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APPENDIX 12A. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

12A.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 12A-1

12A.2 PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS ENGINEERING QUESTIONNAIRE ....................... 12A-1

12A.3 PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS MANUFACTURING IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE12A-10
12A-1

APPENDIX 12A. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRES

12A.1 INTRODUCTION

This appendix contains the questionnaires used during manufacturer interviews during 

the preliminary analysis. These questionnaires address engineering topics and manufacturer 

impact topics.

12A.2 PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS ENGINEERING QUESTIONNAIRE

DOE used the preliminary analysis engineering questionnaire as a guide for engineering 

discussions during manufacturer interviews. 
12A-2

DESIGN FOR ENERGY IMPROVEMENT INFORMATION REQUEST

DOE would like to confirm information on the incremental costs of increasing product 

efficiency by understanding the design options involved in the efficiency improvement. 

Market Share of Products You Sell

To help DOE discover manufacturer subgroups and the relative importance of various 

product classes to specific manufacturers, please disaggregate your annual unit shipments for 

each product category as shown below. Please also list the range of Harvest Rate for each 

product category. Finally, please indicate what percentage of these products are purchased from 

other manufacturers (i.e., private label), and what percentage of the products are made in the 

USA. If your products fall under Other Types? of Ice, please indicate the type of ice.

Equipment Type

Harvest 

Range

lb/day

Cube Flake Nugget Other Type 

of Ice

Ice Making 

Head, Air 

Cooled

Ice Making 

Head, Water 

Cooled

Remote 

Condenser Only 

Remote 

Condenser and 

Compressor

Self-Contained 

Air-Cooled

Self-Contained 

Water-Cooled

Are there any alternative or hybrid configurations of products (e.g., equipment with 

dispensing, equipment integrated with soda machines, etc.)? If so, what are the ranges of options 

and how do they fit into the equipment class structure? 

Product Technical Descriptions and Potential for Energy Use Reduction

The following series of exhibits and questions address technical characteristics of key ice 

maker components for both baseline and improved-efficiency products.

• What is the range of ice quality (as measured by the ASHRAE calorimeter test) 

typically produced for each type of equipment? 

• What design characteristics affect ice quality for a given equipment class? Can ice 

quality be adjusted for a given machine? 

Typical Distribution of Energy Use: Cuber

• What is the typical percent of energy use associated with each key component for 

energy test conditions? 
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Component

Typical Percent Energy Use

Air-Cooled Water-Cooled Remote 

Condenser

Compressor during icemaking cycle

Compressor during harvest cycle

Pump

Condenser Fan

Other (Ice Ejection Assist, Controls, etc.)

Typical Distribution of Energy Use: Flake/Nugget 

• What is the typical percent of energy use associated with each key component for 

energy test conditions? 

Component

Typical Percent Energy Use

Air-Cooled Flaker Air-Cooled Nugget 

Machine

Compressor 

Augur Motor

Condenser Fan

Other 

Sequence of Control

• Describe the basic sequence of control for your key product categories. 

Energy Test vs. Field Use

• Are you aware of any data comparing field energy use to energy use for energy test 

conditions? 

• How might adaptive controls impact the energy use in the field compared to the 

energy use measured in the test procedure?

• What other factors contribute to differences in field energy use as compared to energy 

use ratings?

• Would there be any simple adjustments in the test procedure that could result in more 

accurate predictions of field energy use?

• Are there ways to save energy in field use that are not measured by the current energy 

test?

Compressors

• What types and sizes of compressors are used for different types and capacities of ice 

makers? Would there be any benefits to using variable speed or dual compressors? 

• Generally use medium-back pressure or does this depend on equipment type? 

• Generally use hermetic reciprocating compressors? What other types are used?

• Is the compressor hp/ capacity relationship linear? How does it vary with equipment 

type (cuber vs. flake vs. nugget vs. other type?) 

• What is the range of hp representing the transition from single to three-phase designs? 

• Are single-phase designs generally medium- or high-starting torque? 
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• Are the key compressor vendors Copeland, Tecumseh, and Danfoss? Does your 

company use any others? 

• Are any refrigerants other than R-404A being used in ice makers?

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

Compressor Size (hp)

Capacity (lb/day)

Air-Cooled Cuber

Water-Cooled Cuber

Air-Cooled Flake/Nugget

Water-Cooled Flake/Nugget

Illustrative 
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Compressor EER

• What is the basis of nominal EER for the compressors used in icemakers, i.e. the 

evaporating, condensing, superheat, and subcooling temperatures? 

• How does the nominal EER of the typical compressors used in ice makers vary with 

hp?

• How do actual operating conditions differ from the rating conditions? 

• Is refrigerant flow control always done using a thermostatic expansion valve? Any 

use of EEV? What is the typical superheat at the evaporator exit? 

• Are suction-line heat exchangers used? If so, how much of the suction gas 

temperature rise is achieved using such heat exchangers? Do you have rules of thumb 

for maximum suction temperature to avoid reliability concerns associated with 

compressor overheating? 

• What range of EER is currently being offered by vendors in the relevant hp range? 

Are the most-efficient compressors generally used in all product sizes?

• What are the costs of typical compressors (as a function of compressor hp), and what 

are the cost premiums for the highest-available EER? 

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

Compressor Size (hp)

Capacity (lb/day)

Air-Cooled Cuber

Water-Cooled Cuber

Air-Cooled Flake/Nugget

Water-Cooled Flake/Nugget

Illustrative 
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Cuber Evaporators: 

• What are the capacity ranges for the different style ice cubes produced by your 

company’s ice makers?

• Brief description of evaporator designs? Geometry, materials, etc.? Do evaporator 

tubes use internal enhancement?

• How many distinct evaporator designs does your company produce? 

• Regarding the few evaporators/multiple capacities issue (use of a small number of 

evaporator designs for a wide range of products), what is the typical ratio of 

maximum capacity to minimum capacity used with the same evaporator design? 

What is the associated spread of typical operating evaporating temperature during the 

icemaking cycle as a result of this capacity spread?

• What is the typical range of evaporating temperature at the start and at the end of the 

icemaking cycle? Do you know what evaporating temperature corresponds to the time 

that the first ice starts to form on the evaporator surface?

• Do you know how the cooling provided by the refrigeration system breaks out by (a) 

cooling down water, (b) freezing and subcooling ice that is delivered, (c) freezing and 

subcooling ice that is subsequently warmed up and/or melted during harvest, (d) 

evaporator assembly cooldown during icemaking cycle, (e) cooling lost through 

conduction/infiltration into the evaporator compartment? 

• Is there an optimum water circulation rate during the icemaking cycle? Is there a “rule 

of thumb” for circulation rate as a function of icemaking rate? 

• Has your company actively pursued any developments in recent years to improve 

evaporator performance, to improve heat transfer to the freezing surface during the 

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 1 2 3 4 5

Nominal EER

Compressor Size (hp)

Typical

Most Efficient

Illustrative 
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icemaking cycle, improve heat transfer and/or focus heat addition to critical locations 

for harvest, reduce thermal mass, etc.? 

Flake/Nugget Evaporators: 

• Can you provide a brief description of evaporator designs? 

• Is flaker/nugget performance also impacted by the few evaporators/multiple 

capacities issue? If so, what is the typical ratio of maximum capacity to minimum 

capacity used with the same evaporator design? What is the associated spread of 

typical operating evaporating temperature during the icemaking cycle as a result of 

this capacity spread?

• What is the typical evaporating temperature during operation? 

• Has your company actively pursued any developments in recent years to improve 

evaporator performance? 

• Do evaporator tubes use internal enhancement? 

• What type of insulation and thickness is used to limit sweating and/or thermal loss?

Condenser Heat Exchanger Characteristics

Air-Cooled 

• Does your company use any air-cooled condenser designs other than round copper 

tube/aluminum fin?

• Please provide descriptions of: 

o Typical fin style, fin thickness, fins per inch? 

o Limitations on fin spacing associated with potential clogging?

o Internally-enhanced tubes standard? Typical tube OD? 

• What consideration is given to the range of ambient conditions? For instance, is 

optimization for test conditions limited by the need to also be able to operate at much 

higher or lower ambient conditions?

• How much condenser part sharing vs. optimization by product is done? For example, 

is there a typical airflow vs. compressor horsepower relationship, or are there a 

limited number of condenser designs that span the range of ice maker capacities?

Remote Condenser with or without Remote Compressor

• Are remote condensers stock items used for other applications or are they designed 

specifically for ice makers? If the latter, what makes them different?

• Typical head pressure control? Do any remote condensers engage head pressure 

control and/or cycle fans in energy test conditions? 

• Any possibility of variation in suction line size for remote-compressor units, or are 

these lines already sized at the limits for safe oil return? Typical pressure drop at the 

25-foot line length specified in the test?

• Typical suction line insulation?

• Refrigerant inventory control primarily with liquid receivers at the ice maker? Any 

potential benefit of locating the receiver at the condenser and using ambient 

subcooling? 
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Water-Cooled 

• Does your company primarily use coaxial condensers? Primarily steel 

shell/corrugated copper tube? Any performance limitations associated with available 

space in ice maker package? Are there possible benefits associated with use of brazed 

plate condensers? 

• What is the typical leaving condenser water temperature at design conditions? Is 

flexibility in water temperature rise limited by the range of potential cooling water 

configurations (i.e. can’t raise temperature more than 10  ̊F because of prevalent use 

of cooling towers for heat rejection)? 

• Head-pressure valve sizing: Typical setting (i.e. condensing temperature)? At what 

entering water temperature would the valve just reach full-open state during the 

icemaking cycle? 

• Any information on prevalence of different cooling water configurations: tap water, 

well water, cooling tower loop, dry cooler loop, chilled water? 

• Rules of thumb for condenser water flow rate? What considerations affect the balance 

of energy use and condenser water use?

Condenser Fans/Motors

• Typical fan motor hp per compressor hp? Different for air-cooled vs. remote? 

• Fan cycles off during harvest for cubers/tube machines? 

• Typical motor type: PSC? Typical efficiency level? Open, TEAO, TEFC? Any 

special requirements for icemaker fan motors? 

• Do you use any three-phase motors for condenser fans or are the hp levels too low? 

• Is there room for fan blade improvement through use of different blade designs? 

• Any room for measurable improvement via improved air flow path design? 

Cuber Pumps/Motors

• Typical pump motor hp per compressor hp? 

• What types of pumps are used? Centrifugal? What is the pump rpm? 

• Are these pumps designed and fabricated specifically for ice makers? What makes 

them different from other design? 

• What is the typical pump efficiency (shaft to water)?

• Typical motor type: PSC? Typical efficiency level? Any special requirements for 

icemaker pump motors? 

• Are these all single-phase motors? 

Augur Motors

• Typical augur motor hp per compressor hp? Motor types? 

• Typical augur and motor rpm?

• Typical motor type: PSC? Typical efficiency level? Any special requirements for 

icemaker pump motors? 

• Gear drive efficiency?
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Cabinet Insulation Characteristics (as applicable)

• What is the typical insulation thickness between the warm and cold portions of the ice 

maker, and between the cold portion and the exterior? What type of insulation is 

used? 

• Is infiltration an issue?

• Is there any sweating on any external surfaces? 

• Are you aware of measurements showing benefits of better insulation performance, 

i.e. by use of thicker insulation? 

Refrigerants

• Are there any refrigerants used other than R-404A or R-507? 

• Are you aware of any initiatives to move away from HFC refrigerants in ice makers?

Are there any alternatives that have been tested in ice makers? What are the 

efficiency implications?

Electronic Controls and Standby Energy Use

• What is the distribution of ice makers sold with electronic controls?

• What is the range of power consumption for these electronic controls, from standby to 

peak consumption? 

Maintenance

• What are the key maintenance operations recommended and/or actually performed for 

your key product categories? Recommended frequency? Typically performed by 

owner/operator or third parties? What is your estimate of the time required by a 

reasonably well-trained service person to perform such maintenance?

• What maintenance, when performed more frequently, reduces energy use?

Other Technology Options 

Reduced Potable Water Use for Cubers 

• Have water usage levels been empirically optimized? Based on field data?

• What equipment differences impact the ability to reduce potable water usage?

Drain Water Thermal Recovery

• Do you have any knowledge of testing of systems with drain water thermal recovery?

• Is the key issue in implementation of this option (1) the need to descale heat 

exchanger surfaces, (2) need for greater product height to accommodate gravity-flow 

drain water heat exchange, (3) no measurable benefit, (4) not cost-effective, or 

______? 

Energy Use Reduction

• What do you see as the key opportunities for energy use reduction for the key product 

categories? Can you share data of products or prototypes that use such technologies?

• What are the achievable max tech levels for key product classes? Are these levels 

achieved by any commercially available products? 
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Test Procedures

• What problems do you face in conducting the tests and following the calculations in 

the DOE test procedure? 

• Are there any energy-conserving features of your equipment for which the effects are 

not appropriately captured by the existing DOE test procedure? If yes, provide details. 

How might adaptive controls impact energy measurement according to the test 

procedure? 

• Does your company manufacture any equipment which you would have difficulty 

testing under the current DOE test procedure? If so, please describe the equipment 

and the aspects of the test procedure that you feel could present difficulties. 

• What is the typical or anticipated cost of testing to demonstrate compliance with DOE 

efficiency standards with the current test procedure? What testing, in addition to 

testing to show DOE compliance for regulated products, do all or most products 

typically undergo? How much do these additional tests cost? What is the primary cost 

associated with testing, i.e. labor, equipment, time? Are the tests conducted in-house 

or at a third-party lab? 

• Are there any concerns with the accuracy or repeatability of the DOE test procedure?

Examples of factors that may affect the repeatability of the test procedure results are 

water hardness, air-cooled condenser inlet temperature, refrigeration line diameter 

and insulation level, ice quality, or other factors. 

12A.3 PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS MANUFACTURING IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE

DOE used the preliminary analysis manufacturing impact questionnaire to collect 

preliminary information regarding the potential impact on manufacturers of a new energy 

standard for automatic commercial ice makers.
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PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURER IMPACT ANALYSIS TOPICS

FOR AUTOMATIC COMMERCIAL ICE MAKERS

1 Issues

1.1 What are the key issues for your company regarding this product rulemaking? 

2 Shipment Projections

2.1 What is your company’s approximate market share in each of the product classes? 

2.2 Would you expect your market share to change once standards become effective? Does 

your outlook change with higher efficiency levels?

2.3 How would you expect shipments to change for the industry as a whole as a function of 

standards, and why? 

2.4 Looking at price/cost effects only, how would you expect shipments to change for a 5%, 

10%, 25%, or 50% manufacturer price/cost increase?

3 Conversion Costs 

3.1 What level of capital expenditure and product conversion costs would you anticipate to 

make at higher standard levels? Please describe what they are and provide your best 

estimate of their respective magnitudes.

3.2 How would the imposition of new energy conservation standards affect capacity utilization 

and manufacturing assets at your domestic production facilities? Would a new standard 

result in stranded capital assets? Would any facilities be closed or downsized? Added or 

upgraded? 

3.3 How might a new standard impact product innovation? 

3.4 At what efficiency levels do you expect to:

• Retire lower-efficiency platforms (and how many)

• Close current manufacturing plants rather than upgrading them to make higherefficiency automatic commercial ice makers (e.g. moving production to new 

facilities, out-sourcing, or ceasing operations altogether). 

• Require the development of a “clean sheet” product platform to meet higher 

efficiency levels.

3.5 How would manufacturer tax credits for higher efficiency products affect your decisions 

regarding research and development for highly-efficient automatic commercial ice makers? 

3.6 Could manufacturer tax credits influence any of the above manufacturing decisions? 

4 Product Mix and Profitability 

4.1 How would your company’s product mix and marketing strategy change with changes in 

the efficiency standard?

4.2 Would the current percentage of shipments at the ENERGY STAR level for automatic 

commercial ice makers be the same under a new standard?

4.3 How would you expect manufacturer tax credits for highly-efficient automatic commercial 

ice makers to affect your current product mix and profitability? 
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4.4 What distribution channels are used from the manufacturer to the retail outlet? What is the 

share of product going through each distribution channel? 

4.5 Generally, how would new product standards affect your customer mix, distribution 

channels, and corresponding profit margins? 

4.6 For automatic commercial ice makers, how might a new standard impact the ENERGY 

STAR program, and consequently your firm?

4.7 What is the approximate percentage of shipments (i.e., market share) for each product, or 

more specifically, for each product class? 

5 Market Shares and Industry Consolidation

5.1 In the absence of new standards, do you expect any industry consolidation? 

5.2 How would new standards affect your ability to compete? 

5.3 Could new standards disproportionately advance or harm the competitive positions of 

some firms?

5.4 Do you or any of your competitors own intellectual property that confers a significant cost 

advantage regarding achieving certain energy efficiency levels?

5.5 Could new standards result in disproportionate economic or performance penalties for 

particular consumer/user subgroups?

5.6 Beyond price and energy efficiency, could new standards result in products that will be 

more or less desirable to consumers due to changes in product functionality, utility, or 

other features?

6 Cumulative Regulatory Burden

6.1 Are there recent or impending regulations on your specific product or other products that 

impose a cumulative burden on the industry? 

6.2 If so, what is the total expected impact of those other regulations in terms of required 

capital investments, engineering hours spent addressing these issues, and/or product costs? 

6.3 Under what circumstances would you be able to coordinate any expenditures related to this 

and other regulations, thereby lessening the cumulative burden?