WOLFASeptember6,2011HenryKellyEnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergyDepartmentofEnergy1000IndependenceAvenue,SWWashington,DC20585DearAssistantSecretaryKelly:Pursuantto10CFR430.27,Sub-ZerorespectfullyrequestsexpeditedattentiontothisrevisedrequestforbothaninterimandfinalwaivertomodifytheDOEtestprocedure(TestProceduresforRefrigerators,Refrigerator-Freezers,andFreezers(FinalRuleandInterimFinalRule),75Fed.Reg.78,810(Dec.16,2010))forSub-Zerorefrigeratorsusingtwocompressors.Withoutthiswaiver,weareunabletocertifynewdualcompressormodelsascompliantwithEnergyStarand/orDOEminimumefficiencystandards.Sub-Zeroisafamily-ownedcompanythathasbeenheadquarteredinMadison,Wisconsinforover60years.Sub-Zerodevelopedthenichemarketforcustomizedbuilt-inresidentialrefrigerationusingdualcompressorsandmanufacturesallourproductsintheUnitedStates,withfactoriesinWisconsinandArizona.Whiletechnicallynota“smallbusiness”usingDOE’sdefinition,Sub-Zeroisasmallproducerofrefrigeratorsstrivingtocompeteinanageoflarge,multi-nationalmanufacturersandisoneofthefewremainingU.S.companiesthatproduceallofitsrefrigeratorproductshereintheU.S.InpreviouscommentstotheDepartment,TheAssociationofHomeApplianceManufacturersandindividualmanufacturersincludingSub-ZerourgedDOEtoconsiderthetechnicaldifficultiesimposedbytheDOEdualcompressortestmethod.DOE’sapproachinthefinaltestprocedureisdifficult,ifnotimpossible,toapply.Infact,itwillrequirewaivers,suchasthisone,becausemanyproductssimplydonotworkthewayDOE’sequationassumes.DOE’sapproachassumesindependent,sealedsystems.Sub-Zerodualcompressorrefrigeratorsdonothaveindependent,sealedsystems—theyhavesharedsystems.Thus,DOE’sapproachfortheseproducts,atbest,requiresseveraladdedmeasurementstocomply(addingburden),andmayevenprovideinsurmountableobstacles,leadingtotestresultssomisrepresentativeastoprovideinaccurateenergyconsumptiondata.CSAInternational,whichisconductingtestingfortheAHAMRefrigerator-FreezerVerificationProgram,hasinformedusthattheyalsobelievethattheDOEtestprocedureisunworkableforourdualcompressorrefrigerators.ThemodifiedtestprocedurethatweproposeforDOE’sconsiderationinthiswaiverrequestistheproductofanalysisbyCSAInternational,Sub-ZeroandGeneralElectricAppliancesresultinginapractical,accurateandrepeatablemethod.CSAInternationalalsointendstosubmitthismodifiedprocedureforadoptionbyNaturalResourcesCanada.4717HammersleyRoad.Madison,Wisconsin53711TE800.532.7820TEL608.271.2233FAX608.270.3362SUB-ZERO,INC.WOLFAPPLIANCE,INC.EROWOLF’SincethevastmajorityofSub-Zero’smodelsutilizedualcompressors,thecompany’sfutureviabilityisclearlythreatenedbythissituationandwesincerelyaskDOEtograntimmediaterelief.IssueswiththeDOETestProcedureAHAMprovidedanalternativetestprocedureinitsAugust10,2010commentsontheproposedtestprocedurerule.DOErespondedin75Fed.Reg.78,810(Dec.16,2010):“Afteranalyzingthisalternativeproposalformultiplecompressors,DOEdoesnotbelievethatitsimplifiestestingofsystemswithtwoormorecompressors.Inparticular,itdoesnotalleviatethetestprocedureburdenassociatedwithhavingtoseparatelymeasuretheenergyuseforthedifferentsystems,whichispartoftheprocedureofthecurrentdual-compressorproducttestprocedure.DOEunderstandsthatthisisakeydifficultyintestingsuchsystemssinceitintroducesburdenandthat,insomecases,itmaybeimpossibletoaccomplish,dependingonthedetailsoftheinternalwiringofsuchproducts...DOEacknowledgesthatthisfinalruledoesnoteliminatethedifficultyofobtainingseparateenergyusemeasurementsrequiredinthetestprocedurefordualcompressorproducts.However,asdiscussedabove,neitherdoestheAHAM-proposedapproach.”Thus,DOEacknowledgedproblemswiththecurrenttestprocedurebutdidnotbelievetheAHAMproposalprovidedanadequatesolution.Webelievetheproposedapproachinthiswaiverpetition,developedbyCSAInternational,GEandSub-Zero,addressesDOE’sconcerns.ProposedModifiedDualCompressorTestProcedureTheDOEtestproceduredualcompressorcalculationrequiresthesystemtobedividedintotwoseparatesystems—refrigeratorandfreezer.Thisisextremelydifficultduetothefactthatalldualcompressorsystemsuseasinglepowerinletandalmostall,includingSub-Zerounits,useasingleelectroniccontroltocontrolbothcompressors.Energytestingprotocolsandlaboratoryequipmentandmeasurementmethodsarenotcapableofevaluatingeachcompressorsystemseparatelyandindividually.Also,thecurrentsteadystatedefinitionmaynotbeachievableinthedualcompressorsystemduethetimerequiredtocalculatesteadystate.Weproposeamodifiedproceduretomeasuredualcompressorenergy.Thismethodwilluseasingleelectricaldatacollectionsystemwhichissameasusedinanyvariabledefrostunitenergytestprocedure.Sub-ZeroproposessimplifyingEP1toprovideanaccuratemethodformeasuringenergythatissimplerandlessburdensome.Itwillalsodecreasethetestingburdenonmanufacturers.Toensureaccuracy,dualcompressorenergytimesmustbeofsufficientlengthtoreducesynchronizationerrors.Withdualcompressors,ashortTiorT2mayresultinasignificanterrorforthesystemthatdoesnothavefullcompressorcyclesrepresented.Lengtheningoutthesetimesreducesthiseffect.Tofurtherreduceerror,Sub-Zerorecommendsthatthefrequencyofmeasurementstakenduringthetestingshouldbeincreased.Thiswillreducesynchronizationerrorandismoreconsistentwithtestmethodsbeingusedinmanufacturer’sandinthirdpartyverificationcompany’slabs.Thus,Sub-ZerorequeststhatDOEmodifythemultipledefrostsystemequationin5.2.1.4ofAppendixAlasfollows:477HamniersleyRoad,Madison,Wisconsin53711TEL800.532.7820TEL608.271.2233FAX608.270.3362SUB-ZERO,INC.WOLFAPPLIANCE,INC.WOLF•1440=numberofminutesinaday•ETisthetestcycleenergy(kWhlday);•iisthevariablethatcanequalto1,2ormorethatidentifiesthecompartmentwithdistinctdefrostsystem;•Disthetotalnumberofcompartmentswithdistinctdefrostsystems;•EP1isthedualcompressorenergyexpendedduringthefirstpartofthetest(itiscalculatedforawholenumberoffreezercompressorcyclesatleast24hoursindurationandmaybethesummationofseveralrunningperiodsthatdonotincludeanyprecool,defrost,orrecoveryperiods);•TiisthelengthoftimeforEP1(minutes);•EP2iisthetotalenergyconsumedduringthesecond(defrost)partofthetestbeingconductedforcompartmenti.(kWh);•T2iisthelengthoftime(minutes)forthesecond(defrost)partofthetestbeingconductedforcompartmenti.•CTiisthecompressorontimebetweendefrostsforonlycompartmenti.CTiforcompartmentiwithlongtimeautomaticdefrostsystemiscalculatedasper10CFRpart430subpartBappendixAlclause5.2.1.2.CTiforcompartmentiwithvariabledefrostsystemiscalculatedasper10CFRpart430subpartBappendixAlclause5.2.1.3.(roundedtothenearesttenthofanhour)(hours).ET=(1440xEPi/T1)+(EP21—(EPIxT21/T1))x(i2/C)]Stabilization:Thetestshallstartafteraminimum24hoursstabilizationrunforeachtemperaturecontrolsetting.SteadyStateforEP1:Thetemperatureaverageforthefirstandlastcompressorcycleofthetestperiodmustbewithin1.0°F(0.6°C)ofthetestperiodtemperatureaverageforeachcompartment.Makethisdeterminationforthefreshfoodcompartmentforthefreshfoodcompressorcyclesclosesttothestartandendofthetestperiod.Ifmultiplesegmentsusedfortestperiod1,eachsegmentmustcomplywithaboverequirement.SteadyStateforEP2i:4717HarnmersleyRoad,Madison,Wisconsin53711TEL800.532.7820TEL608.271.2233x608.270.3362SUB-ZERO,INC.WOLFAPPLIANCE,INC.EROWOLFThesecond(defrost)partofthetestmustbeprecededandfollowedbynormalcompressorcycle.Thetemperatureaverageforthefirstandlastcompressorcycleofthetestperiodmustbewithin1.0°F(0.6°C)oftheEP1testperiodtemperatureaverageforeachcompartment.TestPeriodforEP2i,T2i:EP2iincludesprecool,defrost,andrecoverytimeforcompartmenti,aswellassufficientdualcompressorsteadystateruncyclestoallowT2itobeatleast24hours.Thetestperiodshallstartatthebegirmingofnormalcompressorcycleafterthepreviousdefrostoccurrence(refrigeratororfreezer).Thetestperiodincludesthetargetdefrostandfollowingnormalcompressorcyclesuntilthenextdefrostoccurrence(refrigeratororfreezer).Ifthepreviousconditiondoesnotmeet24hourstime,additionalEP1steadystatesegmentdatacouldbeincluded.SteadystateruncycledatacanbeutilizedinEP1andEP2i.TestMeasurementFrequencyMeasurementsshallbetakenatregularintervalnotexceeding1minute.AffectedModelsThebasicmodelsofSub-Zerodualcompressorrefrigeratorsaffectedare:700TCI700TR736TC1736TC1E736TR736TREBI-30U/OBI-3OU/S/PHBI-3OU/S/THBI-3OUA/OBI-3OUAIS/PHBI-3OUA/S/THBI-3OUG/OBI-3OUG/S/PH4717KamrnersleyRoad,Madison,Wisconsin53711TEL800.532.7820608.271.2233FAX608.270.3362SUB-ZERO,INC.WOLFAPPLIANCE,INC.WOLFABI-3OUG/S/THBI-36S/OBI-36S/S/PHBI-36S/S/THBI-36U/OBI-36U/S/PHBI-36U/S/THBI-36UA/OBI-36UA/S/PHBI-36UA/S/THBI-36TJFD/OB136UFD/S/PHB136UFD/S/THBI-36UG/OBI-36UG/S/PHBI-36UG/S/THBI-42S/OBI-42S/S/PHBI-42S/S/THB1-42SD/OBI-42SD/S/PHBI-42SD/S/THBI-42S1D/OB1-42SID/S/PHBI-42S1D/S/THBI-485/O477HammersleyRoad,Madison,Wisconsin53711800.532.7820TEL608.271.2233FAX608.270.3362SUB-ZERO,INC.WOLFAPPLIANCE,INC.IAIOLFTBI-48S/S/PHBI-48S/S/THBI-48SD/OBI-48SD/S/PHBI-48SD/S/THBI-48S1D/OBI-48S1D/S/PHBI-48S1D/S/THID-36C1IT-27C1IT-30C1IT-3OCIIDIT-36C1IT-36C11DPR048PRO48GPRO48HAGInsummary,thisisacriticalissueforourcompanyandwerequestthatDOEexpeditethehandlingofthispetitionforaninterimandfinalwaiver.Sub-ZerowouldbepleasedtodiscussthiswaiverpetitionwithDOEandprovideanyadditionalinformationthattheDepartmentmightrequire.Wewillalsonotifyallmanufacturersofdomesticallymarketedrefrigeratorsknowntousofthiswaiverpetitionbyletter.Sincerely,PaulV.SikirVicePresidentofDesignEngineeringCc:KathleenHogan,DeputyAssistantSecretaryforEnergyEfficiencyintheOfficeofEnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergy(EERE)4717HammersleyRoad,Madison,Wisconsin53711TEL800.532.7820TEL608.271.2233x608.270.3362SUB-ZERO,INC.WOLFAPPLIANCE,INC.