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This is a draft document and does not represent a definitive view of the agency on the questions addressed

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This and other guidance documents are accessible on the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/guidance/default.aspx?pid=2&spid=1

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Guidance Type: Test Procedures Category: Residential Products
Product: Refrigerators , refrigerator

- freezers, and f reezers Guidance Version: DRAFT
Issued: July 29, 2014
Comment Period Ends: August 28, 2014

The following is a draft U.S. Department of Energy ( “ DOE ” or “ the Department ” ) guidance document regarding the test procedure for refrigerators, refrigerator

- freezers, and freezers (refrigeration products). This draft guidance document represents the Department’s interpretation of its existing regulations and is exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. Se e 5 U.S.C. § 553(b)(A). Nonetheless, the Department is accepting comments and suggestions from the public until August 28, 2014 . Comments and suggestions should be provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text file format by sending an email to RefrigeratorFreezerGuidance2014GUID0028@ee.doe.gov

. Please also
include the docket number EERE

- 2014

- BT

- GUID

- 0028 . At the end of the comment period, this draft guidance document may be a dopted, revised, or withdrawn.

Q: When testing using section 3.3 of the a ppendix A test procedure for refrigerators and refrigerator

freezers

, which allow s the use of three tests to determine the energy use of a basic model through “triangulation,” does the test require the use of the coldest, median, and warmest settings required by section 3.2, or may the tester use any three setting s that meet the require ments of appendix M, section M3, paragraphs (a) through (c) of the AS/NZ S 4474.1:2007 test method ?

A: S ection 3.3 of appendix A to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430 (Appendix A) provides that a three

- setting “triangulation” test may be performed as an alternative to the coldest, median, and warmest temperature

, two

- setting test in section 3.2 of Appendix A . Section 3.3 provides that the section 3.2 test is not required as long as the set tings used for the triangulation test meet the requirements identified in AS/NZS 4474.1:2007 (incorporated by reference; see §430.3) appendix M, section M3, paragraphs (a) through (c) and as illustrated in Figure M1. The section 3.3 test may be conducted u sing any three settings that satisfy these requirements

. As noted in section 3.3, the target temperature shall be the standardized temperatures defined in section 3.2 of Appendix A (i.e., 0  ̊F freezer compartment temperature and 39  ̊F fresh food
compartmen t temperature), but the other requirements of section 3.2 do not apply.

DOE also notes that the test data underlying the rated value of energy use, which manufacture r s are required by 10 CFR 429.71 to maintain for each basic model of a covered product, must, for any basic model tested using the triangulation test in section 3.3, identify the settings used for the test and contain sufficient
information to demonstrate t hat the requirements pertaining to the use of those settings were met (i.e., a minimum of three energy consumption measurements were performed at three setting combinations of the two controls being adjusted, the selected test points used to triangulate an d enclose the intersection of the standardized temperatures for those two compartments, and the temperature in each compartment is within 4 K of the standardized temperature for all three settings)

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