APPENDIX 12A: PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURER INTERVIEW GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

12A.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 12A-1 12A.2 WALK-IN COOLERS AND FREEZERS PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURER INTERVIEW GUIDE..................................................................................... 12A-1

12A-i12A.1 INTRODUCTION This appendix presents an example of the interview guide used during the preliminary manufacturer interviews. The interview guide details the questions the Department of Energy (DOE) used as the ba sis for the discussions with manufacturers of walk-in cooler and freezer (WICF or walk-in) equipment. The results of the manufacturer interviews were aggregated and incorporated into the preliminary manufacturer impact analysis (see chapter 12 of the preliminary TSD).

12A.2 WALK-IN COOLERS AND FREEZERS PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURER INTERVIEW GUIDE The following section consists of the ge neral questions regarding key issues and industry information that DOE asked while in terviewing WICF equipment manufacturers.

1 KEY ISSUES

1.1 What are the key issues for your company regarding DOE’s walk-in coolers and freezers rulemaking?

1.2 Are there any patent, technology, or other issues that you are aware of that would prevent you or your competitors from implementing higher-efficiency designs?

2 MARKET SHARES AND INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION

2.1 What is your company’s approximate market share in each equipment class?
Envelopes: Type Size Temperature Market Share

Storage Small Refrigerator Freezer
Medium Refrigerator Freezer Large Refrigerator Freezer

Display Small Refrigerator Freezer
Medium Refrigerator Freezer Large Refrigerator Freezer

12A-1Refrigeration Systems: Type Location Temperature Market Share
Outdoor Refrigerator Remote condensing Freezer
Indoor Refrigerator Freezer
Outdoor Refrigerator
Self-contained Freezer
Indoor Refrigerator Freezer

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

2.3 Does your outlook change with higher standard levels?

2.4 How would you expect shipments to cha nge for the industry as a whole as a function of standards and why?

2.5 Looking at price/cost effects only, how w ould you expect shipments to change for a 5%, 10%, 25% or 50% manufactur er price/cost increase?

2.6 Please provide estimations of your full production cost percentages for each equipment class below.
Envelopes: Type Size Temperature Materials Labor Depreciation Overhead

Storage Small Refrigerator Freezer
Medium Refrigerator Freezer Large Refrigerator Freezer

Display Small Refrigerator Freezer
Medium Refrigerator Freezer Large Refrigerator Freezer Refrigeration Systems: Type Location Temperature Materials Labor Depreciation Overhead

Remote condensing Outdoor Refrigerator Freezer
Indoor Refrigerator Freezer

Selfcontained Outdoor Refrigerator Freezer
Indoor Refrigerator Freezer

12A-22.7 In the absence of new standards, do you expect any industry consolidation?

2.8 How would new standards affect your ability to compete?

2.9 Could new standards dispr oportionately advance or ha rm the competitive positions of some firms?

2.10 Could new standards result in disproporti onate economic or pe rformance penalties for particular consumer/user subgroups?

2.11 Beyond price and energy efficiency, coul d new standards result in products that will be more or less desirable to consumers due to changes in product functionality, utility, or other features?

3 CUMULATIVE REGULATORY BURDEN

3.1 Are there recent or impending regulati ons on your specific product or other products that impose a cumulative burden on the industry?

3.2 If so, what is the total expected impact of those other regulations?

12A-3