[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12552-12553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5479]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Standards: Public 
Workshop to Discuss the Engineering Analysis for Energy Conservation 
Standards for Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Department will hold a public workshop on Friday, March 3, 
1995, to discuss the Engineering Analysis Section of the Draft 
Technical Support Document in support of the reproposal of fluorescent 
lamp ballast energy conservation standards. All persons are hereby 
given notice of the opportunity to submit written comments and to 
attend the public workshop.

DATES: Five copies of any written comments must be received by March 
31, 1995. The public workshop will be held on Friday, March 17, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Please label your written comments as ``Comments on the 
Fluorescent Lamp Ballast Engineering Analysis'' and submit to Ms. Sandy 
Cooper, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station 
EE-431, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC. 20585. Telephone: (202) 586-7574; FAX: (202) 586-4617.
    The workshop will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC.
    Copies of transcripts of the April 5-7 the June 7-8, 1994 public 
hearings for the Eight Products Energy Conservation Standards and the 
agendas of the December 2, 1994 and the January 17, 1995 public 
meetings are available in the DOE Freedom of Information Reading Room, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC. (202) 586-6020 between the 
hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Terry Logee, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, Forrestal Building, Mail Station EE-431, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-1689.
Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General 
Counsel, Forrestal Building, Mail Station GC-72, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Authority

    Part B of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
(EPCA), (Pub. L. 94-163) created the Energy Conservation Program for 
Consumer Products other than Automobiles (Program). The products 
currently subject to this Program include fluorescent lamp ballasts 
among others. EPCA sets minimum energy conservation standards for 
fluorescent lamp ballasts and requires the Department of Energy to 
revise and increase these standards.

2. Background

    On March 4, 1994, the Department proposed standards for room air 
conditioners, water heaters, direct heating equipment, mobile home 
furnaces, kitchen ranges and ovens, pool heaters, fluorescent lamp 
ballasts and television sets. (59 FR 10464). The Department received 
over 8,000 comments on the proposed rule, including comments from 
manufacturers, consumers, Members of Congress, retailers, broadcasters, 
national trade associations, national energy advocates, utilities and 
other Federal agencies. Based on the comments in the record, the 
Department determined that revised data from a larger sample of 
fluorescent lamp ballast types was needed. On December 2, 1994 and on 
January 17, 1995, the Department held public meetings at the Lawrence 
Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) in Berkeley, California. The purpose of the 
meeting was to review the methodology for the fluorescent lamp ballast 
engineering analysis and to discuss the need for current data on all 
types of fluorescent lamp ballasts. On January 31, 1995, the Department 
published notification in the Federal Register of the Department 
decision to proceed with separate rulemakings for fluorescent lamp 
ballasts, televisions, and electric water heaters. (60 FR 5880).

3. Discussion

    The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the engineering analysis, 
data sources, the maximum technologically feasible design, and the 
life-cycle cost analysis for fluorescent lamp ballasts. This workshop 
will not involve discussion of energy conservation standards for 
ballasts.
    Discussion of the engineering analysis will focus on ballast 
classes, energy use data (watts input), ballast efficacy factors (BEF), 
and cost versus ballast efficiency. Ballast classes under discussion 
will be the one to four lamp F40T12 and F32T8 ballasts, the two 
[[Page 12553]] lamp F96 and F96H0 ballasts and the one to four lamp 
F40T12 ballasts for energy saver lamps. A discussion of the methods, 
data and data sources for the incremental costs associated with 
improved ballast efficiency, for ballast life-cycle costs and for 
payback will be included in this workshop. Workshop participants will 
discuss the criteria for the ballast with the highest BEF for the 
maximum technologically feasible design.
    The Department has examined many sources of data and has requested 
and received engineering data from ballast manufacturers and ballast 
users. However, the Department still has limited engineering data on 
currently manufactured cathode cut-out magnetic ballasts (e.g., watts, 
lumens, BEF, total harmonic distortion (THD), Power Factor, etc). 
Additionally, ballast manufacturers have advised the Department that 
they could not determine the incremental costs for various improved 
features in electronic ballasts such as minimum THD, minimum 
electromagnetic interference maximum power factor, maximum reliability, 
minimum flicker, maximum lamp life, and good line voltage regulation. 
The Department has assumed, therefore, that there is no cost difference 
between levels of electronic ballasts and has used cost data derived 
from a survey of original equipment maunfacturers and lighting 
maintenance companies. Anyone having additional cost or price data, 
contact Mr. Issac Turiel, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Building 90-
4000, Berkeley, CA 94720, (510) 486-6493.

4. Public Meeting Procedure

    The meeting will be informal. Copies of the engineering analysis 
are available in the DOE public reading room and will be available at 
the meeting. Additionally, copies will be mailed to persons who 
commented on the March 4, 1994, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for 
fluorescent lamp ballasts and to anyone who requests a copy by March 
10, 1995.

    Issued in Washington, DC. February 28, 1995.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 95-5479 Filed 3-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P