[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 3 (Friday, January 4, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 675-679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31700]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket Number EERE-2012-BT-TP-0024]
RIN 1904-AC79
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure
for Residential Furnaces and Boilers
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking
and data collection process to consider amendments to DOE's test
procedure for residential furnaces and boilers. Because DOE has
recently completed a test procedure rulemaking for the standby mode and
off mode energy consumption of these products, the primary focus of
this rulemaking will be on active mode operation. This rulemaking is
intended to fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to review its test
procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. To
inform interested parties and to facilitate the process, DOE has
gathered data and has identified several issues that might warrant
modifications to the currently applicable test procedures, including
topics on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comment. In
overview, the issues outlined in this document mainly concern reducing
the test burden, test conditions impacting the annual fuel utilization
efficiency (AFUE) metric, test conditions impacting non-AFUE efficiency
parameters, the performance test for automatic means in boilers,
harmonization of standards, alternative methods for furnace/boiler
efficiency determination, and scope. These topics (and others which
commenters identify) are ones which DOE anticipates may lead to
proposed test procedure amendments in a subsequent notice of proposed
rulemaking (NOPR). DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any
subject related to the test procedures for residential furnaces and
boilers, including topics not specifically raised in this RFI.
DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before
February 19, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested
persons may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2011-BT-
TP-0024 and/or RIN 1904-AC79, by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected].
Include EERE-2012-BT-TP-0024 and/or RIN 1904-AC79 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.
Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of
Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585- 0121. Telephone: (202)
586-2945. If possible, please submit all items on a compact disc (CD),
in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 6th Floor, 950 L'Enfant Plaza
SW., Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. If possible,
please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not necessary to
include printed copies.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number or RIN for this rulemaking. No telefacsimilies
(faxes) will be accepted. For detailed instructions on submitting
comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see
section III of this document (Public Participation).
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
may be sent to Mr. Mohammed Khan, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program,
EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121.
Telephone: (202) 586-7892. Email: [email protected].
Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9507. Email: [email protected].
For information on how to submit or review public comments, contact
Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE-2J,
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone:
(202) 586-2945. Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Authority and Background
II. Discussion
A. Reducing Test Burden
B. Test Conditions Impacting Energy Efficiency (AFUE)
Performance
C. Test Conditions Impacting Non-AFUE Efficiency Parameters
D. Performance Test for Automatic Means in Boilers
E. Harmonization of Standards
F. Alternative Methods for Furnace/Boiler Efficiency
Determination
G. Scope
H. Standby Mode and Off Mode
I. Other Issues
III. Public Participation
I. Authority and Background
Title III, Part B,\1\ of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of
1975 (``EPCA'' or ``the Act''), Public Law 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309,
as codified) sets forth a variety of provisions designed to improve
energy efficiency and establishes the Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles,\2\ including residential
furnaces and boilers. (42 U.S.C. 6291(1)-(2) and 6292(a)(5))
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\1\ This part was originally titled Part B. It was redesignated
Part A in the United States Code for editorial reasons.
\2\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute
as amended through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007,
Public Law 110-140 (Dec. 19, 2007).
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[[Page 676]]
Under the Act, this program consists essentially of four parts: (1)
Testing; (2) labeling; (3) establishing Federal energy conservation
standards; and (4) certification and enforcement procedures. The
testing requirements consist of test procedures that manufacturers of
covered products must use as both the basis for certifying to DOE that
their products comply with applicable energy conservation standards
adopted pursuant to EPCA, and for making representations about the
efficiency of those products. (42 U.S.C. 6293(c); 42 U.S.C. 6295(s))
Similarly, DOE must use these test procedures to determine whether the
products comply with any relevant standards adopted under EPCA. (42
U.S.C. 6295(s))
Under 42 U.S.C. 6293, EPCA sets forth criteria and procedures that
DOE must follow when prescribing or amending test procedures for
covered products. EPCA provides, in relevant part, that any test
procedures prescribed or amended under this section must be reasonably
designed to produce test results which measure energy efficiency,
energy use, or estimated annual operating cost of a covered product
during a representative average use cycle or period of use, and must
not be unduly burdensome to conduct. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3))
In addition, if DOE determines that a test procedure amendment is
warranted, it must publish proposed test procedures and offer the
public an opportunity to present oral and written comments on them. (42
U.S.C. 6293(b)(2)) Finally, in any rulemaking to amend a test
procedure, DOE must determine the extent to which the proposed test
procedure would alter the product's measured energy efficiency. (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))
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
the 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 various types of residential furnace and boiler
products not later than December 19, 2014 (i.e., 7 years after the
enactment of EISA 2007). Thus, the final rule resulting from this
rulemaking will satisfy the requirement to review the test procedures
for furnaces and boilers within seven years of the enactment of EPCA.
DOE's test procedure for residential furnaces and boilers is found
at 10 CFR 430.23(n) and 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix N, Uniform
Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Furnaces and
Boilers. DOE established its test procedures for furnaces and boilers
in a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 12, 1997. 62
FR 26140. This procedure establishes a means for determining annual
energy efficiency (AFUE) and annual energy consumption of gas-fired,
oil-fired, and electric furnaces and boilers.
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)) Consequently, DOE
amended its test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers to
include provisions for measuring the standby mode and off mode energy
consumption of those products. DOE published a final rule in the
Federal Register on October 20, 2010, which updated the DOE test
procedures for residential furnaces and boilers to address the standby
mode and off mode test procedure requirements under EPCA. 75 FR 64621.
Since that time, DOE published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR)
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 incorporated by reference
in the earlier final rule, as well as providing guidance on rounding
and sampling. 76 FR 56339. On December 31, 2012, DOE published in the
Federal Register its second test procedure final rule for furnaces and
boilers related to standby mode and off mode, which incorporated by
reference IEC Standards 62301 (Second Edition) and provided related
rounding and sampling guidance. However, that rulemaking was limited to
test procedure updates to address the above-referenced standby mode and
off mode requirements, and consequently, it has not considered several
other potential non-standby mode/off mode issues in DOE's existing test
procedures for residential furnaces and boilers which DOE plans to
address in this rulemaking. The potential issues that DOE has
preliminarily identified and plans to address in this rulemaking are
discussed in detail below in section II of this RFI.
In support of its test procedure rulemaking, DOE conducts in-depth
technical analyses of publicly-available test standards and other
relevant information. DOE continually seeks data and public input to
improve its testing methodologies to more accurately reflect consumer
use and to produce repeatable results. In general, DOE is requesting
comment and supporting data regarding representative and repeatable
methods for measuring the energy use of residential furnaces and
boilers. Additionally, DOE seeks comment and information on the
specific topics below.
II. Discussion
A. Reducing Test Burden
DOE plans to identify available opportunities to potentially reduce
testing burden by simplifying appropriate parts of the residential
furnaces and boilers test procedure. Knowledge of a unit's physical
characteristics may make it possible to reliably predict certain
performance parameters without conducting testing. If so, replacing
certain burdensome tests with default factors could significantly
reduce the testing burden (time to conduct a test or cost of testing)
without sacrificing the validity of the test results. Of course,
manufacturers would retain the option to conduct actual testing, rather
than rely on default values.
DOE plans to also reassess existing default factors in the test
procedure, many of which were created years ago and might no longer be
relevant for some of today's product designs. For example, the existing
off-cycle draft factor for flue gas flow (DF) default value of 0.4 for
induced draft products was established for clamshell heat exchangers
intended for use in gravity vented units. Today's products are designed
with more restrictive heat exchangers (tubes and small formed sections)
and are likely to result in draft factors less than 0.4. Regarding
default factors, DOE requests input and comments on:
(1) Defining default draft factors \3\ for each product with
different physical characteristics;
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\3\ Identified default draft factors in DOE's residential
furnaces and boilers test procedure include the off-cycle draft
factor for flue gas flow (DF), the off-cycle draft factor for stack
gas flow (DS), the off-cycle draft factor for stack gas flow without
a stack damper (DSO), and the power burner draft factor (DP). DF is
the ratio of gas mass flow rate through the flue during the off-
cycle to the gas mass flow rate through the flue during the on-cycle
at identical temperatures. DP is the ratio of the rate of flue gas
mass flow through the furnace during the off-period to the rate of
flue gas mass flow through the furnace during the on-period.
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[[Page 677]]
(2) Defining default jacket loss \4\ factors for each product type;
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\4\ Identified default jacket loss factors in DOE's residential
furnaces and boilers test procedure include jacket loss factor
(CJ) and jacket loss (LJ), which measure the
losses resulting from heat escaping the furnace or boiler jacket.
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(3) The appropriateness of replacing the ``heat up'' and ``cool
down'' tests with default seasonal factors to account for the year-
round performance of the equipment. If so, should these factors be
based on physical characteristics of the equipment being evaluated, and
should the use of default factors be optional or mandatory? Also, DOE
is requesting data about the effect of the heat up and cool down test
result measurements on AFUE calculation, the range and repeatability of
the test results, and the degree to which such results are correlated
with physical attributes of the tested product.
(4) Simplifying the calculation procedure for determining the
burner cycling and draft losses used to compute seasonal efficiency
without losing important insight about a product's relative energy
performance; and
(5) Other default values that need updating or parameters currently
measured that could be replaced with default values.
B. Test Conditions Impacting Energy Efficiency (AFUE) Performance
DOE is interested in receiving comments about improving the test
procedure's effectiveness in quantifying energy efficiency performance
under typical field conditions. DOE has identified opportunities to
reduce variability, eliminate ambiguity, and address discrepancies
between the test procedure and actual field conditions. On this topic,
DOE seeks input on the following issues:
(1) The DOE test procedure incorporates by reference the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) Standard 103-1993.\5\ In 2007, ASHRAE published a revised
version of Standard 103 (ASHRAE Standard 103-2007), which was updated
to reflect improvements and changes in equipment design that were not
adequately covered by the previous version of the standard. In
particular, attention was given to the modern classes of two-stage and
modulating equipment that have come on the market, as well as equipment
whose performance is affected by post purge of the combustion chamber.
Greater understanding and clarity regarding energy losses were also
incorporated into the updated ASHRAE standard. Finally, changes in
nomenclature and definitions were included to clarify meaning within
the standard, a need reflected by questions and issues posed to ASHRAE
committee members over the past 10 years. Furthermore, editorially, the
errata from the previous version were incorporated into this version.
DOE plans on updating its references to the current ASHRAE Standard
103-2007 \6\ and seeks comments on which sections of ASHRAE 103-2007
should be included in the DOE test procedure.
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\5\ American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers Inc., ASHRAE Standard: Method of Testing for
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces
and Boilers (1993) Report No. ANSI/ASHRAE 103-1993.
\6\ American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers Inc., ASHRAE Standard: Method of Testing for
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces
and Boilers (2007) Report No. ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007.
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(2) DOE plans to review the tolerance ranges for measuring
important variables such as fuel calorific value, weight of condensate,
water flow and temperature, voltage, and flue gas composition. DOE
seeks comment as to whether the existing tolerance ranges for measuring
variables in the test procedure are acceptable or whether DOE should
define different methods of measuring and recording such variables.
(3) DOE plans to review the statistical variability encountered
during testing in important variables such as firing rate, heating
media temperatures and flow rates, and ambient air temperature. For
example, the firing rate is generally to be set and held to within
2% of the nameplate rating. DOE seeks comment regarding
whether this range should be narrowed.
(4) Room ambient air temperatures are currently allowed to vary
widely. Under the DOE test procedure, the room temperature is allowed
to be between 65 [deg]F and 100 [deg]F, except for condensing furnaces
and boilers, where the room temperature shall not exceed 85 [deg]F. DOE
plans to review whether it is appropriate to tighten the allowable room
air temperature range. DOE seeks comment as to whether it should
tighten the allowable room air temperature range.
(5) Currently, a minimum draft factor of 0.05 can be applied to
products with restricted flueways without providing a list of
qualifications or instructions as to how to verify that the units are
designed with no measurable airflow through the combustion chamber and
heat exchanger during the burner off-period. DOE seeks comment as to
whether and under what conditions, a minimum draft factor should be
used for products with restricted flueways and how the conditions could
be verified if questions arose.
(6) DOE requires all non-weatherized boilers to be rated as indoor
equipment (see 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix N, section 10.1).
This implies that direct vent boilers that would normally meet the
definition of System 9 or System 10 should instead be defined as one of
the other System numbers.\7\ DOE plans to review whether it is
appropriate for direct vent boilers to be calculated according to
System 3 or alternatively according to System 9 or 10, but with jacket
losses excluded (i.e., LJ=0). DOE seeks input regarding how direct vent
boilers should be tested.
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\7\ System numbers are used in the ASHRAE 103 test procedure to
categorize the different types of furnaces and boilers to be tested.
``System 9'' or ``System10'' refer to furnaces or boilers that are
outdoor, direct vent, or isolated combustion systems. ``System 3''
refers to furnaces or boilers that can use indoor combustion air and
have direct exhaust.
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(7) DOE plans to review the current value of the oversize factor
\8\ (0.7) to investigate whether current field installations can be
better approximated, for both furnaces and boilers. DOE seeks comment
regarding an appropriate value for the oversize factor.
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\8\ ``Oversize factor'' accounts for the national average
oversizing of equipment that occurs when a heating equipment is
sized to satisfy more than the heating load of the household. This
is typically done to size the equipment so that it is able to
satisfy the days in which the house heating requirements might be
exceeded and/or to take into account uncertainties regarding house
heating load. For example, a 0.7 oversize factor is equivalent to
30-percent oversizing of the heating equipment (in other words, 30
percent greater input capacity than is required).
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(8) Currently, the DOE test procedure provides that water supply
temperature must be between 120 [deg]F and 124 [deg]F for non-
condensing hot water boilers and 120 [deg]F (2 [deg]F) for
condensing hot water boilers. DOE plans to review the value for the
water supply temperature for non-condensing and condensing boilers. DOE
seeks comment on the appropriate water supply temperature for measuring
the performance of non-condensing and condensing boilers. Should DOE
change the water temperatures for condensing boilers to reflect the
lower temperatures encountered in low-temperature radiant
installations?
(9) The current DOE test procedure does not specify that the tested
equipment is set up according to
[[Page 678]]
recommended field settings as defined in the product's installation and
operation manual. This potentially allows the unit to be tested under
conditions that are different from the field or may not be recommended
for safety reasons. Examples of such test conditions include a
different flue CO2 percentage or reduced input rate from the
recommended field settings. DOE plans to review the use of
manufacturer-recommended values in testing, such as the minimum firing
rate for testing a unit equipped with manually-adjustable controls (see
ASHRAE 103-2007, section 8.4.1.1.2) and target flue gas CO2
levels. Should DOE change the test procedure to specify that the tested
equipment is set up according to recommended field settings as defined
in the product's installation and operation manual?
(10) AFUE ratings are typically reported in manufacturer product
literature and on directories of certified products to the nearest 0.1,
but this is neither specified in the DOE test procedure nor explicitly
required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Instead, DOE's test
procedure specifies that the AFUE rating should be rounded to the
nearest whole percentage point (see 10 CFR 430.23(n)(2)). DOE plans to
specify the requisite number of significant digits as part of this test
procedure rulemaking. DOE solicits input on how much precision is
statistically possible.
(11) Vent stack requirements differ between ANSI Z21.13 \9\ or ANSI
Z21.47 \10\ and the DOE test procedure. DOE plans to review the
difference in efficiency rating attributable to the differences in vent
stack configuration between the DOE test procedure and ANSI Z21.13 or
ANSI Z21.47. DOE seeks comment on whether it should consider adopting
the same vent stack requirements as set forth in ANSI Z21.13 or ANSI
Z21.47.
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\9\ American National Standards Institute, American National
Standard/CSA Standard for Gas-Fired Low Pressure Steam and Hot Water
Boilers (2010) Report No. ANSI Z21.13-2010, CSA 4.9-2010.
\10\ American National Standards Institute, American National
Standard/CSA Standard for Gas-Fired Central Furnaces (2006) Report
No. ANSI Z21.47-2006, CSA 2.3-2006.
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C. Test Conditions Impacting Non-AFUE Efficiency Parameters
DOE plans to improve the ability of the test procedure to measure
non-AFUE energy efficiency parameters under typical field conditions.
Regarding this topic, DOE seeks input on:
(1) The boiler test procedure measures only the power supplied to
the power burner motor, the ignition device, and the circulating pump
(see 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix N, section 10.2.1). Some
boilers are equipped with an internal pump used to maintain a minimum
flow rate through the heat exchanger that does not function as a system
circulating pump. DOE seeks comment on whether the boiler average
annual auxiliary electrical energy consumption (EAE) calculations
should include one system circulating pump and an additional pump (if
present) that circulates water during the operation of the burner.
(2) Modulating power burners are often equipped with variable speed
motors. The efficiency of the motor/blower combination changes with the
firing rate. The same may be true for circulating pumps. Currently,
DOE's test procedure assumes a fixed motor efficiency. For equipment
with modulating power burners, using a fixed motor efficiency would
produce inaccurate electricity consumption estimates, since the motor
efficiency varies at the different firing rates. DOE plans to
incorporate a method for part-load efficiency into its electricity
consumption calculations for modulating equipment. DOE requests input
regarding the appropriateness of incorporating a method for part-load
efficiency into its electricity consumption calculations and input on
what method DOE should use.
(3) The current DOE test procedure includes power consumed by the
ignition device, circulating pump, and power burner motors, but it
ignores other devices that use power during the active mode (e.g., gas
valve and safety and operating controls). DOE plans to consider
including any electrical power consumption not already measured during
the active mode. DOE seeks comment regarding how to address any
electrical power consumption not already measured during the active
mode.
(4) Historical energy use data show that national average house
heating loads have been changing because of increased household square
footage, improved building shell efficiency, changes in the
distribution of where this equipment is installed, and changes in
average weather conditions. DOE plans to review the parameters to
calculate the burner operating hours in section 10.2.1 of the DOE test
procedure (i.e., national average heating load hours and the adjustment
factor). DOE seeks comment regarding what national average values
should be used to calculate burner operating hours.
D. Performance Test for Automatic Means in Boilers
In 2008, DOE published a technical amendment to the 2007 furnace
and boiler final rule (72 FR 65136 (Nov. 19, 2007)) to add a number of
design requirements set forth in EISA 2007. 73 FR 43611 (July 28,
2008). These requirements prohibit constant-burning pilot lights for
gas-fired hot water boilers and gas-fired steam boilers, and require an
automatic means for adjusting the water temperature for gas-fired hot
water boilers, oil-fired hot water boilers, and electric hot water
boilers. The automatic means for adjusting water temperature must
automatically adjust the temperature of the water supplied by the
boiler to ensure that an incremental change in inferred heat load
produces a corresponding incremental change in the temperature of water
supplied.
While these requirements do not impact the AFUE rating, DOE is
considering including in this test procedure a performance test to
demonstrate that the ``automatic means'' functions as required. While
this test would not need to be performed by manufacturers to certify
compliance with the existing design standards, DOE would use this test
to verify compliance with the design standards should a question of
compliance arise. DOE invites input on:
(1) Any principles or tests currently used, or being considered for
use, to qualify the operation of the automatic means.
(2) Required inputs and types of technologies needed to project
changes in demand and the relationships between these inputs/
technologies and supply temperature or pump/burner operation.
(3) Suggestions about the measurements that should be included in
the test.
E. Harmonization of Standards
DOE invites input on other national or international test
procedures commonly used to rate residential furnace and boiler energy
efficiency, including the advantages and disadvantages of those test
procedures compared to the current DOE test procedure. In particular,
DOE seeks input on:
(1) Differences in efficiency performance caused by differences in
minimum static pressure requirements in ASHRAE 103-2007 \11\ (Table IV)
[[Page 679]]
compared to DOE's proposed furnace fan test procedure,\12\ and
drawbacks or advantages associated with harmonizing the requirements.
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\11\ American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers Inc., ASHRAE Standard: Method of Testing for
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential Central Furnaces
and Boilers (2007) Report No. ANSI/ASHRAE 103-2007.
\12\ See 77 FR 28674 (May 15, 2012).
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(2) Any other national or international test procedures that could
be considered for this cycle of test procedure amendments.
F. Alternative Methods for Furnace/Boiler Efficiency Determination
DOE is aware of alternative methods to measure the heating
efficiency (AFUE) of residential furnaces and boilers. In particular,
DOE seeks input on:
(1) Procedure developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory that uses
linear input/output, a relationship between fuel input and heat output
that can be used to determine the efficiency of residential
boilers.\13\
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\13\ Butcher, Thomas, Technical Note: Performance of Combination
Hydronic Systems, ASHRAE Journal (December 2011).
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(2) Any other methods that could be considered for this test
procedure update.
G. Scope
A combination space-heating and water-heating appliance is defined
in the applicable industry test standard as a unit that is designed to
provide space heating and water heating from a single primary energy
source.\14\ The two major types of combination appliances are: (1)
Boiler/tankless coil or boiler/indirect tank combination units, whose
primary function is space heating, and (2) water heater/fan-coil
combination units, whose primary function is domestic water heating.
Currently, there is no DOE test procedure for determining the combined
efficiency of the combination products that can be used to supply
domestic hot water in addition to its space-heating function. However,
there are DOE test procedures for the individual components (boiler or
water heater) of a combined appliance which provides for testing and
efficiency ratings for the primary function--space heating or domestic
water heating.
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\14\ American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air
Conditioning Engineers, ANSI/ASHRAE 124-2007: Methods of Testing for
Rating Combination Space-Heating and Water-Heating Appliances
(2007).
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DOE's test procedure for residential furnace and boilers, which is
set forth at 10 CFR 430.23(n) and 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix
N, addresses central gas-fired, electric, and oil-fired furnaces with
inputs less than 225,000 Btu/h and gas-fired, electric, and oil-fired
boilers with inputs less than 300,000 Btu/h. DOE's test procedure for
residential water heaters, which is set forth at 10 CFR 430.23(e) and
10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix E, addresses gas-fired, electric,
and oil-fired storage-type water heaters with storage greater than 20
gallons and gas-fired and electric instantaneous-type water heaters
with storage volume less than 2 gallons. ASHRAE has an existing test
procedure, ANSI/ASHRAE 124-2007 (Methods of Testing for Rating
Combination Space-Heating and Water-Heating Appliances), which provides
a method of test to rate the performance of a combination space-heating
and water-heating appliance.\15\ For this rulemaking, DOE is
considering an expansion of the scope of the test procedure to include
definitions and test methods for these types of combination products.
DOE seeks comment on:
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\15\ American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air
Conditioning Engineers, ANSI/ASHRAE 124-2007: Methods of Testing for
Rating Combination Space-Heating and Water-Heating Appliances
(2007).
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(1) What types of combination equipment are there in this market?
(2) How should DOE address the measurement of energy use by such
combined products (keeping in mind the potential for active mode,
standby mode, and off mode operation)?
H. Standby Mode and Off Mode
On December 31, 2012, DOE published a test procedure final rule in
the Federal Register for furnaces and boilers related to standby mode
and off mode energy consumption. However, given the broad scope of this
7-year-lookback test procedure rulemaking, comments are also welcome on
DOE's test procedure provisions for determining standby mode and off
mode energy use.
I. Other Issues
DOE seeks comments on other relevant issues that would affect the
test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers. 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, including updates
of referenced standards, as part of this comprehensive 7-year-review
process.
III. Public Participation
DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by February
19, 2013, comments and information on matters addressed in this notice
and on other matters relevant to DOE's consideration of amended test
procedures for residential furnaces and boilers.
After the close of the comment period, DOE will begin collecting
data, conducting the analyses, and reviewing the public comments. These
actions will be taken to aid in the development of a test procedure
NOPR for residential furnaces and boilers.
DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of
the process for developing test procedures. DOE actively encourages the
participation and interaction of the public during the comment period
at each stage of the rulemaking process. Interactions with and between
members of the public provide a balanced discussion of the issues and
assist DOE in the rulemaking process. Anyone who wishes to be added to
the DOE mailing list to receive future notices and information about
this rulemaking should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945, or
via email at [email protected].
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 28, 2012.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-31700 Filed 1-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P