CHAPTER 4

. SCREENING ANALYSIS

TABLE OF CO NTENTS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 4

- 1 4.2 DISCUSSION OF TECHNO LOGY OPTIONS

................................ .............................. 4

- 1 4.2.1 Screened

- Out Technology Options

................................ ................................ .................. 4

- 1 4.2.1.1 Ozonated laundering

................................ ................................ ...................... 4

- 3 4.2.1.2 Plastic particle cleaning

................................ ................................ ................. 4

- 3 4.2.2 Remaining Design Options

................................ ................................ .............................. 4

- 4

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.2.1 Retained Design Options for Commercial Clothes Washers

............................... 4

- 4

4

- iCHAPTER 4. SCREENING ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter discusses the screening analysis conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of the technology options identified in the market and technology assessment for commercial clothes washers (CCW) ( chapter 3 of th is technical support document ( TSD ) )

. In the market and technology assessment, DOE presented an initial list of technology options that can be used to reduce energy consumption of CCWs

. The goal of the screening analysis is to identify
any technologies that will be eliminated from further consideration in th e rulemaking analyses.

T he candidate technology options are assessed based on DOE analysis as well as inputs from stakeholders including manufacturers, trade organizations, and energy efficiency adv ocates

. Technology options that are judged to be viable approaches for improving energy efficiency are retained as inputs to the subsequent engineering analysis , and are designated as design options

. Technology options that are not incorporated in commerci al clothes washer equipment or in working prototypes or that fail to meet certain criteria regarding practicability to manufacture, install and service, impacts on equipment utility or availability, or health or safety will be eliminated from consideration in accordance with Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Procedures for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Products

. 61 FR 36974 ( July 15, 1996 )

. The rationale for either screening out or retaining eac h technology option is detailed in the following sections.

4.2 DISCUSSION OF TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

For commercial clothes washers , the screening criteria specified in section 4.1 were applied to the technology options to either retain or eliminate each technology from the engineering analysis

. DOE derived the list of technology options as a subset of options considered in the previous CCW energy conservations standards rulemaking. DOE has included temperature

- differentiated pricing controls as a n additional technology option based on
comments received in response to the framework document for this rulemaking

.

4.2.1 Screened

- Out Technology Options
The following section describes the technology options that were screened out prior to the engineering analysis, along with the rationale for elimination.

The technologies identified in the market and technology assessment were evaluated pursuant to the criteria set out in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), Pub. L. 94

- 163, 42 U.S.C. 6291 et seq

. ( 42 U.S.C. 63 11

- 6317 ) EPCA provides criteria for prescribing new or amended standards, which will achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency t hat

4-1t he Secretary of Energy determines is technologically feasible

. (42 U.S.C

. 6295 ( o )( 2 )(A) and 6316(a) ) It also est ablishes guidelines for determining whether a standard is economically justified

. (42 U.S.C. 6295 ( o )( 2 )(B) and 6316(a) ) Pursuant to the EPCA requirements for determining whether a standard is technologically feasible and economically justified, a ppendix A to subpart C of Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations p art 430 (10 CFR p art 430), Procedures, Interpretations and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Products (the Process Rule), sets forth proce dures to guide DOE in the consideration and promulgation of new or revised product energy conservation standards under EPCA

. These procedures elaborate on the statutory criteria provided in 42 U.S.C. 6295 and in part eliminate problematic technologies earl y in the process of revising an energy conservation standard

. Under the guidelines , at the outset of a rulemaking, DOE eliminates from consideration technologies that present unacceptable problems with respect to the following four factors:

(1 ) Technolo gical feasibility

. If it is determined that a technology has not been incorporated in commercial ly available products or in working prototypes, then that technology will not be considered further.

(2 ) Practicability to manufacture, install, and service

. If it is determined that mass production of a technology in commercial ly available products and reliable installation and servicing of the technology could not be achieved on the scale necessary to serve the relevant market at the time of the effective dat e of the standard, then that technology will not be considered further.

(3 ) Impacts on product utility or product availability

. If a technology is determined to have significant adverse impact on the utility of the equipment to significant subgroups of

c onsumers, or results in the unavailability of any covered equipment type with performance characteristics (including reliability), features, size, capacities, and volumes that are substantially the same as equipment generally available in the United States at the time, it will not be considered further.

(4 ) Impacts on Health or Safety

. If it is determined that a technology will have significant adverse impacts on health or safety, it will not be considered further.

Based on these factors, DOE screened out ozonated laundering and polymer bead cleaning for the reasons that follow.

4-24.2.1.1 Ozonated laundering
DOE has concluded that ozonated laundering presents unacceptable problems with the following EPCA screening criteria:

(1) Technological feasibility

. Altho ugh ozone laundering systems are commercially available as add

- on systems for large

- scale commercial or institutional multi

- load clothes washers, DOE is unaware of any instances of this technology being incorporated into any commercially available products or prototypes for the type of commercial clothes washers covered by DOE standards, which include primarily single

- load soft

- mounted clothes washers intended for use in coin

- operated laundries and multi

- family housing settings.

(2) Practicability to manufacture, install, and service. DOE believes that it would not be practicable to manufacture, install and service this technology on the scale necessary to serve the U.S. commercial clothes washer market at the time of the effective date of an amended

s tandard.

(4) Impacts on Health or Safety. Because this technology has not been implemented in coin

- operated laundries our multi

- family housing settings, DOE is unable to assess whether ozone laundry technology would have any adverse impacts on end

- user h ealth or safety.

4.2.1.2 Plastic particle cleaning
DOE has concluded that plastic particle cleaning presents unacceptable problems with the following EPCA screening criteria:

(1) Technological feasibility . Although plastic particle cleaning systems are commercially available for large

- scale commercial or institutional multi

- load clothes washers, DOE is unaware of any instances of this technology being incorporated into any commercially available products or working prototypes for the type of commercial c lothes washers covered by DOE standards, which include primarily single

- load soft

- mounted clothes washers intended for use in coin

- operated laundries an d multi

- family housing settings.

(2) Practicability to manufacture, install, and service. P lastic part icle cleaning is still in the research stage for single

- load residential

- style clothes washers, so D OE believes that it would not be practicable to manufacture, install and service this technology on the scale necessary to serve the relevant market at the time of the effect ive date of an amended standard. In addition, the requirements for the potential purchase, handling, reusing, recycling, and/or disposal of the plastic particles are unknown

. (3) Impacts on product utility or product availability. DOE i s unable to assess the potential impact of plastic particle cleaning on product utility. DOE notes that as currently implemented, plastic particle cleaning systems are operated by trained staff in large

- scale commercial or institutional laundry settings. B ecause of the significantly different operating

4-3protocol compared to commercial clothes washers currently on the market, DOE does not believe that such technology could be used by untrained users, which would include most users of coin

operated laundries a nd multi

- family housing laundry equipment. DOE is also unable to evaluate impacts on cleaning performance compared to current commercial clothes washer products on the market.

4.2.2 Remaining Design Options

Table 4.2.1 list s the technology options for commercial clothes washers that were retained by DOE and subsequently designated as design options

.

Table 4.2.1 Retained Design Options for Commercial Clothes Washers

1. Adaptive water fill
2. Advanced agitation concepts for top

- loading machines 3. Capacity increase
4. Direct

- drive motor 5. Higher spin speeds to reduce remaining moisture content
6. M otor efficiency improvements
7. Spray rinse or similar water

- reducing rinse technology
8. Temperature

- differentiated pricing controls
9. Thermostatically controlled mixing valves
10. W ater re circulation loop

4-4REFERENCES

(None)

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