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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

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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

### 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