[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16707-16708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8952]



[[Page 16707]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket Number EE-TP-98-101]


Workshop Regarding Test Procedures, Labeling, Standards 
Compliance, and Related Matters for Commercial Water Heaters, Boilers, 
Furnaces, Air Conditioners, and Heat Pumps

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) will hold an informal public 
workshop to discuss issues and gather information related to DOE's 
development of proposed rules for energy efficiency test procedures, 
labeling, and standards compliance as they relate to commercial water 
heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps. All 
persons are hereby given notice of the opportunity to attend and 
participate in this public workshop and to submit written comments.

DATES: The public workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 1998, 
from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., and on Wednesday, April 15, 1998, from 9 
a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 
Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC 20585.
    Written comments are welcome, especially following the workshop. 
Please submit 10 copies (no faxes) and a computer diskette (WordPerfect 
6.1) to: Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, ``Energy Conservation Program 
for Commercial Products: Water Heaters, Boilers, Furnaces, Air 
Conditioners, and Heat Pumps, Docket No. EE-TP-98-101,'' EE-43, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 
586-2945; Telefax: (202) 586-4617.
    Copies of the transcript of the public workshop, public comments 
received, and this notice may be read (or copied) at the Freedom of 
Information Reading Room, U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal 
Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-3142, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cyrus Nasseri, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-43, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9138, e-
mail: [email protected]; or Edward Levy, Esq., U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of General Counsel, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9507, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy is drafting a 
proposed rule to implement the Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
(EPCA) provisions for energy efficiency test procedures, labeling, and 
standards compliance concerning commercial water heaters, boilers, 
furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps. 42 U.S.C. 6314-6316. While 
EPCA calls for adoption of test procedures referenced in the American 
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. 
(ASHRAE), Standard 90.1, several issues have been raised concerning how 
the Standard should be interpreted. The purpose of the public workshop 
is to discuss the following issues for developing the notice of 
proposed rulemaking:
    a. Clarification of coverage and category definitions in reference 
standards for commercial water heaters;
    b. Determination of procedures for measuring insulation value and 
heat loss in unfired commercial hot water storage tanks;
    c. Definition of ``packaged'' boiler for purposes of the proposed 
rulemaking;
    d. Treatment of ``jacket losses'' in combustion and thermal 
efficiency calculations;
    e. Uniformity of test conditions, procedures, and setup 
requirements across different types of commercial boilers and furnaces;
    f. Appropriate treatment of commercial boilers and furnaces with 
unusual features for specialized applications;
    g. Correct external static pressure test conditions for commercial 
air conditioners and heat pumps in light of typical outlet duct 
pressures observed in buildings;
    h. Determination of cost-effective and reliable statistical 
sampling regimes for standard certification and enforcement;
    i. Identification of practical certification and enforcement 
testing regimes for products with low production volumes;
    j. Determination of the information that should be displayed on 
certification labels; and
    k. Effective schemes for labeling mixed component systems.
    The Department is preparing a paper entitled, ``Issues Paper for 
the Commercial Water Heaters, Boilers, Furnaces, Air Conditioners, and 
Heat Pumps Workshop on April 14 and 15, 1998,'' that explains and 
discusses these issues in greater detail. Copies will be available on 
request. For many of the issues, the paper sets forth alternative 
approaches that the Department is considering to include in the Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking.
    The Department is particularly interested in receiving at the 
workshop comments and views of interested parties concerning: (1) The 
above-listed issues; (2) alternative approaches the Department is 
considering for addressing these issues; (3) information that the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology should take into account 
in interpreting ASHRAE Standard 90.1 test procedures for commercial 
water heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps for 
DOE's consideration; and (4) any viable alternatives that may have been 
overlooked in the preparation of the issue paper. The Department 
encourages those who wish to participate in the workshop to obtain the 
issue paper and to make presentations that address its contents. 
Workshop participants need not limit their statements to those topics, 
however. The Department is interested in receiving views concerning 
other issues that participants believe would affect the content of test 
procedures, labeling, and standards compliance for commercial water 
heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps.
    The meeting will be conducted in an informal, conference style. A 
court reporter will be present to record the minutes of the meeting. 
There shall be no discussion of proprietary information, costs or 
prices, market shares, or other commercial matters regulated under 
antitrust law. After the meeting and period for written comments, the 
Department will consider the views presented in formulating a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking regarding energy efficiency test procedures, 
labeling, and standards compliance as they relate to commercial water 
heaters, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps.
    If you would like to participate in the workshop, to receive 
workshop materials, or to be added to the DOE mailing list to receive 
future notices and information regarding commercial water heaters, 
boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps, please contact Ms. 
Brenda Edwards-Jones, (202)586-2945.


[[Page 16708]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 1, 1998.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 98-8952 Filed 4-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P