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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 35 (Thursday, February 21, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12054-12056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03959]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0500; FRL 9527-5]

Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Residential 
Sector (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in 
the Residential Sector'' (EPA ICR No. 2193.03, OMB Control No. 2060-
0586),

[[Page 12055]]

to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 
This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved 
through February 28, 2013. Public comments were previously requested 
via the Federal Register (77 FR 50495) on August 21, 2012 during a 60-
day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for 
public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, 
including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An Agency may 
not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before March 25, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OAR-2004-0500, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email 
to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer 
for EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Ng, Energy Star Residential 
Branch, Mailcode 6202J, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
343-9162; fax number: (202) 343-2200; email address: ng.brian@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Supporting documents which explain in detail the information that 
the EPA will be collecting are available in the public docket for this 
ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in 
person at the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 
202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, 
visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: EPA first developed energy efficiency guidelines for new 
homes in 1995. ENERGY STAR's existing homes effort was rolled out in 
2000 to promote cost-effective upgrades in the existing homes market. 
Both of these efforts promote cost effective, whole house energy 
efficiency improvements that are independently verified by third 
parties. Through 2011 there have been more than 1.3 million ENERGY STAR 
certified new homes built in the U.S., and more than 50,000 existing 
homes have been improved through the whole house retrofit program, Home 
Performance with ENERGY STAR.
    Since participation in the ENERGY STAR program is voluntary, 
organizations are not required to submit information to EPA. 
Information received is not of a confidential nature. EPA has developed 
this ICR to obtain authorization to collect information for the 
following activities:
    Joining the ENERGY STAR Program and Related Activities: An 
organization interested in joining ENERGY STAR as a partner is asked to 
submit a partnership agreement establishing its commitment to ENERGY 
STAR. Partners agree to undertake efforts such as educating their staff 
and the public about their partnership with ENERGY STAR, developing and 
implementing a plan to improve energy performance in homes, and 
highlighting achievements utilizing the ENERGY STAR label.
    Verification of ENERGY STAR Guidelines: The purpose of the 
verification process is to ensure the quality of home construction and 
improvements with respect to ENERGY STAR guidelines. Under ENERGY 
STAR's Certified Homes program, verification of a home's energy 
efficiency occurs when site-built home builders or plants producing 
manufactured and modular homes want to apply the ENERGY STAR label on 
homes. The verification process involves the home builder, the 
verification organization (Home Energy Rating Providers and Home Energy 
Raters), and the Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) contractor. 
These organizations complete four checklists as part of the 
verification process. In addition, plants producing manufactured and 
modular homes must undergo a certification process to ensure that they 
consistently produce and install homes that meet ENERGY STAR 
guidelines. Under ENERGY STAR's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, 
program sponsors promote a program of whole house, science-based 
improvements to existing homes. Sponsors oversee contractors who carry 
out the improvements, perform tests, and report the results to the 
sponsors. Under ENERGY STAR's HVAC Quality Installation program, 
sponsors promote the installation of HVAC systems in new and existing 
homes to meet ENERGY STAR guidelines. Sponsors oversee contractors who 
perform the installations, perform tests, and report the results to the 
sponsors. Sponsors submit quarterly reports to EPA on these activities.
    Evaluation: Partners and other program participants are asked to 
periodically submit information to EPA as needed to assist in 
evaluating ENERGY STAR's effectiveness in helping organizations promote 
energy efficiency in homes, to assess partners' level of interest and 
ability in promoting ENERGY STAR in the residential sector, and to 
determine the impact that ENERGY STAR has on residential energy use and 
the supply and demand for energy-efficient homes and home improvement 
products and services. In addition, EPA offers online tools, such as 
the Home Energy Yardstick and Home Energy Advisor, for homeowners to 
learn about and improve their homes' energy efficiency.
    Periodic Reporting: Some partners are asked to submit information 
to EPA periodically to assist EPA in tracking and measuring progress in 
building and promoting ENERGY STAR certified homes and installing and 
promoting energy-efficient improvements.
    ENERGY STAR Awards: Each year, partners are eligible for an ENERGY 
STAR award, which recognizes organizations demonstrating outstanding 
support in promoting ENERGY STAR. An application is submitted to EPA by 
interested partners.
    Outreach Partnership: Partners have the option of participating in 
an outreach partnership, whereby partners jointly contribute resources 
to the distribution of a public outreach and education campaign about 
ENERGY STAR certified homes.
    Form Numbers:
     Partnership Letter for Home Builders, Architects & Home 
Plan Designers, Home Energy Raters & Providers (5900-188)
     Partnership Agreement for EEPS (5900-33)
     Commitment Form for EEPS (5900-272)
     Partnership Agreement for Lenders (5900-08)
     Partnership Agreement for HVAC QI Sponsor (5900-183)
     Partnership Agreement for Home Performance with ENERGY 
STAR Sponsor (5900-17)
     Implementation Plan for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR 
Sponsor (5900-186)

[[Page 12056]]

     Commitment Form for Outreach Partnership (5900-06)
     Water Management Checklist (5900-178)
     Thermal Enclosure Checklist (5900-176)
     Multifamily High Rise Developer Participation Agreement 
(5900-267)
     Multifamily High Rise Project Application (5900-266)
     Multifamily High Rise Testing & Verification Worksheet 
(5900-269)
     Multifamily High Rise Submittal Validation Form (5900-270)
     Multifamily High Rise Performance Path Calculator (5900-
268)
     Modular Home Completion Report (5900-189)
     Manufactured Home Completion Report (5900-172)
     Modular Plant Qualification Form (5900-194)
     HVAC QI Rater Checklist (5900-271)
     HVAC Contractor Checklist (5900-175)
     Commissioning Report (5900-180)
     HIP Profile (5900-179)
     Energy Use Authorization Form (5900-184)
    Respondents/affected entities: Home builders, modular and 
manufactured home manufacturing plants, developers, verification 
organizations, oversight organizations, lenders, energy efficiency 
program sponsors (e.g., national, regional, state, or local government 
entities, utilities), architects, home plan designers, retailers, 
contractors, and homeowners.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 132,000 (total).
    Frequency of response: Once, quarterly, annually, and occasionally.
    Total estimated burden: 183,967 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b)
    Total estimated cost: $13,553,809 (per year). This includes an 
estimated cost of $13,553,209 for labor and $600 for capital 
investment, operation and maintenance.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 3,009 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This includes a 112,566-hour increase due to program 
changes and a 109,557-hour decrease due to adjustments. The 112,566-
hour increase due to program changes resulted primarily from EPA's new, 
more rigorous guidelines for new homes looking to earn the ENERGY STAR. 
The 109,557-hour decrease due to adjustments resulted primarily from 
updated and improved data and analysis.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-03959 Filed 2-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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