GROUP,INC.4717HammerslevRoad.Madison,WI53711P:800.532.7820P:608.271.2233F:608.270.3362May19th,2014TheHonorableDavidDanielsonDeputyAssistantSecretaryforEnergyEfficiency,EnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergyU.S.DepartmentofEnergy1000IndependenceAvenue,SWWashington,DC20585DearSecretaryDanielson:Pursuantto10CFR430.27,Sub-ZerorespectfullyrequestsexpeditedattentiontothisPetitionforbothaninterimandfinalwaivertomodifytheDOEtestprocedure(10CFR430SubpartBAppendixA)forSub-Zerohybridrefrigeratedstorage-winestorageproducts.Withoutthiswaiver,weareunabletocertifymodelsascompliantwithnewDOEminimumefficiencystandardseffectivein2014.ThisrequestissimilartopastpetitionsforwaiversthathavebeengrantedbyDOEtoSanyo(77FR49443)andPAPRSA(78FR35894).TheDepartment’sregulationsprovidethattheAssistantSecretarywillgrantaPetitionupon“determinationthatthebasicmodelforwhichthewaiverwasrequestedcontainsadesigncharacteristicwhicheitherpreventstestingofthebasicmodelaccordingtotheprescribedtestprocedures,ortheprescribedtestproceduresmayevaluatethebasicmodelinamannersounrepresentativeofitstrueenergyconsumptioncharacteristicsastoprovidemateriallyinaccuratecomparativedata.”Sub-ZerorequeststhattheAssistantSecretarygrantthispetitiononbothgrounds.IngrantingtheSanyopetition,DOEacknowledgedthatwinestoragecompartmentscannotbetestedattheprescribedtemperatureof38°F(now39°FintherevisedRefrigeratorTestProcedure),becausetheminimumwinecompartmenttemperatureishigher.Sanyosubmittedanalternatetestproceduretoaccountfortheenergyconsumptionofitswinestorage/beveragecentermodels.Thatalternateprocedurewouldtestthewinestoragecompartmentat55°F,insteadoftheprescribed38°F.Tojustifytheuseofthisstandardizedtemperaturefortesting;Sanyostatedinitspetitionthatitdesignedthesemodelstoprovideanaveragewinecompartmenttemperatureof55to57°F,whichitdeterminedisacommonlyrecommendedtemperatureforwinestorage.Thistemperatureispresumedtoberepresentativeofexpectedconsumeruse.DOEalsonotedthatthetestproceduresforwineproductsadoptedbytheAssociationofHomeApplianceManufacturers(AHAM),CaliforniaEnergyCommission(CEC),andNaturalResourcesCanadaallusethestandardizedtemperatureof55°Fforwinestoragecompartments;consistentwithSanyo’spetition.Furthermore,DOEprescribedthatSanyoalsousetheproposedKfactor(correctionfactor)valueof0.85whencalculatingenergyconsumption.9UBZEROWOLFGROUP,INC.4717HpmmersleyRoad,Madison.W53711P:800.532.7820P:608.271.2233F:608.270.3362DOEgrantedSanyo’swaiverpetitionin2012,acknowledgingthattheexistingtestprocedurecannotproperlymeasuretheenergyconsumedinactualconsumerusage.Thereafterin2013,DOEgrantedPAPRSA’ssimilarwaiverapplication.Sub-Zeroisafamily-ownedcompanythathasbeenheadquarteredinMadison,Wisconsinforover65years.Sub-Zerodevelopedthenichemarketforcustomizedbuilt-inresidentialrefrigerationandmanufacturesallourproductsintheUnitedStates,withfactoriesinWisconsinandArizona.Whiletechnicallynota“smallbusiness”usingDOE’sdefinition,Sub-Zeroisasmallproducerofrefrigerationproductsstrivingtocompeteinanageoflarge,multi-nationalmanufacturersandisoneofthefewremainingU.S.companiesthatproduceallofitsproductshereintheU.S.Thecompany’sfutureviabilityisclearlythreatenedbythissituationandwesincerelyaskDOEtograntimmediaterelief.IssueswiththeDOETestProcedureSub-Zeroisrequestingawaivertothetestproceduresforitshybridmodelsthatconsistofacombinationofoneormorerefrigeratedstoragecompartmentsandawinestoragecompartment.WhileDOEconsiderssuchhybridmodelsascoveredproducts,thereisnocurrentDOEtestprocedureappropriatetothesehybridmodels.Therefore,thecurrenttestingrequirementsdonotmeasureenergyusageinamannerthattrulyrepresentstheenergy-consumptioncharacteristicsoftheseproducts.Further,itisnotevenpossibletotestthesemodelsundertheexistingtestingprocedures.DOEfullyrecognizestheseissuesassociatedwithtestinghybridwineproductsandhasinitiatedarulemakingtoaddresstheseproductsinthefuture.ThereforeSub-ZerorequeststhiswaiveruntilsuchtimeasDOE’srulemakingiscomplete.AsexplainedintheSanyopetition,wineconnoisseursrecommendanaverageof55-57°Fforthelongtermstorageofwine,andSub-Zerohasalsodesignedthewinestoragecompartmentsofitsproductswiththisidealaveragetemperatureinmind.Sincevariouswineshavedifferentidealdrinkingtemperatures,productsaredesignedsuchthatthewinestoragecompartmentcanachievearangeoftemperaturesabove39°F.DOE’stestprocedures(10CFR430SubpartBAppendixA)specifythatenergyconsumptionbedeterminedatacompartmenttemperatureof39°Fandthereforecannotapplytoaproductthatisdesignedtobeincapableofachievingthistemperature.Further,asdescribedintheSanyopetition,hybridmodelswilltypicallyhavedooropeningusagealignedwithhouseholdfreezersandwinestorageproducts.Thus,theKfactor(correctionfactor)of.85fromCAN/CSA300-086.3.1.2andAHAM/ANSIHRF-1shouldbeusedtodetermineenergyconsumption.ProposedModifiedTestProcedureAsinthetwopreviouslygrantedpetitions,thewinestoragecompartmentshallbetestedat55°F.SubZeroshallusetheKfactor(correctionfactor)valueof0.85whencalculatingtheenergyconsumptionofthemodelslistedbelow.SUBZEROWOLFGROUP,INC.4717HpmmersleyRoad,Madison,WI53711P:800.532.7820P:608.271.2233F:608.270.3362Theenergyconsumptionisdefinedbythehigherofthetwovaluescalculatedbythefollowingtwoformulas(accordingto10CFRPart430,subpartB,AppendixA):Energyconsumptionofthewinecompartment:EWine=ET1+[(ET2ET1)X(55°FTW1)/(TW2TW1)]*0.85Energyconsumptionoftherefrigeratedcompartment:ERefrigeratedCompartment=ET1+{(ET2ET1)X(39°FTRC1)/(TRC2TRC1)].AffectedModelsThebasicmodelsofSub-Zerohybridrefrigeratedstorage-winestorageproductsaffectedare:IW-30RInconclusion,thisisacriticalissueforourcompanyandwerequestthatDOEexpeditethehandlingofthispetitionforaninterimandfinalwaiver.Sub-ZerowouldbepleasedtodiscussthiswaiverpetitionwithDOEandprovideanyadditionalinformationthattheDepartmentmightrequire.Wewillalsonotifyallmanufacturersknowntousofsimilardomesticallymarketedproductsofthiswaiverpetition.Sincerely,PaulV.SikirVicePresidentofDesignEngineeringViaemail:ASWaiverReguests@ee.doe.govSUBZEROWOLF