Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/10/24/2013-24352/energy-conservation-program-for-consumer-products-test-procedures-for-direct-heating-equipment-and
Timestamp: 2017-09-26 00:38:07
Document Index: 717011762

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A Proposed Rule by the Energy Department on 10/24/2013
Comments: DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) before and after the public meeting, but no later than January 7, 2014. See section V, ``Public Participation,'' for details.
63410-63429 (20 pages)
1. Reasons for, Objectives of, and Legal Basis for the Proposed Rule
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-24352 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-24352
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This rulemaking will fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. For direct heating equipment, the proposed amendments would add provisions for testing vented home heating equipment that utilizes condensing technology, and to incorporate by reference six industry test standards to replace the outdated test standards which are referred to in the existing DOE test procedure. These industry standards reflect the current practice in test set-up and test conditions for testing direct heating equipment. For pool heaters, the proposed amendments would incorporate by reference ANSI/Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1160-2009, “Performance Rating of Heat Pump Pool Heaters,” and ANSI/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 146-2011, “Method of Testing and Rating Pool Heaters,” to establish a test method for electric pool heaters (including heat pump pool heaters). The proposed amendments would also clarify the test procedure's applicability to oil-fired pool heaters. DOE is also announcing a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on issues presented in this test procedure rulemaking.
Comments: DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) before and after the public meeting, but no later than January 7, 2014. See section V, “Public Participation,” for details.
The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 8E-089, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. To attend, please notify Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945. For more information, refer to section V, “Public Participation,” near the end of this notice of proposed rulemaking.
Email: DirectHeatingPoolHeaters2013TP0004@ee.doe.gov. Include EERE-2013-BT-TP-0004 and/or RIN 1904-AC94 in the subject line of the message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and avoid the use of special characters or any form of encryption. Start Printed Page 63411
Docket: A link to the docket Web page can be found at: http://www.regulations.gov/​#!docketDetail;​D=​EERE-2013-BT-TP-0004. This Web page contains a link to the docket for this notice of proposed rulemaking on the www.regulations.gov site. The www.regulations.gov Web page contains simple instructions on how to access all documents, including Federal Register notices, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting documents/materials in the docket. See section V, “Public Participation,” for information on how to submit comments through www.regulations.gov.
Title III, Part B [1] of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (“EPCA” or “the Act”), Public Law 94-163 (codified at 42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) sets forth a variety of provisions designed to improve energy efficiency and establishes the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles.[2] These include two covered products that are the subject of today's notice: direct heating equipment and pool heaters. (42 U.S.C. 6292(a)(9) and (11))
Further, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) amended EPCA to require that at least once every 7 years, DOE must review test procedures for all covered products and either amend test procedures (if the Secretary determines that amended test procedures would more accurately or fully comply with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) or publish notice in the Federal Register of any determination not to amend a test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(1)(A)) Under this requirement, DOE must review the test procedures for the Start Printed Page 63412various types of direct heating equipment and pool heaters not later than December 19, 2014 (i.e., 7 years after the enactment of EISA 2007). The final rule resulting from this rulemaking will satisfy this requirement.
In addition to the test procedure review provision discussed above, EISA 2007 also amended EPCA to require DOE to amend its test procedures for all covered products to include measurement of standby mode and off mode energy consumption. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) DOE recently completed a rulemaking to consider amending its test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters to include provisions for measuring the standby mode and off mode energy consumption of those products. DOE published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in the Federal Register on August 30, 2010, which proposes amendments to the DOE test procedures for heating products to account for the standby mode and off mode energy consumption of these products, as required under EPCA.[3] 75 FR 52892. DOE published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) in the Federal Register on September 13, 2011, which calls for the use of the second edition of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301, “Household Electrical Appliances—Measurement of standby power,” in lieu of the first edition and also provides guidance on rounding and sampling. 76 FR 56347. DOE published a final rule adopting standby mode and off mode provisions for heating products in the Federal Register on December 17, 2012. 77 FR 74559. That rulemaking was limited to test procedure amendments to address standby mode and off mode requirements; it did not address several other potential issues in DOE's existing test procedures for the covered products. DOE addresses these non-standby/off mode issues separately in today's NOPR.
On October 12, 2011, DOE published in the Federal Register a request for information (RFI) that identified and requested comment on a number of issues regarding the test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters. 76 FR 63211.[4] DOE accepted comments and information on the October 2011 RFI until November 28, 2011 and considered all feedback received when developing the proposals contained in this notice of proposed rulemaking. Each of the issues raised in the October 2011 RFI are discussed in detail in section III, along with comments received on the issues and DOE's responses. In addition, several topics not addressed in the October 2011 RFI, but brought up by interested parties in their comments, are discussed in section III of this NOPR.
In this NOPR, DOE proposes to modify the current test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters. For direct heating equipment, the proposed amendments would add provisions for testing vented home heating equipment that utilizes condensing technology, and update all references in the existing test procedure. For pool heaters, the proposed amendments would incorporate by reference ANSI/Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1160-2009, “Performance Rating of Heat Pump Pool Heaters,” and ANSI/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 146-2011, “Method of Testing and Rating Pool Heaters,” to establish testing procedures for electric (including heat pump) pool heaters. The proposed amendments for pool heaters would also clarify the test procedure's applicability to gas-fired and oil-fired pool heaters. The following paragraphs summarize these proposed changes for both product types.
In any rulemaking to amend a test procedure, DOE must determine to what extent, if any, the proposed test procedure would alter the measured energy efficiency of any covered product as determined under the Start Printed Page 63413existing test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(1)) If DOE determines that the amended test procedure would alter the measured efficiency of a covered product, DOE must amend the applicable energy conservation standard accordingly. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) For both direct heating equipment and pool heaters, DOE has tentatively determined that the proposed test procedure amendments would have a de minimis impact on the products' measured efficiency. A full discussion of the rationale for this tentative conclusion is provided in section III.C below.
In response to the October 2011 RFI, DOE received eight written comments related to two covered products, direct heating equipment (DHE) and pool heaters, from the following interested parties: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), American Gas Association (AGA), Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), Empire Stove, Hearth Home Technologies (HHT), National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), Hearth, Patio Barbecue Association (HPBA), and Miles Industries Ltd. (Miles Industries). These interested parties commented on a range of issues, including those DOE identified in the October 2011 RFI, as well as several other pertinent issues. The issues on which DOE received comment, DOE's responses to those comments, and the proposed changes to the test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters resulting from those comments are discussed in the subsections immediately below.
DOE notes that, because of a recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (DC Circuit), DOE is not addressing the comments relating to the application of the test procedure to vented hearth heaters. On February 8, 2013, the DC Circuit issued a decision vacating the DOE definition of “Vented hearth heater” at 10 CFR 430.2, and remanded the issue to DOE to interpret the challenged provisions consistent with the court's opinion. Hearth, Patio Barbecue Association v. U.S. Department of Energy, 706 F.3d 499, 509 (D.C. Cir. 2013). DOE will address the comments received on the October 2011 RFI regarding the application of the DHE test procedures to vented hearth heaters in a separate rulemaking devoted to those products.
In response to the October 2011 RFI, DOE received comments from eight interested parties, all of which addressed the DOE test procedures for direct heating equipment. (AGA, AHRI, Miles Industries, HPBA, Empire Stove, HHT, ACEEE, and NPGA) Generally, the comments were supportive of DOE's efforts to update, improve, and clarify its test procedures for DHE. The comments focused on two key issues: (1) Clarification of the test procedures as applied to vented hearth heating products; and (2) the expansion of the test procedures to accommodate DHE with condensing technology. Regarding the first issue, as noted above, DOE will address comments related to vented hearth heaters in a later rulemaking. Regarding the second issue, as part of DOE's overall review of test procedures, these proposed DHE amendments include a complete updating of references to industry standards used in the DHE test procedures and modifications to the test procedures for jacket loss measurement.
DOE received comments on the October 2011 RFI that encouraged DOE to develop and adopt new test procedure provisions to properly measure the efficiency of gas-fired direct heating equipment designed to operate using condensing technology. (Empire, No. 7 at p. 1; AHRI, No. 12 at p. 3; HPBA, No. 26 at p. 1)
DOE is interested in receiving comment on the adequacy of the proposed provisions for determining the efficiency improvement associated with vented heaters that utilize condensing technology. DOE is also interested in any further clarifications or modifications that might be necessary. This is identified as issue 1 in section V.E, “Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment.”
The October 2011 RFI sought comment on other relevant issues that would affect the test procedures for direct heating equipment (both vented type and unvented type). 76 FR 63211, 63215 (Oct. 12, 2011). Interested parties were encouraged to provide comments on any aspect of the test procedure, including updates to referenced Start Printed Page 63414standards, as part of this comprehensive 7-year-review rulemaking.
Standards Currently Used in Existing Test Procedures for DHE:
“ANSI Standard Z21.11.1-1974” means the American National Standard for Gas-Fired Room Heaters.
Standards Proposed for Use in the Test Procedures for DHE:
“ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007” means the test standard published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers titled, “Method of Test for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces and Boilers.”
DOE proposes to list all of the referenced industry standards in 10 CFR 430.3, Materials incorporated by reference. As explained above, DOE tentatively concludes that these incorporation by reference changes and updates would neither result in any material differences in the test results nor increase test procedure burden. DOE solicits comment on this tentative conclusion, as well as the adequacy of the proposed updating of referenced standards. DOE is also interested in any further clarification or modifications that may be necessary. This is identified as issue 2 in section V.E, “Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment.”
As part of its review of the existing test procedures, DOE identified three additional test procedure issues that it believes should be addressed in this rulemaking: (1) The jacket loss test for floor furnaces; (2) testing of manually controlled vented heaters; and (3) clarification of section 3.3 tracer gas procedures as applied to vented heaters without thermal stack dampers.Start Printed Page 63415
Finally, DOE proposes to correct typographical errors regarding the equation in section 4.3.6 of appendix O. Specifically, DOE is proposing to add a missing minus (“−”) sign and replace a plus (“+”) sign with a multiplication symbol (“×”). These errors are obviously typographical in nature because similar efficiency equations in other parts of the test procedures, as well as those used in industry standards, do not include these errors. The relevant industry groups have determined the correct format of this equation since its adoption and have been utilizing the correct format when testing and rating product efficiency. DOE is interested in receiving comment on any other corrections that might be needed in this review of the DHE test procedures.
DOE's test procedures for pool heaters are found at 10 CFR 430.23(p) and 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix P. In its definition of “efficiency descriptor,” EPCA specifies that for pool heaters, the efficiency descriptor shall be “thermal efficiency.” (42 U.S.C. 6291(22)(E)) Further, EPCA defines the “thermal efficiency of pool heaters” as the “measure of the heat in the water delivered at the heater outlet divided by the heat input of the pool heater as measured under test conditions specified in section 2.8.1 of the American National Standard for Gas Fired Pool Heaters, Z21.56-1986, or as may be prescribed by the Secretary.” [5] (42 U.S.C. 6291(26)) Current energy conservation standards for pool heaters do not account for standby mode and off mode energy use.
As part of a recent test procedure rulemaking, DOE prescribed a new efficiency metric for pool heaters, titled “integrated thermal efficiency.” 77 FR 74559 (Dec. 17, 2012).6 This prescribed integrated thermal efficiency metric builds on the existing thermal efficiency metric to include electrical energy consumption during standby mode and off mode operation, as required by EISA 2007. (42 U.S C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) The amended test procedure was effective 30 days after publication of the final rule. Until such time as compliance is required with amended energy conservation standards that account for standby mode and off mode energy consumption, manufacturers must continue using the thermal efficiency metric for certification and compliance purposes. However, if manufacturers choose to make written statements regarding standby mode and off mode energy efficiency, those representations must be based on the amended test procedure as of June 17, 2013, 180 days after the date of publication of the test procedure final rule.
In a December 2009 NOPR for energy conservation standards for heating products, DOE concluded that, as currently drafted, the DOE test procedure for pool heaters is not suitable for measuring energy efficiency for electric pool heaters (including heat pump pool heaters). 74 FR 65852, 65866-67 (Dec. 11, 2009). In the October 2011 RFI, DOE noted that for electric pool heaters (including those units Start Printed Page 63416using heat pump technology), the fuel source is electricity (measured in watts) instead of gas (measured in Btu/h), but “thermal efficiency,” as required under EPCA and determined using ANSI Z21.56, is a measure of heat delivered to the water at the heater outlet (in Btu/h) divided by the heat input (in Btu/h) of the fuel. 76 FR 63211, 63215-16 (Oct. 12, 2011). It is technically feasible to develop an integrated thermal efficiency rating for a heat pump pool heater by converting the power input in watts to the input in Btu/h (which can be done for both the power used during active mode and during standby mode and off mode). However, if such an integrated thermal efficiency metric were applied to heat pump pool heaters, DOE noted that the numerical result would be efficiency ratings of over 100 percent, which may necessitate some reeducation among consumers because heat pumps are typically rated using industry standards for Coefficient of Performance (COP). In contrast, electric pool heaters that operate with resistance heating (as opposed to heat pump technology), are typically rated with a thermal efficiency metric. Consequently, DOE noted in the October 2011 RFI that the ratings for electric pool heaters using these two competing technologies are not always directly comparable. Id. at 63215. Another consideration for heat pump pool heaters is that performance depends upon the ambient temperature and humidity, so environmental conditions for testing are much more important for heat pump pool heaters than for gas-fired pool heaters.
EPCA requires the use of the integrated thermal efficiency metric for all pool heaters, including electric resistance and heat pump pool heaters, upon the compliance date for new energy conservation standards. Therefore, if DOE were to set energy conservation standards for heat pump pool heaters and electric resistance pool heaters, manufacturers would then be required to rate their products using the integrated thermal efficiency metric, although manufacturers of heat pump pool heaters would still have the option of making supplemental representations of efficiency using the COP metric. DOE is proposing to include an approach to determine the integrated thermal efficiency based on a COP value for heat pump pool heaters.
In addition to the changes for electric pool heaters described in the previous section, DOE is also clarifying that the DOE test procedure is applicable to oil-fired pool heaters, despite the incorporation of a test method titled “Gas-Fired Pool Heaters.” Section 4.1.1 of that test method contains a provision to compute the energy used when oil is the fuel, as opposed to natural gas.
DOE also seeks comments on other relevant issues that would affect the test procedures for pool heaters. Although DOE has attempted to identify those portions of the test procedure where it believes amendments may be warranted, interested parties are welcome to provide comments on any aspect of the test procedure as part of this comprehensive 7-year-review rulemaking.
As mentioned in the summary at section II above, in amending a test procedure, EPCA directs DOE to determine to what extent, if any, the test procedure would alter the measured energy efficiency or measured energy use of a covered product. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(1)) If the amended test procedure alters the measured energy efficiency or measured energy use, the Secretary must amend the applicable energy conservation standard accordingly. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) The current energy conservation standards for direct heating equipment and pool heaters are based on existing test procedure efficiency metrics—AFUE and thermal efficiency (Et), respectively.
The proposed test procedure amendments for DHE generally do not contain changes that would materially alter the measured energy efficiency of equipment. Rather, most of the proposed changes represent clarifications that would improve the uniform application of the test procedures for certain product types. Any change in the reported efficiency that might be associated with these clarifications is tentatively expected to be de minimis.
Consistent with 42 U.S.C. 6293(c), any representations of energy consumption of vented heaters must be based on any final amended test procedures 180 days Start Printed Page 63417after the publication of the test procedure final rule. Until that time, manufacturers may make such representations based either on the final amended test procedures or on the previous test procedures, set forth at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix O as contained in the 10 CFR parts 200 to 499 edition revised as of January 1, 2013. Consistent with 42 U.S.C. 6291 (8), representations of energy consumption means measures of energy use (including for this product, active mode, standby mode, and off mode energy use), annual operating cost, energy efficiency (including for this product, Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)), or other measure of energy consumption. DOE notes that manufacturers must use the same test procedure for both representations of energy efficiency and certifications of compliance.
Consistent with 42 U.S.C. 6293(c), any representations of energy consumption of pool heaters must be based on any final amended procedures and calculations in appendix P starting 180 days after the publication of any final amended test procedures. Until that time, manufacturers of gas-fired and oil-fired pool heaters may make such representations based either on the final amended test procedures or on the previous test procedures, set forth at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix P as contained in the 10 CFR parts 200 to 499 edition revised as of January 1, 2013. Consistent with 42 U.S.C. 6291 (8), representations of energy consumption means measures of energy use (including for this product, active mode, standby mode, and off mode energy use), annual operating cost, energy efficiency (including for this product, thermal efficiency (Et), or integrated thermal efficiency (TEI)), or other measure of energy consumption. Again, DOE notes that manufacturers must use the same test procedure for both representations of energy efficiency and certifications of compliance.
There are currently no energy conservation standards for electric resistance pool heaters, heat pump pool heaters, or oil-fired pool heaters. Upon the compliance date of any final energy conservation standards for these types of pool heaters, use of any final test procedures in appendix P will be required to demonstrate compliance. There are also currently no energy conservation standards for the standby mode and off mode energy use of gas-fired pool heaters. Upon the compliance date of any energy conservation standards that incorporate standby mode and off mode energy consumption for gas-fired pool heaters (i.e., for this product, a standard expressed as integrated thermal efficiency (TEI)), use of any final test procedures in appendix P will be required to demonstrate compliance.
DOE expects that any final rule in this proceeding would be effective 30 days after the date of publication of that final rule.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996) requires preparation of an initial regulatory flexibility analysis (IFRA) for any rule that by law must be proposed for public comment and a final regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA) for any such rule that an agency adopts as a final rule, unless the agency certifies that the rule, if promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. A regulatory flexibility analysis examines the impact of the rule on small entities and considers alternative ways of reducing negative effects. Also, as required by Executive Order 13272, “Proper Consideration of Small Entities in Agency Rulemaking,” 67 FR 53461 (August 16, 2002), DOE published procedures and policies on February 19, 2003, to ensure that the potential impacts of its rules on small entities are properly considered during the DOE rulemaking process. 68 FR 7990. DOE has made its procedures and policies available on the Office of the General Counsel's Web site at: www.gc.doe.gov/​gc/​office-general-counsel.
Today's proposed rule would prescribe test procedure amendments that would be used to determine compliance with energy conservation standards for direct heating equipment and pool heaters. For direct heating equipment, the proposed amendments would add provisions for testing vented home heating equipment that utilizes condensing technology, and incorporate by reference the most appropriate or recent versions of several industry standards referenced in the DOE test procedure for the purposes of test set-up and installation specifications. For pool heaters, the proposed amendments would incorporate by reference ANSI/AHRI Standard 1160-2009 and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 146-2011 to establish testing procedures for electric (including heat pump) pool heaters. The proposed amendments for pool heaters would also clarify the test procedure's applicability to oil-fired pool heaters. DOE reviewed today's proposed rule under the provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the policies and procedures published on February 19, 2003. 68 FR 7990.
The reasons for, objectives of, and legal basis for the proposed rule are stated elsewhere in the preamble and are not repeated here.
For the manufacturers of the covered products, the Small Business Start Printed Page 63418Administration (SBA) has set a size threshold, which defines those entities classified as “small businesses” for the purposes of the statute. DOE used the SBA's small business size standards to determine whether any small entities would be subject to the requirements of the rule. 65 FR 30836, 30848-49 (May 15, 2000), as amended at 65 FR 53533, 53544-45 (Sept. 5, 2000) and codified at 13 CFR part 121. The size standards are listed by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and industry description and are available at http://www.sba.gov/​idc/​groups/​public/​documents/​sba_​homepage/​serv_​sstd_​tablepdf.pdf. DHE and pool heater manufacturing are classified under NAICS 333414—“Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing.” The SBA sets a threshold of 500 employees or less for an entity to be considered as a small business for both of these categories.[7]
To estimate the number of companies that could be small business manufacturers of products covered by this rulemaking, DOE conducted a market survey using available public information to identify potential small manufacturers. DOE's research involved reviewing several industry trade association membership directories (e.g., AHRI [8] ), product databases (e.g., AHRI [9] and CEC [10] databases), individual company Web sites, and marketing research tools (e.g., Hoovers [11] reports) to create a list of all domestic small business manufacturers of heating products covered by this rulemaking. DOE has identified 2 manufacturers of vented DHE and 5 manufacturers of pool heaters (including heat pump pool heater manufacturers) that can be considered small businesses. DOE did not count manufacturers of vented hearth heaters because, as noted previously, the definition of “vented hearth heater” was remanded to DOE for further consideration by the D.C. Circuit Court. DOE plans to conduct a separate rulemaking that would clarify the standards and test procedures for vented hearth products, and as a result, DOE will assess impacts on small business vented hearth product manufacturers as part of that proceeding.
For direct heating equipment, the proposed amendments would incorporate by reference the most recent version of various industry standards already referenced in the DHE test procedures for the purposes of specifying the test set-up provisions. In addition, the proposed test procedure would include provisions for determining the AFUE of products that use condensing technology. The updates to the most recent versions of the various industry standards would result in no material change to DOE's test procedure for direct heating equipment. The additional provisions for measuring energy efficiency of products with condensing technology may add a modest cost to testing for manufacturers of such products. The test could be conducted in the same test facility, but some additional testing and calculation would be required to determine AFUE. Specifically, the proposed provisions would require a condensate collection test to be conducted on vented heaters utilizing condensing technologies. The duration of the condensate collection test time would be 30 minutes for steady-state testing and 1-2 hours for cyclic testing. In some cases only steady-state testing would be required (i.e., all manually-controlled vented heaters and those vented heaters not utilizing the optional tracer gas procedures). Vented heaters tested utilizing the optional tracer gas procedures would be required to conduct both steady-state and cyclic condensate collection procedures. Therefore, DOE estimates that the additional testing for condensing units would add, in the worst case, 3 hours to the overall length of time it takes to conduct the AFUE test, as compared to DHE not utilizing condensing technology. At a rate of $30 an hour for a test lab technician, DOE estimates that the added cost will be $90 per test unit, which is modest in comparison to the overall cost of product development and certification.
For pool heaters, the proposed updates to the test procedure would add provisions to determine the energy efficiency of electric pool heaters, including heat pump pool heaters, and would incorporate by reference ANSI/AHRI 1160-2009 and ANSI/ASHRAE 146-2011. These products are not currently regulated by DOE, but DOE's research showed that all domestic small business manufacturers of heat pump pool heaters that were identified already rate COP and capacity according to the rating conditions in ANSI/AHRI 1160 and typically at an additional rating point outside of the ANSI/AHRI 1160 test conditions. In addition, DOE notes that ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 contains efficiency levels for heat pump pool heaters and specifies ANSI/AHRI 1160-2009 as the test method. Several States (e.g., Florida, California) also have minimum efficiency requirements for heat pump pool heaters, which is another factor that may drive manufacturers to rate their products for efficiency. Because manufacturers of heat pump pool heaters are already rating their products using AHRI 1160-2009 due to the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 requirements and State efficiency requirements, DOE does not believe there will be much, if any, additional burden from today's proposal for including a heat pump pool heater test method that references the industry standard. For electric resistance pool heaters, the proposed test method in ANSI/ASHRAE 146-2011 is comparable to that for gas-fired and oil-fired pool heaters in the existing test method. For these manufacturers to make any representation regarding the efficiency of their products, they must have been using a similar test, so it is not expected that the current proposal would add to the burden of manufacturers of electric resistance pool heaters. DOE requests comment on these tentative conclusions and on the potential impacts of this proposed rule on small business manufacturers of pool heaters, particularly of heat pump pool heaters and electric resistance pool heaters. This is identified as issue 5 in section V.E, “Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment.”
DOE is not aware of any rules or regulations that duplicate, overlap, or conflict with the rule being proposed today.
As noted earlier in the preamble, the proposed rule is largely based upon the industry testing procedures already in place for direct heating equipment and pool heaters. DOE believes the proposed amendments would be useful for both consumers and industry, and are consistent with the Department's goals and statutory requirements, while also minimizing the economic burden on manufacturers. DOE seeks comment and information on the need, if any, for alternative test methods that, consistent with the statutory requirements, would reduce the economic impact of this rule Start Printed Page 63419on small entities. DOE will consider any comments received regarding alternative methods of testing that would reduce economic impact of the rule on small entities. DOE will consider the feasibility of such alternatives and determine whether they should be incorporated into the final rule.
Manufacturers of direct heating equipment and pool heaters must certify to DOE that their products comply with all applicable energy conservation standards. In certifying compliance, manufacturers must test their products according to the DOE test procedures for direct heating equipment and pool heaters, including any amendments adopted for those test procedures, on the date that compliance is required. DOE has established regulations for the certification and recordkeeping requirements for all covered consumer products and commercial equipment, including direct heating equipment and pool heaters. 76 FR 12422 (March 7, 2011). The collection-of-information requirement for certification and recordkeeping is subject to review and approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This requirement has been approved by OMB under OMB control number 1910-1400. Public reporting burden for the certification is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
In this proposed rule, DOE proposes test procedure amendments that it expects will be used to develop and implement future energy conservation standards for direct heating equipment and pool heaters. DOE has determined that this rule falls into a class of actions that are categorically excluded from review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and DOE's implementing regulations at 10 CFR part 1021. Specifically, this proposed rule would amend the existing test procedures without affecting the amount, quality, or distribution of energy usage, and, therefore, would not result in any environmental impacts. Thus, this rulemaking is covered by Categorical Exclusion A5 under 10 CFR part 1021, subpart D, which applies to any rulemaking that interprets or amends an existing rule without changing the environmental effect of that rule. Accordingly, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.
Executive Order 13132, “Federalism,” 64 FR 43255 (August 10, 1999), imposes certain requirements on Federal agencies formulating and implementing policies or regulations that preempt State law or that have Federalism implications. The Executive Order requires agencies to examine the constitutional and statutory authority supporting any action that would limit the policymaking discretion of the States, and to carefully assess the necessity for such actions. The Executive Order also requires agencies to have an accountable process to ensure meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the development of regulatory policies that have Federalism implications. On March 14, 2000, DOE published a statement of policy describing the intergovernmental consultation process it will follow in the development of such regulations. 65 FR 13735. DOE has examined this proposed rule and has tentatively determined that it would not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. EPCA governs and prescribes Federal preemption of State regulations as to energy conservation for the products that are the subject of today's proposed rule. States can petition DOE for exemption from such preemption to the extent, and based on criteria, set forth in EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 6297(d)) No further action is required by Executive Order 13132.
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) requires each Federal agency to assess the effects of Federal regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal governments and the private sector. Public Law 104-4, sec. 201 (codified at 2 U.S.C. 1531). For regulatory actions likely to result in a rule that may cause the expenditure by State, local, and Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100 million or more in any one year (adjusted annually for inflation), section 202 of UMRA requires a Federal agency to publish a written statement that estimates the resulting costs, benefits, and other effects on the national economy. (2 U.S.C. 1532(a), (b)) The UMRA also requires a Federal agency to develop an effective process to permit timely input by elected officers of State, local, and Tribal governments on a “significant intergovernmental mandate,” and requires an agency plan for giving notice and opportunity for timely input to potentially affected small governments before establishing any requirements that might significantly or uniquely affect them. On March 18, 1997, DOE published a statement of policy on its process for intergovernmental consultation under UMRA. 62 FR 12820. (This policy is also available at www.gc.doe.gov/​gc/​office-general-counsel.) DOE examined Start Printed Page 63420today's proposed rule according to UMRA and its statement of policy and has tentatively determined that the rule contains neither an intergovernmental mandate, nor a mandate that may result in the expenditure by State, local, and Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more in any year. Accordingly, no further assessment or analysis is required under UMRA.
Today's regulatory action to amend the test procedure for measuring the energy efficiency of direct heating equipment and pool heaters is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866 or any successor order. Moreover, it would not have a significant adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy, nor has it been designated as a significant energy action by the Administrator of OIRA. Therefore, it is not a significant energy action, and, accordingly, DOE has not prepared a Statement of Energy Effects for this rulemaking.
Today's proposed rule incorporates testing methods contained in the following commercial standards: ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007, “Method of Test for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces and Boilers”; ANSI Z21.86-2008, “Vented Gas-Fired Space Heating Appliances”; ASTM D2156-09, “Standard Test Method for Smoke Density in Flue Gases from Burning Distillate Fuels”; UL 729-2003, “Standard for Safety for Oil-Fired Floor Furnaces”; UL 730-2003, “Standard for Safety for Oil-Fired Wall Furnaces”; UL 896-1993, “Standard for Safety for Oil-Burning Stoves”; AHRI 1160-2009, “Performance Rating of Heat Pump Pool Heaters”; and ASHRAE 146-2011, “Method of Testing Pool Heaters.” While today's proposed test procedures are not exclusively based on these standards, components of the test procedures are adopted directly from these standards without amendment. The Department has evaluated these standards and is unable to conclude whether they fully comply with the requirements of section 32(b) of the FEAA, (i.e., that they were developed in a manner that fully provides for public participation, comment, and review). DOE will consult with the Attorney General and the Chairman of the FTC concerning the impact on competition of requiring manufacturers to use the test methods contained in these standards prior to prescribing a final rule.
The time, date and location of the public meeting are listed in the DATES and ADDRESSES sections at the beginning of this document. If you plan to attend the public meeting, please notify Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. Please note that foreign nationals visiting DOE Headquarters are subject to advance security screening procedures. Any foreign national wishing to participate in the meeting should advise DOE of this fact as soon as possible by contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards to initiate the necessary procedures.
In addition, you can attend the public meeting via webinar. Webinar registration information, participant instructions, and information about the capabilities available to webinar participants will be published on DOE's Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/​buildings/​appliance_​standards/​product.aspx/​productid/​68. Please also note that any person wishing to bring a laptop computer or tablet into the Forrestal Building will be required to obtain a property pass. Visitors should avoid bringing such devices, or allow an extra 45 minutes. Persons may also attend the public meeting via webinar. Participants are responsible for ensuring their systems are compatible with the webinar software.Start Printed Page 63421
Any person who has an interest in the topics addressed in this notice of proposed rulemaking, or who is representative of a group or class of persons that has an interest in these issues, may request an opportunity to make an oral presentation at the public meeting. Such persons may hand-deliver requests to speak to the address show in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning of this notice of proposed rulemaking between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Requests may also be sent by mail or email to Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, or Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. Persons who wish to speak should include in their request a computer diskette or CD-ROM in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) file format that briefly describes the nature of their interest in this rulemaking and the topics they wish to discuss. Such persons should also provide a daytime telephone number where they can be reached.
Any person who has plans to present a prepared general statement may request that copies of his or her statement be made available at the public meeting. Such persons may submit requests, along with an advance electronic copy of their statement in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format, to the appropriate address shown in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning of this notice of proposed rulemaking. The request and advance copy of statements must be received at least one week before the public meeting and may be emailed, hand-delivered, or sent by mail. DOE prefers to receive requests and advance copies via email. Please include a telephone number to enable DOE staff to make follow-up contact, if needed.
A transcript of the public meeting will be included in the docket, which can be viewed as described in the Docket section at the beginning of this notice of proposed rulemaking, and will be accessible on the DOE Web site. In addition, any person may buy a copy of the transcript from the transcribing reporter.
DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this proposed rule before or after the public meeting, but no later than the date provided in the DATES section at the beginning of this proposed rule. Interested parties may submit comments using any of the methods described in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning of this notice of proposed rulemaking.
DOE processes submissions made through www.regulations.gov before posting. Normally, comments will be posted within a few days of being submitted. However, if large volumes of Start Printed Page 63422comments are being processed simultaneously, your comment may not be viewable for up to several weeks. Please keep the comment tracking number that www.regulations.gov provides after you have successfully uploaded your comment.
5. What are the impacts of this proposed rule on small business entities?
For the reasons stated in the preamble, DOE is proposing to amend part 430 of Chapter II, Subchapter D of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth below:
a. Redesignating paragraph (d)(18) as (d)(19) and adding “and Appendix O of this part” after “for § 430.2” in redesignated paragraph (d)(19);
(i) ASTM. American Society for Testing and Materials International, 100 Start Printed Page 63423Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959 (www.astm.org).
After [date 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register], any representations made with respect to the energy use or efficiency of vented home Start Printed Page 63424heating equipment must be made in accordance with the results of testing pursuant to this appendix. After this date, if a manufacturer elects to make representations with regard to standby mode and off mode energy consumption, then testing must also include the provisions of this appendix related to standby mode and off mode energy consumption.
Manufacturers conducting tests of vented home heating equipment after [date 30 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register] and prior to [date 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register], must conduct such test in accordance with either this appendix or appendix O as it appeared at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix X, in the 10 CFR parts 200 to 499 edition revised as of January 1, 2013. Any representations made with respect to the energy use or efficiency of such vented home heating equipment must be in accordance with whichever version is selected. Given that after [date 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register] representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency of vented home heating equipment must be made in accordance with tests conducted pursuant to this appendix, manufacturers may wish to begin using this test procedure as soon as possible.
1.5 “Condensing vented heater” means a vented heater that will, during the laboratory tests prescribed in this appendix, condense part of the water vapor in the flue gases.
2.1.1 Vented wall furnaces (including direct vent systems). Install non-direct vent gas-fueled vented wall furnaces as specified in section 8.1.3 and figure 7 or figure 10 of ANSI Z21.86 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). Install direct vent gas-fueled vented wall furnaces as specified in section 6.1.3 and figure 6 of ANSI Z21.86. Install oil-fueled vented wall furnaces as specified in section 36.1 of UL 730.
2.1.2 Vented floor furnaces. Install vented floor furnaces for test as specified in section 38.1 of UL 729.
2.1.3 Vented room heaters. Install vented room heaters for test as specified in section 37.1.1 of UL 896.
2.2.2 Oil-fueled vented home heating equipment (excluding direct vent systems). Use flue connections for oil-fueled vented floor furnaces as specified in section 38.2 of UL 729, sections 36.2 of UL 730 for oil-fueled vented wall furnaces, and sections 37.1.2 and 37.1.3 of UL 896 for oil-fueled vented room heaters (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
2.2.4 Condensing vented heater, additional flue requirements. The flue pipe installation must not allow condensate formed in the flue pipe to flow back into the unit. An initial downward slope from the unit's exit, an offset with a drip leg, annular collection rings, or drain holes must be included in the flue pipe installation without disturbing normal flue gas flow. Flue gases should not flow out of the drain with the condensate. For condensing vented heaters not designed for collection and draining of condensate, a means to collect condensate must be provided for the purposes of testing.
2.3.3 Other test gas. Use other test gases with characteristics as described in table 1 of ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). Use gases with a measured higher heating value within ±5 percent of the values specified in the above ANSI/ASHRAE standard. Determine the actual higher heating value of the gas used in the test with an error no greater than one percent.
2.3.4 Oil supply. For a vented heater utilizing fuel oil, use No. 1, fuel oil (kerosene) for vaporizing-type burners and either No. 1 or No. 2 fuel oil, as specified by the manufacturer, for mechanical atomizing type burners. Use test fuel conforming to the specifications given in tables 2 and 3 of ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). Measure the higher heating value of the test fuel with an error no greater than one percent.
2.4.2 Oil burner adjustments. Adjust the burners of oil-fueled vented heaters to give the CO2 reading recommended by the manufacturer and an hourly Btu input, during the steady-state performance test described below, which is within ±2 percent of the heater manufacturer's specified normal hourly Btu input rating. On units employing a power burner, do not allow smoke in the flue to exceed a No. 1 smoke during the steady-state performance test as measured by the procedure in ASTM D2156 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). If, on units employing a power burner, the smoke in the flue exceeds a No. 1 smoke during the steady-state test, readjust the burner to give a lower smoke reading, and, if necessary a lower CO2 reading, and start all tests over. Maintain the average draft over the fire and in the flue during the steady-state performance test at that recommended by the manufacturer within ±0.005 inches of water gauge. Do not make additional adjustments to the burner during the required series of performance tests. The instruments and measuring apparatus for this test are described in section 6 and shown in Figure 8 of ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
2.5.1 Forced air vented wall furnaces (including direct vent systems). During testing, maintain the air flow through the heater as specified by the manufacturer and operate the vented heater with the outlet air temperature between 80 °F and 130 °F above room temperature. If adjustable air discharge registers are provided, adjust them so as to provide the maximum possible air restriction. Measure air discharge temperature as specified in section 8.7 of ANSI Z21.86 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
3.1.2 Oil-fueled vented home heating equipment (including direct vent systems). Set up and adjust the vented heater as specified in sections 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3.4 of this appendix. Begin the steady-state performance test by operating the burner and the circulating air blower, on units so equipped, with the adjustments specified by sections 2.4.2 and 2.5 of this appendix until steady-state conditions are attained as indicated by a temperature variation of not more than 5 °F (2.8 C) in the flue gas temperature in three successive readings taken 15 minutes apart.
For units equipped with power burners, do not allow smoke in the flue to exceed a No. 1 smoke during the steady-state performance test as measured by the procedure described in ASTM D 2156 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). Maintain the average draft over the fire and in the breeching during the steady-state performance test at that recommended by the manufacturer ±0.005 inches of water gauge.
Measure the room temperature (TRA) as described in section 2.9 of this appendix and measure the steady-state flue gas temperature (TF,SS) using nine thermocouples located in the flue pipe as described in section 2.6.2 of this appendix. Secure a sample of the flue gas in the plane of temperature measurement and determine the concentration by volume of CO2 (XCO2F) present in dry flue gas. Measure and record the steady-state heat input rate (Qin).
3.2 Jacket loss measurement. Conduct a jacket loss test for vented floor furnaces. Measure the jacket loss (Lj) in accordance with the ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007 section 8.6 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), applying the provisions for furnaces and not the provisions for boilers. In lieu of testing, the jacket loss can be assigned a value of 1%.
3.3 Measurement of the off-cycle losses for vented heaters equipped with thermal stack dampers. As noted in section 4.3, this procedure may be optionally used for all vented heaters. Install the thermal stack damper, if required, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Unless specified otherwise, the thermal stack damper should be at the draft diverter exit collar. Attach a five foot length of bare stack to the outlet of the damper. Install thermocouples as specified in section 2.6.1 of this appendix.
For vented heaters equipped with single-stage thermostats, measure the off-cycle losses at the maximum fuel input rate. For vented heaters equipped with two-stage thermostats, measure the off-cycle losses at the maximum fuel input rate and at the reduced fuel input rate. For vented heaters equipped with step-modulating thermostats, Start Printed Page 63425measure the off-cycle losses at the reduced fuel input rate.
3.8 Condensing vented heaters measurement of condensate under steady-state and cyclic conditions. Condensate drain lines shall be attached to the vented heater as specified in the manufacturer's installation instructions. The test unit shall be level prior to all testing. A continuous downward slope of drain lines from the unit shall be maintained. Additional precautions shall be taken to facilitate uninterrupted flow of condensate during the test. Collection container must be glass or polished stainless steel to facilitate removal of interior deposits. The collection container shall have a vent opening to the atmosphere, be dried prior to each use, and be at room ambient temperature. The humidity of the room air shall at no time exceed 80% relative humidity. For condensing units not designed for collecting and draining condensate, drain lines need to be provided during testing that meet the criteria set forth in this section 3.8. Units employing manual controls and units not tested under the optional tracer gas procedures of section 3.3 and 3.6 shall only conduct the steady-state condensate collection test.
3.8.1 Steady-state condensate collection test. Begin a steady-state condensate collection immediately after the steady-state testing of section 3.1 has been completed. The steady-state condensate collection period shall be an additional 30 minutes. Condensate mass shall be measured immediately at the end of the collection period to minimize evaporation loss from the sample. Fuel input shall be recorded for the 30-minute condensate collection steady-state test period. Fuel higher heating value (HHV), temperature, and pressures necessary for determining fuel energy input (Qc,ss) will be measured and recorded. The fuel quantity and HHV shall be measured with errors no greater than 1%. Determine the mass of condensate for the steady-state test (Mc,ss) in pounds by subtracting the tare container weight from the total container and condensate weight measured at the end of the 30-minute condensate collection test period.
3.8.2 Cyclic condensate collection tests. (only for vented heaters tested under the optional tracer gas procedures of section 3.3 or 3.6) Control devices shall be installed to allow cyclical operation of the vented heater. The unit shall be operated in a cyclical manner until flue gas temperatures at the end of each on-cycle are within 5° F of each other for two consecutive cycles. On-cycle and off-cycle times are 4 minutes and 13 minutes respectively. Control of ON and OFF operation actions shall be within +/− 6 seconds of the scheduled time. Begin three test cycles. For fan-type vented heaters, maintain circulating air adjustments as specified in section 2.5 of this appendix. Begin condensate collection at one minute before the on-cycle period of the first test cycle. The container shall be removed one minute before the end of each off-cycle period. Condensate mass shall be measured for each test-cycle.
Fuel input shall be recorded during the entire test period starting at the beginning of the on-time period of the first cycle to the beginning of the on-time period of the second cycle, etc., for each of the test cycles. Fuel higher heating value (HHV), temperature, and pressure necessary for determining fuel energy input, Qc, shall be recorded. Determine the mass of condensate for each cycle, Mc, in pounds. If at the end of three-cycles, the sample standard deviation is within 20% of the mean value for three cycles, use total condensate collected in the three cycles as Mc; if not, continue collection for an additional three cycles and use the total condensate collected for the six cycles as Mc. Determine the fuel energy input, Qc, during the three or six test cycles, expressed in Btu.
4.1.6 Latent heat loss. For non-condensing vented heaters, obtain the latent heat loss (LL,A) from Table 2 of this appendix. For condensing vented heaters, a modified latent heat loss (LL,A*) is obtained as follows:
LL,A* = LL,A − LG,SS + LC,SS
LL,A = Latent heat loss, based on fuel type, from table 2 of this appendix
LG,SS = Steady-state latent heat gain due to condensation as determined in 4.1.6.1 of this appendix
LC,SS = Steady-state heat loss due to hot condensate going down the drain as determined in 4.1.6.2 of this appendix
LL,A* = LL,A − LG + LC
LG = Latent heat gain due to condensation under cyclic conditions as determined in 4.1.6.3 of this appendix
LC = Heat loss due to hot condensate going down the drain under cyclic conditions as determined in 4.1.6.4 of this appendix
4.1.6.1 Latent heat gain due to condensation under steady-state conditions. Calculate the latent heat gain (LG,SS) expressed as a percent and defined as:
Mc,ss = mass of condensate for the steady-state test as determined in 3.8.1 of this appendix, pounds
Qc,ss = fuel energy input for steady-state test as determined in 3.8.1 of this appendix, Btu
4.1.6.2 Heat loss due to hot condensate going down the drain under steady-state conditions. Calculate the steady-state heat loss due to hot condensate going down the drain (LC,SS) expressed as a percent and defined as:
LG,SS = Latent heat gain due to condensation under steady-state conditions as defined in 4.1.6.1 of this appendix
TF,SS = Flue (or stack) gas temperature as defined in 3.1 of this appendix, °F.
4.1.6.3 Latent heat gain due to condensation under cyclic conditions. (only for vented heaters tested under the optional tracer gas procedures of section 3.3 or 3.6) Calculate the latent heat gain (LG) expressed as a percent and defined as:
100 = conversion factor to express a decimal as a percent Start Printed Page 63426
Mc = mass of condensate for the cyclic test as determined in 3.8.2 of this appendix, pounds
Qc = fuel energy input for cyclic test as determined in 3.8.2 of this appendix, Btu
4.1.6.4 Heat loss due to hot condensate going down the drain under cyclic conditions. (only for vented heaters tested under the optional tracer gas procedures of section 3.3 or 3.6) Calculate the cyclic heat loss due to hot condensate going down the drain (LC) expressed as a percent and defined as:
LG = Latent heat gain due to condensation under cyclic conditions as defined in 4.1.6.3 of this appendix
TF,SS = Flue (or stack) gas temperature as defined in 3.1 of this appendix.
4.1.10 Steady-state efficiency. For vented heaters equipped with single-stage thermostats, calculate the steady-state efficiency (excluding jacket loss, ηSS, expressed in percent and defined as:
ηSS = 100 − LL,A − LS,SS,A
LL,A = latent heat loss, as defined in 4.1.6 of this appendix (for condensing vented heaters LL,A* for steady-state conditions)
LS,SS,A = sensible heat loss at steady-state operation, as defined in 4.1.9 of this appendix
ηSS-L = 100 − LL,A − LS,SS,A
LL,A = latent heat loss, as defined in 4.1.6 of this appendix (for condensing vented heaters LL,A* for steady-state conditions at the reduced firing rate)
LS,SS,A = sensible heat loss at steady-state operation, as defined in 4.1.9 of this appendix in which LS,SS,A is determined at the reduced fuel input rate
ηSS-H = 100 − LL,A − LS,SS,A
LL,A = latent heat loss, as defined in 4.1.6 of this appendix (for condensing vented heaters LL,A* for steady-state conditions at the maximum fuel input rate)
LS,SS,A = sensible heat loss at steady-state operation, as defined in 4.1.9 of this appendix in which LS,SS,A is measured at the maximum fuel input rate
ηSS-H = steady-state efficiency at the maximum fuel input rate, as defined in 4.1.10 of this appendix
ηSS-L = steady-state efficiency at the reduced fuel input rate, as defined in 4.1.10 of this appendix
TOA* = average outdoor temperature for vented heaters with step-modulating thermostats operating in the modulating mode and is obtained from Table 3 or Figure 1 of this appendix
TC = 65 − [(65 − 15)R]
4.2.4.1 For manually-controlled heaters with various input rates the weighted average steady-state efficiency (ηSS−WT), is determined as follows:
ηSS−WT = 100−LL,A−LS,SS,A
LL,A = latent heat loss, as defined in 4.1.6 of this appendix (for condensing vented heaters, LL,A* for steady-state conditions)
LS,SS,A = steady-state efficiency at the reduced fuel input rate, as defined in 4.1.9 of this appendix
and where LL,A and LS,SS,A are determined:
4.3.3 Off-cycle sensible heat loss. For vented heaters equipped with single-stage thermostats, calculate the off-cycle sensible heat loss (LS,OFF) at the maximum fuel input rate. For vented heaters equipped with step-modulating thermostats, calculate LS,OFF defined as:
LS,OFF,red = as defined as LS,OFF in 4.3.3 of this appendix at the reduced fuel input rate
For vented heaters equipped with two-stage thermostats, calculate LS,OFF defined as:
LS,OFF = X1 LS,OFF,red +X2 LS,OFF,Max
LS,OFF,red =as defined as LS,OFF in 4.3.3 of this appendix at the reduced fuel input rate
LS,OFF,Max = as defined as LS,OFF in 4.3.3 of this appendix at the maximum fuel input rate
Qin = fuel input rate, as defined in 3.1 of this appendix in Btu per minute (as appropriate for the firing rate)
Σ mS,OFF (TS,OFF −TRA) = summation of the ten values (for single-stage or step-modulating models) or twenty values (for two-stage models) of the quantity, mS,OFF (TS,OFF − TRA), measured in accordance with 3.3 of this appendix
mS,OFF = stack gas mass flow rate pounds per minute
TS,OFF = stack gas temperature measured in accordance with 3.3 of this appendix
TRA = average room temperature measured in accordance with 3.3 of this appendix
PB = barometric pressure in inches of mercury
VT = flow rate of the tracer gas through the stack in cubic feet per minute
CT * = concentration by volume of the active tracer gas in the mixture in percent and is 100 when the tracer gas is a single component gas
CT = concentration by volume of the active tracer gas in the diluted stack gas in percent
TT = temperature of the tracer gas entering the flow meter in degrees Fahrenheit
(TT + 460) = absolute temperature of the tracer gas entering the flow meter in degrees Rankine
4.3.6 Part-load fuel utilization efficiency. Calculate the part-load fuel utilization efficiency (ηu) expressed as a percent and defined as:
Cj = 2.8, adjustment factor
Lj = jacket loss as defined in 4.1.5
LL,A = Latent heat loss, as defined in 4.1.6 of this appendix (for condensing vented heaters LL,A* for cyclic conditions)
ton = Average burner on time which is 20 mins.
LS,ON = On-cycle sensible heat loss, as defined in 4.3.1 of this appendix
LS,OFF = Off-cycle sensible heat loss, as defined in 4.3.3 of this appendix
LI,ON = On-cycle infiltration heat loss, as defined in 4.3.2 of this appendix
LI,OFF = Off-cycle infiltration heat loss, as defined in 4.3.5 of this appendix
PF = Pilot fraction, as defined in 4.1.4 of this appendix
tOFF = average burner off-time per cycle, which is 20 minutes
After [date 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register], any representations made with respect to the energy use or efficiency of pool heaters must be made in accordance with the results of testing pursuant to this appendix. After this date, if a manufacturer elects to make representations with regard to standby mode and off mode energy consumption, then testing must also include the provisions of this appendix related to standby mode and off mode energy consumption.
Manufacturers conducting tests of gas-fired pool heaters after [date 30 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register] and prior to [date 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register], must conduct such test in accordance with either this appendix or appendix X as it appeared at 10 CFR Part 430, subpart B, appendix P, in the 10 CFR Parts 200 to 499 edition revised as of January 1, 2013. Any representations made with respect to the energy use or efficiency of such gas-fired pool heaters must be in accordance with whichever version is selected. Given that after [date 180 days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register] representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency of pool heaters must be made in accordance with tests conducted pursuant to this appendix, manufacturers may wish to begin using this test procedure as soon as possible.
1.2 Coefficient of Performance (COP), as applied to heat pump pool heaters, means the ratio of heat output in kW to the total power input in kW
1.3 Electric heat pump pool heater means an appliance designed for heating nonpotable water employing a compressor, water-cooled condenser, and outdoor air coil.
1.4 Electric resistance pool heater means an appliance designed for heating nonpotable water employing electric resistance heating elements.
1.5 Fossil fuel-fired pool heater means an appliance designed for heating nonpotable water employing natural gas or oil burners.
1.6 Hybrid pool heater means an appliance designed for heating nonpotable water employing both a heat pump (compressor, water-cooled condenser, and outdoor air coil) and a fossil fueled burner as heating sources.
1.7 Off mode means the condition during the pool non-heating season in which the pool heater is connected to the power source, and neither the main burner, nor the electric resistance elements, nor the heat pump is activated, and the seasonal off switch, if present, is in the “off” position.
1.8 Seasonal off switch means a switch that effects a difference in off mode energy consumption as compared to standby mode energy consumption.
1.9 Standby mode means the condition during the pool heating season in which the pool heater is connected to the power source, and neither the main burner, nor the electric resistance elements, nor the heat pump is activated.
2.1 Active mode.
2.1.1 Fossil fuel-fired pool heaters. The test method for testing fossil fuel-fired pool heaters in active mode is as specified in ANSI Z21.56 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
2.1.2 Electric resistance pool heaters. The test method for testing electric resistance pool heaters in active mode is as specified in ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
2.1.3 Electric heat pump pool heaters. The test method for testing electric heat pump pool heaters in active mode is as specified in ANSI/AHRI 1160 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), which references ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
2.1.4 Hybrid pool heaters. [Reserved]
2.3.1 Pool heaters with a seasonal off switch. For pool heaters with a seasonal off switch, no off mode test is required. Start Printed Page 63428
2.3.2 Pool heaters without a seasonal off switch. For pool heaters without a seasonal off switch, the test method for testing the energy consumption of the pool heater is as described in sections 3 through 5 of this appendix.
3.1.1 Fossil fuel-fired pool heaters. Establish the test conditions specified in section 2.10 of ANSI Z21.56 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
3.1.2 Electric resistance pool heaters. Establish the test conditions specified in section 9.1.4 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
3.1.3 Electric heat pump pool heaters. Establish the test conditions specified in section 5 of ANSI/AHRI 1160. The air temperature surrounding the unit shall be at the “High Air Temperature—Mid Humidity (63% RH)” level specified in section 6 of ANSI/AHRI 1160 (80.6 °F [27.0 °C] Dry-Bulb, 71.2 °F [21.8 °C]).
3.1.4 Hybrid pool heaters. [Reserved]
3.2 Standby mode and off mode. After completing the active mode tests described in section 3.1, reduce the thermostat setting to a low enough temperature to put the pool heater into standby mode. Reapply the energy sources and operate the pool heater in standby mode for 60 minutes.
4.1 Active mode
4.1.1 Fossil fuel-fired pool heaters. Measure the quantities delineated in section 2.10 of ANSI Z21.56 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). The measurement of energy consumption for oil-fired pool heaters in Btu is to be carried out in appropriate units (e.g., gallons).
4.1.2 Electric resistance pool heaters. Measure the quantities delineated in section 9.1.4 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) during and at the end of the 30-minute period when water is flowing through the pool heater.
4.1.3 Electric heat pump pool heaters. Measure the quantities delineated in section 9.1.1 and Table 2 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). The elapsed time, tHP, from the start of electric power metering to the end shall be recorded, in minutes.
4.1.4 Hybrid pool heaters. [Reserved]
4.2 Standby mode. For all pool heaters, record the average electric power consumption during the standby mode test, PW,SB, in W, in accordance with section 5 of IEC 62301 (Second Edition) (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). For fossil fuel-fired pool heaters, record the fossil fuel energy consumption during the standby test, Qp, in Btu. (Milli-volt electrical consumption need not be considered in units so equipped.) Ambient temperature and voltage specifications in section 4.1 of this appendix shall apply to this standby mode testing. The recorded standby power (PW,SB) shall be rounded to the second decimal place, and for loads greater than or equal to 10W, at least three significant figures shall be reported.
4.3.2 Pool heaters without a seasonal off switch. For all pool heaters without a seasonal off switch, record the average electric power consumption during the standby/off mode test, PW,OFF (= PW,SB), in W, in accordance with section 5 of IEC 62301 (Second Edition) (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). For fossil fuel-fired pool heaters without a seasonal off switch, record the fossil fuel energy consumption during the off mode test, Qoff (= Qp), in Btu. (Milli-volt electrical consumption need not be considered in units so equipped.) Ambient temperature and voltage specifications in section 4.1 of this appendix shall apply to this off mode testing. The recorded off mode power (PW,OFF) shall be rounded to the second decimal place, and for loads greater than or equal to 10W, at least three significant figures shall be reported.
5.1 Thermal efficiency.
5.1.1 Fossil fuel-fired pool heaters. Calculate the thermal efficiency, Et (expressed as a percent), as specified in section 2.10 of ANSI Z21.56 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3). The expression of fuel consumption for oil-fired pool heaters shall be in Btu.
5.1.2 Electric resistance pool heaters. Calculate the thermal efficiency, Et (expressed as a percent), as specified in section 11.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3).
5.1.3 Electric heat pump pool heaters. Calculate the COP according to section 11.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146. Calculate the thermal efficiency, Et (expressed as a percent): Et = 100 * COP.
5.1.4 Hybrid pool heaters. [Reserved]
5.2 Average annual fossil fuel energy for pool heaters. For electric resistance and electric heat pump pool heaters, the average annual fuel energy for pool heaters, EF =0.
For fossil fuel-fired pool heaters, the average annual fuel energy for pool heaters, EF, is defined as:
EF = BOH QIN + (POH—BOH)QPR + (8760—POH) Qoff,R
QIN = rated fuel energy input as defined according to section 2.10.1 or section 2.10.2 of ANSI Z21.56 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), as appropriate. (For electric resistance and heat pump pool heaters, QIN = 0.)
5.3 Average annual electrical energy consumption for pool heaters. The average annual electrical energy consumption for pool heaters, EAE, is expressed in Btu and defined as:
(3) EAE,standby,off = (POH—BOH) PW,SB (Btu/h) + (8760—POH) PW,OFF (Btu/h)
EAE,active = electrical consumption in the active mode
PE = 2Ec, for fossil fuel-fired heaters tested according to section 2.10.1 of ANSI Z21.56 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) and for electric resistance pool heaters, in Btu/h
= 3.412 PErated, for fossil fuel-fired heaters tested according to section 2.10.2 of ANSI Z21.56, in Btu/h
= Ec,HP * (60/tHP), for heat pump pool heaters, in Btu/h.
Ec = electrical consumption of the heater (converted to equivalent unit of Btu), including the electrical energy to the recirculating pump if used, during the 30-minute thermal efficiency test, as defined in section 2.10.1 of ANSI Z21.56 for fossil fuel-fired pool heaters and section 9.1.4 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146 (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) for electric resistance pool heaters, in Btu per 30 min.
Ec,HP = electrical consumption of the heat pump pool heater (converted to equivalent unit of Btu), including the electrical energy to the recirculating pump if used, during the thermal efficiency test, as defined in section 9.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146, in Btu.
tHP = elapsed time of data recording during the thermal efficiency test on heat pump pool heater, as defined in section 9.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE 146, in minutes.
100 = conversion factor, from percent to fractionStart Printed Page 63429
3. For more information, please visit DOE's Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/​buildings/​appliance_​standards/​residential/​waterheaters.html.
4. The October 2011 RFI also requested information on the need to amend the test procedures for residential water heaters. However, because the American Energy Manufacturing and Technical Corrections Act amended EPCA to require that DOE develop a uniform efficiency descriptor for residential and commercial water heaters (42 U.S.C. 6295(e)(5)), DOE is addressing test procedure updates for that product in a separate rulemaking.
5. In an August 2010 NOPR, DOE proposed to use the most recent version of this standard, ANZI Z21.56-2006. 75 FR 52892, 52899-901 (August 30, 2010).
7. In the December 2009 NOPR, DOE mistakenly listed gas-fired pool heater manufacturing under NAICS code 335228. 74 FR 65852, 65984 (Dec. 11, 2009). The correct classification for pool heater manufacturing is NAICS 333414. Both NAICS categories have the same 500 employee limit.
8. See: http://www.ahrinet.org/​ahri+​members.aspx.
9. See: http://www.ahridirectory.org/​ahriDirectory/​pages/​home.aspx.
10. See: http://www.appliances.energy.ca.gov/​.
11. See: http://www.hoovers.com/​.
[FR Doc. 2013-24352 Filed 10-23-13; 8:45 am]