asa

17304 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 10, 2002 / Proposed Rules

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EE-RM/STD-01-350]

RIN 1904-AA-78

Energy Efficiency Program for

Consumer Products : Energy

Conservation Standards for

Residential Furnaces and Boilers

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy, Department of

Energy.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

submit one signed copy and a computer During and after the framework

diskette or CD (in WordPerfectTM 8 workshop, the Department received

format)-no telefacsimiles. The comments from residential furnace and

Department will also accept boiler manufacturers, trade associations

electronically-mailed comments, e- and other interested parties expressing

mailed to Brenda.Edwards- concern regarding the effect of increased

Jones@ee.doe.gov, but you must standards on the venting system of these

supplement such comments with a products. The concern is that with

signed hard copy. increased furnace efficiency, the flue gas

Copies of the transcript of the public temperature is reduced and the moisture

workshop, the public comments in flue gas may condense and cause

received, and this notice may be read at corrosion in the vent system, which can

the Freedom of Information Reading lead to potential safety problems if the

Room, U.S. Department of Energy, corrosive liquid perforates the vent

Forrestal Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 system and allows harmful gases to

Independence Avenue, SW, enter living space. Reduced flue gas

Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-3142, temperature also makes the flue gas less

between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., buoyant and red aces tl: e efficacy of

Monday through Friday, except Federal venting systems during furnace

SUMMARY : The Department of Energy

(DOE or Department) is convening a

public workshop to discuss and receive

comments on issues related to

residential faces and boilers venting

installations and to discuss the

Department's research concerning

venting systems.

DATES : The public workshop will be

held on Wednesday, May 8, 2002, from

9:00 a.m. to. 5:00 p.m. Written comments

should be submitted by June 7, 2002.

ADDRESSES : The workshop will be held

at the U.S. Department of Energy,

Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585. (Please note that

foreign nationals visiting DOE

Headquarters are subject to advance

security screening procedures. If you are

a foreign national and wish to

participate in the workshop, please

inform DOE of this fact as soon as

possible by contacting Ms. Brenda

Edwards-Jones at (202) 586-2945 so that

the necessary procedures can be

completed.)

On or about April 22, 2002, DOE will

place a set of presentations describing

the Department's research into this issue

and workshop agenda on the DOE

website at: http://www.eren.doe.gov/

buildings/codes-standards/. Written

comments are welcome, especially

following the workshop. Please submit

written comments to: Ms. Brenda

Edwards-Jones, U.S. Department of

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation

Program for Consumer Products: Energy

Conservation Standards for Residential

Furnaces and Boilers, Docket Number:

EE-RM/STD-01-350, EE-41, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585-0121.

Telephone: (202) 586-2945. You should

label comments both on the envelope

and on the documents and submit them

for DOE receipt by June 7, 2002. Please

holidays. operating cycles.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Because of the above c-)ncern, it is

Cyrus Nasseri, U.S. Department of necessary to und' rstand the flue gas

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and condensation phenomencn, including

Renewable Energy, EE-41, 1000 how the condensation beg'ns to affect

Independence Avenue, SW, the furnace vent svs^'em at increased

Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586- furnace efficiency and wl.!a. technology

9138, email: cyrus.nasseri@ee.doe.gov, options mitigate concensatim. The

or Francine Pinto, U.S. Department of Department has reviewed th3 consensus

Energy, Office of General Counsel, GC- standards on safe installation of gas

72, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., appliances developed Ly American Gas

Washington, DC 20585-0103, (202) 586- Association (AGA) and ti:c National Fire

Protection email: francine.pinto@hq.doe.gov. consensus stAssociation

standards are contained

nin

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION : Part B of the National These

Title III of the Energy Policy and the Fuel Gas a

Ga Code (NFGC), also

Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA or Act), known as Z223.1/NFPA 54. The NFGC establishes guidelines for venting

Pub. L. 94-163, as amended by the category I gas-fired furnaces by means of

National Energy Conservation Policy venting tables which list allowable

Act (NECPA), Pub. L. 95-619; the furnace input ratings versus vent

National Appliance Energy lengths. The Department has reviewed

Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA), the methodology used in the NFGC

Pub. L. 100-12; the National Appliance tables, test data (e.g., jacket loss)

Energy Conservation Amendments of reported by various organizations, as

1988 (NAECA 1988), Pub. L. 100-357; well as a computer simulation model

and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (e.g., VENT-II) which was used in the

(EPACT), Pub. L. 102-486, created the past to evaluate venting system

Energy Conservation Program for performance. The Department has also

Consumer Products other than reviewed information on current

Automobiles. The consumers' products venting practices and codes and

subject to this Program include potential design options for venting

residential furnaces, boilers and mobile system treatment.

home furnaces. (42 U.S.C. 6295(f)). The workshop announced in today's

Since the fiscal year 2001, the notice is the next step in the rulemaking

Department has been pursuing a process for determining whether to

rulemaking activity for the purpose of amend the energy conservation

determining whether amended energy standards for covered residential

conservation standards for covered furnaces, boilers and mobile home

residential furnaces, boilers and mobile furnaces. A detailed agenda for this

home furnaces are justified. On June 19, workshop is currently under

2001, the Department published a notice development and as noted above, will

announcing a public workshop and the be posted on the Department's web site

availability of the framework document on or about April 22, 2002. The agenda

for residential furnace and boiler items will cover issues related to

efficiency standards. 62 FR 32914. On Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency

July 17, 2001, the Department (AFUE) limits for non-condensing

conducted a workshop (the "framework furnaces based on the NFGC and

workshop") to explain and discuss the furnace test data, current venting

process, analyses, and issues that are practices and codes, the effect of higher

involved in this proceeding. Steady State Efficiency (SSE) on the

EE-RM/STD-01-350 COMMENT 23A
Federal Register /Vol. 67, No. 69 /Wednesday, April 10, 2002 /Proposed Rules 17305

NFGC tables and design options that

may decrease condensation in the

venting system. For each agenda item,

the Department will make a

presentation summarizing the current

status and will initiate a discussion

regarding the accuracy and

completeness of data and analysis tools.

During these discussions, the

Department is particularly interested in

receiving comments and views of

interested parties concerning the

venting issues referenced above and

possible approaches to enhance the

accuracy of the analysis tools and data.

The Department encourages those who

wish to participate in the workshop to

make presentations that address these

issues. If you would like to make a

presentation during the workshop,

please inform Ms. Edwards-Jones at

least two weeks before the date of the

workshop and provide her with a copy

of your written presentation material at

least one week before the date of the

workshop.

The workshop will be conducted in

an informal, conference style. A court

reporter will be present to record the

minutes of the meeting. There shall be

no discussion of proprietary

information, costs or prices, market

shares, or other commercial matters

regulated by the U.S. antitrust laws.

After the workshop and expiration of

the period for submitting written

comments, the Department will proceed

with collecting data and conducting

analyses concerning possible amended

standards for residential furnaces,

boilers and mobile home furnaces.

If you would like to participate in the

workshop, receive workshop materials,

or be added to the DOE mailing list to

receive future notices and information

regarding residential furnaces, boilers

and mobile home furnaces, please

contact Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones at

(202) 586-2945.

Issued in Washington, DC, on April 5,

2002.

David K. Garman,

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy.

[FR Doc. 02-8619 Filed 4-9-02; 8:45 am)

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

EE-RM/STD-01-350 COMMENT 23A