EE-RM-03-870 COMMENT 02

March 19,2003 

Deborah E. Miller 

Vice President 

Government and International Affairs 

Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute 

4100 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 200 

Arlington, V A 22203 

Re: Meeting Follow-up and Request for Information 

Dear Ms. Miller: 

It was a pleasure meeting with you, Karim Amrane, and Bill Tritsis on March 6th to 

discuss the status of the current activities of the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) 

Office of Building Technologies, and of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute 

(ARI), with respect to commercial refrigeration products. This was also a great 

opportunity for us to introduce the key personnel who will be involved with this work 

and to get acquainted with some of the areas where we both have interests and should be 

able to cooperate. This letter is a follow up to our meeting and a request for ARI 

feedback and data on commercial refrigeration products. 

Based on the DOE report "The FY 2003 Priority -Setting Summary Report and Actions 

Proposed" on December 6, 2002, DOE is currently assessing Federal energy efficiency 

regulation of two broad categories of commercial refrigeration products (reach-in 

refrigerators and freezers, and beverage vending machines and beverage merchandisers). 

Initially, DOE is examining whether to classify the products in these categories as 

covered under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). If DOE believes 

coverage is warranted, it would then review and decide what action to take with respect 

to adoption of test procedures, labeling requirements, and energy conservation standards. 

Currently, as part of this effort, DOE is analyzing the energy consumption of selfcontained commercial reach-in refrigerators and freezers, combination reach-in 

refrigerator-freezers, beverage vending machines, and beverage merchandisers on a perunit basis as well as a national-aggregate basis. The attached summary table shows some 

of the information that DOE has gathered to date on these five product categories. The 

table addresses the following: 

1. Estimated installed base (total for industry), 

2. Annual shipments 
EE-RM-03-870 COMMENT 02

3. Typical equipment lifetime, and 

4. Average unit energy consumption. 

DOE is interested in the following: 

1. Any additional data (by product category in the above four areas) that can 

further substantiate the information presented in the attached table, update this 

information, or demonstrate that DOE should examine these numbers further; 

2. Data in these four areas concerning combination refrigerator-freezers; 

3. Data on annual shipments for reach-in refrigerators and freezers that (a) 

excludes exports, (b) provides figures that separate refrigerator shipments 

from freezer shipments, and (c) excludes other types of commercial 

refrigerators and freezers (e.g. built-ins, undercounter units, etc.); 

4. Information that identifies the testing methods that your members have used 

in the past, as well as methods they currently use, and the purposes for which 

they have used each such method; and 

5. Source of data as to imports of these products. 

In addition, the following information would be useful to gain a better understanding of 

the commercial refrigeration industry: 

1. A list of ARI's Commercial Refrigerator Manufacturers Division members, 

with the type of commercial refrigeration products each manufactures, as well 

as contacts at any of these companies that would be willing to cooperate with 

us in our investigation of these products; 

2. For each of the commercial refrigeration categories we are investigating in 

which ARI members manufacture products, ARI's estimate of either total 

shipments in the US (including non-ARI members) or the percentage of total 

shipments manufactured by ARI members; 

3. Within commercial reach-in refrigerators and freezers, combination 

refrigerator-freezers, beverage vending machines and beverage merchandisers, 

any special subclasses of commercial refrigeration products that ARI suggests 

that DOE should consider for federal standards; and 

4. Information on definitions and test procedures of commercial refrigeration 

products. 

On behalf of DOE, I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter with you and thank 

you for taking the time to consider our request. 
EE-RM-03-870 COMMENT 02

Sincerely, 

Brian Card 

DOE Program Manager 

Attachment 
EE-RM-03-870 COMMENT 02

Updated and refined information is currently being gathered to 

energy consumption for each product category. 

Installed Base Annual Shipments 

(units) (units) 

Commercial Reach- 1-door 390,000 a. 260,0001.2 

in Refrigerators 2-door 845,000 b. 365,0003 

3+ doors 65,000 

Total 1,300,000 

Commercial 1-door 440,000 a.46,6591 

Reach-in Freezers 2-door 320,000 b. (see note 3) 

3+ doors 40,000 

Total 800,000 

Combination 

Reach-in 

RefrigeratorFreezers 

Beverage Vending Cans 2,400,000 a.353,0001 

Machines Bottles 1,125,000 

Other 575,000 

Total 4,100,000 

Beverage 1-door 400,000 a.175,0001 

Merchandisers 2-door 360,000 (Refrigerated Display 

3+ doors 40,000 Cases) 

Total 800,000 

Sources ADL 19964 a. Appliance Magazine 

49th Annual Report 

(2001 values) 

b. Freedonia 20025 

1 Exports included. 

2. Refrigerators include built-ins, undercounter units, compact and standard units. 

3. This value represents commercial refrigerators plus commercial freezers. 

Equipment Unit Energy 

Lifetime (years) Consumption 

(kWhlyr) 

8-10 years 1-door 2,300 

2-door 4,300 

3+ doors 6,300 

8-10 years 1-door 5,200 

2-door 9,800 

3+ doors 14,400 

7-10 years Cans 3,000 

Bottles 3,000 

Other 3,000 

7-10 years 1-door 3,900 

2-door 7,600 

3+ doors 11,200 

ADL 19964 ADL 19964 

4. Energy Savings Potential for Commercial Refrigeration E

Report looked only at self-contained solid-door, upright r

5. Commercial Refrigeration Equipment to 2006, Freedonia