## 54FR15986

15986 Federal Register / Vol. 54, No. 75 / Thursday, April 20, 1989 / Notices

Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products

, Petition for Waterer of Furnace Test Procedures From the Trane Co. (F-017)

ACLENCY: Conservation and Renewable Energy Office, Department of Energy. test procedures to measure the energy consumption of certain consumer products, including furnaces. The intent of the test procedures is to provide a comparable measure of energy consumption that will assist consumers in making purchasing decisions. These test procedures appear at 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B. DOE has amended the prescribed test acnoN: ot ce. procedures by adding 10 CFR 430.27 on
SUMMARY: Today's notice publishes a "Petition for Waiver" from The Trane Company (Trane), Tyler, Texas, requesting a waiver from the existing Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for furnaces. In addition, today' s notice publishes the granting of Trane's application for an Interim
Waiver. Trane manufactures residential heating appliances. The petition requests DOE to grant relief from the DOE test procedure relating to the blower time delay specification forTrane's condensing furnaces TUC(-) upflow models and TDC() down-flow models. Trane seeks to test using a blower delay time of 30 seconds instead of the specified 1.5 minute delaybetween burner on-time and blower ontime . DOE is soliciting comments, data and information respecting the petition.

DATE : DOE will accept comments, data and information not later than May 22,
1989.
ADDRESS : Written comments and statements shall be sent to: Department of Energy, Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy, Case No. F-107, Mail Stop CE-132, Forrestal Building. 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Michael J. McCabe, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy, Mail Station CE-132, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independenc Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 2058;.- (2021 586-X9127. Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General Counsel, Mail Station GC-12, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-
9507.

Background
The Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products (other than automobiles) was established pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), Pub. L. 94-163 , 89 Stet, 917,
as amended by the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NEECA), Pub. L. 95-619, 92 Stat 3266, and the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA), Pub. L 100-12, which requires DOE to prescribe standardized

N i
September 26, 1980 , creating the waiver

process , 45 FR 64108. DOE further amended the Department's appliance
test procedure waiver process to allow the Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy to grant an interim waiver from test procedure requirements to manufacturers that have petitioned DOE for $ waiver of such prescribed test procedures. 51 FR 42823,
November 28,1986. The waiver process allows the Assistant Secretary f?r Conservation and Renewable Energy to waive temporarily test procedures for a particular basic model when a petitioner shows that the basic model contains one or more design characteristics which prevent testing according to the prescribed test procedures or when the
basic model contains one or more design characteristics which prevent testing according to the prescribed test procedures or when the prescribed test procedures may evaluate the basic model in a manner so unrepresentative of its true energy consumption as to provide materially inaccurate comparative data. Waivers generally remain in effect until final test procedure amendments become effective, resolving the problem that is the subject of a waiver. The interim waiver provisions, added by the 1986 amendment, allow the Assistant Secretary to grant an interim waiver when it is determined that the applicant will experience economic hardship if the Application for Interim Waiver is denied, it if appears likely that the petition for waiver will be granted and/or the Assistant Secretary determined that it would be desirable for public policy reasons to grant immediate relief pending a determination on the petition for waiver. Trane's petition seeks a waiver from the DOE test provisions that require a
1.5 minute time delay between the ignition of the burner and starting of the circulating air blower. Instead, Trane requests the allowance to test using a 30 second blower time delay when testing its condensing furnaces models TUC(-) and TDC(-). Trane states that the 30 second delay is indicative of how these condensing furnaces actually operate.

Such a delay results in an energy

## 54FR15986

Federal Register / Vol. 54, No. 75 / Thursday, April 20, 1989 / Notices 15987

savings of approximately 1.8 percent. Since current DOE test procedures do not address this variable blower time delay, Trane asks that the waiver be granted. The Department finds that it would be desirable for public policy reasons to grant Trane's Application for Interim Wavier. Specifically, in those instances where DOE has granted a waiver for a similar product design, it is in the public Interest to have similar products tested and rated for energy consumption on a comparable basis. Previous waivers for this type of timed blower delay control have been granted to the Coleman Company, the Magic Chef Company and the Rheem Manufacturing Company. 50 FR, 2710, January 18, 1985, 50 FR 41553, October 11, 1985, and 53 FR 48574, December 1, 1988, respectively. 

### Therefore, Trane's Application for an - Interim Waiver requesting relief from the DOE test procedures for its condensing furnace models TIC(-) and TDC(-) is granted. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of 10 CFR 430.27, DOE is hereby publishing the "Petition for Waiver" in its entirety. The petition contains no confidential information. DOE solicits comments, data, and information respecting the petition. In addition, pursuant to paragraph (e) of section 430.27 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the following letter granting the Application for Interim Waiver was issued to The Trane Company.

Issued in Washington, DC, April 12,1989. John R. Berg, Assistant Secretary. Conservation and Renewable Energy.

IFR Doc. 89-9542 Filed 4-19-89 ; 8:45 am)

S1WNG CODE 6450

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