Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/12/22/2011-32808/decision-and-order-granting-a-waiver-to-lg-from-the-department-of-energy-residential-clothes-washer
Timestamp: 2017-08-23 16:16:33
Document Index: 509514345

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 430', 'art 430', 'art 430', 'art 430', 'art 430', 'art 429']

Federal Register :: Decision and Order Granting a Waiver to LG from the Department of Energy Residential Clothes Washer Test Procedure
A Notice by the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office on 12/22/2011
This Decision and Order is effective December 22, 2011.
76 FR 79666
79666-79669 (4 pages)
2011-32808
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-32808 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-32808
Dr. Michael G. Raymond, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9611, Email: mail to: Michael.Raymond@ee.doe.gov.
Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, Mail Stop GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0103. Telephone: (202) 586-7796, Email: mail to: Elizabeth.Kohl@hq.doe.gov.
In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 430.27(l)), DOE gives notice of the issuance of its decision and order as set forth below. The decision and order grants LG a waiver from the applicable clothes washer test procedure in 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J1 for certain basic models of clothes washers with capacities greater than 3.8 cubic feet, provided that LG tests and rates such products using the alternate test procedure described in this notice. Today's decision prohibits LG from making representations concerning the energy efficiency of these products unless the product has been tested consistent with the provisions and restrictions in the alternate test procedure set forth in the decision and order below, and the representations fairly disclose the test results.
In the Matter of: LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. (Case No. CW-021).
Title III, Part B of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), Public Law 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, as codified) established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles, a program covering most major household appliances, which includes the residential clothes washers that are the focus of this notice.[1] Part B includes definitions, test procedures, labeling provisions, energy conservation standards, and the authority to require information and reports from manufacturers. Further, Part B authorizes the Secretary of Energy to prescribe test procedures that are reasonably designed to produce results which measure energy efficiency, energy use, or estimated operating costs, and that are not unduly burdensome to conduct. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)). The test procedure for automatic and semi-automatic clothes washers is set forth in 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J1.
On December 23, 2010, DOE issued enforcement guidance for large-capacity clothes washers. This guidance can be found on DOE's Web site at http://energy.gov/​sites/​prod/​files/​gcprod/​documents/​LargeCapacityRCW_​guidance_​122210.pdf.
On October 3, 2011, LG submitted the instant petition for waiver and application for interim waiver (petition) from the test procedure applicable to automatic and semi-automatic clothes washers set forth in 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix J1. LG requested a waiver to test specified basic models of its residential clothes washers with basket volumes greater than 3.8 cubic feet on the basis of the test procedures contained in 10 CFR part 430, Subpart B, Appendix J1, with a revised Table 5.1 which extends the range of container volumes beyond 3.8 cubic feet. LG's instant petition and DOE's grant of interim waiver were published in the Start Printed Page 79667 Federal Register on October 18, 2011. 76 FR 64330. DOE received no comments on the LG petition.
LG's petition seeks a waiver from the DOE test procedure because the mass of the test load used in the procedure, which is based on the basket volume of the test unit, is currently not defined for basket sizes greater than 3.8 cubic feet. The basic models specified in LG's February 2011 petition have capacities larger than 3.8 cubic feet. In addition, if the current maximum test load mass is used to test these products, the tested energy use would be less than the actual energy usage and could evaluate the basic model in a manner so unrepresentative of its true energy consumption characteristics as to provide materially inaccurate comparative data.
Table 5.1 of Appendix J1 defines the test load sizes used in the test procedure as linear functions of the basket volume. LG requests that DOE grant a waiver for testing and rating based on a revised Table 5.1, the same table as set forth in the waiver granted to LG on April 19, 2011 (76 FR 21879). The table is identical to the Table 5.1 found in DOE's clothes washer test procedure Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR). 75 FR 57556 (Sept. 21, 2010).
DOE has determined that it is in the public interest to have similar products tested and rated for energy consumption on a comparable basis. Previously, DOE granted a test procedure waiver to Whirlpool for specified Whirlpool's clothes washer models with container capacities greater than 3.8 cubic feet. 75 FR 69653 (Nov. 15, 2010). This notice contained an alternate test procedure, which extended the linear relationship between maximum test load size and clothes washer container volume in Table 5.1 to include a maximum test load size of 15.4 pounds (lbs) for clothes washer container volumes of 3.8 to 3.9 cubic feet. This extended Table 5.1 was set forth in DOE's September 2010 NOPR. On December 10, 2010, DOE granted a similar waiver to General Electric Company (GE), which used the same alternate test procedure. 75 FR 76968. DOE has also granted waivers to Electrolux (76 FR 11440 (Mar. 2, 2011)), LG (76 FR 11233 (Mar. 1, 2011)); (76 FR 21879 (Apr. 19, 2011)) and Samsung (76 FR 13169 (Mar. 10, 2011); 76 FR 50207 (Aug. 12, 2011)).
DOE notes that its supplemental proposed rule (http://www.eere.energy.gov/​buildings/​appliancestandards/​residential/​pdfs/​rcw_​tp_​snopr.pdf) to amend the test procedures for clothes washers makes slight adjustments to Table 5.1 to correct for rounding errors. (76 FR 49238, Aug. 9, 2011). The alternate test procedure set forth in this decision and order adopts this updated table.
After careful consideration of all the material that was submitted by LG, the waivers granted to Whirlpool, GE, Samsung and Electrolux, as well as previously to LG, the clothes washer test procedure rulemaking, and consultation with the FTC staff, it is ordered that:
(1) The petition for waiver submitted by the LG Electronics America, Inc. (Case No. CW-021) is hereby granted as set forth in the paragraphs below.
(2) LG shall be required to test and rate the following LG models according to the alternate test procedure set forth in paragraph (3) below.
(3) LG shall be required to test the products listed in paragraph (2) above according to the test procedures for clothes washers prescribed by DOE at 10 CFR part 430, appendix J1, except that the expanded Table 5.1 below shall be substituted for Table 5.1 of appendix J1.
(7) This waiver applies only to those basic models set out in LG's October 3, 2011 petition for waiver. Grant of this waiver does not release a petitioner from the certification requirements set forth at 10 CFR part 429.
[FR Doc. 2011-32808 Filed 12-21-11; 8:45 am]