Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices 35773 

Mode 1: The user can select a growing 

region (based on the types of seeds they want 

to plant). In this mode, lighting, temperature, 

and humidity settings are controlled by the 

product. The user cannot modify any 

settings. They can only change the growing 

region. 

Mode 2: The user can select ‘‘Advanced 

Mode’’. In this mode, the user has full control 

over the all settings within limited ranges set 

by the product (e.g., temperature can only be 

selected within the 60 °F to 80 °F range). The 

user can choose to turn lighting completely 

off. In both modes, the settings can be 

specified for each of the three gardens (each 

garden can have its own settings). 

e. Does the lighting contribute to a 

significant thermal load for the cooling 

system to counteract? 

GEA Response: Yes. The main purpose of 

the cooling system is to counteract the heat 

from the lighting. 

Do any additional control settings needed 

to be specified for testing (e.g., lighting, 

humidity controls)? 

GEA Response. The proposed, revised test 

procedure is used to determine the energy 

consumption of the cooling portion of the 

product. There are two portions to the test: 

One with lighting and cooling active, and the 

second with the lighting active and cooling 

disabled. This allows for a direct 

measurement of the cooling system’s energy 

contribution. 

f. Is the intent for the test be conducted 

using a single test at the lowest control 

temperature setting? Exhibit A refers to ‘‘each 

temperature control setting’’ in the 

stabilization section. 

GEA Response: The proposed test 

procedure has been modified to state that the 

test is only at one control setting, the default 

setting of the product. The original language 

was extraneous as the test is run using only 

one control setting. 

If conducting multiple temperature setting 

tests, how would the interpolation to 55F 

occur with no compartment temperature 

measurements? 

GEA Response. The energy result from the 

test will be derived from two tests at the 

default setting, as described previously. 

Interpolation to 55 °F is not possible with this 

product as it does not achieve temperatures 

below 55 °F at its coldest setting. 

Very truly yours, 

Signed by: /s/Bill A. Brown, P.E. 

[Date: April 26, 2021] 

Technical Director 

GE Appliances, a Haier company 

Attachments: Exhibit A—Revised Alternate 

Test Procedure 

Exhibit A (Revised 4/26/2021) 

Alternate Test Procedure for In-Home 

Grower Miscellaneous Refrigeration Product 

Energy Consumption is Determined by the 

Formula: E = E1—E2. 

• E is the test cycle energy of the vapor 

compression system (kWh/day) 

• E1 is the test cycle energy of the appliance 

with the lights and vapor compression 

system active (kWh/day) 

Æ E1 = (1440 * EP1)/T1 

Æ 1440 = number of minutes in a day 

Æ EP1 is the energy expended during three 

full rotations of the growing chambers 

(kWh) with the lights and vapor 

compression system active. 

Æ T1 is the length of time for the EP1 

measurement (minutes) 

• E2 is the test cycle energy of the 

appliance with the lights active and 

vapor compression system inactive 

(kWh/day) 

Æ E2 = (1440 * EP2)/T2 

Æ 1440 = number of minutes in a day 

Æ EP2 is the energy expended during three 

full rotations of the growing chambers 

(kWh) with the lights active and the 

vapor compression system inactive. 

Æ T2 is the length of time for the EP2 

measurement (minutes) 

Water in Tanks: Fill nutrient tanks with 

water (72.0 ± 5.0 °F) prior to start of the 

stabilization period. 

Stabilization: The test shall start after a 

minimum 8 hours stabilization run for the 

default setting of the appliance. This 

constitutes one rotation of the growing 

chambers. 

Ambient Temperature: Measure and record 

the ambient temperature at points located 3 

feet (91.5 cm) above the floor and 10 inches 

(25.4 cm) from the center of the two sides of 

the unit under test. The ambient temperature 

shall be 72.0 ± 1 °F (22.2 ± 0.6 °C) during the 

stabilization period and the test period. 

Temperature Measurements: No 

compartment temperature measurements are 

taken during the test. 

Test Procedure: Run the test using the 

SmartHQ App 

1. Download the SmartHQ app on a 

connected device 

2. Select ‘‘Connect Appliance’’ and then ‘‘In 

Home Grower’’ 

3. Follow the procedures per the SmartHQ 

app to set up the appliance. 

4. Fill the nutrient tanks with 72.0 ± 5.0 °F 

(22.2. ± 2.8 °C) water. 

5. Select ‘‘Let’s Start Planting’’ from the main 

screen. 

6. Select Garden 1 from the ‘‘Select Garden’’ 

screen 

a. Select the ‘‘Default’’ growing region. 

b. Select ‘‘Next’’ at the bottom of the screen 

7. At the screen titled ‘‘What do you want to 

plant in Garden x?’’, select ‘‘Choose 

Later’’ 

8. Repeat this process for Garden 2 and 

Garden 3. 

9. Select ‘‘Start the Growing Cycle’’ 

10. The first rotation (8 hours) is the 

stabilization period. 

11. The next three rotations (24 hours) is the 

period where EP1 and T1 data are taken. 

12. Disconnect the compressor harness. 

Instructions to be provided when 

product is tested by a third-party. 

13. The first rotation (8 hours) is the 

stabilization period 

14. The next three rotations (24 hours) is the 

period where EP2 and T2 data are taken. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14349 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Energy Conservation Standards for 

Manufactured Housing 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement, to 

request public comments on its scope, 

and to conduct public scoping meetings. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) is required, as set forth in 

the Energy Independence and Security 

Act of 2007 (EISA), to establish energy 

conservation standards for 

manufactured housing. EISA further 

directs DOE to base its energy 

conservation standards on the most 

recent version of the International 

Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and 

any supplements to that document, 

except where DOE finds that the IECC 

is not cost effective or where a more 

stringent standard would be more cost 

effective. DOE’s Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

(EERE) is currently planning to finalize 

a Supplemental Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (SNOPR) (on or before 

August 16, 2021) for publication in the 

Federal Register that will propose 

energy conservation standards for 

manufactured housing based on the 

2021 IECC. In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), DOE NEPA Implementing 

Procedures and the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

regulations for implementing NEPA, 

DOE will prepare an environmental 

impact statement (DOE/EIS–0550) to 

evaluate the potential impacts to the 

human environment associated with the 

proposed energy conservation standards 

for manufactured housing. 

DATES: The public scoping period for 

the EIS starts with the publication of 

this notice and ends on August 6, 2021. 

DOE will hold virtual informational/ 

public scoping meetings on Wednesday, 

July 21, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. 

Eastern Time and Thursday July 22, 

2021 at 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time. Details on how to participate in 

the virtual public meetings will be 

posted on the EIS web page at: https:// 

ecs-mh.evs.anl.gov. In defining the 

scope of the EIS, DOE will consider all 

scoping comments received or 

postmarked by August 6, 2021. 


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35774 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices 

1Available at: https://www.regulations.gov/ 

document?D=EERE-2009-BT-BC-0021-0136. 

ADDRESSES: Oral comments may be 

provided at the public scoping 

meetings. Written comments may be 

submitted online at: https://ecs-mh.evs.

anl.gov or by mail at: Roak Parker, 

NEPA Document Manager, U.S. 

Department of Energy—Golden Field 

Office, 15013 Denver West Parkway, 

Golden, CO 80401. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information on the scoping 

meetings and/or the EIS process, or to 

request to be added to an email list to 

receive updates on the EIS, contact Roak 

Parker via email at: DOE_EIS_

MANUFACTURED_HOUSING@

ee.doe.gov or via mail at: NEPA 

Document Manager, U.S. Department of 

Energy—Golden Field Office, 15013 

Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 

80401. For general information on 

DOE’s NEPA review process, contact 

Brian Costner, Director, Office of NEPA 

Policy and Compliance, GC–54, U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20585–0119, email AskNEPA@

hq.doe.gov, telephone (202) 586–4600 or 

(800) 472–2756. This NOI, the draft EIS, 

and other documents, as they are 

available, will be posted at: https://ecsmh.evs.anl.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

February 22, 2010, DOE published an 

advanced notice of proposed 

rulemaking (ANOPR) and request for 

comment. See Energy Standards for 

Manufactured Housing, 75 FR 7556. 

DOE determined that the proposed rule 

would benefit from a negotiated 

rulemaking. On June 13, 2014, DOE 

published a notice of intent to establish 

a negotiated rulemaking Manufactured 

Housing working group, which 

consisted of representatives of 

interested stakeholders. See 79 FR 

33873. The working group met a total of 

12 days over a three-month period. See 

Energy Conservation Program: Energy 

Efficiency Standards for Manufactured 

Housing 80 FR 7550 (February 11, 

2015). DOE also sought public comment 

and held numerous meetings with the 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD), which sets 

construction and safety standards for 

manufactured homes, including the 

current energy efficiency requirements 

for manufactured homes (the ‘‘HUD 

Code,’’ 24 CFR part 3820). See 80 FR 

7551–7553 (February 11, 2015), and 81 

FR 39756 (June 17, 2016). 

In June 2016, DOE issued a technical 

support document (See Document ID 

EERE–2009–BT–BC–0021–0136 1) and 

published a Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (NOPR) in the Federal 

Register that proposed to establish 

energy conservation standards for 

manufactured housing based on the 

negotiated consensus recommendations 

of the manufactured housing working 

group. 81 FR 39756 (June 17, 2016). In 

addition, DOE prepared a draft 

environmental assessment (EA) 

pursuant to NEPA to evaluate the 

potential environmental impacts of the 

proposed standards and requested 

information to help analyze potential 

impacts on indoor air quality (IAQ), 

notably from sealing manufactured 

homes more tightly. See Draft 

Environmental Assessment for Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking, ‘‘Energy 

Conservation Standards for 

Manufactured Housing’’ With Request 

for Information on Impacts to Indoor Air 

Quality, 81 FR 42576 (June 30, 2016) 

(DOE/EA–2021). DOE received input on 

both the proposed rule and the draft EA. 

To help further inform certain aspects of 

the standards being developed and their 

underlying framework, DOE published a 

Notice of Data Availability (NODA) on 

August 3, 2018. See 83 FR 38073. In the 

NODA, DOE stated it was examining a 

number of factors and possible 

alternatives on which it sought further 

input from the public. 

DOE has considered the information 

received, together with the recent 

issuance of the 2021 IECC, and intends 

to propose new energy conservation 

standards for manufactured housing that 

are based on the 2021 IECC, consistent 

with the considerations prescribed by 

EISA. DOE has determined that an EIS 

is the appropriate level of NEPA review 

to evaluate the potential environmental 

impacts associated with establishing 

energy conservation standards for 

manufactured housing based on the 

2021 IECC (the proposed action). DOE/ 

EA–2021 has been cancelled; however, 

information in the draft EA and 

comments received on the draft EA will 

be incorporated into the EIS, as 

appropriate. 

Purpose and Need for Agency Action 

DOE’s purpose and need for agency 

action is to establish energy 

conservation standards for 

manufactured housing, in accordance 

with EISA Section 413. DOE’s dual 

purpose is to satisfy these obligations 

and to help achieve the national goals 

of (a) saving energy, (b) reducing energy 

costs for manufactured homeowners, 

and (c) reducing outdoor pollutants and 

greenhouse gases. 

Proposed Action 

DOE’s proposed action is to establish 

energy conservation standards for 

manufactured homes based on the 2021 

IECC, consistent with the costeffectiveness considerations identified 

in the EISA. In accordance with the 

EISA, which explicitly allows DOE to 

consider the differences in design and 

factory construction techniques of 

manufactured homes, as compared to 

site-built and modular homes, the 

energy conservation standards under 

consideration by DOE are based on 

certain specifications included in the 

2021 IECC while also accounting for the 

unique aspects of manufactured 

housing. Because the IECC has not been 

specifically applied to manufactured 

homes, DOE’s supplemental proposal 

will include modifications to those 

related IECC provisions that can be 

adapted for use in these homes. DOE is 

proposing energy efficiency standards 

for manufactured housing that relate to 

the building thermal envelope; air 

sealing; installation of insulation; duct 

sealing; heating, ventilation and air 

conditioning (HVAC); service hot water 

systems; mechanical ventilation fan 

efficacy; and heating and cooling 

equipment sizing. 

Action Alternative 

DOE is also considering an action 

alternative that uses a tiered approach to 

address affordability and costeffectiveness concerns with respect to 

energy cost savings and the cost of 

efficiency improvements relative to the 

retail price of manufactured housing. In 

the action alternative, DOE is 

considering that for manufactured 

homes priced below a certain (to be 

determined) retail price, the stringency 

of certain building thermal envelope 

requirements would be based on 

incremental costs that provide a 

beneficial financial outcome with 

respect to life-cycle cost savings, while 

minimizing upfront cost impacts. Two 

sets of energy conservation standards 

would be established under the action 

alternative: Tier 1 standards would 

apply to manufactured homes priced at 

or below a retail price threshold and 

provide more limited improvements in 

efficiency up to a maximum incremental 

price increase; and Tier 2 standards 

would apply to homes above the retail 

price threshold. The Tier 2 standards 

would be the same as those considered 

under the proposed action. DOE has not 

yet determined the Tier 1 retail price 

threshold or the maximum incremental 

price increase. DOE is considering a 

retail price threshold from $50,000 to 

$100,000 and a maximum incremental 

price increase of $500 to $1,000. DOE 

will publish the Tier 1 threshold and 

maximum incremental price increase in 

the SNOPR. The draft EIS will analyze 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices 35775 

potential environmental impacts of the 

tiered approach as defined in the 

SNOPR as the action alternative. 

The energy conservation standards 

proposed under either the proposed 

action or the action alternative would be 

based on the current climate zones in 

the HUD Code (24 CFR 3820.506) and 

would apply to homes manufactured on 

or after one year following the 

publication of a final rule for DOE’s 

energy conservation standards for 

manufactured housing in the Federal 

Register. 

No Action Alternative 

NEPA requires consideration of a no 

action alternative. The no action 

alternative serves as the baseline to 

compare the potential environmental 

impacts of the proposed action and 

alternatives. As part of the EIS process, 

DOE will consider a no action 

alternative where DOE would not 

establish energy conservation standards 

for manufactured housing, and energy 

conservation requirements would 

remain at the levels established in the 

existing HUD Code. 

Preliminary Identification of 

Environmental Issues 

DOE’s analysis and discussion in the 

EIS will focus on potentially significant 

environmental impacts. DOE’s 2016 

Draft EA (Draft Environmental 

Assessment for Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking, ‘‘Energy Conservation 

Standards for Manufactured Housing’’ 

With Request for Information on 

Impacts to Indoor Air Quality, DOE/EA– 

2021) analyzed potential impacts related 

to indoor air, outdoor air, 

socioeconomics and environmental 

justice, and climate change. Other 

resource areas (such as sensitive 

ecosystems, geology and soils, and 

wetlands and floodplains) were 

considered and dismissed from detailed 

analysis because impacts of the 

proposed energy conservation standards 

would not be expected to have any 

measurable effects. Considering the 

analyses developed to support the draft 

EA, DOE anticipates that establishing 

energy conservation standards for 

manufactured housing would have 

potential impacts (beneficial, adverse, or 

both) in the same resource areas 

analyzed in the draft EA. 

Accordingly, in the EIS, DOE 

anticipates evaluating potential impacts 

related to: (1) Indoor air quality and 

human health; (2) outdoor emissions of 

air pollutants and greenhouse gases; (3) 

energy consumption; (4) 

socioeconomics; (5) environmental 

justice; and (6) climate change. This list 

is not intended to be all-inclusive or to 

imply a predetermination of potential 

impacts. DOE invites interested 

stakeholders to suggest specific issues, 

including possible mitigation measures, 

within these general categories or 

others, to be considered in the EIS. 

Public Participation 

The purpose of the EIS scoping 

process is to gather input on the issues, 

concerns, possible alternatives, and 

potential significant impacts to the 

quality of the human environment that 

DOE should consider in the EIS. Persons 

and organizations affected by or 

interested in the proposed action are 

invited to participate in the scoping 

process to help define the important 

resources and issues to be analyzed in 

depth, and to eliminate other issues 

from detailed study in the EIS. 

Participants are anticipated to include, 

and are not limited to, agencies 

(Federal, State, county, and local), 

Native American tribes, public interest 

groups, nongovernmental organizations, 

businesses, trade associations, and 

individual members of the public. 

There will be two scoping meetings, 

as described under the DATES section of 

this notice, to accommodate and 

encourage public participation. Each 

will be a virtual meeting (webcast) to 

avoid in-person interactions, toward 

mitigating any spread of the COVID–19 

pandemic. DOE will post information 

on how to participate in the virtual 

public meetings on the EIS website 

listed previously, in advance of the 

meetings. The public will have the 

opportunity to present comments on the 

scope of the EIS. DOE representatives 

will be available to answer questions 

and provide additional information to 

meeting attendees. In addition to 

providing comments at the public 

scoping meetings, stakeholders may 

submit written comments as described 

in the ADDRESSES section. 

The public is encouraged to provide 

information and comments on issues to 

be addressed in the EIS. Comments may 

be broad in nature or restricted to 

specific areas of concern, but they 

should be directly relevant to the NEPA 

process or potential environmental 

impacts. Note that public comments on 

the DOE SNOPR and its requirements, 

supporting bases, and analyses, that are 

unrelated to the NEPA process or 

potential environmental impacts, will 

be invited separately, pursuant to the 

rulemaking process, and will not be 

addressed during this EIS public 

scoping period. Instructions for 

providing those comments will be 

included with the publication of the 

SNOPR in the Federal Register. 

DOE will consider the comments 

received on the scope of the EIS during 

the 30-day scoping period as it prepares 

the draft EIS. When the draft EIS is 

completed, a Notice of Availability of 

the draft EIS will be published in the 

Federal Register, which will begin a 45- 

day public comment period. This Notice 

of Availability will include instructions 

on how to comment on the draft EIS, 

which will be available for download 

from the EIS website identified 

previously. DOE is considering holding 

two virtual public hearings during the 

public comment period for the draft EIS. 

DOE’s EIS process will include the 

virtual public scoping meetings; 

consultation and coordination with 

appropriate Federal, State, county, and 

local agencies and tribal governments; 

making the draft EIS available for public 

review and comment; a virtual public 

hearing or hearings on the draft EIS; 

publication of the final EIS, with 

accessibility via the EIS website; and 

publication of the Record of Decision in 

the Federal Register. DOE will maintain 

information about the NEPA process, 

including documents, meeting 

information, and important dates, on the 

EIS website identified previously. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on June 28, 2021, by 

Mathew Blevins, Director, Environment, 

Safety, and Health Office, Office of 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy, pursuant to delegated authority 

from the Secretary of Energy. That 

document with the original signature 

and date is maintained by DOE. For 

administrative purposes only, and in 

compliance with requirements of the 

Office of the Federal Register, the 

undersigned DOE Federal Register 

Liaison Officer has been authorized to 

sign and submit the document in 

electronic format for publication, as an 

official document of the Department of 

Energy. This administrative process in 

no way alters the legal effect of this 

document upon publication in the 

Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2021. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14484 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES