mini-BP, RDC, and SP represent medium bipin, miniature bipin, recessed double contact, and single pin, respectively. 

* Empirically derived. 

DOE also found that ballasts are 

capable of operating fewer than the 

maximum number of lamps they are 

designed to operate. For example, a 

ballast designed to operate four lamps 

can also operate two or three lamps. 

However, DOE understands that ballasts 

are typically paired with the maximum 

number of lamps they are designed to 

operate. As discussed in the NOPR, DOE 

proposes to test fluorescent lamp 

ballasts only while operating the 

maximum number of lamps for which 

they are designed to operate. DOE 

believes this proposal both reduces 

testing burden and assesses the 

performance of the ballast in its primary 

and most common configuration. 

3. Test Method 

Once the lamp-and-ballast system is 

connected and attached to the 

measurement instrumentation, DOE 

proposes that the ballast operate a 

fluorescent lamp for a minimum of 

fifteen minutes to a maximum of one 

hour until stability is reached. DOE 

notes that the NEMA Test Procedure 

Handout indicated stability should be 

determined in accordance with ANSI 

C78.375–1997. DOE found the 

specifications in this standard to be 

unclear. To further specify the 

determination of stabilization, DOE 

proposes that measurements of lamp arc 

voltage, lamp arc current, lamp arc 

power be taken every one second during 

the stabilization period. Once the 

percent difference between the 

minimum and maximum values for 

voltage, current, and power do not 

exceed one percent over a four minute 

moving window, the system would be 

considered stable. Allowing the lamp 

and ballast system to reach its steady 

state operating point will provide a 

more accurate assessment of ballast 

performance in the field. If the system 

does not stabilize, a new ballast sample 

would be selected and the test would be 

repeated. 

After the system has stabilized, DOE 

proposes that the measured input 

parameters be voltage (RMS 15), current 

(RMS), power, and power factor 

measured in accordance with ANSI 

C82.2–2002. The measured output 

parameters would include lamp arc 

voltage, current, and power. Lamp arc 

current and voltage measurements 

would be taken at the specified 

locations according to the test setup. 

Frequency of the output waveform 

delivered to the lamp by the ballast 

should also be measured. 

4. Calculations 

As described in Equation 2 below, 

ballast luminous efficiency is equal to 

total lamp arc power, divided by ballast 

input power, multiplied by 100, and 

then multiplied by 0.9 for ballasts that 

operate lamps at low-frequency. 

The symbol b is equal to 0.9 for lowfrequency ballasts and is equal to 1.0 for 

high-frequency ballasts. 

DOE is also proposing a method of 

calculating ballast factor to potentially 

be used in the fluorescent lamp ballast 

standards rulemaking to assign a ballast 

to a particular product class. The 

method specifies dividing the measured 

lamp arc power on the test ballast by the 

measured lamp arc power on a reference 

ballast. The reference lamp arc power 

will be the measured power determined 

during reference lamp identification in 

accordance with ANSI C78.375–2010, 

ANSI C78.81–2010, and ANSI C82.3– 

2002. Reference lamp measured power 

can change over time which could 

impact the BF calculation. Increasing 

the frequency of the reference lamp 

measurement could lead to increased 

ballast factor calculation accuracy with 

slightly increased testing burden. DOE 

proposes that the reference lamp arc 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1EP24NO10.381</GPH>
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16 ‘‘American National Standards for Lamp 

Ballasts—High Frequency Lamp Ballasts— 

Supplements,’’ approved January 17, 2002. 

power should be measured once every 

24 hours for ballast factor calculation. 

DOE invites comment on the frequency 

at which the reference lamp power 

should be measured on the reference 

ballast. 

Some lamp types do not have 

reference ballast operating conditions 

defined for both high- and lowfrequency operation. In these cases, 

DOE has provided reference ballast 

lamp arc powers based on lamp 

operating conditions in ANSI C78.81– 

2010 or IEC 60081 Ed 5.0, or as derived 

by DOE. DOE empirically derived highfrequency F34T12, F96T12/ES, 

F96T12HO/ES, and F96T12HO lamp arc 

wattage by measuring lamp current and 

voltage when the lamp emanated the 

equivalent lumen output to the lowfrequency light output at ANSI reference 

conditions. 

As discussed in section III.C.2, NEMA 

provided evidence in its written 

comments that light output is directly 

proportional to lamp arc power for the 

ballast factor range of 0.75 to 1.15. 

Outside this range, the relationship 

starts to become nonlinear, but DOE 

believes the assumption of a linear 

relationship to still be reasonable for the 

purpose of assigning ballast factor for 

classification purposes. DOE notes that 

the method of measuring ballast factor 

using fixed reference ballast lamp arc 

powers may be more susceptible to 

reference lamp measured power 

variation than a method that measures 

lamp arc power on both the test and 

reference ballast. This is because a 

measured value (tested lamp arc power) 

is being compared to a constant value 

(reference lamp arc power from ANSI 

C78.81–2010 or IEC 60081 Ed. 5.0) 

rather than to another measured value 

using the same lamp. This variation will 

not impact the measured BLE value, but 

could affect the standard to which the 

ballast is subject. DOE invites comment 

on the impact of variation in the 

proposed ballast factor calculation for 

certain lamp and ballast systems at 

certain operating frequencies. 

5. Updates to Existing Test Procedure 

DOE is not changing the proposed 

updates to the existing test procedure 

from the NOPR in this SNOPR. DOE 

would update the references to ANSI 

standards for the existing light-outputbased test procedure. NEMA 

commented that DOE should use the 

latest versions of ANSI C82.2, C82.11, 

and C82.1 at the time of finalized 

rulemaking. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 4, 

Philips, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 36–37) DOE would use the most 

recent versions of these standards, 

namely ANSI C82.2–2002, ANSI 

C82.11–2002,16 and ANSI C82.1–2004. 

The amendments to the existing test 

procedure in Appendix Q to Subpart B 

of 10 CFR part 430 would be effective 

30 days after publication of any test 

procedure final rule. 

6. Normative References for ANSI 

C82.2–2002 

DOE is not changing its proposals 

regarding the specification of normative 

references to be used with ANSI C82.2– 

2002 from the NOPR in this SNOPR. 

DOE is proposing amendments to the 

fluorescent lamp ballast test procedure 

that would incorporate references to 

ANSI C82.2–2002 into appendix Q and 

appendix Q1. In examining the ANSI 

standard, DOE found that within ANSI 

C82.2–2002, there are references to 

other ANSI standards. In particular, 

section 2 of ANSI C82.2–2002 states that 

‘‘when American National Standards 

referred to in this document [ANSI 

C82.2–2002] are superseded by a 

revision approved by the American 

National Standards Institute, Inc. the 

revision shall apply.’’ Revisions to these 

normative standards could potentially 

impact compliance with energy 

conservation standards by changing the 

tested value for energy efficiency. 

Therefore, DOE would specify the 

particular versions of the ANSI 

standards that would be used in 

conjunction with ANSI C82.2–2002. 

DOE proposes to use ANSI C78.81– 

2010, ANSI C82.1–2004, ANSI C82.11– 

2002, and ANSI C82.13–2002 in support 

of ANSI C82.2–2002. All other 

normative references would be as 

directly specified in ANSI C82.2–2002. 

These specifications would apply to the 

ANSI C82.2–2002 references in 

Appendix Q and to the ANSI C82.2– 

2002 references in Appendix Q1. 

E. Burden To Conduct the Proposed 

Test Procedure 

EPCA requires that ‘‘[a]ny test 

procedures prescribed or amended 

under this section shall be reasonably 

designed to produce test results which 

measure energy efficiency, energy use 

* * * or estimated annual operating 

cost of a covered product during a 

representative average use cycle or 

period of use * * * and shall not be 

unduly burdensome to conduct.’’ (42 

U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)). Today’s proposed 

test procedure measures the 

performance of a ballast by computing 

the ratio of lamp arc power to ballast 

input power and adjusting for lamp 

operating frequency. The proposal is 

less burdensome than the existing 

procedure largely because of the 

simplicity of electrical measurements 

compared to photometric 

measurements. In addition, the lamp 

loads proposed in the SNOPR are less 

expensive than precision resistor loads 

proposed in the NOPR and are already 

a common item used in test facilities. 

The assessment of testing burden is 

discussed in more detail with reference 

to small businesses in section IV.C. 

To further ensure that the test 

procedure proposed in this SNOPR is 

not unduly burdensome to conduct, 

DOE is not proposing any changes to the 

minimum sample size (four) for 

generating a reported value or to the 

reported value itself. Currently, to 

demonstrate compliance with energy 

conservation standards, manufacturers 

must first test four examples of the basic 

model. The reported value of BLE is 

then equal to either the lower 99% 

confidence interval limit divided by 

0.99 or the mean of the four values, 

whichever is smaller. DOE received 

comment from NEMA supporting the 

reported value as currently defined in 

10 CFR 430.24. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 3) 

NEEA and NPCC also supported DOE 

using a statistically valid method of 

reporting efficiency of a ballast. (NEEA 

& NPCC, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 175–176) In addition, Philips, 

GE, and OSI commented that an 

increase in the minimum number of 

samples to ten or twenty samples from 

70 categories of ballasts would be 

burdensome as each test takes two to 

three hours. (Philips, Public Meeting 

Transcript, No. 12 at p. 177–178; OSI, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

178; GE, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 

12 at p. 178) 

F. Impact on Measured Energy 

Efficiency 

In any rulemaking to amend a test 

procedure, DOE must determine ‘‘to 

what extent, if any, the proposed test 

procedure would alter the measured 

energy efficiency * * * of any covered 

product as determined under the 

existing test procedure.’’ (42 U.S.C. 

6293(e)(1)) If DOE determines that the 

amended test procedure would alter the 

measured efficiency of a covered 

product, DOE must amend the 

applicable energy conservation standard 

accordingly. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) This 

proposed active mode test procedure 

would change the metric used to 

describe in the energy efficiency of a 

ballast. DOE is currently amending 

energy conservation standards for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts in the 

fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking. In that rulemaking, DOE is 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1
71586 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

17This written comment was submitted in 

response to the fluorescent lamp ballast energy 

conservation standard preliminary analysis. 75 FR 

14319. 

18 International Organization for Standardization/ 

International Electrotechnical Commission, General 

requirements for the competence of testing and 

calibration laboratories. ISO/IEC 17025. 

considering standards based on the 

measured efficiency of the ballast in 

accordance with the test procedure 

proposed in this active mode test 

procedure rulemaking consistent with 

42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2). DOE will use test 

data that it collects in the course of both 

this test procedure rulemaking and the 

fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking when setting energy 

conservation standards for fluorescent 

lamp ballasts. The BLE test procedure 

proposal will not affect compliance with 

existing energy conservation standards, 

because DOE proposes that 

manufacturers not be required to use the 

new test procedure until the date 

manufacturers are required to comply 

with amended standards. 

G. Scope of Applicability 

Today’s proposed test procedure is 

applicable to the fluorescent lamp 

ballasts covered in the preliminary 

determination of scope outlined in the 

preliminary technical support document 

for the fluorescent lamp ballast 

standards rulemaking. DOE is 

considering regulating certain ballasts 

that operate F32T8, F34T12, F28T5SO, 

F54T5HO, F96T8/ES, F96T12/ES, 

F96T8HO, F96T12HO/ES, and 

F96T12HO lamps. These ballasts can 

operate between one and six lamps and 

are used in commercial, residential, and 

cold-temperature outdoor sign 

applications. For the proposed test 

procedure in this rulemaking, DOE 

would establish particular test setups 

and calculations depending on type of 

ballast, as described in more detail in 

section III.D. For example, DOE would 

specify certain fluorescent lamps and 

numbers of these lamps to be paired 

with certain ballasts for determining 

ballast performance. 

H. Certification and Enforcement 

As discussed in the NOPR, DOE 

regulations do not currently specify the 

energy efficiency measurement to be 

certified for fluorescent lamp ballasts. 

10 CFR 430.62(a)(4). Earthjustice 

commented that this omission 

undermines effective enforcement and 

negates the value of energy conservation 

standards. NEEA and NPCC and the CA 

utilities support DOE specifying the 

energy efficiency measurement to be 

certified for fluorescent lamp ballasts. 

(NEEA & NPCC, No. 32 17 at p. 10; 

Earthjustice, No. 14 at p. 1; CA Utilities, 

No. 13 at p. 3) Earthjustice also 

commented that DOE could publish a 

separate final rule to specify the energy 

efficiency measurement to be certified 

for fluorescent lamp ballasts on an 

accelerated timeframe in advance of the 

full test procedure final rule. 

Earthjustice further indicated that if 

manufacturers do not need to retest 

units to ensure compliance with 

existing standards using the test 

procedure in appendix Q, there would 

be no justification for permitting a 

period of one year to submit data. 

(Earthjustice, No. 14 at p. 1) DOE 

appreciates these comments and has 

responded to them in the notice of 

proposed rulemaking for certification, 

compliance, and enforcement for 

consumer products and commercial and 

industrial equipment. 75 FR 56796. 

In the context of increasing 

compliance with energy conservation 

standards, Philips commented that 

compliance and enforcement could be 

improved by requiring the ballasts to be 

tested at labs that meet certain 

specifications such as having an audit 

program and meeting International 

Organization for Standardization (ISO) 

criteria. Philips requested that DOE 

make its criteria consistent with the 

California Energy Commission (CEC) 

criteria so that the same data set can be 

used for certifying products with both 

organizations. Philips also noted that it 

has come to NEMA’s attention that some 

offshore ballast suppliers with private 

labeling may not be complying with 

energy efficiency regulations. (Philips, 

Public Meeting Transcript, No. 12 at p. 

32–34) NEMA commented that they 

believe a clear and concise test 

procedure may encourage voluntary 

compliance with energy conservation 

standards. (NEMA, No. 15 at p. 7) 

Furthermore, NEMA commented that a 

change from the existing test procedure 

to the test procedure proposed by 

NEMA may yield increased compliance 

by simplifying the methodology. 

(NEMA, No. 15 at p. 2, 12) 

DOE agrees that requiring certification 

and compliance data to be generated in 

a certified facility could increase the 

integrity of the data. DOE also agrees 

with NEMA that a clear and concise test 

procedure may also foster voluntary 

compliance. In this test procedure 

SNOPR, DOE proposes the measurement 

of BLE using electrical measurements of 

a lamp and ballast system. DOE believes 

this test procedure to be clearer and less 

burdensome to conduct compared to the 

existing method which may result in 

increased compliance. 

DOE also proposes that test facilities 

conducting compliance testing in 

accordance with amended standards 

promulgated by the fluorescent lamp 

ballast standards rulemaking be 

National Volunteer Laboratory 

Accreditation Program (NVLAP) 

accredited, a program administered by 

the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST), or accredited by an 

organization recognized by NVLAP. 

NVLAP accreditation is a finding of 

laboratory competence, certifying that a 

laboratory operates in accordance with 

NVLAP management and technical 

requirements. The NVLAP program is 

described in 15 CFR part 285, and 

encompasses the requirements of ISO/ 

IEC 17025.18 NVLAP (or an organization 

recognized by NVLAP) accreditation is 

currently required for laboratories 

providing certification and compliance 

data for general service fluorescent, 

general service incandescent, and 

incandescent reflector lamps. Either of 

these accreditation requirements would 

ensure that all the data DOE uses in its 

rulemaking comes from standardized 

and quality controlled sources, 

increasing confidence in the precision 

of the data and limiting variations due 

to differences between testing 

laboratories. DOE determined that 

NVLAP imposes fees of $9000 and 

$8000 on years one and two of 

accreditation. For the years following, 

the fees alternate between $5000 and 

$8000, with the $8000 fee 

corresponding to the on-site evaluation 

required every other year. Fees for other 

accreditation organizations are expected 

to be similar. DOE invites comment on 

the benefits and burden imposed by the 

requirement that certification and 

compliance data come from an NVLAP 

or NVLAP recognized organization 

accredited laboratory. 

IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory 

Review 

A. Executive Order 12866 

Today’s proposed rule has been 

determined to not be a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ under Executive 

Order 12866, ‘‘Regulatory Planning and 

Review,’’ 58 FR 51735 (Oct. 4, 1993). 

Accordingly, this action was not subject 

to review under that Executive Order by 

the Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

B. National Environmental Policy Act 

In this proposed rule, DOE proposes 

test procedure amendments that it 

expects will be used to develop and 

implement future energy conservation 

standards for ballasts. DOE has 

determined that this rule falls into a 


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class of actions that are categorically 

excluded from review under the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and DOE’s 

implementing regulations at 10 CFR part 

1021. Specifically, this proposed rule 

would amend the existing test 

procedures without affecting the 

amount, quality or distribution of 

energy usage, and, therefore, would not 

result in any environmental impacts. 

Thus, this rulemaking is covered by 

Categorical Exclusion A5 under 10 CFR 

part 1021, subpart D, which applies to 

any rulemaking that interprets or 

amends an existing rule without 

changing the environmental effect of 

that rule. Accordingly, neither an 

environmental assessment nor an 

environmental impact statement is 

required. 

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 

U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires preparation 

of an initial regulatory flexibility 

analysis for any rule that by law must 

be proposed for public comment, unless 

the agency certifies that the rule, if 

promulgated, will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. As required by 

Executive Order 13272, ‘‘Proper 

Consideration of Small Entities in 

Agency Rulemaking,’’ 67 FR 53461 

(August 16, 2002), DOE published 

procedures and policies on February 19, 

2003, to ensure that the potential 

impacts of its rules on small entities are 

properly considered during the DOE 

rulemaking process. 68 FR 7990. DOE 

has made its procedures and policies 

available on the Office of the General 

Counsel’s Web site: http:// 

www.gc.doe.gov. In this section, DOE 

updates the certification provided to the 

Office of Advocacy of the Small 

Business Administration (SBA) 

subsequent to publication of the NOPR. 

The SBA has set a size threshold for 

manufacturers of fluorescent lamp 

ballasts that defines those entities 

classified as ‘‘small businesses’’ for the 

purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility 

Analysis. DOE used the SBA’s small 

business size standards to determine 

whether any small manufacturers of 

fluorescent lamp ballasts would be 

subject to the requirements of the rule. 

65 FR 30836, 30850 (May 15, 2000), as 

amended at 65 FR 53533, 53545 

(September 5, 2000) and codified at 13 

CFR part 121. The size standards are 

listed by North American Industry 

Classification System (NAICS) code and 

industry description and are available at 

http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/ 

documents/sba_homepage/ 

serv_sstd_tablepdf.pdf. Fluorescent 

lamp ballast manufacturing is classified 

under NAICS 335311, ‘‘Power, 

Distribution, & Specialty Transformer 

Manufacturing.’’ The SBA sets a 

threshold of 750 employees or less for 

an entity to be considered as a small 

business for this category. 

To identify potential small 

manufacturers as defined by SBA, DOE 

conducted a market survey using all 

available public information. DOE’s 

research involved several industry trade 

association membership directories, 

product databases, individual company 

Web sites, and marketing research tools 

(e.g., Dun and Bradstreet reports) to 

create a list of every company that 

manufactures or sells fluorescent lamp 

ballasts covered by this rulemaking. 

DOE reviewed all publicly-available 

data and contacted companies on its 

list, as necessary, to determine whether 

they met the SBA’s definition of a small 

business manufacturer of covered 

fluorescent lamp ballasts. DOE screened 

out companies that did not offer 

fluorescent lamp ballasts covered by 

this rulemaking, did not meet the 

definition of a ‘‘small business,’’ or are 

foreign owned and operated. Ultimately, 

DOE identified at least 10 fluorescent 

lamp ballast manufacturers that produce 

covered fluorescent lamp ballasts and 

can potentially be considered small 

businesses out of the 42 ballast 

manufacturers listed in the preliminary 

technical support document of the 

fluorescent lamp ballast standards 

rulemaking. 

The proposed rule includes revisions 

to appendix Q and a new appendix Q1. 

The revisions to appendix Q update an 

industry reference and do not change 

the test method or increase testing 

burden. The only difference between the 

two test procedures relates to the 

interference of testing instrumentation. 

Specifically, the input power 

measurement of ANSI C82.2–2002 

reduces the interference of 

instrumentation on the input power 

measurement as compared to ANSI 

C82.2–1984. The vast majority of 

companies and testing facilities, 

however, already employ modern 

instrumentation that does not 

significantly interfere with input power 

measurements. Thus, updating this 

industry reference would not impose 

additional financial burden in terms of 

labor or materials. As described in more 

detail in sections III.C and III.D, the 

proposed test procedure in appendix Q1 

is generally less burdensome compared 

to the existing test procedure, while 

reducing measurement variation. The 

proposed procedure uses only electrical 

measurements which are generally 

simpler and more quickly carried out 

than photometric measurements. The 

proposed procedure only uses a 

reference ballast once every 24 hours, 

rather than during the performance 

evaluation of each individual ballast. 

This change reduces the number of 

measurements necessary for assigning a 

BLE and BF to a ballast compared to the 

number of measurements necessary for 

BEF and BF under the existing test 

procedure. In addition, the proposed 

method specifies a shorter lamp 

seasoning period (12 hours versus 100 

hours) because the lamp’s electrical 

characteristics stabilize sooner than its 

photometric characteristics. 

To analyze the testing burden impacts 

described above on small business 

manufacturers, DOE first sought to 

examine publically available financial 

data for those companies identified as 

small businesses to compare the 

estimated revenue and profit of these 

businesses to the anticipated testing 

burden associated with this proposed 

test procedure. DOE determined that all 

the identified small business 

manufacturers were privately owned, 

and as a result, financial data was not 

publically available. DOE estimates that 

the incremental testing costs for an 

average small business would be no 

more and likely less than testing costs 

under the existing BEF test procedure 

for the reasons set forth in the following 

paragraph. 

The BLE procedure requires no 

additional equipment compared to the 

existing test procedure and eliminates 

the usage of photocells or an integrating 

sphere. In addition, the existing BEF test 

procedure requires measurements of 

lamp light output on a reference ballast 

and measurements on a test ballast 

during each test. Light output 

measurements and electrical 

measurements of the reference system 

can require one to two hours depending 

on the number of reference ballasts 

available and the speed at which the 

lamp reaches photometric stability. 

Light output and electrical 

measurements of the test ballast are 

taken immediately after switching the 

lamps from the reference to the test 

system. In contrast, the BLE proposal in 

this SNOPR requires the reference 

lamps to be measured and stabilized on 

a reference ballast only once every 

twenty four hours. After this 

stabilization, subsequent testing of the 

ballasts of interest can take between 15 

and 60 minutes. DOE estimates that 

between 4 and 8 ballast samples could 

be completed in an eight hour period 

using the existing BEF test procedure, 

while between 8 and 16 tests could be 

completed using the BLE test procedure. 

Therefore, DOE estimates the BLE 


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procedure could result in an 

incremental reduction in testing time of 

about 50%. Assuming the labor rate for 

carrying out either procedure is $100 

per hour, the BLE procedure could 

reduce testing costs by $50 to $100 

dollars per test. DOE notes that 

depending on setup, some facilities may 

see less of a reduction in testing time or 

potentially no change in testing time. 

In this SNOPR, DOE is also proposing 

that test labs be accredited by NVLAP or 

an organization recognized by NVLAP. 

Accreditation by NVLAP or an NVLAPrecognized organization may cost 

approximately $8000 per year, which 

DOE believes would not be a significant 

impact. 

On the basis of the foregoing, DOE 

tentatively concludes and certifies that 

this proposed rule would not have a 

significant impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. Accordingly, 

DOE has not prepared a regulatory 

flexibility analysis for this rulemaking. 

DOE has provided its certification and 

supporting statement of factual basis to 

the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration for 

review under 5 U.S.C. 605(b). 

D. Paperwork Reduction Act 

Manufacturers of fluorescent lamp 

ballasts must certify to DOE that their 

products comply with any applicable 

energy conservation standard. In 

certifying compliance, manufacturers 

must test their products according to the 

DOE test procedure for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts, including any amendments 

adopted for that test procedure. DOE has 

proposed regulations for the 

certification and recordkeeping 

requirements for all covered consumer 

products and commercial equipment, 

including fluorescent lamp ballasts. 75 

FR 56796 (Sept. 16, 2010). The 

collection-of-information requirement 

for the certification and recordkeeping 

is subject to review and approval by 

OMB under the Paperwork Reduction 

Act (PRA). This requirement has been 

submitted to OMB for approval. Public 

reporting burden for the certification is 

estimated to average 20 hours per 

response, including the time for 

reviewing instructions, searching 

existing data sources, gathering and 

maintaining the data needed, and 

completing and reviewing the collection 

of information. 

Public comment is sought regarding: 

whether this proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information shall have practical utility; 

the accuracy of the burden estimate; 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information, 

including through the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. Send comments 

on these or any other aspects of the 

collection of information to Ms. Linda 

Graves (see ADDRESSES), and e-mail to 

Christine_J._Kymn@omb.eop.gov. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of the law, no person is required to 

respond to, nor shall any person be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with, a collection of information subject 

to the requirements of the PRA, unless 

that collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB Control Number. 

E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 

1995 

Title II of the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Pub. L. 

104–4) requires each Federal agency to 

assess the effects of Federal regulatory 

actions on State, local, and Tribal 

governments and the private sector. For 

proposed regulatory actions likely to 

result in a rule that may cause 

expenditures by State, local, and Tribal 

governments, in the aggregate, or by the 

private sector of $100 million or more 

in any one year (adjusted annually for 

inflation), section 202 of UMRA requires 

a Federal agency to publish estimates of 

the resulting costs, benefits, and other 

effects on the national economy. (2 

U.S.C. 1532(a), (b)) UMRA also requires 

Federal agencies to develop an effective 

process to permit timely input by 

elected officers of State, local, and 

Tribal governments on a proposed 

‘‘significant intergovernmental 

mandate.’’ In addition, UMRA requires 

an agency plan for giving notice and 

opportunity for timely input to small 

governments that may be affected before 

establishing a requirement that might 

significantly or uniquely affect them. On 

March 18, 1997, DOE published a 

statement of policy on its process for 

intergovernmental consultation under 

UMRA. 62 FR 12820. (This policy is 

also available at http://www.gc.doe.gov). 

DOE examined today’s proposed rule 

according to UMRA and its statement of 

policy and determined that the rule 

contains neither an intergovernmental 

mandate, nor a mandate that may result 

in the expenditure of $100 million or 

more in any year, so these requirements 

do not apply. 

F. Treasury and General Government 

Appropriations Act, 1999 

Section 654 of the Treasury and 

General Government Appropriations 

Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105–277) requires 

Federal agencies to issue a Family 

Policymaking Assessment for any 

proposed rule that may affect family 

well-being. Today’s proposed rule 

would not have any impact on the 

autonomy or integrity of the family as 

an institution. Accordingly, DOE has 

concluded that it is unnecessary to 

prepare a Family Policymaking 

Assessment. 

G. Executive Order 13132 

Executive Order 13132, ‘‘Federalism,’’ 

64 FR 43255 (August 4, 1999) imposes 

certain requirements on agencies 

formulating and implementing policies 

or regulations that preempt State law or 

that have Federalism implications. The 

Executive Order requires agencies to 

examine the constitutional and statutory 

authority supporting any action that 

would limit the policymaking discretion 

of the States and to carefully assess the 

necessity for such actions. The 

Executive Order also requires agencies 

to have an accountable process to 

ensure meaningful and timely input by 

State and local officials in the 

development of regulatory policies that 

have Federalism implications. On 

March 14, 2000, DOE published a 

statement of policy describing the 

intergovernmental consultation process 

it will follow in the development of 

such regulations. 65 FR 13735. DOE has 

examined this proposed rule and has 

determined that it would not have a 

substantial direct effect on the States, on 

the relationship between the national 

government and the States, or on the 

distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. EPCA governs and 

prescribes Federal preemption of State 

regulations as to energy conservation for 

the products that are the subject of 

today’s proposed rule. States can 

petition DOE for exemption from such 

preemption to the extent, and based on 

criteria, set forth in EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 

6297(d)) No further action is required by 

Executive Order 13132. 

H. Executive Order 12988 

With respect to the review of existing 

regulations and the promulgation of 

new regulations, section 3(a) of 

Executive Order 12988, ‘‘Civil Justice 

Reform,’’ 61 FR 4729 (Feb. 7, 1996), 

imposes on Federal agencies the general 

duty to adhere to the following 

requirements: (1) Eliminate drafting 

errors and ambiguity; (2) write 

regulations to minimize litigation; (3) 

provide a clear legal standard for 

affected conduct rather than a general 

standard; and (4) promote simplification 

and burden reduction. Section 3(b) of 

Executive Order 12988 specifically 

requires that Executive agencies make 


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every reasonable effort to ensure that the 

regulation: (1) Clearly specifies the 

preemptive effect, if any; (2) clearly 

specifies any effect on existing Federal 

law or regulation; (3) provides a clear 

legal standard for affected conduct 

while promoting simplification and 

burden reduction; (4) specifies the 

retroactive effect, if any; (5) adequately 

defines key terms; and (6) addresses 

other important issues affecting clarity 

and general draftsmanship under any 

guidelines issued by the Attorney 

General. Section 3(c) of Executive Order 

12988 requires Executive agencies to 

review regulations in light of applicable 

standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b) to 

determine whether they are met or it is 

unreasonable to meet one or more of 

them. DOE has completed the required 

review and determined that, to the 

extent permitted by law, the proposed 

rule meets the relevant standards of 

Executive Order 12988. 

I. Treasury and General Government 

Appropriations Act, 2001 

Section 515 of the Treasury and 

General Government Appropriations 

Act, 2001 (Pub. L. 106–554; 44 U.S.C. 

3516 note) provides for agencies to 

review most disseminations of 

information to the public under 

guidelines established by each agency 

pursuant to general guidelines issued by 

OMB. OMB’s guidelines were published 

at 67 FR 8452 (Feb. 22, 2002), and 

DOE’s guidelines were published at 67 

FR 62446 (Oct. 7, 2002). DOE has 

reviewed today’s proposed rule under 

the OMB and DOE guidelines and has 

concluded that it is consistent with 

applicable policies in those guidelines. 

J. Executive Order 13211 

Executive Order 13211, ‘‘Actions 

Concerning Regulations That 

Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 

Distribution, or Use,’’ 66 FR 28355 (May 

22, 2001), requires Federal agencies to 

prepare and submit to OMB, a 

Statement of Energy Effects for any 

proposed significant energy action. A 

‘‘significant energy action’’ is defined as 

any action by an agency that 

promulgated or is expected to lead to 

promulgation of a final rule, and that: 

(1) Is a significant regulatory action 

under Executive Order 12866, or any 

successor order; and (2) is likely to have 

a significant adverse effect on the 

supply, distribution, or use of energy; or 

(3) is designated by the Administrator of 

OIRA as a significant energy action. For 

any proposed significant energy action, 

the agency must give a detailed 

statement of any adverse effects on 

energy supply, distribution, or use 

should the proposal be implemented, 

and of reasonable alternatives to the 

action and their expected benefits on 

energy supply, distribution, and use. 

Today’s regulatory action to amend the 

test procedure for measuring the energy 

efficiency of fluorescent lamp ballasts is 

not a significant regulatory action under 

Executive Order 12866. Moreover, it 

would not have a significant adverse 

effect on the supply, distribution, or use 

of energy, nor has it been designated as 

a significant energy action by the 

Administrator of OIRA. Therefore, it is 

not a significant energy action, and, 

accordingly, DOE has not prepared a 

Statement of Energy Effects. 

K. Executive Order 12630 

Pursuant to Executive Order 12630, 

‘‘Governmental Actions and Interference 

with Constitutionally Protected Property 

Rights,’’ 53 FR 8859 (March 15, 1988), 

DOE has determined that this rule 

would not result in any takings that 

might require compensation under the 

Fifth Amendment to the United States 

Constitution. 

L. Section 32 of the Federal Energy 

Administration Act of 1974 

Under section 301 of the Department 

of Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. 95– 

91; 42 U.S.C. 7101), DOE must comply 

with section 32 of the Federal Energy 

Administration Act of 1974, as amended 

by the Federal Energy Administration 

Authorization Act of 1977. (15 U.S.C. 

788; FEAA) Section 32 essentially 

provides in relevant part that, where a 

proposed rule authorizes or requires use 

of commercial standards, the notice of 

proposed rulemaking must inform the 

public of the use and background of 

such standards. In addition, section 

32(c) requires DOE to consult with the 

Attorney General and the Chairman of 

the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 

concerning the impact of the 

commercial or industry standards on 

competition. The proposed rule 

incorporates testing methods contained 

in the following commercial standards: 

ANSI C82.2–2002, Method of 

Measurement of Fluorescent Lamp 

Ballasts. While today’s proposed test 

procedure is not exclusively based on 

ANSI C82.2–2002, one component of 

the test procedure, namely measurement 

of ballast factor, adopts a measurement 

technique from ANSI C82.2–2002 

without amendment. The Department 

has evaluated these standards and is 

unable to conclude whether they fully 

comply with the requirements of section 

32(b) of the FEAA, (i.e., that they were 

developed in a manner that fully 

provides for public participation, 

comment, and review). DOE will 

consult with the Attorney General and 

the Chairman of the FTC concerning the 

impact of these test procedures on 

competition, prior to prescribing a final 

rule. 

V. Public Participation 

A. Submission of Comments 

DOE will accept comments, data, and 

information regarding the proposed rule 

no later than the date provided at the 

beginning of this notice. Comments, 

data, and information submitted to 

DOE’s e-mail address for this 

rulemaking should be provided in 

WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or 

text (ASCII) file format. Interested 

parties should avoid the use of special 

characters or any form of encryption, 

and wherever possible, comments 

should include the electronic signature 

of the author. Comments, data, and 

information submitted to DOE via mail 

or hand delivery/courier should include 

one signed paper original. No 

telefacsimiles (faxes) will be accepted. 

According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 

person submitting information that he 

or she believes to be confidential and 

exempt by law from public disclosure 

should submit two copies: one copy of 

the document including all the 

information believed to be confidential, 

and one copy of the document with the 

information believed to be confidential 

deleted. DOE will make its own 

determination as to the confidential 

status of the information and treat it 

according to its determination. 

Factors of interest to DOE when 

evaluating requests to treat submitted 

information as confidential include: (1) 

A description of the items; (2) whether 

and why such items are customarily 

treated as confidential within the 

industry; (3) whether the information is 

generally known by or available from 

other sources; (4) whether the 

information has previously been made 

available to others without obligation 

concerning its confidentiality; (5) an 

explanation of the competitive injury to 

the submitting person which would 

result from public disclosure; (6) a date 

upon which such information might 

lose its confidential nature due to the 

passage of time; and (7) why disclosure 

of the information would be contrary to 

the public interest. 

B. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment 

DOE welcomes comments on all 

aspects of this rulemaking. See section 

I for further detail. In addition, DOE is 

particularly interested in receiving 

comments and views of interested 

parties concerning the following issues: 


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1. Impact of Ballast Output on Lamp 

Efficacy 

DOE seeks comment on the impact of 

lamp current crest factor, waveform, and 

lamp operating frequency on the 

efficacy of a fluorescent lamp. DOE also 

seeks comment on its decision to adjust 

the BLE of low-frequency ballasts by a 

factor of 0.9. See section III.C.2 for 

further detail. 

2. Ballast Factor Calculation 

DOE seeks comment on the proposed 

technique for calculating ballast factor 

and on the lamp arc powers empirically 

derived. DOE also seeks comment on 

how frequently reference lamp power 

(on a reference ballast) should be 

measured. See section III.D.4 for further 

detail. 

3. Impact of Reference Lamp Measured 

Power Variation on Ballast Factor 

DOE seeks comment on the impact of 

reference lamp measured power 

variation on the ballast factor 

calculation. See section III.D.4 for 

further detail. 

4. Laboratory Accreditation 

DOE seeks comment on the potential 

benefits and burden imposed as a result 

of requiring all certification and 

compliance data to be generated at a 

laboratory accredited by NVLAP or an 

organization recognized by NVLAP. See 

section III.H for further detail. 

VI. Approval of the Office of the 

Secretary 

The Secretary of Energy has approved 

publication of this proposed rule. 

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Confidential business 

information, Energy conservation, 

Household appliances, Imports, 

Incorporation by reference, 

Intergovernmental relations, Small 

businesses. 

Issued in Washington, DC on November 4, 

2010. 

Cathy Zoi, 

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy. 

For the reasons stated in the 

preamble, DOE is proposing to amend 

part 430 of Chapter II of Title 10, Code 

of Federal Regulations as set forth 

below: 

PART 430—ENERGY CONSERVATION 

PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER 

PRODUCTS 

1. The authority citation for part 430 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291–6309; 28 U.S.C. 

2461 note. 

2. Section 430.3 is amended by: 

a. Redesignating paragraphs: 

1. (c)(11) as (c)(14); 

2. (c)(6) through (c)(10) as (c)(7) 

through (c)(11); 

3. (c)(12) as (c)(13); 

4. (c)(13) as (c)(17); 

b. Adding the phrase ‘‘, Appendix Q1’’ 

before ‘‘and’’ in paragraph (c)(5) and in 

newly designated paragraph (c)(8); and 

adding the phrase ‘‘Appendix Q1 and’’ 

in newly designated paragraph (c)(14) 

before ‘‘Appendix’’; 

c. Revising newly designated 

paragraph (c)(13); and 

d. Adding new paragraphs (c)(6), 

(c)(12), (c)(15), and (c)(16). 

These revisions and additions read as 

follows: 

§ 430.3 Materials incorporated by 

reference. 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(6) ANSI C78.81–2010, Revision of 

ANSI C78.81–2005 (‘‘ANSI C78.81– 

2010’’), American National Standard for 

Electric Lamps—Double-Capped 

Fluorescent Lamps—Dimensional and 

Electrical Characteristics, approved 

January 14, 2010; IBR approved for 

Appendix Q and Appendix Q1 to 

subpart B. 

* * * * * 

(12) ANSI C82.1–2004, Revision of 

ANSI C82.1–1997 (‘‘ANSI C82.1’’), 

American National Standard for Lamp 

Ballast—Line-Frequency Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballast, approved November 19, 

2004; IBR approved for Appendix Q and 

Appendix Q1 to Subpart B. 

(13) ANSI C82.2–2002, Revision of 

ANSI C82.2–1994 (R1995), American 

National Standard for Lamp BallastsMethod of Measurement of Fluorescent 

Ballasts, Approved June 6, 2002, IBR 

approved for Appendix Q and 

Appendix Q1 to subpart B. 

* * * * * 

(15) ANSI C82.11–2002, Revision of 

ANSI C82.11–1993 (‘‘ANSI C82.11’’), 

American National Standard for Lamp 

Ballasts—High-frequency Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballasts, approved January 17, 

2002; IBR approved for Appendix Q and 

Appendix Q1 to subpart B. 

(16) ANSI C82.13–2002 (‘‘ANSI 

C82.13’’), American National Standard 

for Lamp Ballasts—Definitions for 

Fluorescent Lamps and Ballasts, 

approved July 23, 2002; IBR approved 

for Appendix Q and Appendix Q1 to 

subpart B. 

* * * * * 

3. Section 430.23 is amended by 

revising paragraph (q) to read as follows: 

§ 430.23 Test procedures for the 

measurement of energy and water 

consumption. 

* * * * * 

(q) Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts. (1) The 

Estimated Annual Energy Consumption 

(EAEC) for fluorescent lamp ballasts, 

expressed in kilowatt-hours per year, 

shall be the product of: 

(i) The input power in kilowatts as 

determined in accordance with section 

3.1.3.1 of appendix Q to this subpart 

before the compliance date of the 

amended standards for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts or section 6.2.6 of appendix Q1 

to this subpart beginning on the 

compliance date of the amended 

standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts; 

and 

(ii) The representative average use 

cycle of 1,000 hours per year, the 

resulting product then being rounded 

off to the nearest kilowatt-hour per year. 

(2) Ballast Efficacy Factor (BEF) shall 

be as determined in section 4.2 of 

appendix Q of this subpart before the 

compliance date of the amended 

standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts. 

Ballast luminous efficiency (BLE) shall 

be as determined in section 7.2 of 

appendix Q1 to this subpart beginning 

on the compliance date of the amended 

standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts. 

(3) The Estimated Annual Operating 

Cost (EAOC) for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts, expressed in dollars per year, 

shall be the product of: 

(i) The representative average unit 

energy cost of electricity in dollars per 

kilowatt-hour as provided by the 

Secretary, 

(ii) The representative average use 

cycle of 1,000 hours per year, and 

(iii) The input power in kilowatts as 

determined in accordance with section 

3.1.3.1 of appendix Q to this subpart 

before the compliance date of the 

amended standards for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts or section 6.2.6 of appendix Q1 

to this subpart beginning on the 

compliance date of the amended 

standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts, 

the resulting product then being 

rounded off to the nearest dollar per 

year. 

(4) Standby power consumption of 

certain fluorescent lamp ballasts shall 

be measured in accordance with section 

3.2 of appendix Q to this subpart. 

* * * * * 

4. Section 430.25 is revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 430.25 Laboratory Accreditation 

Program. 

The testing for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts shall be performed in 

accordance with Appendix Q1 to this 

subpart. The testing for general service 


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fluorescent lamps, general service 

incandescent lamps, and incandescent 

reflector lamps shall be performed in 

accordance with Appendix R to this 

subpart. The testing for medium base 

compact fluorescent lamps shall be 

performed in accordance with 

Appendix W of this subpart. This 

testing shall be conducted by test 

laboratories accredited by the National 

Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation 

Program (NVLAP) or by an accrediting 

organization recognized by NVLAP. 

NVLAP is a program of the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, 

U.S. Department of Commerce. NVLAP 

standards for accreditation of 

laboratories that test for compliance 

with standards for fluorescent lamp 

ballast ballast luminous efficiency 

(BLE), fluorescent lamp efficacy, and 

fluorescent lamp CRI are set forth in 15 

CFR part 285. A manufacturer’s or 

importer’s own laboratory, if accredited, 

may conduct the applicable testing. 

5. Appendix Q to subpart B of part 

430 is amended by: 

a. Adding an introductory paragraph 

after the Appendix heading. 

b. Revising sections 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 

and 2. 

c. Redesignating sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 

3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.4, 3.4.1, and 3.4.2 as 

sections 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.3.1, 

3.1.3.2, 3.1.3.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.4.1, and 

3.1.4.2, respectively. 

d. Revising newly redesignated 

sections 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3.1, 3.1.3.2, 

3.1.3.3, 3.1.4.1, and 3.1.4.2. 

e. Redesignating sections 3.5, 3.5.1, 

3.5.2, 3.5.3, 3.5.3.1, 3.5.3.2, 3.5.3.3, and 

3.5.3.4 as sections 3.2, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 

3.2.4.1, 3.2.4.2, 3.2.4.3, and 3.2.4.4, 

respectively. 

f. Adding sections 3.1 and 3.2.1. 

g. Revising section 4. 

These revisions and additions read as 

follows: 

Appendix Q to Subpart B of Part 430— 

Uniform Test Method for Measuring the 

Energy Consumption of Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballasts 

Appendix Q is effective until the 

compliance date of the amended standards 

for fluorescent lamp ballasts. After this date, 

all fluorescent lamp ballasts shall be tested 

using the provisions of Appendix Q1. 

* * * * * 

1.15 Power Factor means the power input 

divided by the product of ballast input 

voltage and input current of a fluorescent 

lamp ballast, as measured under test 

conditions specified in ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). 

1.16 Power input means the power 

consumption in watts of a ballast of a 

fluorescent lamp or lamps, as determined in 

accordance with the test procedures specified 

in ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

1.17 Relative light output means the light 

output delivered through the use of a ballast 

divided by the light output of a reference 

ballast, expressed as a percent, as determined 

in accordance with the test procedures 

specified in ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3). 

* * * * * 

2. Test Conditions. 

2.1 Measurement of Active Mode Energy 

Consumption, BEF. The test conditions for 

testing fluorescent lamp ballasts shall be 

done in accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). Any 

subsequent amendment to this standard by 

the standard setting organization will not 

affect the DOE test procedures unless and 

until amended by DOE. The test conditions 

for measuring active mode energy 

consumption are described in sections 4, 5, 

and 6 of ANSI C82.2–2002. The test 

conditions described in this section (2.1) are 

applicable to section 3.1 of section 3, Test 

Method and Measurements. 

2.2 Measurement of Standby Mode 

Power. The measurement of standby mode 

power need not be performed to determine 

compliance with energy conservation 

standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts at this 

time. This and the previous statement will be 

removed as part of a rulemaking to amend 

the energy conservation standards for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts to account for 

standby mode energy consumption, and the 

following shall apply on the compliance date 

for such requirements. 

The test conditions for testing fluorescent 

lamp ballasts shall be done in accordance 

with ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). Any subsequent 

amendment to this standard by the standard 

setting organization will not affect the DOE 

test procedures unless and until amended by 

DOE. The test conditions for measuring 

standby power are described in sections 5, 7, 

and 8 of ANSI C82.2–2002. Fluorescent lamp 

ballasts that are capable of connections to 

control devices shall be tested with all 

commercially available compatible control 

devices connected in all possible 

configurations. For each configuration, a 

separate measurement of standby power shall 

be made in accordance with section 3.2 of the 

test procedure. 

3. * * * 

3.1 Active Mode Energy Efficiency 

Measurement 

3.1.1 The test method for testing the 

active mode energy efficiency of fluorescent 

lamp ballasts shall be done in accordance 

with ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). Where ANSI C82.2– 

2002 references ANSI C82.1–1997, the 

operator shall use ANSI C82.1–2004 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) for 

testing low-frequency ballasts and ANSI 

C82.11–2002 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3) for high-frequency ballasts. 

3.1.2 Instrumentation. The 

instrumentation shall be as specified by 

sections 5, 7, 8, and 15 of ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). 

* * * * * 

3.1.3.1 Input Power. Measure the input 

power (watts) to the ballast in accordance 

with ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3), section 4. 

3.1.3.2 Input Voltage. Measure the input 

voltage (volts) (RMS) to the ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

section 3.2.1 and section 4. 

3.1.3.3 Input Current. Measure the input 

current (amps) (RMS) to the ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

section 3.2.1 and section 4. 

* * * * * 

3.1.4.1 Measure the light output of the 

reference lamp with the reference ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

section 12. 

3.1.4.2 Measure the light output of the 

reference lamp with the test ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

section 12. 

* * * * * 

3.2.1 The test for measuring standby 

mode energy consumption of fluorescent 

lamp ballasts shall be done in accordance 

with ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

* * * * * 

4. Calculations. 

4.1 Calculate relative light output: 

Where: 

Photocell output of lamp on test ballast is 

determined in accordance with section 

3.1.4.2, expressed in watts, and photocell 

output of lamp on ref. ballast is 

determined in accordance with section 

3.1.4.1, expressed in watts. 

4.2 Determine the Ballast Efficacy Factor 

(BEF) using the following equations: 

(a) Single lamp ballast 

(b) Multiple lamp ballast 


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Where: 

Input power is determined in accordance 

with section 3.1.3.1, 

Relative light output as defined in section 

4.1, and 

Average relative light output is the relative 

light output, as defined in section 4.1, for 

all lamps, divided by the total number of 

lamps. 

4.3 Determine Ballast Power Factor (PF): 

Where: 

Input power is as defined in section 3.1.3.1, 

Input voltage is determined in accordance 

with section 3.1.3.2, expressed in volts, 

and 

Input current is determined in accordance 

with section 3.1.3.3, expressed in amps. 

6. Appendix Q1 is added to subpart 

B of part 430 to read as follows: 

Appendix Q1 to Subpart B of Part 430— 

Uniform Test Method for Measuring the 

Energy Consumption of Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballasts 

Appendix Q1 is effective on the 

compliance date of the amended standards 

for fluorescent lamp ballasts. Prior to this 

date, all fluorescent lamp ballasts shall be 

tested using the provisions of Appendix Q. 

1. Where ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3) references ANSI 

C82.1–1997, the operator shall use ANSI 

C82.1–2004 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3) for testing low-frequency ballasts 

and shall use ANSI C82.11–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) for 

high-frequency ballasts. 

2. Definitions 

2.1. Cathode heating refers to power 

delivered to the lamp by the ballast for the 

purpose of raising the temperature of the 

lamp electrode or filament. 

2.2. Commercial ballast is a fluorescent 

lamp ballast that is not a residential ballast 

as defined in section 2.9 and meets technical 

standards for non-consumer RF lighting 

devices as specified in subpart C of 47 CFR 

part 18. 

2.3. High-frequency ballast is as defined in 

ANSI C82.13–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

2.4. Instant-start is the starting method 

used instant-start systems as defined in ANSI 

C82.13–2002 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3). 

2.5. Low-frequency ballast is a fluorescent 

lamp ballast that operates at a supply 

frequency of 50 to 60 Hz and operates the 

lamp at the same frequency as the supply. 

2.6. Programmed-start is the starting 

method used in programmed-start systems as 

defined in ANSI C82.13–2002 (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3). 

2.7. Rapid-start is the starting method used 

in rapid-start type systems as defined in 

ANSI C82.13–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

2.8. Reference lamp is a fluorescent lamp 

that meets certain operating conditions as 

defined by ANSI C82.13–2002 (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3). 

2.9. Residential ballast is a fluorescent 

lamp ballast designed and labeled for use in 

residential applications. Residential ballasts 

must meet the technical standards for 

consumer RF lighting devices as specified in 

subpart C of 47 CFR part 18. 

2.10. RMS is the root mean square of a 

varying quantity. 

3. Instruments 

3.1. All instruments shall be as specified 

by ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). 

3.2. Power Analyzer. In addition to the 

specifications in ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), the 

power analyzer shall have a maximum 100 

pF capacitance to ground and frequency 

response between 40 Hz and 1 MHz. 

3.3. Current Probe. In addition to the 

specifications in ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), the 

current probe shall be galvanically isolated 

and have frequency response between 40 Hz 

and 20 MHz. 

4. Test Setup 

4.1. The ballast shall be connected to a 

main power source and to the fluorescent 

lamp load according to the manufacturer’s 

wiring instructions and ANSI C82.1–2004 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) and 

C78.81–2010 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3). 

4.1.1. Wire lengths between the ballast and 

fluorescent lamp shall be the length provided 

by the ballast manufacturer. Wires shall be 

kept loose and not shortened or bundled. 

4.1.1.1. If the wire lengths supplied with 

the ballast are of insufficient length to reach 

both ends of lamp, additional wire may be 

added. The minimal additional wire length 

necessary shall be added, and the additional 

wire shall be the same wire gauge as the wire 

supplied with the ballast. If no wiring is 

provided with the ballast, 18 gauge or thicker 

wire shall be used. The wires shall be 

separated from each other and ground to 

prevent parasitic capacitance for all wires 

used in the apparatus, including those wires 

from the ballast to the lamps and from the 

lamps to the measuring devices. 

4.1.2. The fluorescent lamp shall meet the 

specifications of a reference lamp as defined 

by ANSI C82.13–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3) and be seasoned at 

least 12 hours. 

4.2. The ballast shall be connected to the 

number of lamps equal to the maximum 

number of lamps the ballast is designed to 

operate. 

4.3. The ballast shall be tested with a 

reference lamp of the nominal wattage listed 

in Table A. 

TABLE A—LAMP-AND-BALLAST PAIRINGS & REFERENCE LAMP ARC POWER

Ballast type 

Nominal 

lamp 

wattage 

Lamp 

diameter and 

base 

Reference lamp arc 

power 

Low 

frequency 

High 

frequency 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, four, five, or six straight-shaped lamps (commonly 

referred to as 4-foot medium bipin lamps) with medium bipin bases, a nominal overall 

length of 48 inches, a rated wattage of 25 W or more, and an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

32 T8 MBP 30.8 29 

34 T12 MBP 32 29.81 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, four, five, or six U-shaped lamps (commonly referred to as 2-foot U-shaped lamps) with medium bipin bases, a nominal overall 

length between 22 and 25 inches, a rated wattage of 25 W or more, and an input 

voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

32 T8 MBP 30.8 29 

34 T12 MBP 32 29.81 

Ballasts that operate one or two rapid-start lamps (commonly referred to as 8-foot high 

output lamps) with recessed double contact bases, a nominal overall length of 96 

inches and an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

86 T8 HO RDC N/A 86 

95 T12 HO RDC 90 84.88 

Ballasts that operate one or two instant-start lamps (commonly referred to as 8-foot 

slimline lamps) with single pin bases, a nominal overall length of 96 inches, a rated 

wattage of 52 W or more, and an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

59 T8 slimline 

SP 

60.1 57 

60 T12 slimline 

SP 

60.5 56.91 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1EP24NO10.392</MATH> EP24NO10.393</MATH>
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71593 

TABLE A—LAMP-AND-BALLAST PAIRINGS & REFERENCE LAMP ARC POWER—Continued 

Ballast type 

Nominal 

lamp 

wattage 

Lamp 

diameter and 

base 

Reference lamp arc 

power 

Low 

frequency 

High 

frequency 

Ballasts that operate one or two straight-shaped lamps (commonly referred to as 4-foot 

miniature bipin standard output lamps) with miniature bipin bases, a nominal length 

between 45 and 48 inches, a rated wattage of 26 W or more, and an input voltage at 

or between 120 V and 277 V.

28 T5 SO MiniBP N/A 27.8 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, or four straight-shaped lamps (commonly referred 

to as 4-foot miniature bipin high output lamps) with miniature bipin bases, a nominal 

length between 45 and 48 inches, a rated wattage of 49 W or more, and an input 

voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V.

54 T5 HO MiniBP N/A 53.8 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, or four straight-shaped lamps (commonly referred 

to as 4-foot medium bipin lamps) with medium bipin bases, a nominal overall length 

of 48 inches, a rated wattage of 25 W or more, an input voltage at or between 120 V 

and 277 V, a power factor of less than 0.90, and that are designed and labeled for 

use in residential applications.

32 T8 MBP 30.8 29 

34 T12 MBP 32 29.81 

Ballasts that operate one, two, three, four, five, or six rapid-start lamps (commonly referred to as 8-foot high output lamps) with recessed double contact bases, a nominal 

overall length of 96 inches, an input voltage at or between 120 V and 277 V, and that 

operate at ambient temperatures of 20 °F or less and are used in outdoor signs.

86 T8 HO RDC N/A 86 

110 T12 HO RDC 106 100.03 

MBP, Mini-BP, RDC, and SP represent medium bipin, miniature bipin, recessed double 

contact, and single pin, respectively..

4.4. Power Analyzer 

4.4.1. The power analyzer shall have n + 

1 channels where n is the number of lamps 

a ballast operates. 

4.4.2. Lamp Arc Voltage. Leads from the 

power analyzer should attach to each 

fluorescent lamp according to Figure 1 for 

rapid- and programmed-start ballasts, Figure 

2 for instant-start ballasts operating single 

pin (SP) lamps, and Figure 3 for instant-start 

ballasts operating medium bipin (MBP), 

miniature bipin (mini-BP), or recessed 

double contact (RDC) lamps. The 

programmed- and rapid-start ballast test 

setup includes two 1000 ohm resistors placed 

in parallel with the lamp pins to create a 

midpoint from which to measure lamp arc 

voltage. 

4.4.3. Lamp Arc Current. A current probe 

shall be positioned on each fluorescent lamp 

according to Figure 1 for rapid- and 

programmed-start ballasts, Figure 2 for 

instant-start ballasts operating SP lamps, and 

Figure 3 for instant-start ballasts operating 

MBP, mini-BP, and RDC lamps. 

4.4.3.1. For the lamp arc current 

measurement, the full transducer ratio shall 

be set in the power analyzer to match the 

current probe to the power analyzer. 

Where: 

Iin Current through the current transducer 

Vout Voltage out of the transducer 

Rin Power analyzer impedance 

Rs Current probe output impedance 


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71594 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1EP24NO10.383</GPH> EP24NO10.384</GPH>
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 71595 

5. Test Conditions 

5.1. The test conditions for testing 

fluorescent lamp ballasts shall be done in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). DOE 

further specifies that the following revisions 

of the normative references indicated in 

ANSI C82.2–2002) should be used in place of 

the references directly specified in ANSI 

C82.2–2002: ANSI C78.81–2010 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), ANSI 

C82.1–2004 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3), ANSI C82.3–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3), ANSI C82.11–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), and 

ANSI C82.13–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3). All other normative 

references shall be as specified in ANSI 

C82.2–2002. 

5.2. Room Temperature and Air 

Circulation. The test facility shall be held at 

25 ± 2°C, with minimal air movement as 

defined in ANSI C78.375–1997 (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3). 

5.3. Input Voltage. The directions in ANSI 

C82.2–2002 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3) section 4.1 should be ignored with 

the following directions for input voltage 

used instead. For commercial ballasts 

capable of operating at multiple voltages, the 

ballast shall be tested 277V ± 0.1%. For 

ballasts designed and labeled for residential 

applications and capable or operating at 

multiple voltages, the ballast shall be tested 

at 120V ± 0.1%. For ballasts designed and 

labeled as cold-temperature outdoor sign 

ballasts and capable of operating at multiple 

voltages, the ballast shall be tested at 120V 

± 0.1%. Ballasts capable of operating at only 

one input voltage shall be tested at that 

specified voltage. 

6. Test Method 

6.1. Ballast Factor 

6.1.1. Reference ballast lamp arc power 

shall be measured with a reference ballast at 

the same frequency as the test ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C78.375–1997 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), ANSI 

C78.81–2010 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3), and ANSI C82.3–2002 (incorporated 

by reference; see § 430.3). Total reference 

ballast lamp arc power shall be equal to the 

sum of the reference ballast lamp arc powers 

of all the reference lamps used with the test 

ballast. Reference ballast lamp arc power 

shall be measured once every 24 hours. 

6.1.1.1. If the reference ballast 

characteristics are not specified in ANSI 

C78.81–2010 (incorporated by reference; see 

§ 430.3), then the reference ballast lamp arc 

power shall be equal to the reference lamp 

power value listed in Table A times the 

maximum number of lamps the ballast is 

designed to operate. The reference lamp 

power selected from Table A should be at the 

same frequency as the test ballast. 

6.2. Ballast Luminous Efficiency. 

6.2.1. The ballast shall be connected the 

appropriate fluorescent lamps and to 

measurement instrumentation as indicated 

by the Test Setup in section 4. 

6.2.2. The ballast shall be operated for at 

least 15 minutes but no longer than 1 hour 

until stable operating conditions are reached. 

After this condition is reached, concurrently 

measure the parameters described in sections 

6.2.3 through 6.2.9. 

6.2.2.1. Stable operating conditions are 

determined by measuring lamp arc voltage, 

current, and power once per second in 

accordance with the setup described in 

section 4. Once the difference between the 

maximum and minimum values for lamp arc 

voltage, current, and power do not exceed 

one percent over a four minute moving 

window, the system shall be considered 

stable. 

6.2.3. Lamp Arc Voltage. Measure lamp arc 

voltage (volts) using the setup described in 

section 4.4.2. 

6.2.4. Lamp Arc Current. Measure lamp arc 

current (amps) using the setup described in 

section 4.4.3. 

6.2.5. Lamp Arc Power. The power 

analyzer shall calculate output power by 

using the measurements described in section 

6.2.3 and 6.2.4. 

6.2.6. Input Power. Measure the input 

power (watts) to the ballast in accordance 

with ANSI C82.2–2002 (incorporated by 

reference; see § 430.3), section 7. 

6.2.7. Input Voltage. Measure the input 

voltage (volts) (RMS) to the ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

section 3.2.1 and section 4. 

6.2.8. Input Current. Measure the input 

current (amps) (RMS) to the ballast in 

accordance with ANSI C82.2–2002 

(incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), 

section 3.2.1 and section 4. 

6.2.9. Lamp Operating Frequency. Measure 

the frequency of the waveform delivered 

from the ballast to any lamp in accordance 

with the setup in section 4. 

7. Calculations 

7.1. Calculate ballast factor (BF): 

Where: 

Total test ballast lamp arc power is the sum 

of the lamp arc powers for all lamps 

operated by the ballast as determined in 

accordance with section 6.2.5, expressed 

in watts, and total reference ballast lamp 

arc power is determined in accordance 

with section 6.1.1, expressed in watts. 

7.2. Calculate ballast luminous efficiency 

(BLE). 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with PROPOSALS-1EP24NO10.385</GPH> EP24NO10.386</GPH>
71596 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

Where: 

Total Lamp Arc Power is the sum of the lamp 

arc powers for all lamps operated by the 

ballast as determined by section 6.2.5, 

ballast input power is as determined by 

section 6.2.6, and b is equal to 1.0 for 

high-frequency ballasts and 0.9 for lowfrequency ballasts. 

7.3. Calculate Power Factor (PF). 

Where: 

Ballast input power is determined in 

accordance with section 6.2.6, input 

voltage is determined in accordance with 

section 6.2.7, and input current in 

determined in accordance with section 

6.2.8. 

[FR Doc. 2010–28793 Filed 11–23–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 431 

[Docket No. EERE–2010–BT–TP–0034] 

RIN 1904–AC40 

Energy Efficiency Program for Certain 

Commercial and Industrial Equipment: 

Test Procedures for Commercial 

Refrigeration Equipment 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

and public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) proposes amendments to 

its test procedure for commercial 

refrigeration equipment (CRE). The 

amendments would update the 

referenced industry test procedures to 

the most current version, incorporate 

methods to evaluate the energy impacts 

resulting from the use of night curtains 

and lighting occupancy sensors, and 

allow testing of certain commercial 

refrigerators at their lowest application 

product temperature. These test 

procedures will apply to commercial 

refrigerators, freezers, and refrigeratorfreezers, as defined in the Energy Policy 

and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), 

as amended. Use of any amended test 

procedures will be required on the 

compliance date of any standards 

developed in the associated energy 

conservation standard rulemaking. DOE 

will hold a public meeting to receive 

and discuss comments on the proposal. 

DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting 

in Washington, DC on Thursday, 

January 6, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Additionally, DOE plans to conduct the 

public meeting via webinar. DOE will 

accept comments, data, and other 

information regarding this notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NOPR) before or 

after the public meeting, but no later 

than January 24, 2011. See section V, 

‘‘Public Participation,’’ of this NOPR for 

details. 

You can attend the public meeting via 

webinar, and registration information, 

participant instructions, and 

information about the capabilities 

available to webinar participants will be 

published on the following Web site: 

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/ 

638471849. Participants are responsible 

for ensuring their systems are 

compatible with the webinar software. 

The purpose of the meeting is to 

receive comments and to help DOE 

understand potential issues associated 

with this proposed rulemaking. DOE 

must receive requests to speak at the 

meeting before 4 p.m., Thursday, 

December 22, 2010. DOE must receive a 

signed original and an electronic copy 

of statements to be given at the public 

meeting before 4 p.m., Thursday, 

December 29, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be 

held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 

Forrestal Building, Room 1E–245, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Please 

note that foreign nationals planning to 

participate in the public meeting are 

subject to advance security screening 

procedures which require advance 

notice of 30 days prior to attendance of 

the public meeting. If a foreign national 

wishes to participate in the public 

meeting, please inform DOE of this fact 

as soon as possible by contacting Ms. 

Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945 so 

that the necessary procedures can be 

completed. 

Interested parties may submit 

comments, identified by docket number 

EERE–2010–BT–TP–0034 or Regulation 

Identifier Number (RIN) 1904–AC40, by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• E-mail: CRE–2010–TP– 

0034@ee.doe.gov. Include the docket 

number EERE–2010–BT–TP–0034 and/ 

or RIN 1904–AC40 in the subject line of 

the message. 

• Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, 

U.S. Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

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, 6th 

Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: 

(202) 586–2945. Please submit one 

signed paper original. 

Written comments regarding the 

burden-hour estimates or other aspects 

of the collection-of-information 

requirements contained in this proposed 

rule may be submitted to Office of 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy through the methods listed 

above and by e-mail to 

Christine_J._Kymn@omb.eop.gov. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the docket number or RIN for 

this rulemaking. For detailed 

instructions on submitting comments 

and additional information on the 

rulemaking process, see section V, 

‘‘Public Participation,’’ of this document. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, visit the U.S. 

Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 

20024, (202) 586–2945, between 9 a.m. 

and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. Please call Ms. 

Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945 for 

additional information regarding 

visiting the Resource Room. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Charles Llenza, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Building 

Technologies, EE–2J, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. 

Telephone: (202) 586–2192, 

Charles_Llenza@ee.doe.gov. In the 

Office of General Council contact Mr. 


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