CHAPTER 9. TRIAL STANDARD LEVELS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

9.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 9-1 

9.2 COOKTOPS AND OVENS ............................................................................................ 9-1 

9.3 MICROWAVE OVENS .................................................................................................. 9-2 

LIST OF TABLES 

Table 9.2.1 Trial Standard Levels for Cooktops and Ovens................................................... 9-2 

Table 9.3.1 Trial Standard Levels for Microwave Oven EF................................................... 9-3 

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EERE-2006-STD-0127 COMMENT 64.2
CHAPTER 9. TRIAL STANDARD LEVELS 

9.1 INTRODUCTION 

DOE generated NES and NPV results based on trial standard levels (TSLs). The TSLs 

are based on the following: (1) candidate standard (efficiency) levels identified in the Advance 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) published in November 15, 2007,1 (2) the candidate 

standard level identified with the maximum efficiency, and (3) a combination of candidate 

standard levels for different equipment classes that have potentially positive impacts on 

consumers and the Nation. 

The technical support document (TSD) for DOE’s notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NOPR) covered conventional cooking products (i.e., cooktops and ovens), microwave oven 

energy factor (EF), microwave oven standby power consumption, and commercial clothes 

washers (CCW).2 This chapter presents information and results pertaining solely to conventional 

cooking products and microwave oven EF. The impact of more-efficient equipment on 

microwave oven standby power and CCWs will be addressed in subsequent TSDs. 

9.2 COOKTOPS AND OVENS 

Table 9.2.1 shows the TSLs for conventional cooking products. As discussed in Chapter 

4, Screening Analysis, DOE conducts a screening analysis to determine the design options that 

are technologically feasible and can be considered as measures to improve product efficiency. 

However, there are few design options available for improving the efficiency of these cooking 

products due to physical limitations on energy transfer to the food load. This is particularly the 

case for all cooktop and self-cleaning oven product classes. For electric cooktops, DOE was able 

to identify only a single design change for analysis. For gas cooktops and electric self-cleaning 

ovens, DOE was able to identify two design options for analysis. And for gas self-cleaning 

ovens, DOE was able to identify three design options for analysis. Although DOE considered 

several design options for standard ovens, with the exception of eliminating standing pilots for 

gas standard ovens, none significantly increased product efficiency. Specifically, eliminating 

standing pilots reduces overall gas consumption by over 50 percent while all other design options 

reduce gas consumption by approximately two percent. Therefore, DOE gave further 

consideration to only four TSLs for conventional cooking products. 

TSL 1 represents the elimination of standing pilot ignition systems from gas cooking 

products. All other product classes are unaffected by TSL 1, including gas self-cleaning ovens, 

which are not allowed to use standing pilot ignition systems because they already use electricity 

and come equipped with power cords to enable the self-cleaning cycle. Under TSL 1, DOE’s 

current prescriptive standard of disallowing the use of standing pilot ignition systems in gas 

cooking pilots equipped with power cords would be extended to all gas cooking products, 

regardless of whether the appliance is equipped with a power cord. Also, under TSL 1, there 

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EERE-2006-STD-0127 COMMENT 64.2
would be no need for DOE to regulate the EF of any of the conventional cooking product classes 

because only standing pilot ignition systems are being affected. 

TSL 2 for conventional cooking products consists of the candidate standard levels from 

each of the product classes that provide a majority of consumers (who are impacted by the 

standard) with an economic benefit. Based on this criterion, only electric coil cooktops and 

electric standard ovens have candidate standard levels that differ from those in TSL 1. In other 

words, for the remaining five product classes (electric smooth cooktops, electric self-cleaning 

ovens, and all gas cooking product classes), analytical results indicate there is no candidate 

standard level that provides an economic benefit to a majority of consumers. 

TSL 3 for conventional cooking products consists of the same candidate standard levels 

as TSL 2, with the exception of the gas self-cleaning oven product class. For gas self-cleaning 

ovens, the design option that provides, on average, a small level of economic benefit to 

consumers is included. 

TSL 4 is the maximum technologically feasible level. 

Table 9.2.1 summarizes the four TSLs for cooktops and ovens. 

Table 9.2.1 Trial Standard Levels for Cooktops and Ovens 

Trial standard levels (EF) 

Product classes TSL 1 TSL 2 TSL 3 TSL 4 

Electric Coil Cooktops No Standard 0.769 0.769 0.769 

Electric Smooth Cooktops No Standard No Standard No Standard 0.753 

Gas Cooktops No Pilot No Pilot No Pilot 0.420 

Electric Standard Ovens No Standard 0.1163 0.1163 0.1209 

Electric Self-Cleaning Ovens No Standard No Standard No Standard 0.1123 

Gas Standard Ovens No Pilot No Pilot No Pilot 0.0600 

Gas Self-Cleaning Ovens No New Standard* No New Standard* 0.0625 0.0632 

* Gas self-cleaning ovens are already required to use pilotless ignition systems because they are equipped with 

power cords. 

9.3 MICROWAVE OVENS 

Table 9.3.1 shows the TSLs for the regulation of cooking efficiency or EF. TSLs 1 

though 4 correspond to candidate standard levels 1 through 4, respectively. 

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EERE-2006-STD-0127 COMMENT 64.2
Table 9.3.1 Trial Standard Levels for Microwave Oven EF 

Trial standard levels 

TSL 1 TSL 2 TSL 3 TSL 4 

EF 0.586 0.588 0.597 0.602 

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EERE-2006-STD-0127 COMMENT 64.2
REFERENCES 

1 U.S. Department of Energy-Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Energy 

Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Certain Consumer Products 

(Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, Electric and Gas Kitchen Ranges and Ovens, and Microwave 

Ovens) and for Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment (Commercial Clothes 

Washers); Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Public Meeting. Federal 

Register, 2007. 72(220): pp. 64432-64515. 

2 U.S. Department of Energy-Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Technical 

Support Document: Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products and Commercial and 

Industrial Equipment: Residential Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, Cooking Products, and 

Commercial Clothes Washers, September, 2008. Washington, DC. 

<http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/home_appl_tsd.html> 

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