[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37594-37650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15025]



[[Page 37593]]

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Part III





Department of Energy





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10 CFR Part 430



Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for 
Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners; Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 124 / Tuesday, June 29, 2010 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 37594]]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EERE-2008-BT-TP-0010]
RIN 1904-AC02


Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test 
Procedures for Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners

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

ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking and public meeting.

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SUMMARY: On December 9, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in which it proposed 
amendments to its test procedures for residential clothes dryers and 
room air conditioners to provide for measurement of standby mode and 
off mode power use by these products in order to implement recent 
amendments under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 
2007) to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). In response to 
comments on the NOPR, DOE conducted additional investigations to 
address certain issues raised in these comments. In today's 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR), DOE is continuing 
to propose amendments to incorporate into its test procedures relevant 
provisions from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 
Standard 62301, ``Household electrical appliances--Measurement of 
standby power,'' First Edition 2005-06, including language to clarify 
application of these provisions for measuring standby mode and off mode 
power consumption in clothes dryers and room air conditioners. In 
addition, DOE is proposing to adopt definitions of modes based on the 
relevant provisions from IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition Committee 
Draft for Vote. DOE is also proposing to amend its test procedures for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners to address active mode energy 
use. Specifically, today's proposal addresses testing methods for 
clothes dryer automatic cycle termination, vent-less clothes dryers, 
test cloth preconditioning for clothes dryer energy tests, test 
conditions for gas clothes dryers, and current clothes dryer usage 
patterns and capabilities as well as the references in the current room 
air conditioner and clothes dryer test procedure. DOE will hold a 
public meeting to discuss and receive comments on the issues presented 
in this notice.

DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 from 
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Washington, DC. DOE must receive requests to speak 
at the public meeting before 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. DOE must 
receive a signed original and an electronic copy of statements to be 
given at the public meeting before 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 7, 2010.
    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the SNOPR 
before and after the public meeting, but no later than August 30, 2010. 
See section VI, ``Public Participation,'' of this SNOPR for details.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. To attend the public meeting, please notify 
Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945. (Please note that foreign 
nationals visiting DOE Headquarters are subject to advance security 
screening procedures. Any foreign national wishing to participate in 
the public meeting should advise DOE as soon as possible by contacting 
Ms. Edwards to initiate the necessary procedures.)
    Any comments submitted must identify the SNOPR on Test Procedures 
for Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners, and provide the docket 
number EERE-2008-BT-TP-0010 and/or Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 
1904-AC02. Comments may be submitted using any of the following 
methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
    2. E-mail: [email protected]. Include docket number 
EERE-2008-BT-TP-0010 and/or RIN 1904-AC02 in the subject line of the 
message.
    3. Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building 
Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. Please submit one signed paper original.
    4. Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Suite 
600, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. Please submit one 
signed paper original.
    For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see section VI, ``Public 
Participation,'' of this document.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, visit the U.S. Department of Energy, Resource Room 
of the Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Suite 
600, Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586-2945, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Please call Ms. Brenda 
Edwards at the above telephone number for additional information about 
visiting the Resource Room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Margaret Sullivan, 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) 287-1604. E-mail: 
[email protected].
    Mr. Francine Pinto, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the 
General Counsel, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-7432. E-mail: 
[email protected].
    For information on how to submit or review public comments and on 
how to participate in the public meeting, 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. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background and Authority
II. Summary of the Proposal
III. Discussion
    A. Products Covered by the Test Procedure Changes
    B. Clothes Dryer and Room Air Conditioner Standby Mode and Off 
Mode Test Procedures
    1. Incorporating by Reference IEC Standard 62301 for Measuring 
Standby Mode and Off Mode Power in Clothes Dryers and Room Air 
Conditioners
    2. Determination of Modes To Be Incorporated
    3. Adding Specifications for the Test Methods and Measurements 
for Clothes Dryer and Room Air Conditioner Standby Mode and Off Mode 
Testing
    a. Clothes Dryers
    b. Room Air Conditioners
    4. Calculation of Energy Use Associated With Standby Modes and 
Off Mode
    a. Clothes Dryers
    b. Room Air Conditioners
    5. Measures of Energy Consumption
    a. Clothes Dryers
    b. Room Air Conditioners

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    C. Clothes Dryer and Room Air Conditioner Active Mode Test 
Procedures
    1. Correction of Text Describing Energy Factor Calculation for 
Clothes Dryers
    2. Automatic Cycle Termination for Clothes Dryers
    3. Test Procedure for Vent-Less Clothes Dryers
    4. Detergent Specifications for Clothes Dryer Test Cloth 
Preconditioning
    5. Changes To Reflect Current Usage Patterns and Capabilities
    a. Clothes Dryer Number of Annual Cycles
    b. Clothes Dryer Initial Remaining Moisture Content
    c. Clothes Dryer Test Load Weight
    d. Room Air Conditioner Annual Operating Hours
    e. Room Air Conditioner Part-Load Performance
    f. Room Air Conditioner Ambient Test Conditions
    6. Room Air Conditioner Referenced Test Procedures
    7. Clothes Dryer Referenced Test Procedure
    8. Technical Correction for the Per-Cycle Gas Dryer Continuously 
Burning Pilot Light Gas Energy Consumption
    9. Clarification of the Gas Supply Test Conditions for Gas 
Clothes Dryers
    D. Compliance With Other EPCA Requirements
    1. Test Burden
    2. Potential Incorporation of IEC Standard 62087
    3. Integration of Standby Mode and Off Mode Energy Consumption 
Into the Energy Efficiency Metrics
IV. Effects of Test Procedure Revisions on Compliance With Standards
V. Procedural Requirements
    A. Review Under Executive Order 12866
    B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act
    C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
    D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
    E. Review Under Executive Order 13132
    F. Review Under Executive Order 12988
    G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
    H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 1999
    I. Review Under Executive Order 12630
    J. Review Under the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 2001
    K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
    L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal Energy Administration 
Act of 1974
VI. Public Participation
    A. Attendance at the Public Meeting
    B. Procedure for Submitting Requests To Speak
    C. Conduct of Public Meeting
    D. Submission of Comments
    E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment
    1. Incorporation of IEC Standard 62301
    2. Standby Mode Definitions
    3. Clothes Dryer Standby Modes
    4. Room Air Conditioner Standby Modes
    5. Network Mode
    6. Test Room Conditions
    7. Energy-Use Calculation for Standby and Off Modes for Clothes 
Dryers
    8. Energy-Use Calculation for Standby and Off Modes for Room Air 
Conditioners
    9. Clothes Dryer Testing Procedures To Account for Automatic 
Cycle Termination
    10. Water Temperature for Clothes Dryer Test Load Preparation
    11. Cycles and Settings for Timer Dryer and Automatic 
Termination Control Dryer Testing
    12. Cool-Down Period for Automatic Termination Control Dryer 
Testing
    13. Incorporation of Testing Procedures for Vent-Less Clothes 
Dryers
    14. Number of Valid Clothes Dryer Test Cycles
    15. Detergent Specifications for Test Cloth Preconditioning
    16. Clothes Dryer Number of Annual Use Cycles
    17. Clothes Dryer Initial Remaining Moisture Content
    18. Clothes Dryer Test Load Weight
    19. Room Air Conditioner Annual Operating Hours
    20. Room Air Conditioner Ambient Test Conditions
    21. Room Air Conditioner Referenced Test Procedures
    22. Clothes Dryer Referenced Test Procedure
    23. Technical Correction for the per-Cycle Gas Dryer 
Continuously Burning Pilot Light Gas Energy Consumption
    24. Clarification of Gas Supply Test Conditions for Gas Clothes 
Dryers
    25. Effects of Test Procedure Revisions on Compliance With 
Energy Conservation Standards
VII. Approval of the Office of the Secretary

I. Background and Authority

    Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
6291, et seq.; ``EPCA'' or, in context, ``the Act'') sets forth a 
variety of provisions designed to improve energy efficiency. Part A of 
Title III (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) establishes the ``Energy Conservation 
Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles,'' including 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners (all of which are referred to 
below as ``covered products'').\1\ (42 U.S.C. 6291(1)-(2) and 
6292(a)(2) and (8)).
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    \1\ All references to EPCA refer to the statute as amended 
including through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, 
Public Law 110-140.
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    Under the Act, this program consists essentially of three parts: 
(1) Testing; (2) labeling; and (3) Federal energy conservation 
standards. The testing requirements consist of test procedures that, 
pursuant to EPCA, manufacturers of covered products must use as the 
basis for certifying to DOE that their products comply with applicable 
energy conservation standards adopted under EPCA and for 
representations about the efficiency of those products. Similarly, DOE 
must use these test requirements to determine whether the products 
comply with EPCA standards. Under 42 U.S.C. 6293, EPCA sets forth 
criteria and procedures for DOE's adoption and amendment of such test 
procedures. EPCA provides that any test procedures prescribed or 
amended under this section shall 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, as determined by the Secretary of Energy, and 
shall 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 thereon, 
with a comment period no less than 60 days and not to exceed 270 days. 
(42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(2))
    Finally, 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 existing 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. In determining the amended energy 
conservation standard, the Secretary shall measure, pursuant to the 
amended test procedure, the energy efficiency, energy use, or water use 
of a representative sample of covered products that minimally comply 
with the existing standard. The average of such energy efficiency, 
energy use, or water use levels determined under the amended test 
procedure shall constitute the amended energy conservation standard for 
the applicable covered products. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) EPCA also 
states that models of covered products in use before the date on which 
the amended energy conservation standard becomes effective (or 
revisions of such models that come into use after such date and have 
the same energy efficiency, energy use, or water use characteristics) 
that comply with the energy conservation standard applicable to such 
covered products on the day before such date shall be deemed to comply 
with the amended energy conservation standard. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(3))
    DOE's test procedures for clothes dryers are found at 10 CFR part 
430, subpart B, appendix D. DOE established its test procedure for 
clothes dryers in a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 
19, 1981. 46 FR 27324. The test procedure includes provisions

[[Page 37596]]

for determining the energy factor (EF) for clothes dryers, which is a 
measure of the total energy required to dry a standard test load of 
laundry to a ``bone dry'' \2\ state.
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    \2\ ``Bone dry'' is defined in the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure as ``a condition of a load of test clothes which has been 
dried in a dryer at maximum temperature for a minimum of 10 minutes, 
removed and weighed before cool down, and then dried again for 10-
minute periods until the final weight change of the load is 1 
percent or less.'' (10 CFR subpart B, appendix D, section 1.2)
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    DOE's test procedures for room air conditioners are found at 10 CFR 
part 430, subpart B, appendix F. DOE established its room air 
conditioner test procedure on June 1, 1977, and redesignated and 
amended it on June 29, 1979. 42 FR 27898; 44 FR 37938. The existing 
room air conditioner test procedure incorporates by reference two 
industry test standards: (1) American National Standard (ANS) (since 
renamed American National Standards Institute (ANSI)) Z234.1-1972, 
``Room Air Conditioners;'' \3\ and (2) American Society of Heating, 
Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 16-69, 
``Method of Testing for Rating Room Air Conditioners.'' \4\ The DOE 
test procedure includes provisions for determining the energy 
efficiency ratio (EER) of room air conditioners, which is the ratio of 
the cooling capacity in British thermal units (Btu) to the power input 
in watts (W).
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    \3\ ANSI standards are available for purchase at http://www.ansi.org.
    \4\ ASHRAE standards are available for purchase at http://www.ashrae.org.
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    As currently drafted, the test procedures for the products at issue 
in this rulemaking generally do not account for standby mode and off 
mode energy consumption, except in one narrow product class. 
Specifically, for gas dryers with continuously burning pilot lights, 
DOE's current test procedure for clothes dryers addresses the standby 
energy use of such pilot lights, but otherwise, neither this test 
procedure nor DOE's test procedure for room air conditioners addresses 
energy use in the standby or off modes.
    The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 \5\ (EISA 2007) 
amended EPCA, and in relevant part, directs DOE to amend its test 
procedures to include measures of standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption. The EISA 2007 amendments to EPCA further direct DOE to 
amend the test procedures to integrate such energy consumption into a 
single energy descriptor for that product. If that is technically 
infeasible, DOE must prescribe a separate standby mode and off mode 
energy-use test procedure, if technically feasible. (42 U.S.C. 
6295(gg)(2)(A)) Any such amendment must consider the most current 
versions of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 
Standard 62301 [``Household electrical appliances-measurement of 
standby power,'' First Edition 2005-06 (IEC Standard 62301)] 
6 7 and IEC Standard 62087 [``Methods of measurement for the 
power consumption of audio, video, and related equipment,'' Second 
Edition 2008-09]. Id. For clothes dryers and room air conditioners, DOE 
must prescribe any such amendment to the test procedures by March 31, 
2009. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(B)(ii))
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    \5\ Public Law 110-140 (enacted Dec. 19, 2007).
    \6\ IEC standards are available for purchase at: http://www.iec.ch.
    \7\ Multiple editions of this standard are referenced in this 
final rule. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms ``IEC Standard 
62301'' or ``IEC Standard 62301 First Edition'' refer to ``Household 
electrical appliances-measurement of standby power,'' First Edition 
2005-06.
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    The EISA 2007 amendments to EPCA also provide that amendments to 
the test procedures to include standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption will not determine compliance with previously established 
standards. (U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(C)) The test procedure amendments 
regarding provisions for standby mode and off mode would become 
effective, in terms of adoption into the CFR, 30 days after the date of 
publication in the Federal Register of the final rule in this test 
procedures rulemaking. However, DOE is proposing added language to the 
regulations codified in the CFR that would state that any added 
procedures and calculations for standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption resulting from EISA 2007 need not be performed at this time 
to determine compliance with the current energy conservation standards. 
Subsequently, manufacturers would be required to use the amended test 
procedures' standby mode and off mode provisions to demonstrate 
compliance with DOE's energy conservation standards on the effective 
date of a final rule establishing amended energy conservation standards 
for the products that address standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption, at which time the limiting statement in the DOE test 
procedure would be removed. Further clarification would also be 
provided that as of 180 days after publication of a test procedure 
final rule, any representations as to the standby mode and off mode 
energy consumption of the products that are the subject of this 
rulemaking would need to be based upon results generated under the 
applicable provisions of this test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(c)(2))
    On October 9, 2007, DOE published a notice in the Federal Register 
announcing the availability of a framework document to initiate a 
rulemaking to consider amended energy conservation standards for 
residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners (hereafter the 
October 2007 Framework Document). 72 FR 57254. The issuance of a 
framework document is the first step in conducting an appliance 
standards rulemaking. In the October 2007 Framework Document, DOE 
identified specific ways in which it could revise its test procedures 
for these two products and requested comment from interested parties on 
whether it should adopt such revisions. Specifically, DOE sought 
comment on potential amendments to the clothes dryer test procedure to: 
(1) Reflect lower remaining moisture content (RMC) \8\ in clothes 
loads; (2) account for fewer annual use cycles; and (3) add the 
capability to test vent-less clothes dryers. (Framework Document, STD 
No. 1 at pp. 4-6) \9\ DOE also received comments in response to the 
October 2007 Framework Document that it should consider changes to the 
dryer test load size. For room air conditioners, DOE requested input on 
potential amendments to the test procedure to: (1) Incorporate the most 
recent ANSI and ASHRAE test standards; (2) reduce the annual operating 
hours; and (3) measure part-load performance. (Framework Document, STD 
No. 1 at pp. 6-7) For room air conditioners, DOE also received comments 
in response to the October 2007 Framework Document that it should 
consider changes to the ambient test conditions. Because the October 
2007 Framework Document was issued before the enactment of EISA 2007, 
possible amendments identified at that time for the clothes dryer and 
room air conditioner test procedures did not address standby mode or 
off mode energy use.
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    \8\ RMC is the ratio of the weight of water contained by the 
test load to the bone-dry weight of the test load, expressed as a 
percent.
    \9\ A notation in this form provides a reference for information 
that is in the docket of DOE's rulemaking to develop energy 
conservation standards for clothes dryers and room air conditioners 
(Docket No. EERE-2007-BT-STD-0010), which is maintained in the 
Resource Room of the Building Technologies Program. This notation 
indicates that the statement preceding the reference was made in 
DOE's Framework Document, which is document number 1 in the docket 
for the clothes dryer and room air conditioner energy conservation 
standards rulemaking, and appears at pages 4-6 of that document.
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    DOE published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) on December 9, 
2008 (December 2008 TP NOPR), in which it proposed a number of 
revisions

[[Page 37597]]

and additions to its test procedures for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners, consisting largely of provisions to address the new 
statutory requirement to expand test procedures to incorporate a 
measure of standby mode and off mode energy consumption. 73 FR 74639.
    The NOPR was issued on December 2, 2008, although it was formally 
published on December 9, 2008 (Id.), and the proposals in the NOPR were 
addressed at a public meeting on December 17, 2008 (December 2008 
Public Meeting). In addition, DOE invited written comments, data, and 
information on the December 2008 TP NOPR, and accepted such material 
through February 23, 2009.
    DOE received oral comments from interested parties at the December 
2008 Public Meeting and subsequently received four written comments. 
The principal test procedure issues on which interested parties 
commented were: (1) The establishment of multiple low power or standby 
modes for both clothes dryers and room air conditioners; (2) the number 
of annual hours associated with active, standby, and off modes for the 
calculation of energy use; (3) the consideration of an additional 
standby mode (a ``network mode''); (4) the potential clarification of 
the definitions of standby and off mode; (5) the harmonization of mode 
definitions and testing procedures with the rest of the world, in 
particular the consideration of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, 
Committee Draft 2 (IEC Standard 62301 CD2); and (6) the potential 
integration of standby and off mode energy use and active mode energy 
use into a single energy-use metric.
    DOE determined after the December 2008 TP NOPR was published that 
it would continue the clothes dryer and room air conditioner test 
procedure rulemaking to allow for consideration of a revised version of 
IEC Standard 62301, i.e., IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, which at 
that time was expected to be published in July 2009. DOE anticipated, 
based on review of drafts of the updated IEC Standard 62301, that the 
revisions could include different mode definitions. DOE expected to 
publish a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) for the 
test procedure rulemaking in which the new mode definitions from the 
revised IEC Standard 62301 would be considered. However, more recently, 
DOE received information that IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition would 
not be published until late 2010, which would not be in time for the 
consideration of standby and off mode power consumption in the 
concurrent energy conservation standards rulemaking. DOE, therefore, 
determined to publish today's SNOPR to consider the new mode 
definitions from the most recent draft version of IEC Standard 62301 
Second Edition, designated as IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, 
Committee Draft for Vote (IEC Standard 62301 CDV). DOE noted that the 
IEC first proposed revisions to IEC Standard 62301 to develop IEC 
Standard 62301 Second Edition by circulating IEC Standard 62301 Second 
Edition, Committee Draft 1 on November 16, 2007. IEC subsequently 
revised the proposed amendments to IEC Standard 62301 and circulated 
IEC Standard 62301 CD2 on October 17, 2008. Most recently, the IEC 
again revised the proposed amendments and circulated IEC Standard 62301 
CDV on August 28, 2009. IEC Standard 62301 CDV contains the most recent 
proposed amendments to IEC Standard 62301, including new mode 
definitions. IEC Standard 62301 CDV revised the proposed mode 
definitions from those proposed in the previous draft version IEC 
Standard 62301 CD2 and addresses comments received by interested 
parties in response to IEC Standard 62301 CD2. DOE, therefore, believes 
that such new mode definitions represent the best definitions available 
for the analysis in support of today's SNOPR.
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE's proposal was limited to 
amendments to its test procedures for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners to include methods for measuring standby mode and off mode 
power consumption. DOE determined after the December 2008 TP NOPR to 
conduct a rulemaking to address the active mode test procedure issues 
for clothes dryers and room air conditioners, including those on which 
it requested comment in the October 2007 Framework Document. Because 
DOE decided to continue the test procedure rulemaking concerning 
standby mode and off mode power consumption, DOE intends to address in 
today's SNOPR the balance of the test procedure issues relating to 
active mode for clothes dryers and room air conditioners.
    Any test procedure amendments regarding the active mode test 
provisions for clothes dryers and room air conditioners will become 
effective 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register 
of the final rule in this test procedures rulemaking. However, as of 
180 days after publication of a test procedure final rule, any 
representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency or cost of 
energy consumed of the products that are the subject of this rulemaking 
would need to be based upon results generated under the applicable 
provisions of these amended test procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6293(c)(2))
    This test procedure rulemaking is anticipated to support a 
concurrent energy conservation standards rulemaking for residential 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners. For clothes dryers, the 
National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA), Public Law 
100-12, amended EPCA to establish prescriptive standards for clothes 
dryers, requiring that gas dryers manufactured on or after January 1, 
1988 not be equipped with a constant burning pilot and further 
requiring that DOE conduct two cycles of rulemakings to determine if 
more stringent standards are justified. (42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(3) and (4)) 
On May 14, 1991, DOE published a final rule in the Federal Register 
establishing the first set of performance standards for residential 
clothes dryers (56 FR 22250); the new standards became effective on May 
14, 1994. 10 CFR 430.32(h). DOE initiated a second standards rulemaking 
for residential clothes dryers by publishing an advance notice of 
proposed rulemaking (ANOPR) in the Federal Register on November 14, 
1994. 59 FR 56423. However, pursuant to the priority-setting process 
outlined in DOE's ``Procedures for Consideration of New or Revised 
Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Products'' (the ``Process 
Rule''),\10\ DOE classified the clothes dryer standards rulemaking as a 
low priority for its fiscal year 1998 priority-setting process. As a 
result, DOE suspended the standards rulemaking activities for them. DOE 
has since resumed the rulemaking activities, and has recently initiated 
the second cycle of clothes dryer standards rulemakings. 72 FR 57254 
(October 9, 2007).
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    \10\ 61 FR 36974 (July 15, 1996) (establishing 10 CFR part 430, 
subpart C, appendix A).
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    NAECA established performance standards for room air conditioners 
that became effective on January 1, 1990, and directed DOE to conduct 
two cycles of rulemakings to determine if more stringent standards are 
justified. (42 U.S.C. 6295(c)(1) and (2)) On March 4, 1994, DOE 
published a NOPR for several products, including room air conditioners. 
59 FR 10464. Because of the Process Rule, DOE suspended activities to 
finalize standards for room air conditioners. DOE subsequently resumed 
rulemaking activities related to room air conditioners, and, on 
September 24, 1997, DOE published a final rule establishing an updated 
set of performance standards, with an

[[Page 37598]]

effective date of October 1, 2000. 62 FR 50122; 10 CFR 40.32(b). 
Concurrent with the clothes dryer rulemaking, DOE has recently 
initiated the second cycle of room air conditioner standards 
rulemakings. 72 FR 57254.
    EISA 2007 includes amendments to EPCA that direct DOE to 
incorporate standby and off mode energy use into any final rule 
establishing or revising a standard for a covered product adopted after 
July 1, 2010. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(3)) DOE anticipates publishing the 
next final rule revising efficiency standards for clothes dryers and 
room air conditioners by June 30, 2011. Because publication of the 
final rule revising efficiency standards will fall after July 1, 2010 
(the date after which any final rule establishing or revising a 
standard must incorporate standby and off mode energy use), this final 
rule must incorporate standby and off mode energy use, thereby 
necessitating the adoption of relevant standby and off mode provisions 
into the test procedures for these products.
    This test procedure rulemaking will fulfill the seven-year review 
requirement prescribed by EISA 2007. At least once every 7 years, the 
Secretary shall review test procedures for all covered products and--
amend test procedures with respect to any covered product or publish 
notice in the Federal Register of any determination not to amend a test 
procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(1)(A))

II. Summary of the Proposal

    In today's SNOPR, DOE proposes to amend the test procedures for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners in order to: (1) Provide a 
foundation for DOE to develop and implement energy conservation 
standards that address the energy use of these products when in standby 
mode and off mode; (2) address the statutory requirement to expand test 
procedures to incorporate measures of standby mode and off mode power 
consumption; (3) adopt technical changes and procedures for more 
accurately measuring the effects of different automatic termination 
technologies in clothes dryers; (4) expand the clothes dryer test 
procedures to accommodate vent-less clothes dryers being considered for 
coverage under an amended energy conservation standard; (5) update 
detergent specifications for clothes dryer test cloth preconditioning; 
(6) adopt technical changes to better reflect current usage patterns 
and capabilities for the covered products; (7) update the references to 
external test procedures in the DOE room air conditioner and clothes 
dryer test procedure; and (8) clarify the test conditions for gas 
clothes dryers. The following paragraphs summarize these proposed 
changes.
    In amending the current test procedures, DOE proposed in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR to incorporate by reference into both the clothes 
dryer and room air conditioner test procedures specific clauses from 
IEC Standard 62301 regarding test conditions and test procedures for 
measuring standby mode and off mode power consumption. This proposal is 
not affected by this SNOPR, in which DOE proposes to incorporate into 
each test procedure the definitions of ``active mode,'' ``standby 
mode,'' and ``off mode'' that are based on the definitions provided in 
the latest draft version of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, 
designated as IEC Standard 62301 CDV. As discussed in section III.B.1, 
DOE believes that the new mode definitions contained in IEC Standard 
62301 CDV represent a substantial improvement over those in IEC 
Standard 62301 and demonstrate significant participation of interested 
parties in the development of the best possible definitions. Further, 
DOE proposes to include in each test procedure additional language that 
would clarify the application of clauses from IEC Standard 62301 and 
the mode definitions from IEC Standard 62301 CDV for measuring standby 
mode and off mode power consumption.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ EISA 2007 directs DOE to also consider IEC Standard 62087 
when amending its test procedure to include standby mode and off 
mode energy consumption. See 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A). However, IEC 
Standard 62087 addresses the methods of measuring the power 
consumption of audio, video, and related equipment. As explained 
subsequently in this notice, the narrow scope of this particular IEC 
Standard reduces its relevance to today's proposal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For reasons discussed in section III.B.2 for clothes dryers, DOE is 
proposing in today's SNOPR a definition and testing procedures for a 
single standby mode, rather than the multiple standby modes--a general 
``inactive'' mode, a ``cycle finished'' mode, and a ``delay start'' 
mode--that were proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR. 73 FR 74639, 
74645. DOE is also proposing to establish new methods to calculate 
clothes dryer standby mode and off mode energy use and to adopt a new 
measure of energy efficiency (Combined Energy Factor (CEF)) that 
includes energy use in the standby mode and off mode. The proposed 
amendments regarding standby mode and off mode would not change the 
method to calculate the existing clothes dryer energy efficiency metric 
for active mode only, which is the energy factor (EF).
    Similarly, for reasons discussed in section III.B.2 for room air 
conditioners, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR a definition and 
testing procedures for a single standby mode, rather than the multiple 
standby modes--a general ``inactive'' mode, a ``delay start'' mode, and 
an ``off-cycle'' mode--as was proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR. 73 
FR 74639, 74645. In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE also proposed that 
standby mode and off mode testing be conducted with room-side air 
temperature at 74  2 degrees Fahrenheit ([deg]F), with a 
temperature control setting of 79 [deg]F. 73 FR 74639, 74646. However, 
upon further consideration, DOE determined that, because the proposed 
test procedure would be limited to the measurement of a single standby 
mode and an off mode, the proposed close tolerance on ambient 
temperature and the proposed temperature setting of 79 [deg]F, which 
were relevant only for an off-cycle standby mode measurement, would not 
be required. Therefore, DOE is no longer proposing to include these 
requirements for testing conditions in today's SNOPR. DOE is also 
proposing in today's SNOPR new methods to calculate room air 
conditioner standby mode and off mode energy use and to adopt a new 
measure of energy efficiency (Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER)) 
that includes energy use in the standby mode and the off mode. The 
proposed amendments regarding standby mode and off mode would not 
change the method to calculate the existing room air conditioner energy 
efficiency metric for active mode only, which is the energy efficiency 
ratio (EER).
    Based upon comments from interested parties in response to the 
October 2007 Framework Document and investigations of international 
test standards, DOE believes that the benefit of automatic cycle 
termination should be more accurately credited in its clothes dryer 
test procedure. Therefore, DOE proposes to revise this test procedure 
to include definitions of and provisions for testing both timer dryers 
and automatic termination control dryers using methodology provided in 
Australia/New Zealand (AS/NZS) Standard 2442.1: 1996, ``Performance of 
household electrical appliances--Rotary clothes dryers, Part 1: Energy 
consumption and performance'' (AS/NZS Standard 2442.1) and AS/NZS 
Standard 2442.2: 2000, ``Performance of household electrical 
appliances--Rotary clothes dryers, Part 2: Energy labeling 
requirements'' (AS/NZS Standard 2442.2). AS/NZS Standard 2442 is an 
internationally accepted testing

[[Page 37599]]

standard that provides testing methods to account for the over-drying 
energy consumption associated with both timer dryers and automatic 
termination control dryers. DOE has evaluated AS/NZS Standard 2442 and 
determined that it provides an accurate testing methodology for 
measuring the energy consumption for both timer and automatic 
termination control dryers while also accounting for over-drying energy 
consumption. Therefore, DOE is proposing to incorporate the testing 
methods from these international test standards, along with a number of 
added clarifications, to measure the energy consumption for both timer 
dryers and automatic termination control dryers, accounting for the 
amount of over-drying energy consumption, i.e., the energy consumed by 
the clothes dryer after the load reaches an RMC of 5 percent. The 
proposed amendments would provide methods for timer dryers to measure 
the per-cycle energy consumption required to reach a final RMC of no 
more than 5 percent, and continuing to apply the effective energy 
efficiency penalty for timer dryer over-drying energy consumption 
provided by the fixed field use (FU) factor in the current test 
procedure. For automatic termination control dryers, the dryer would be 
tested using an automatic termination setting, allowing the dryer to 
run until the heater switches off for the final time at the end of the 
drying cycle, to achieve a final RMC of no more than 5 percent. Any 
energy consumed once the RMC is less than 5 percent would be considered 
over-drying. Based on the proposed test methods, an automatic 
termination control dryer that is able to dry the test load to close to 
5-percent RMC, and thus minimize over-drying, will show a higher 
efficiency than if that same dryer were to over-dry the test load to an 
RMC less than 5 percent. The energy consumed by over-drying the test 
load would be included in the per-cycle energy consumption, and would 
result in a reduction in the measured EF.
    As discussed in section III.C.3, DOE intends to analyze potential 
energy conservation standards for vent-less clothes dryers in a 
separate rulemaking. Therefore, provisions must be added to the DOE 
clothes dryer test procedure for measuring the energy efficiency 
performance in vent-less clothes dryers. DOE is proposing in today's 
SNOPR to amend the current clothes dryer test procedure to include 
provisions for testing vent-less clothes dryers based upon the 
alternate test procedure that DOE previously presented in ``Energy 
Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Publication of the Petition 
for Waiver and Denial of the Application for Interim Waiver of LG 
Electronics from the Department of Energy Clothes Dryer Test 
Procedures.'' (LG Petition for Waiver) 71 FR 49437 (Aug. 23, 2006). 
Further, DOE proposes to include in the test procedure additional 
language based upon provisions from European Standard EN 61121, 
``Tumble dryers for household use--Methods for measuring the 
performance,'' Edition 3 2005 (EN Standard 61121) that would clarify 
the alternate test procedure presented in the LG Petition for Waiver. 
EN Standard 61121 is an internationally accepted test standard that 
provides methods for testing vent-less clothes dryers. The 
clarifications would require that if a vent-less clothes dryer is 
equipped with a condensation box (which would store condensed moisture 
removed from the air exiting the drum until later manual removal by the 
user), the dryer would be tested with such condensation box installed 
as specified by the manufacturer. In addition, the clarifications would 
provide that if the clothes dryer stops the test cycle for the reason 
that the condensation box is full, the test would not be valid. The 
clarifications would also require that the condenser heat exchanger not 
be taken out of the dryer between tests. Finally, the proposed 
clarifications would address clothes dryer preconditioning for vent-
less dryers.
    In addition, based upon comments from interested parties in 
response to the October 2007 Framework Document and data on consumer 
usage patterns, DOE is proposing to amend the DOE test procedure for 
clothes dryers to reflect current usage patterns and capabilities. DOE 
proposes to revise the number of annual use cycles from the 416 cycles 
per year currently specified by the DOE test procedure, to 283 cycles 
per year for all types (i.e., product classes) of clothes dryers based 
on data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA)'s 2005 
``Residential Energy Consumption Survey'' (RECS) 12 13 for 
the number of laundry loads (clothes washer cycles) washed per week and 
the frequency of clothes dryer use. DOE is also proposing to revise the 
70-percent initial RMC required by the test procedure to 47 percent to 
accurately represent the current condition of laundry loads after a 
wash cycle, based on shipment-weighted RMC data for clothes washers 
submitted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and 
based on a distribution of RMC values for clothes washer models listed 
in the December 22, 2008, California Energy Commission (CEC) directory. 
In addition, DOE is proposing to change the 7-pound (lb) clothes dryer 
test load size specified by the current test procedure for standard-
size clothes dryers to 8.45 lb, based on the historical trends of 
clothes washer tub volumes and the corresponding percentage increase in 
clothes washer test load sizes (as specified by the DOE clothes washer 
test procedure), which is assumed to proportionally impact dryer load 
sizes. DOE believes most compact clothes dryers are used in conjunction 
with compact-size clothes washers, and DOE does not have any 
information to suggest that the tub volume of such clothes washers has 
changed significantly. Therefore, DOE is not proposing to change the 3-
lb test load size currently specified in its clothes dryer test 
procedure for compact clothes dryers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ U.S. Department of Energy--Energy Information 
Administration. ``Residential Energy Consumption Survey,'' 2005 
Public Use Data Files, 2005. Washington, DC. Available online at: 
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/.
    \13\ EIA's 2005 RECS is the latest available version of this 
survey.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For clothes dryers, DOE is also proposing to revise the detergent 
specifications for test cloth preconditioning due to obsolescence of 
the detergent specified in the test procedure, to eliminate an 
unnecessary reference to an obsolete industry clothes dryer test 
standard, and to amend the provisions in its test procedure which 
specify test conditions for gas clothes dryers to clarify the required 
gas supply pressure.
    For room air conditioners, based upon comments received on the 
October 2007 Framework Document, DOE is proposing to update the 
references in its current room air conditioner test procedure to 
incorporate the most recent ANSI and ASHRAE test standards--ANSI/AHAM 
RAC-1-R2008, ``Room Air Conditioners,'' (ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008) and 
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) ``Method of Testing for Rating 
Room Air Conditioners and Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners'' (ANSI/
ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009)). DOE has also determined that the 
750 annual operating hours specified by the current DOE test procedure 
is representative of current usage patterns, based upon its 
interpretation of data from the 2005 RECS and, therefore, is not 
proposing to amend the annual usage hours specified by the current DOE 
test procedure for room air conditioners.
    As noted above in section I, EPCA requires that DOE must determine 
``to what extent, if any, the proposed test procedure would alter the 
measured

[[Page 37600]]

energy efficiency * * * of any covered product as determined under the 
existing 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 during the rulemaking carried out with respect to such test 
procedure. In determining the amended energy conservation standard, the 
Secretary shall measure, pursuant to the amended test procedure, the 
energy efficiency, energy use, or water use of a representative sample 
of covered products that minimally comply with the existing standard. 
(42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2)) Under 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(C), EPCA provides 
that amendments to the test procedures to include standby mode and off 
mode energy consumption will not determine compliance with previously 
established standards. (U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(C))
    These amended clothes dryer and room air conditioner test 
procedures would become effective, in terms of adoption into the CFR, 
30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register of the 
final rule in this test procedures rulemaking. Because the proposed 
amendments to the test procedures for measuring standby mode and off 
mode energy consumption would not alter the existing measures of energy 
consumption or efficiency for clothes dryers and room air conditioners, 
the proposed amendments would not affect a manufacturer's ability to 
comply with current energy conservation standards. Manufacturers would 
not be required to use the amended test procedures' standby mode and 
off mode provisions until the mandatory compliance date of amended 
clothes dryer and room air conditioner energy conservation standards. 
All representations related to standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption of both clothes dryers and room air conditioners made 180 
days after the date of publication of the test procedures final rule in 
the Federal Register and before the compliance date of amended energy 
conservation standards must be based upon the standby and off mode 
requirements of the amended test procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6293(c)(2))
    Furthermore, DOE has investigated how each of the proposed 
amendments to the active mode provisions in its clothes dryer and room 
air conditioner test procedures in today's SNOPR would affect the 
measured efficiency of products. DOE has addressed this requirement for 
each of the proposed amendments individually in section III.C.

III. Discussion

A. Products Covered by the Test Procedure Changes

    Today's proposed amendments to DOE's clothes dryer test procedure 
cover both electric clothes dryers, which DOE's regulations define to 
mean a cabinet-like appliance designed to dry fabrics in a tumble-type 
drum with forced air circulation. The heat source is electricity and 
the drum and blower(s) are driven by an electric motor(s). The 
amendments also address gas clothes dryers, which DOE defines to mean a 
cabinet-like appliance designed to dry fabrics in a tumble-type drum 
with forced air circulation. The heat source is gas and the drum and 
blower(s) are driven by an electric motor(s).
    These definitions and the proposed amendments discussed below cover 
both vented and vent-less clothes dryers, as well as combination 
washer/dryers.
    Today's proposed amendments, to DOE's room air conditioner test 
procedure, cover a consumer product, other than a ``packaged terminal 
air conditioner,'' which is powered by a single-phase electric current 
and which is an encased assembly designed as a unit for mounting in a 
window or through the wall for the purpose of providing delivery of 
conditioned air to an enclosed space. It includes a prime source of 
refrigeration and may include a means for ventilating and heating.
    This definition and the proposed amendments discussed below cover 
room air conditioners designed for single- or double-hung windows with 
or without louvered sides and with or without reverse cycle, as well as 
casement-slider and casement-only window-type room air conditioners.
    DOE is not proposing in today's SNOPR to change the definitions for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners in DOE's regulations.

B. Clothes Dryer and Room Air Conditioner Standby Mode and Off Mode 
Test Procedures

1. Incorporating by Reference IEC Standard 62301 for Measuring Standby 
Mode and Off Mode Power in Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners
    As noted in the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE considered, pursuant to 
EPCA, the most current versions of IEC Standard 62301 and IEC Standard 
62087 for measuring power consumption in standby mode and off mode. (42 
U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) 73 FR 74639, 74643-44 (Dec. 9, 2008). DOE noted 
that IEC Standard 62087 specifies methods of measuring the power 
consumption of TV receivers, videocassette recorders (VCRs), set top 
boxes, audio equipment, and multi-function equipment for consumer use. 
IEC Standard 62087 does not include measurement for the power 
consumption of electrical appliances such as clothes dryers and room 
air conditioners. Therefore, DOE has tentatively determined that IEC 
Standard 62087 was unsuitable for potential amendments to the clothes 
dryer and room air conditioner test procedures. 73 FR 74639, 74643 
(Dec. 9, 2008). DOE noted that IEC Standard 62301 provides for 
measuring standby power in electrical appliances, including clothes 
dryers and room air conditioners, and, thus, is applicable to the 
proposed amendments to the clothes dryer and room air conditioner test 
procedures. 73 FR 74643-44 (Dec. 9, 2008).
    DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to incorporate by 
reference into the DOE test procedures for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners specific clauses from IEC Standard 62301 for measuring 
standby mode and off mode power: From section 4 (``General conditions 
for measurements''), paragraph 4.2, ``Test room,'' paragraph 4.4, 
``Supply voltage waveform,'' and paragraph 4.5, ``Power measurement 
accuracy,'' and section 5 (``Measurements''), paragraph 5.1, 
``General'' and paragraph 5.3, ``Procedure.'' DOE also proposed to 
reference these same provisions in the DOE test procedure for room air 
conditioners, as well as section 4, paragraph 4.3, ``Power supply.'' 73 
FR 74639, 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008).
    DOE noted in the December 2008 TP NOPR that the EPCA requirement to 
consider IEC Standard 62301 in developing amended test procedures for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners presented a potential conflict 
in defining ``standby mode.'' 73 FR 74639, 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008). EPCA 
defines ``standby mode'' as the condition in which a product is 
connected to a main power source and offers one or more of the 
following user-oriented or protective functions: (1) To facilitate the 
activation or deactivation of other functions (including active mode) 
by remote switch (including remote control), internal sensor, or timer; 
and/or (2) to provide continuous functions, including information or 
status displays (including clocks) or sensor-based functions. (42 
U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A)(iii)). In contrast, paragraph 3.1 of IEC Standard 
62301 defines ``standby mode'' as the ``lowest power consumption mode 
which cannot be switched off

[[Page 37601]]

(influenced) by the user and that may persist for an indefinite time 
when an appliance is connected to the main electricity supply and used 
in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.'' In addition, 
prior to EISA 2007, DOE adopted a definition for ``standby mode'' 
nearly identical to that of IEC Standard 62301 in the dishwasher test 
procedure, in which ``standby mode'' ``means the lowest power 
consumption mode which cannot be switched off or influenced by the user 
and that may persist for an indefinite time when an appliance is 
connected to the main electricity supply and used in accordance with 
the manufacturer's instructions.'' (10 CFR part 430, subpart B, 
appendix C, section 1.14) While EPCA specifies that DOE may amend the 
definitions provided under 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A), taking into 
consideration the most current version of IEC Standard 62301 in 
updating its test procedure (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(B)), DOE proposed in 
the December 2008 TP NOPR to adopt the broader, statutory definition of 
``standby mode'' provided in EPCA for reasons of greater specificity 
and clarity among the considered definitions, and to include that 
definition in the test procedures for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners. 73 FR 74639, 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008)
    AHAM commented that the definition provided under EPCA, developed 
in part using IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, Committee Draft 1, 
allowed the introduction and definition of ``off mode'' and it provided 
additional clarification on standby mode, which is not addressed in IEC 
Standard 62301. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 2) \14\ AHAM also submitted 
comments to DOE, which AHAM denoted as general application guidelines, 
to individual appliance committees on the use of IEC Standard 62301 
definitions. AHAM stated that the energy mode definitions in its 
comment are consistent with IEC Standard 62301 and EISA 2007. (AHAM, TP 
No. 12 at p. 1) For standby mode, AHAM's submission states that this 
mode may persist for an indefinite period of time and may allow 
activation of other modes by local or remote switch. AHAM's description 
of standby mode further specifies that standby mode applies only to 
products that are not ``continuous run'' products, which it defines as 
a product which ``is performing in active mode 100 [percent] of time 
that it is plugged into the main electricity supply.'' (AHAM, TP No. 12 
at p. 2). DOE notes that neither clothes dryers nor room air 
conditioners would be classified as continuous run products, since both 
provide modes in which the unit would be plugged in but not operating 
in active mode. For the reasons discussed below, DOE is revising the 
test procedure amendments proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR and is 
proposing in today's SNOPR mode definitions based on the definitions 
provided in IEC Standard 62301 CDV. As discussed further in section 
III.B.3 of this SNOPR, DOE also continues to propose the requirement it 
proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR that for clothes dryers or room 
air conditioners that drop from a higher-power state to a lower-power 
state, as discussed in Section 5, Paragraph 5.1, note 1 of IEC Standard 
62301, sufficient time would be allowed for the unit to reach the 
lower-power state before proceeding with the test measurement for 
standby mode and off mode power. 73 FR 74639, 74656, 74658 (Dec. 9, 
2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ A notation in the form ``AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 2'' 
identifies a written comment (1) made by AHAM; (2) recorded in 
document number 10 that is filed in the docket of this test 
procedures rulemaking (Docket No. EERE-2008-BT-TP-0010) and 
maintained in the Resource Room of the Building Technologies 
Program; and (3) which appears on page 2 of document number 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE noted that, while section 
325(gg)(2)(A) of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) requires that the 
amended test procedures consider the most current version of IEC 
Standard 62301, the IEC is developing an updated version of this 
standard, IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition. 73 FR 74639, 74644 (Dec. 
9, 2008). This updated version of IEC Standard 62301 is expected to 
include definitions of ``off mode,'' ``network mode,'' and 
``disconnected mode,'' and would revise the current IEC Standard 62301 
definition of ``standby mode.'' However, DOE stated in the December 
2008 TP NOPR that, because the IEC anticipated that this new version of 
Standard 62301 would likely be published in July 2009, this later 
version of the standard would be unavailable in time for DOE to 
consider it and to still meet the EISA 2007 deadline for issuance of a 
final rule amending the relevant test procedure to include measures of 
standby mode and off mode energy consumption by March 31, 2009. Id. See 
42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(B)(ii). For this reason, DOE stated in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR that IEC Standard 62301 would be the ``current 
version'' at the time of publication of the final rule, so 
consideration thereof would comply with EPCA. Accordingly, DOE 
incorporated sections from IEC Standard 62301 in the proposed 
amendments to the test procedure in the December 2008 TP NOPR. 73 FR 
74639, 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008). DOE also stated in the December 2008 TP 
NOPR that after the final rule is published, amendments to the 
referenced standards would be adopted into the DOE test procedure only 
if DOE later publishes a final rule to incorporate them into its 
procedures. 73 FR 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008).
    AHAM commented that a primary concern is the significant 
differences between IEC Standard 62301 and IEC Standard 62301 CD2. 
(AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 17) \15\ AHAM supports 
the use of IEC Standard 62301; however, it also stated that there have 
been considerable issues and concerns with the current version, 
including confusion over how to interpret the standard. AHAM noted that 
IEC Standard 62301 CD2 provides clarifications to IEC Standard 62301, 
such as further defining standby and off mode to allow for the 
measurement of multiple standby power modes. However, AHAM also noted 
that the procedures for setup and testing remain very much the same. 
(AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 29-31, 39-40) AHAM 
questioned whether the clarifications of IEC Standard 62301 CD2, 
particularly in terms of these mode definitions, could be incorporated 
into the language in the DOE test procedure if DOE is unable to 
incorporate the standard directly, and proposed that DOE consider 
harmonizing with the IEC Standard 62301 CD2 under the expectation that 
this language will be finalized in IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition. 
AHAM believes that EISA 2007 could be interpreted to allow IEC Standard 
62301 CD2 to be incorporated before it is finalized. (AHAM, Public 
Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 31-35) Whirlpool Corporation 
(Whirlpool) and GE Consumer & Industrial (GE) supported AHAMs comments 
that DOE should harmonize with the rest of the world in considering IEC 
Standard 62301 CD2. (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 
17; Whirlpool, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 36; GE, Public 
Meeting Transcript, TP

[[Page 37602]]

No. 8 at pp. 35-36) Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) stated that it 
supports harmonization, but does not support any significant delays in 
this rulemaking. (PG&E, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 35)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ A notation in the form ``AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, 
TP No. 8 at pp. 17, 29-35, 39-40'' identifies an oral comment that 
DOE received during the December 17, 2008, NOPR public meeting, was 
recorded in the public meeting transcript in the docket for this 
test procedure rulemaking (Docket No. EERE-2008-BT-TP-0010), and is 
maintained in the Resource Room of the Building Technologies 
Program. This particular notation refers to a comment (1) made by 
AHAM during the public meeting; (2) recorded in document number 8, 
which is the public meeting transcript that is filed in the docket 
of this test procedure rulemaking; and (3) which appears on pages 
17, 29-35, and 39-40 of document number 8.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE anticipated, based on review of 
draft versions of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, that the revisions 
to IEC Standard 62301 could include different mode definitions. As 
discussed in section I, DOE thus determined to publish an SNOPR for the 
test procedure rulemaking in which the new mode definitions from the 
IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, expected in July 2009, would be 
considered. However, more recently, DOE received information that IEC 
Standard 62301 Second Edition would not be available until late 2010. 
Because the final version of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition would 
not be published in time for the consideration of standby and off mode 
power consumption in the concurrent energy conservation standards 
rulemaking, DOE, therefore, determined to consider the new mode 
definitions from the draft version IEC Standard 62301 CDV. Based on 
DOE's review of IEC Standard 62301 CDV, DOE believes the definitions of 
standby mode, off mode, and active mode provided in IEC Standard 62301 
CDV expand upon the EPCA mode definitions and provide additional 
guidance as to which functions are associated with each mode. DOE also 
believes that the comments received by IEC on IEC Standard 62301 CD2, 
and the resulting amended mode definitions proposed in IEC Standard 
62301 CDV, demonstrate significant participation of interested parties 
in the development of the best possible definitions. For these reasons, 
DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR definitions of standby mode, off 
mode, and active mode based on the definitions provided in IEC Standard 
62301 CDV. These definitions are discussed in detail in Section 
III.B.2. DOE is narrowly considering such language from IEC Standard 
62301 CDV, even though this is not a finalized test standard, because 
of the consensus among comments received, and DOE's corroborating 
belief, that the mode definitions in the draft versions of IEC Standard 
62301 Second Edition represent a substantial improvement over those in 
IEC Standard 62301.
    DOE did not receive any comments in response to the December 2008 
TP NOPR objecting to the proposed testing methods and procedures 
referenced in IEC Standard 62301. As noted above, IEC Standard 62301 
will be the ``current version'' at the time of publication of the final 
rule, so consideration thereof will comply with EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 
6295(gg)(2)(A)) For these reasons, this SNOPR does not affect DOE's 
proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR to incorporate by reference the 
clauses presented above from IEC Standard 62301.
2. Determination of Modes To Be Incorporated
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE proposed to incorporate into the 
clothes dryer and room air conditioner test procedure the definitions 
of ``active mode,'' ``standby mode,'' and ``off mode'' specified by 
EPCA. 73 FR 74639, 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008) EPCA defines ``active mode'' as 
``the condition in which an energy-using product--
    (I) Is connected to a main power source;
    (II) Has been activated; and
    (III) Provides 1 or more main functions.''
(42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A)(i))
    EPCA defines ``standby mode'' as ``the condition in which an 
energy-using product--
    (I) Is connected to a main power source; and
    (II) Offers 1 or more of the following user-oriented or protective 
functions:
    (aa) To facilitate the activation or deactivation of other 
functions (including active mode) by remote switch (including remote 
control), internal sensor, or timer.
    (bb) Continuous functions, including information or status displays 
(including clocks) or sensor-based functions.''

(42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A)(iii)) This definition differs from the one 
provided in IEC Standard 62301 by permitting the inclusion of multiple 
standby modes.
    EPCA defines ``off mode'' as ``the condition in which an energy-
using product--
    (I) Is connected to a main power source; and
    (II) Is not providing any standby mode or active mode function.'' 
\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ DOE notes that some features that provide consumer utility, 
such as displays and remote controls, are associated with standby 
mode and not off mode. A clothes dryer or room air conditioner is 
considered to be in ``off mode'' if it is plugged in to a main power 
source, is not being used for an active function such as drying 
clothing or providing cooling, and is consuming power for features 
other than a display, controls (including a remote control), or 
sensors required to reactivate it from a low power state. For 
example, a clothes dryer with mechanical controls and no display or 
continuously-energized moisture sensor, but that consumed power for 
components such as a power supply when the unit was not activated, 
would be considered to be in off mode when not providing an active 
function. For room air conditioners, a unit with mechanical controls 
and no display or remote control but with a power supply that is 
consuming energy, for example, could be considered to be in off mode 
while not providing an active function.

(42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A)(ii))
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE recognized that these definitions 
for ``active mode,'' ``standby mode,'' and ``off mode'' were developed 
to be broadly applicable for many energy-using products. For specific 
products with multiple functions, these broad definitions could lead to 
unintended consequences if the meaning of ``main functions'' is 
narrowly interpreted. 73 FR 74639, 74644-45 (Dec. 9, 2008). To address 
this problem, DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to amend the 
clothes dryer and room air conditioner test procedures to clarify the 
range of main functions that would be classified as active mode 
functions and establish standby and off mode definitions as follows. 73 
FR 74639, 74645, 74645 (Dec. 9, 2008)
    DOE proposed the following mode definitions for clothes dryers in 
the December 2008 TP NOPR:

    ``Active mode'' means a mode in which the clothes dryer is 
performing the main function of tumbling the clothing with or 
without heated or unheated forced air circulation to remove moisture 
from the clothing and/or remove or prevent wrinkling of the 
clothing;
    ``Inactive mode'' means a standby mode other than delay start 
mode or cycle finished mode that facilitates the activation of 
active mode by remote switch (including remote control), internal 
sensor, or timer, or provides continuous status display;
    ``Cycle finished mode'' means a standby mode that provides 
continuous status display following operation in active mode;
    ``Delay start mode'' means a standby mode that facilitates the 
activation of active mode by timer; and
    ``Off mode'' means a mode in which the clothes dryer is not 
performing any active or standby function. 73 FR 74639, 74645 (Dec. 
9, 2008).

    For room air conditioners, DOE proposed the following mode 
definitions in the December 2008 TP NOPR:

    ``Active mode'' means a mode in which the room air conditioner 
is performing the main function of cooling or heating the 
conditioned space, or circulating air through activation of its fan 
or blower, with or without energizing active air-cleaning components 
or devices such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electrostatic 
filters, ozone generators, or other air-cleaning devices;
    ``Inactive mode'' means a standby mode other than delay start 
mode or off-cycle mode that facilitates the activation of active 
mode by remote switch (including remote control) or internal sensor 
or provides continuous status display;
    ``Delay start mode'' means a standby mode in which activation of 
an active mode is facilitated by a timer;

[[Page 37603]]

    ``Off-cycle mode'' means a standby mode in which the room air 
conditioner: (1) Has cycled off its main function by thermostat or 
temperature sensor; (2) does not have its fan or blower operating; 
and (3) will reactivate the main function according to the 
thermostat or temperature sensor signal; and
    ``Off mode'' means a mode in which a room air conditioner is not 
performing any active or standby function. 73 FR 74639, 74645 (Dec. 
9, 2008).

    DOE received numerous comments from interested parties on the 
standby and off mode definitions. DOE did not receive any comments 
objecting to the proposed definitions of active mode for clothes dryers 
and room air conditioners. As discussed in the following paragraphs 
regarding standby mode definitions, DOE did receive comments stating 
that certain modes that it had proposed as standby modes should be 
considered as part of active mode. In addition, AHAM's comments 
reiterated the definition of active mode in general as provided by EISA 
2007 and stated that this definition is consistent with the energy mode 
definition in IEC Standard 62301. AHAM's comments also state, however, 
that when a product is not in off mode or standby mode, it is in active 
mode. (AHAM, TP No. 12 at p. 1) Such a definition is inconsistent with 
the EPCA, IEC Standard 62301 CD2, and IEC Standard 62301 CDV mode 
definitions, in which off mode is defined as providing no standby or 
active mode function. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A)(ii))
    As to the active mode, as discussed in section III.B.1, DOE is 
proposing in today's SNOPR to amend the DOE clothes dryer and room air 
conditioner test procedures to define active mode as a mode which 
``includes product modes where the energy using product is connected to 
a main power source, has been activated and provides one or more main 
functions.'' 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix D1, proposed section 
1.1 and appendix F, proposed section 1.1. The proposed definition of 
active mode is the same as the definition proposed for the December 
2008 TP NOPR. 73 FR 74639, 74644 (Dec. 9, 2008). DOE notes that IEC 
Standard 62301 CD2 provided additional clarification that ``delay start 
mode is a one off user initiated short duration function that is 
associated with an active mode.'' (IEC Standard 62301 CD2, section 3.8) 
IEC Standard 62301 CDV removed this clarification; however, in response 
to comments on IEC Standard 62301 CD2 that led to IEC Standard 62301 
CDV, IEC states that delay start mode is a one off function of limited 
duration.\17\ DOE infers this to mean that delay start mode would not 
be considered a standby mode, although no conclusion is made as to 
whether it would be considered part of active mode.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ ``Compilation of comments on 59/523/CD: IEC 62301 Ed 2.0: 
Household electrical appliances--Measurement of standby power.'' 
August 7, 2009. p. 6. IEC Standards are available online at http://www.iec.ch.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE is also proposing the additional clarifications discussed above 
for the range of main functions that would be classified as active mode 
functions, which were proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR. For 
clothes dryers, DOE is proposing that the main function consist of 
tumbling the clothing with or without heated or unheated forced air 
circulation to remove moisture from the clothing and/or remove or 
prevent wrinkling of the clothing. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix 
D1, proposed section 1.1. For room air conditioners, DOE is proposing 
that the main function consist of cooling or heating the conditioned 
space, or circulating air through activation of its fan or blower, with 
or without energizing active air-cleaning components or devices such as 
ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electrostatic filters, ozone generators, or 
other air-cleaning devices. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix F, 
proposed section 1.1. DOE believes this proposed definition of active 
mode provides sufficient specificity for room air conditioners.
    For clothes dryers, DOE additionally investigated whether certain 
operating cycles providing a steam function should be covered under 
active mode, and whether measurement of energy consumption for such 
cycles should be incorporated into the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure. Based on its research and discussions with manufacturers, 
DOE believes that the general purpose of steam in a clothes dryer cycle 
is to soften the clothing load to ease wrinkles, sanitize clothes, 
eliminate static electrical charge, and/or help remove odors. As part 
of its reverse engineering analyses conducted for the energy 
conservation standards rulemaking for residential clothes dryers, DOE 
observed that the steam may be generated by spraying a fine mist of 
water into the heated drum, allowing the hot clothing load to evaporate 
the water, or the steam may be produced in a generator outside the drum 
before injecting it in with the clothes load. Most steam-equipped 
clothes dryers require a hookup to the cold water line that would 
supply water to an adjacent clothes washer. On certain models, however, 
the clothes dryer contains a user-fillable water reservoir. Steam 
functions typically are programmed as unique operating cycles, although 
manufacturers may provide the option to add steam during a conventional 
drying cycle or to periodically tumble and inject steam over a certain 
amount of time at the end of a conventional drying cycle to prevent 
wrinkling.
    The current DOE test procedure does not contain any provisions that 
would account for the energy and water use of such steam cycles. Based 
on a preliminary market survey of products available on the market, 
DOE's estimates suggest that, at this time, steam cycles represent a 
very small fraction of overall product use on a nationwide basis. DOE 
is unaware of energy and water consumption or consumer usage data with 
respect to steam. For these reasons, DOE is not proposing amendments to 
include measurement of steam cycles for clothes dryers.
    DOE received multiple comments regarding the proposed definition 
and clarifications for standby modes. AHAM opposed the establishment of 
multiple low power or standby modes for both clothes dryers and room 
air conditioners. AHAM stated that ``delay start'' and ``cycle 
finished'' modes for clothes dryers and ``delay start'' and ``off-
cycle'' modes for room air conditioners should not be defined as 
standby modes, because in each case the product is not operating at its 
lowest power state. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at pp. 2-4) AHAM stated that the 
delay start function is associated with an active cycle, requires input 
by the consumer, and persists for a defined time. AHAM further stated 
that the cycle finished mode for clothes dryers and the off-cycle mode 
for room air conditioners are modes of limited duration that are 
associated with an active cycle, wherein the product is not operating 
at its lowest power state. According to AHAM, this condition is in 
conflict with the IEC Standard 62301 definition that standby mode ``* * 
* may persist for an indefinite time * * *'' (AHAM, TP No. 10 at pp. 2-
3) For these reasons, AHAM commented that delay start mode for both 
products, cycle finished mode for clothes dryers, and off-cycle mode 
for room air conditioners should be incorporated into active mode, or 
that a standard empirical value should be added to all active energy 
measurements to represent the energy use of these low-power modes. Id. 
AHAM also noted that, for room air conditioners, delay start mode and 
off-cycle mode are energy-saving features which, in an integrated 
energy-use metric combining the energy use of these modes with

[[Page 37604]]

energy use in active mode, result in lower-efficiency units that don't 
have such features appearing to be more efficient than units with these 
energy-saving features. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 4)
    GE adopted by reference AHAM's comments on the definitions of 
multiple standby modes. (GE, TP No. 11 at p. 1) Whirlpool also opposed 
defining multiple active and standby modes because doing so would add 
complexity to the test procedure without adding value to the 
measurements. Whirlpool agreed with AHAM and GE that delay start and 
cycle finished modes, which are user-initiated primary functions of the 
product, are part of active mode rather than separate standby modes. 
(Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 2) PG&E added that it is confusing to 
consider as an off-cycle mode the state in which the thermostat has 
cycled off the fan and compressor. PG&E stated that this state should 
be considered part of the active mode. (PG&E, Public Meeting 
Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 84-85)
    As discussed in section III.B.1, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR 
to amend the DOE test procedure for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners to define standby mode based on the definitions provided 
in IEC Standard 62301 CDV. DOE proposes to define standby mode as a 
mode which ``includes any product modes where the energy using product 
is connected to a main power source and offers one or more of the 
following user oriented or protective functions which may persist for 
an indefinite time: \18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ The actual language for the standby mode definition in IEC 
Standard 62301 CDV describes ``* * * user oriented or protective 
functions which usually persist'' rather than ``* * * user oriented 
or protective functions which may persist for an indefinite time.'' 
DOE notes, however, that section 5.1 of IEC Standard 62301 CDV 
states that ``a mode is considered persistent where the power level 
is constant or where there are several power levels that occur in a 
regular sequence for an indefinite period of time.'' DOE believes 
that the proposed language, which was originally included in IEC 
Standard 62301 CD2, encompasses the possible scenarios foreseen by 
section 5.1 of IEC Standard 62301 CDV without unnecessary 
specificity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     To facilitate the activation of other modes (including 
activation or deactivation of active mode) by remote switch (including 
remote control), internal sensor, timer;
     Continuous function: Information or status displays 
including clocks;
     Continuous function: Sensor-based functions.'' 10 CFR part 
430, subpart B, appendix D1, proposed section 1.19 and appendix F, 
proposed section 1.5.
    DOE is proposing an additional clarification that ``a timer is a 
continuous clock function (which may or may not be associated with a 
display) that provides regular scheduled tasks (e.g., switching) and 
that operates on a continuous basis.'' Id. This definition was 
developed based on the definitions provided in IEC Standard 62301 CDV, 
and expands upon the EPCA mode definitions to provide additional 
clarifications as to which functions are associated with each mode.
    Based on these proposed definitions, delay start mode and cycle-
finished mode for clothes dryers and delay start mode and off-cycle 
mode for room air conditioners are not modes that persist for an 
indefinite time, and would therefore not be considered as part of a 
standby mode. DOE's analysis of annual energy use in specific clothes 
dryer and room air conditioner modes--presented in the December 2008 TP 
NOPR--determined that delay start mode and cycle-finished mode for 
clothes dryers, and delay start mode and off-cycle mode for room air 
conditioners, each represent a negligible portion (0.1 percent or less) 
of the annual energy use for the particular product. 73 FR 74639, 
74647, 74649 (Dec. 9, 2008). Therefore, an integrated energy efficiency 
metric for either clothes dryers or room air conditioners would not be 
measurably affected by either the inclusion or exclusion of the energy 
use in any of these modes. Further, DOE believes that the benefit of 
incorporating the energy use of these modes into the overall energy 
efficiency (i.e., providing greater specificity in the evaluation of 
methods for reducing energy consumption and the potential for energy 
savings for the energy conservation standards rulemaking) is outweighed 
by the burden that would be placed on the manufacturers to measure 
power consumption in each of these modes. For these reasons, DOE is not 
proposing amendments to the test procedures to define delay start, 
cycle finished, and off-cycle modes or to measure power consumption in 
delay start mode for either product, cycle finished mode for clothes 
dryers, and off-cycle mode for room air conditioners in today's SNOPR. 
DOE is only including in the proposed clothes dryer and room air 
conditioner test procedures amendments in this SNOPR provisions for 
measuring energy consumption in the inactive mode and off mode.
    AHAM commented that the term ``inactive mode'' should be changed to 
``standby mode'' for simplicity and to remain consistent in the use of 
this term. In addition, AHAM stated that DOE should define standby mode 
as ``the lowest power consumption mode which cannot be switched off or 
influenced by the user'' (i.e., not performing any function, but ready 
to perform a function) to be consistent with IEC Standard 62301. (AHAM, 
TP No. 10 at pp. 2-3) The comments which AHAM subsequently submitted to 
DOE clarified AHAM's suggested definition by stating that standby mode 
should be defined as ``the lowest-power consumption mode when the 
appliance is connected to the main electricity supply and is used in 
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Standby mode power 
usage is the power (wattage) consumed by an appliance at the factory 
setting. Standby Mode may persist for an indefinite period of time.'' 
(AHAM, TP No. 12 at p. 2) AHAM stated that appliances to which its 
comments apply should be shipped in this mode. If the factory or 
``default'' settings are indicated in manufacturer's instructions, AHAM 
stated that the appliance should be tested at those settings; 
otherwise, the appliance should be tested as shipped. Id. AHAM 
commented that any other feature accessible by the consumer should be 
considered as active mode, and, therefore, the definitions for off, 
standby and active modes should cover all clothes dryer and room air 
conditioner features. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at pp. 3-4)
    Although at this time DOE is proposing to amend the test procedures 
for room air conditioners and clothes dryers to include only provisions 
for measuring energy use in inactive mode and that delay start, cycle 
finished, and off-cycle modes would not be considered part of standby 
mode, DOE remains open to consideration of additional standby modes. 
Therefore, DOE is not renaming ``inactive mode'' to ``standby mode'' in 
today's SNOPR. However, DOE agrees that, in measuring the single 
significant standby mode (inactive mode), power consumption would be 
measured in the lowest possible energy state, as discussed in section 
III.B.3.
    In response to AHAM's comments, DOE believes that provisions for 
setting up the appliance for standby mode and off mode testing should 
be specified in the test procedure. However, DOE believes that setting 
up the appliance in accordance with manufacturer's instructions or in 
the as-shipped factory or ``default'' settings, as commented by AHAM, 
would allow manufacturers to ship appliances set in a low power mode 
that consumers may switch out of during typical standby or off mode 
use. In order to provide a clear and consistent testing method, DOE is 
proposing that the appliance be set up with the settings that produce 
the highest power consumption level, consistent with the particular 
mode

[[Page 37605]]

definition under test, for standby and off mode testing. 10 CFR part 
430, subpart B, appendix D1, proposed section 3.6 and appendix F, 
proposed section 4.2.
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE requested comment on additional 
standby modes under the EPCA definition which had not been identified 
and which could represent significant energy use. 73 FR 74639, 74654 
(Dec. 9, 2008) AHAM commented that, although there is the potential for 
networking in the future relating to functions such as peak load 
sharing, this feature would be considered part of active mode. 
According to AHAM, this mode might be selected by the consumer, thereby 
taking the product out of the default lowest power mode. (AHAM, TP No. 
10 at p. 3) PG&E commented that it agrees with AHAM that network mode 
should be considered. PG&E added that if network mode is on all the 
time, then this mode should be considered a standby function, whereas 
if this mode is consumer-activated and on for limited periods of time, 
it should be considered part of active mode. (PG&E, Public Meeting 
Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 79, 86) GE raised concerns that some 
utilities require that a network function remain on continuously in 
order for consumers to get the peak-power rebates, implying that 
manufacturers may not have control over the way this part of the 
control works. (GE, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 87) PG&E 
responded by commenting that network modes might be designed for low 
power and intermittent activation. (PG&E, Public Meeting Transcript, TP 
No. 8 at pp. 87-88)
    Section 3.7 of IEC Standard 62301 CDV defines network mode as a 
mode category which ``includes any product modes where the energy-using 
product is connected to a main power source and at least one network 
function is activated (such as reactivation via network command or 
network integrity communication) but where the primary function is not 
active.'' Section 3.7 of IEC Standard 62301 CDV also provides a note 
stating, ``Where a network function is provided but is not active and/
or not connected to a network, then this mode is not applicable. A 
network function could become active intermittently according to a 
fixed schedule or in response to a network requirement. A `network' in 
this context includes communication between two or more separate 
independently powered devices or pieces of equipment. A network does 
not include one or more controls, which are dedicated to a single piece 
of equipment. Network mode may include one or more standby functions.'' 
However, DOE is unaware of any clothes dryers or room air conditioners 
currently available on the market that incorporate a networking 
function. Further, DOE is unaware of any data regarding network mode in 
these products, which would allow it to determine appropriate testing 
procedures and mode definitions for incorporation into the test 
procedures for clothes dryers and room air conditioners. In particular, 
DOE is unaware of data and methods for the appropriate configuration of 
networks, whether network connection speed or the number and type of 
network connections affects power consumption, or whether wireless 
network devices may have different power consumptions when the device 
is looking for a connection and when the network connection is actually 
established. DOE is also unaware of how the energy consumption for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners in a network environment may 
be affected by their product design and user interaction as well as 
network interaction, such as whether the network function could become 
active intermittently according to a fixed schedule or in response to a 
network requirement. For these reasons, the proposed amendments in 
today's SNOPR do not include network mode. However, DOE welcomes 
comment on whether clothes dryers and room air conditioners are 
available that incorporate a networking function, and whether 
definitions and testing procedures for a network mode should be 
incorporated into the DOE test procedure. DOE also requests comment on 
appropriate methodologies for measuring energy consumption in a network 
mode, and data on the results and repeatability of such testing 
methodology.
    GE commented that standby mode should not apply to room air 
conditioners because they are considered continuously running products 
which operate in active mode 100 percent of the time that they are 
plugged into the main electricity supply and not in off mode. (GE, TP 
No. 11 at p. 2) DOE determined that room air conditioners with remote 
controls operate in a mode which facilitates the activation of other 
modes (including activation or deactivation of active mode) by remote 
switch (including remote control). This mode is covered by both the 
proposed definition in today's SNOPR and the EPCA definition for 
standby mode, and, hence, DOE believes that standby mode would apply to 
room air conditioners under the proposed definition.
    DOE also requested comment on the definition and clarifications of 
off mode that were proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR. AHAM stated 
it supports DOE's definition of off mode, but believes this definition 
must be clarified. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at pp. 2-4) AHAM provided 
clarifications in its comments, which state the following:

    ``Off Mode describes the status of an appliance when it is 
connected to the main electricity supply and is providing no 
consumer-interactive function. Off Mode may persist for an 
indefinite period of time. Providing the product with an on/off 
switch satisfies this condition.
    Off Mode may include:
    1. LED or some other indication of off mode condition;
    2. Electric noise reduction capacitor, choke or filter;
    3. The state where a one-way remote control device has turned 
the product off, but cannot be used to activate the product.
    4. Leakage current will occur in some appliances, and may 
include current flow in 208/230 volt appliances where only one leg 
of the line is isolated by the switch.
    5. May include electrical energy flow to a transformer of some 
electronics units.''

(AHAM, TP No. 12 at p. 2)
    As discussed in section III.B.1, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR 
to amend the DOE test procedure for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners to define off mode based upon the definition in IEC 
Standard 62301 CDV. DOE proposes to define off mode as a mode category 
which ``includes any product modes where the energy using product is 
connected to a mains power source and is not providing any standby mode 
or active mode function and where the mode may persist for an 
indefinite time.\19\ An indicator that only shows the user that the 
product is in the off position is included within the clasification of 
off mode.'' As noted in section III.B.1, this defintion was developed 
based on the definitions provided in IEC Standard 62301 CDV, and 
expands upon the EPCA mode definitions to provide additional 
clarifications as to which functions are associated with each mode.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ As with the definition for standby mode, IEC Standard 62301 
CDV qualifies off mode as one that ``* * * usually persists'' rather 
than one that ``* * * may persist for an indefinite time.'' For the 
same reasons as discussed for standby mode, DOE is proposing the 
latter definition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In response to AHAM's comments regarding off mode, under the 
proposed mode definitions, a clothes dryer or room air conditioner 
equipped with a mechanical on/off switch which can disconnect power to 
the display and/or control components would be

[[Page 37606]]

considered as operating in the off mode when the switch is in the 
``off'' position, provided that no other standby or active mode 
functions are energized. DOE agrees with AHAM that an energized LED or 
other indication that only shows the user that the product is in the 
off position would be considered part of off mode under the proposed 
definition, again if no other standby or active mode functions were 
energized. However, if any energy is consumed by the appliance in the 
presence of a one-way remote control, the unit would be operating in 
standby mode pursuant to EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(A)(iii)), which 
includes a remote control which facilitates the activation or 
deactivation of other functions (including active mode) as a feature of 
standby mode. DOE agrees that the other three conditions, which AHAM 
outlines in its comments, would be indicative of off mode. Because DOE 
believes that a one-way remote control would be a function associated 
with standby mode, and not off mode as stated by AHAM, DOE is not 
proposing to adopt AHAM's definition for off mode.
    DOE also notes that section 3.9 of IEC Standard 62301 CDV provides 
a definition of ``disconnected mode,'' which is ``the status in which 
all connections to mains power sources of the energy using product are 
removed or interrupted.'' IEC Standard 62301 CDV also adds a note that 
common terms such as ``unplugged'' or ``cut off from mains'' also 
describe this mode and that this mode is not part of the low power mode 
category. DOE believes that there would be no energy use in a 
``disconnected mode,'' and therefore, is not proposing a definition or 
testing methods for such a mode in the DOE test procedure for clothes 
dryers or room air conditioners.
3. Adding Specifications for the Test Methods and Measurements for 
Clothes Dryer and Room Air Conditioner Standby Mode and Off Mode 
Testing
    DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to establish test 
procedures for measuring all standby and off modes associated with 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners. 73 FR 74639, 74645 (Dec. 9, 
2008). As discussed in section III.B.2, the mode identified as inactive 
mode in the December 2008 TP NOPR is believed to be the only 
significant standby mode for clothes dryers and room air conditioners 
at this time. This section discusses product-specific clarifications of 
the procedures of IEC Standard 62301 when used to measure standby and 
off mode energy use for clothes dryers and room air conditioners.
a. Clothes Dryers
    DOE understands that displays on clothes dryers may reduce power 
consumption by automatically dimming or powering down after a certain 
period of user inactivity. For those clothes dryers for which the power 
input in inactive mode varies in this fashion during testing, DOE 
proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR that that the test be conducted 
after the power level has dropped to its lower power state. 73 FR 
74639, 74645 (Dec. 9, 2008).
    PG&E commented that, while IEC Standard 62301 notes that some 
appliances wait in a higher-power state before dropping back to a 
lower-power state, the standard does not provide guidance on how long 
to wait for the appliance to drop to the lower-power state. (PG&E, 
Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 25-27) AHAM stated that 
section 5 of IEC Standard 62301 specifies a stabilization time of 30 
minutes. (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 28-29) AHAM 
subsequently clarified in written comments that IEC Standard 62301 
calls for a stabilization period of at least 30 minutes and a 
measurement period of at least 10 minutes, and that DOE's test 
procedure should be consistent with that of IEC Standard 62301 to 
reduce test burden. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 4) Whirlpool commented that 
most test procedures involving electronics incorporate a 30-minute 
stabilization period and a 10-minute measurement period. Whirlpool 
believes that these requirements would be reasonable for DOE's test 
procedures. (Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 3) PG&E supported the 
specification of a 30-minute stabilization period. (PG&E, Public 
Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 50)
    As part of the residential clothes dryer energy conservation 
standards rulemaking preliminary analyses, DOE conducted standby mode 
and off mode testing on 11 representative residential clothes dryers. 
Table 0.1 shows the measured duration of the higher-power state for 
clothes dryers in DOE's test sample. DOE observed during this testing 
that the higher-power state in inactive mode may persist for 
approximately 5-10 minutes of user inactivity after the user interface 
display has been energized for all products tested.

                  Table 0.1--Clothes Dryer Standby Mode Testing: Duration of Higher-Power State
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Duration of
                                                                                                       higher-
           Product class               Test unit        Control type        Automatic power-down?    power state
                                                                                                        (min)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vented Electric, Standard.........               1  Electromechanical...  N........................  ...........
                                                 2  Electromechanical...  N........................  ...........
                                                 3  Electronic..........  Y........................            5
                                                 4  Electromechanical...  N........................  ...........
                                                 5  Electromechanical...  N........................  ...........
Vented Electric, Compact (120 V)..               6  Electromechanical...  N........................  ...........
Vented Gas........................               7  Electromechanical...  N........................  ...........
                                                 8  Electronic..........  Y........................            5
                                                 9  Electronic..........  Y........................            5
                                                10  Electronic..........  Y........................            7
                                                11  Electronic..........  Y........................            7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Paragraph 5.3.1 of section 5.3 of IEC Standard 62301 specifies, for 
products in which the power varies by not more than 5 percent from a 
maximum level during a period of 5 minutes, that the user waits at 
least 5 minutes for the product to stabilize and then measures the 
power at the end of an additional time period of not less than 5 
minutes. Paragraph 5.3.2 of IEC Standard 62301 contains provisions for 
measuring average power in cases where the power is not stable. In such 
cases, it requires a measurement period of no less than 5 minutes, or 
one or more complete

[[Page 37607]]

operating cycles of several minutes or hours. IEC Standard 62301 
contains no requirement that the stabilization period extends to 30 
minutes, nor that the measurement is made over a period of at least 10 
minutes. However, based on its testing results shown in Table 0.1, DOE 
also notes that some clothes dryers may remain in the higher-power 
state for the duration of a 5-minute stabilization period and 5-minute 
measurement period, and then drop to the lower-power state that is more 
representative of inactive mode. In contrast, IEC Standard 62301 CDV 
specifies for each testing method that the product be allowed to 
stabilize for at least 30 minutes prior to a measurement period of not 
less than 10 minutes. DOE believes this clarification would allow 
sufficient time for displays that automatically dim or power down after 
a period of user inactivity to reach the lower-power state prior to 
measurement. Based on the automatic power-down time periods observed in 
its own testing, DOE believes that the 30-minute stabilization and 10-
minute measurement periods suggested by commenters provide a clearer 
and more consistent testing procedure than the corresponding times 
specified in IEC Standard 62301. This allows for representative 
measurements among products that may have varying times before the 
power drops to a low level.
    DOE also notes that allowing a test period of ``not less than'' or 
``at least'' a specified amount of time, as provided in both IEC 
Standard 62301 and IEC Standard 62301 CDV, may result in different test 
technicians testing the same product for different periods of time. In 
order to ensure that the testing procedures for standby and off mode 
are clear and consistent, such that different test technicians are 
testing the product using the same procedures, DOE is proposing to 
require that the stabilization period be 30 to 40 minutes, and the test 
period be 10 minutes. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix D1, proposed 
section 3.6.
    The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) stated 
that the test procedure could be ``gamed'' by products for which the 
default setting would be for the display to power down after 5 minutes, 
but which would easily allow consumers to increase the duration of the 
higher-power state, or switch the product to permanently maintain the 
higher-power state. ACEEE commented that DOE should include additional 
guidance to level the playing field for all manufacturers. (ACEEE, 
Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 27-28) AHAM's comments for 
all covered products suggest that these products may have provision for 
the consumer to add or delete product functions that alter the as-
shipped standby energy consumption, and that the power consumption in 
these user-selected states may exceed the power consumption in the 
lowest power consumption mode. AHAM stated that the consumer must be 
informed as to how to make the selections that would override the 
lowest power consumption mode. (AHAM, TP No. 12 at p. 2)
    DOE's test procedures are developed to measure representative 
energy use for the typical consumer. DOE does not have data 
representing all possible consumer actions and appliance usage patterns 
that might increase energy use. As discussed above in section III.B.2, 
DOE is proposing that the appliance be set up with the settings that 
produce the highest power consumption level, consistent with the 
particular mode definition under test, for standby and off mode 
testing. DOE believes that this would prevent any ``gaming'' of default 
or as-shipped settings. For this reason, DOE has not proposed 
additional provisions in today's SNOPR to address the possibility of 
adjusting the as-shipped or default display settings or other features 
for higher energy use. However, DOE welcomes comment on methodologies 
to account for such consumer actions that might increase energy use and 
data on the corresponding consumer usage patterns.
    DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to adopt the test room 
ambient temperature of 73.4  9 [deg]F specified by IEC 
Standard 62301 for standby mode and off mode testing. 73 FR 74639, 
74645-46 (Dec. 9, 2008). This test room ambient temperature is slightly 
different from the ambient temperature currently specified for DOE's 
drying performance tests of clothes dryers (75  3 [deg]F). 
However, the proposed test room ambient temperature conditions would 
permit manufacturers who opt to test active, standby, and off modes 
sequentially in the same test room to use the current ambient 
temperature requirements for drying tests, since the latter 
temperatures are within the limits specified by IEC Standard 62301. 
Alternatively, the proposed temperature specifications would allow a 
manufacturer that opts to conduct standby mode and off mode testing 
separately from drying tests more flexibility in ambient temperature. 
AHAM and Whirlpool supported DOE's test room ambient temperature 
specifications for standby mode and off mode testing of clothes dryers. 
(AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 5; Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 3) In the absence 
of comments objecting to the ambient temperature specifications, this 
SNOPR does not affect DOE's proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR to 
use the test room ambient temperature specified by IEC Standard 62301 
for clothes dryer standby mode and off mode testing.
b. Room Air Conditioners
    A room air conditioner with a temperature display may use varying 
amounts of standby power depending on the digit(s) being displayed. DOE 
proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to require that test room 
temperature be maintained at 74  2 [deg]F, and that the 
temperature control setting is 79 [deg]F. 73 FR 74639, 74646 (Dec. 9, 
2008). These conditions differ from the cooling performance testing 
conditions in the DOE room air conditioner test procedure. The cooling 
performance test conditions are specified as 80 [deg]F on the indoor 
side of the test chamber and 95 [deg]F on the outdoor side. In 
addition, the cooling performance test conditions do not specify a 
temperature control setting. DOE proposed the different test room 
conditions in the December 2008 TP NOPR because such conditions would 
assure a consistent display configuration, and thus a representative 
power consumption, for all room air conditioners under test, 
particularly during off-cycle operation that was defined in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR as a standby mode. 73 FR 74639, 74646 (Dec. 9, 
2008).
    GE commented that the smaller tolerances specified by IEC Standard 
62301, for ambient conditions that differ from the conditions for 
cooling performance testing, represent a testing burden. GE believes 
that the proposed conditions would be relevant only for off-cycle mode. 
(GE, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 99-100) ACEEE commented 
that there would be no objection among interested parties to relax 
tolerance of the temperatures, if such close specification were not 
required. (ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 101) AHAM 
commented that the proposed test room temperature is unrealistic and 
burdensome. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 5) AHAM also stated that if off-
cycle mode is considered part of active mode, then standby mode testing 
could be carried out in the same test chamber that is used for cooling 
performance testing because standby mode (other than off-cycle) is not 
affected by ambient temperature. (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP 
No. 8 at pp. 103-104)
    As part of the room air conditioner energy conservation standards 
rulemaking preliminary analyses, DOE conducted standby mode and off 
mode testing on representative room air

[[Page 37608]]

conditioners. During its preliminary tests, DOE determined that room 
air conditioner displays among the units it tested do not provide any 
user information in inactive mode. In addition, DOE determined that the 
displays among the units it tested provide indication of time delay or 
time until start rather than temperature when the air conditioners are 
in delay start mode. These observations are supported by GE's comment, 
discussed above, that the proposed test chamber ambient conditions 
would be relevant only for off-cycle mode. (GE, Public Meeting 
Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 99-100) DOE concurs with GE's position that 
if the test procedure were limited to measurement of a single standby 
mode and an off mode as discussed in section III.B.2, the proposed 
close tolerance on ambient temperature would not be required. DOE is, 
therefore, proposing in today's SNOPR to provide flexibility in the 
room air conditioner test procedure amendments by allowing standby mode 
and off mode testing either in a test chamber used for measurement of 
cooling performance or in a separate test room that meets the specified 
standby mode and off mode test conditions. The proposed amendments to 
the room air conditioner test procedure in today's SNOPR specify 
maintaining the indoor test conditions, if tested in a cooling 
performance test chamber, or room ambient test conditions, if tested in 
a separate test room, at the temperature required by section 4.2 of IEC 
Standard 62301. Further, if the unit is tested in the cooling 
performance test chamber, the proposed amendments allow the 
manufacturer to maintain the outdoor test conditions either as 
specified for the DOE cooling test procedure or according to section 
4.2 of IEC Standard 62301 for standby and off mode testing. DOE also 
notes that the indoor temperature conditions required by the DOE 
cooling performance test procedure fall within the temperature range 
allowed by section 4.2 of IEC Standard 62301.
    DOE proposed a test procedure for the delay start mode in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR that required a 5-minute stabilization period 
followed by a 60-minute measurement period. 73 FR 74639, 74646 (Dec. 9, 
2008) Because the proposed amendments to the test procedure in today's 
SNOPR are limited to the measurement of a single standby mode and an 
off mode as discussed in section III.B.2, DOE is not proposing any 
provisions in the room air conditioner test procedure for measuring 
delay start mode.
    Similar to clothes dryers, DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP 
NOPR (73 FR 74639, 74646 (Dec. 9, 2008)) that standby and off modes for 
room air conditioners, other than delay start mode, be tested with a 
stabilization period no less than 5 minutes and a measurement period no 
less than 5 minutes for units with stable power, consistent with 
paragraph 5.3.1 of section 5.3 of IEC Standard 62301. In cases where 
the power was unstable, the provisions of paragraph 5.3.2 would apply, 
in which the measurement period would be no less than 5 minutes or one 
or more complete operating cycles. AHAM commented that IEC Standard 
62301 requires a stabilization period at least 30 minutes long and a 
measurement period at least 10 minutes long and that DOE's test 
procedure should be consistent with that of IEC Standard 62301 to 
reduce test burden. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 4) DOE does not have any 
information or data that would suggest that a 30-minute stabilization 
period followed by a 10-minute measurement period would produce more 
representative or consistent standby and off mode power measurements 
than the times proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR.
    However, DOE also notes that allowing a test period of ``not less 
than'' or ``at least'' a specified amount of time, as provided in IEC 
Standard 62301, may result in different test technicians testing the 
same product for different periods of time. In order to ensure that the 
testing procedures for standby and off mode are clear and consistent, 
such that different test technicians are testing the product using the 
same exact procedures, DOE is proposing to require that the 
stabilization period be 5 to 10 minutes, and the test period be 5 
minutes. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix F, proposed section 4.2.
4. Calculation of Energy Use Associated With Standby Modes and Off Mode
    Measurements of power consumption associated with each standby and 
off mode for clothes dryers and room air conditioners are expressed in 
W. The annual energy consumption in each of these modes for a clothes 
dryer or room air conditioner is the product of the power consumption 
in W and the time spent in that particular mode.
a. Clothes Dryers
    Energy use for clothes dryers is expressed in terms of total energy 
use per drying cycle. As discussed in section III.D.3, DOE has 
determined that it is technically feasible to incorporate measures of 
standby and off mode energy use into the overall energy-use metric, a 
determination that is required by the EISA 2007 amendments to EPCA. (42 
U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) Therefore, DOE has examined standby and off mode 
energy consumption in terms of annual energy use apportioned on a per-
cycle basis. Energy used during a drying cycle (active mode) is 
directly measured in the DOE test procedure, although adjustments are 
made to the directly measured energy to account for differences between 
test and field conditions. The energy use associated with continuously 
burning pilot lights of gas dryers is measured and is converted to an 
energy use per cycle by dividing calculated annual gas energy use by 
the representative average number of drying cycles per year (i.e., 
416). 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix D, section 4.4. DOE proposes 
that this procedure for gas standing pilot lights provides an approach 
for calculating standby mode and off mode power consumption on a per-
cycle energy-use basis.
    Whirlpool commented that standing (i.e., continuously burning) 
pilot lights are not allowed in gas dryers and that it was unclear why 
DOE was referring to them in this context. (Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 
2) The Federal standards prohibiting such pilot lights were established 
by the NAECA amendments to EPCA for gas clothes dryers manufactured 
after January 1, 1988. (42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(3)) However, the subsequent 
energy conservation standards rulemaking for clothes dryers amended 
those standards to require performance standards for all product 
classes of clothes dryers, including gas clothes dryers, based on EF, 
for clothes dryers manufactured on or after May 14, 1994. The amended 
energy conservation standards replaced the previous standards, and thus 
eliminated the prohibition of standing pilot lights. (56 FR 22250 (May 
14, 1991)); 10 CFR 430.32(h)(1)). Although DOE is unaware of any 
current models of gas clothes dryers incorporating standing pilot 
lights, the methodology for measuring the energy consumption of such a 
feature is included in the current DOE clothes dryer test procedure 
because standing pilot lights are not precluded by the standards. For 
this reason, DOE continues to consider the methodology for 
incorporating standing pilot light annual energy use in the EF metric 
for gas dryers a viable approach for incorporating the annual energy 
use of modes other than active mode into the per-cycle energy-use 
metric.
    In the existing test procedure, energy use per cycle for 
continuously burning pilot lights is calculated by multiplying the 
energy use measured for a period of one hour by an established number 
of hours per year that the dryer is not in drying mode, and dividing by 
the

[[Page 37609]]

representative average cycles per year. The existing test procedure 
established that a gas clothes dryer is in the drying mode 140 hours 
per year, and that the balance of the year (8,620 hours) is the 
established number of hours associated with the pilot light energy 
consumption.
    DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to adopt a similar 
approach for measuring energy consumption during standby and off modes 
for clothes dryers. Specifically, DOE proposed to adopt the current 140 
hours associated with drying (i.e., the active mode) and to associate 
the remaining 8,620 hours of the year with the standby and off modes. 
Table 0.2 presents the comparison of the approximate wattages and 
annual energy use associated with all modes that DOE proposed in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR. 73 FR 74639, 74647-48 (Dec. 9, 2008).

                       Table 0.2--DOE Estimate of Annual Energy Use of Clothes Dryer Modes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Mode                      Hours             Typical Power  (W)          Annual Energy Use  (kWh)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active..........................               140  6,907........................  967.
Delay Start.....................              * 34  3............................  0.1.
Cycle Finished..................            ** 429  3............................  1.
Off and Inactive................    [dagger] 8,157  0.5 to 3.....................  4 to 24.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 5 minutes per cycle x 416 cycles per year
** 5 percent of remaining time (0.05 x (8,760 - 140 - 34) = 429)
[dagger] 95 percent of remaining time (0.95 x (8,760 - 140 - 34) = 8,157)

    GE and AHAM commented that the 0.5 to 3 W range provided for 
standby modes is typical for displays on appliances. (GE, Public 
Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 113; AHAM, Public Meeting 
Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 113-114.)
    At the December 17 Public Meeting, AHAM expressed general support 
of the DOE estimates of energy use. (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, 
TP No. 8 at p. 122.) Whirlpool commented that work carried out among 
AHAM members has included the development of a representative 
allocation of hours to the applicable clothes dryer operating modes. 
(Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 3.) The data Whirlpool provided for this 
allocation are reproduced as Table 0.3 below.

                 Table 0.3--Whirlpool-Supplied Estimate of Annual Hours for Clothes Dryer Modes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Whirlpool/AHAM
             DOE proposal                     definition                         Whirlpool hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active...............................  Active.................  140 (20 minutes per cycle).
Inactive.............................  Standby................  Assume equal to Delay Start.
Cycle Finished.......................  Active.................  416 (1 hour/cycle).
Delay Start..........................  Active.................  69 (10 minutes/cycle).
Off..................................  Off....................  Balance [8,066].
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Whirlpool data confirm DOE's selection of 140 hours for active 
drying mode. The key difference between the hours proposed by DOE and 
Whirlpool is that Whirlpool allocates only 10 minutes per cycle to 
inactive mode (69 hours annually), resulting in 8,066 hours allocated 
to off mode. DOE believes that the proposed definition of off mode as 
applied to clothes dryers refers to dryers with mechanical rather than 
electronic controls or to dryers with electronic controls that have a 
mechanical switch with which the user can de-energize the electronic 
controls. Reactivation of the dryer with a pushbutton sensor, touch 
sensor, or other similar device that consumes power is considered to be 
a standby mode feature under the proposed definition, in which one 
possible standby mode ``facilitate[s] the activation of other modes 
(including activation or deactivation of active mode) by remote switch 
(including remote control), internal sensor, timer.'' 10 CFR part 430, 
subpart B, appendix D1, proposed section 1.19 and appendix F, proposed 
section 1.5. Based on DOE's tests, it concluded that there are few 
clothes dryers with electronic controls that have this additional 
mechanical switch. Therefore, the combined inactive/off hours would 
most likely be allocated fully either to inactive or off mode, 
depending on the type of controls present on the clothes dryer. DOE 
does not have market share information to determine how many clothes 
dryers are currently shipped with electromechanical controls, but DOE 
believes that the relative proportion of inactive and off mode annual 
hours as contained in Whirlpool's data submission may not be wholly 
representative of the relative shipments of clothes dryers with 
electronic and electromechanical controls because it implies that 
virtually all clothes dryers would be equipped with electromechanical 
controls, and DOE's review of clothes dryer models currently available 
does not support such a conclusion. For this reason, DOE believes that, 
under the proposed definitions of standby and off modes, the allocation 
of annual hours to inactive and off modes are appropriate and this 
SNOPR does not affect DOE's proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR for 
this allocation of hours.
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE proposed an alternative 
simplified methodology for allocating annual hours. 73 FR 74639, 74648 
(Dec. 9, 2008). The comparison of annual energy use of different 
clothes dryer modes shows that delay start and cycle finished modes 
represent a negligible percentage of total annual energy consumption. 
In addition, for clothes dryers currently on the market, power levels 
in these modes are similar to those for off/inactive modes. Therefore, 
DOE proposed that all of the non-active hours (which total 8,620) would 
be allocated to the inactive and off modes. 73 FR 74639, 74648 (Dec. 9, 
2008). AHAM commented that it supports the alternative approach, but 
that the delay start and cycle finished mode hours more appropriately 
would be combined with the active mode hours than with the inactive and 
off mode hours.

[[Page 37610]]

(AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 123; AHAM, TP No. 10 
at p. 6.) As discussed in section III.B.2, DOE has determined that 
delay start and cycle finished modes are not standby modes according to 
the definitions proposed in today's SNOPR. Therefore, DOE is not 
proposing to combine delay start and cycle finished mode hours with 
active mode hours as commented by AHAM. However, because the power 
consumption of clothes dryers operating in such modes approximates the 
power levels in off/inactive modes, it would be more appropriate under 
a simplified approach to allocate the hours associated with delay start 
and cycle finished modes to off/inactive modes. Therefore, in today's 
SNOPR, because DOE is not proposing amendments to the clothes dryer 
test procedure to measure delay start and cycle finished power 
consumption, DOE is proposing to maintain the estimate of 8,620 hours 
as the non-active hours that would be allocated to inactive and off 
modes for clothes dryers.
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE proposed to allocate the number 
of hours for the combined off and inactive modes entirely to either off 
mode or standby mode, as appropriate, if only one of these modes is 
possible for the clothes dryer. DOE noted in the October 2008 TP NOPR 
that information to guide allocation of the hours for clothes dryers 
that have both inactive and off modes is currently unavailable. Two 
operational scenarios exist: (1) A clothes dryer reverts to an off mode 
after a specified time in inactive mode; or (2) a clothes dryer stays 
in inactive mode unless the user switches the appliance back to off 
mode. DOE does not have information regarding the percentage of clothes 
dryers being sold that fall into each of these categories. Because of 
this limitation, DOE proposed in the October 2008 TP NOPR to allocate 
half of the hours determined for off/inactive modes to each of the two 
modes. 73 FR 74639, 74648 (Dec. 9, 2008). Because of DOE's 
interpretation of the inactive and off mode data supplied by Whirlpool 
as not being representative of typical inactive and off mode hours 
under the EPCA mode definitions, and in the absence of additional data 
regarding allocation of hours, this SNOPR does not affect DOE's 
proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR for the allocation of hours 
between inactive mode and off mode.
    DOE recognizes that the analysis of the number of annual hours 
allocated to each clothes dryer mode are based, in part, on the number 
of annual use cycles. Although, as discussed in section III.C.5.a, DOE 
believes that the average number of annual cycles is currently 283 
rather than the 416 cycles specified in the current DOE clothes dryer 
test procedure, DOE does not have any information on whether active 
mode cycle times may have changed accordingly. It is possible that the 
smaller number of use cycles may correspond to larger load sizes and 
thus, potentially, longer drying times. Therefore, in consideration of 
Whirlpool's data submittal which supported DOE's estimate of 140 hours 
in active mode, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR the same allocation 
of hours for inactive mode and off mode that were proposed in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR even though it is proposing fewer annual use 
cycles.
    In summary, DOE is proposing to amend the clothes dryer test 
procedure to calculate clothes dryer energy use per cycle associated 
with inactive and off modes by: (1) Calculating the product of wattage 
and allocated hours for inactive and off modes, depending on which of 
these modes are possible; (2) summing the results; (3) dividing the sum 
by 1,000 to convert from Wh to kWh; and (4) dividing by 283 cycles per 
year. The 8,620 hours for off/inactive modes would be allocated 
entirely to either off mode or inactive mode, as appropriate, if only 
one of these modes is possible for the clothes dryer. If both modes 
were possible, the hours would be allocated to each mode equally as 
discussed above in this section, and each would be allocated 4,310 
hours.
b. Room Air Conditioners
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE stated it was not aware of 
reliable data for hours spent in different standby and off modes in 
room air conditioners. Therefore, DOE estimated the annual hours for 
standby and off modes and the relative magnitude of annual energy use 
in standby and off modes in an example for a representative 8,000 Btu/
hour (Btu/h), 9 EER unit that has delay start, off-cycle, and inactive 
modes. 73 FR 7439, 74648-49 (Dec. 9, 2008). DOE's estimates of annual 
energy use in each mode are shown in Table 0.4.

 Table 0.4--DOE Estimate of Annual Energy Use of Room Air Conditioner Modes for a Representative Unit With 8,000
                                            Btu/h Capacity and 9 EER
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                            Annual Energy Use
                    Mode                            Hours          Typical Power  (W)             (kWh)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active Cooling..............................               750                      889                      667
Delay Start.................................                90                        2                      0.2
Off-Cycle...................................               440                        2                      0.9
Off and Standby.............................             4,850                 0.5 to 2                2.5 to 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE presented an alternative 
simplified methodology. Similar to the analysis for clothes dryers, the 
comparison of annual energy use of different room air conditioner modes 
shows that delay start and off-cycle modes represent a small percentage 
of annual energy use in the active mode, and that the power consumption 
in those standby modes are distinct from but comparable to those for 
off/inactive modes. Thus, DOE proposed adopting an alternative approach 
focusing only on off and inactive modes. In that case, the non-active 
hours are allocated as if the room air conditioner has only the 
inactive standby mode. A total of 5,115 hours would be allocated to the 
standby and off modes (8,760 x 0.75 - 750 -705 = 5,115).\20\ 73 FR 
74639, 74649 (Dec. 9, 2008). AHAM and GE support this alternative 
proposal, with the clarification that the off-cycle and delay start 
hours should be considered part of the active mode hours rather than 
part of the standby or off mode hours. (AHAM, Public Meeting 
Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 130; AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 6; GE, Public 
Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 131.) In today's SNOPR, because DOE 
is not proposing amendments to the room air conditioner test procedure 
to measure delay start and off-cycle power consumption, DOE is 
proposing the estimate of 5,115 hours as the non-active hours that 
would be allocated to inactive and off modes for

[[Page 37611]]

room air conditioners. For the same reasons as discussed for delay 
start and cycle finished modes for clothes dryers, DOE believes that 
the delay start and off-cycle hours for room air conditioners should be 
allocated to inactive and off modes even though it has determined that 
delay start and off-cycle modes are not standby modes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ Multiplying by 0.75 eliminates hours associated with 
unplugged hours, assumed for half of the hours of the year for half 
of room air conditioners as described in the December 2008 TP NOPR 
(73 FR 74639, 74648 (Dec. 9, 2008)); 750 = Cooling (active mode) 
hours; 705 = Fan-only (active mode) hours.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Typically, room air conditioners with remote control can be 
controlled whenever they are plugged in; hence, these units do not have 
provision for an off mode in addition to inactive mode. However, if a 
room air conditioner allows the user to switch off remote control 
operation, such a product would be capable of both off and inactive 
modes. DOE notes that information to guide allocation of the hours for 
room air conditioners that have both inactive and off modes is 
currently unavailable. For these units, DOE proposed in the December 
2008 TP NOPR that the off/inactive hours are allocated equally to the 
off and inactive modes for such a product. Otherwise, for units that 
are capable of operation in only off or inactive mode, DOE proposed 
that all of the hours be allocated to the appropriate mode. 73 FR 
74639, 74649 (Dec. 9, 2008). In the absence of comments on or 
additional data regarding allocation of hours, this SNOPR does not 
affect DOE's proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR for the allocation 
of hours between inactive mode and off mode.
    In summary, DOE is proposing to amend the room air conditioner test 
procedure to calculate room air conditioner annual energy use 
associated with inactive and off modes by: (1) Calculating the products 
of wattage and allocated hours for inactive and off modes, depending on 
which of these modes is possible; (2) summing the results; and (3) 
dividing the sum by 1,000 to convert from Wh to kWh. The 5,115 hours 
for off/inactive modes would be allocated entirely to either off mode 
or inactive mode, as appropriate, if only one of these modes is 
possible for the room air conditioner. If both modes were possible, the 
hours would be allocated to each mode equally as discussed above in 
this section, and each would be allocated 2,557.5 hours.
5. Measures of Energy Consumption
    The DOE test procedures for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners currently provide for the calculation of several measures 
of energy consumption. For clothes dryers, the test procedure 
incorporates the following: Various measures of per-cycle energy 
consumption; including total per-cycle electric dryer energy 
consumption; per-cycle gas dryer electrical energy consumption; per-
cycle gas dryer gas energy consumption; per-cycle gas dryer 
continuously burning pilot light gas energy consumption; total per-
cycle gas dryer gas energy consumption expressed in Btu; and total per-
cycle gas dryer gas energy consumption expressed in kWh. 10 CFR part 
430, subpart B, appendix D, sections 4.1-4.5. The test procedure also 
provides an EF, which is equal to the clothes load in pounds divided 
either by the total per-cycle electric dryer energy consumption or by 
the total per-cycle gas dryer energy consumption expressed in kWh. 10 
CFR 430.23(d). For room air conditioners, the test procedure calculates 
annual energy consumption in kWh and an EER. 10 CFR 430.23(f).
    Under 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A), EPCA directs that the ``[t]est 
procedures for all covered products shall be amended pursuant to 
section 323 to include standby mode and off mode energy consumption * * 
* with such energy consumption integrated into the overall energy 
efficiency, energy consumption, or other energy descriptor for each 
covered product, unless the Secretary determines that--(i) the current 
test procedures for a covered product already fully account for and 
incorporate the standby mode and off mode energy consumption of the 
covered product; or (ii) such an integrated test procedure is 
technically infeasible for a particular covered product, in which case 
the Secretary shall prescribe a separate standby mode and off mode 
energy-use test procedure for the covered product, if technically 
feasible.''
    As part of the December 2008 TP NOPR DOE explored whether the 
existing measures of energy consumption for clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners can be combined with standby mode and off mode energy use 
to form a single metric. For the reasons presented in the December 2008 
TP NOPR, DOE proposed combined metrics addressing active, standby, and 
off modes for clothes dryers and room air conditioners, as discussed 
below.
a. Clothes Dryers
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE proposed to establish the 
following measures of energy consumption for clothes dryers that 
integrate energy use of standby and off modes with energy use of main 
functions of the products. ``Per-cycle integrated total energy 
consumption expressed in kWh'' will be defined as the sum of per-cycle 
standby and off mode energy consumption and either total per-cycle 
electric dryer energy consumption or total per-cycle gas dryer energy 
consumption expressed in kWh, depending on which type of clothes dryer 
is involved. ``Integrated energy factor'' (IEF) will be defined as the 
(clothes dryer test load weight in lb)/(per-cycle integrated total 
energy in kWh). 73 FR 74639, 74650 (Dec. 9, 2008).
b. Room Air Conditioners
    In the December 2008 TP NOPR, DOE proposed to establish the 
following measures of energy consumption for room air conditioners that 
integrate energy use of standby and off modes with energy use of main 
functions of the products. ``Integrated annual energy consumption'' 
will be defined as the sum of annual energy consumption and standby and 
off mode energy consumption. ``Integrated energy efficiency ratio'' 
(IEER) will be defined as (cooling capacity in Btu/hr x 750 hours 
average time in cooling mode)/(integrated annual energy consumption x 
1,000 Wh per kWh). 73 FR 74639, 74650 (Dec. 9, 2008).
    AHAM, Whirlpool, and GE all supported the proposed integrated 
measures of energy consumption and energy efficiency for clothes dryers 
and room air conditioners combining standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption with active mode energy consumption. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 
6; Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 3; GE, TP No. 11 at p. 1) PG&E and ACEEE 
both commented that an integrated metric for these products is largely 
irrelevant. (PG&E, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 147, 
ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 146-147) PG&E 
recognizes the legal requirements and limitations, but it does not 
support an integrated metric. It stated that many of the covered 
appliances use a large amount of energy in active mode and only a small 
amount in standby mode. PG&E also commented that the measurements of 
energy use in active and standby mode can be combined, but the cost of 
reducing standby mode energy use, which is small but could be made 
smaller very inexpensively, is low. PG&E suggested a prescriptive limit 
on standby power or a voluntary agreement for a standby power limit. 
(PG&E, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 143-144) ACEEE stated 
that the public policy objective in EISA 2007 was to encourage 
limitations of the amount of energy wasted when a covered product is 
not in active mode, regardless of the type of product. ACEEE believes 
that it would be more straightforward to simply place a limitation on 
the wattage at each of these non-operating cycle conditions, which 
would encourage manufacturers to incorporate low-standby-power

[[Page 37612]]

components such as improved power supplies. ACEEE also commented that 
it is not sure why DOE is mixing in source use of gas with site use of 
electricity to present integrated measures that do not help minimize 
the relatively small contributions of non-duty cycle energy use. ACEEE 
believes such an approach is not technically feasible unless all energy 
is site use because of the many disagreements about the appropriate 
site-to-source conversions and because these conversions vary so much 
among regions and times of day. (ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, TP 
No. 8 at pp. 140-142)
    EPCA directs that standby mode and off mode energy consumption be 
integrated into the overall energy efficiency, energy consumption, or 
other energy descriptor for each product unless the Secretary 
determines--(i) The current test procedure already fully accounts for 
and incorporates the standby mode and off mode energy consumption; or 
(ii) such an integrated test procedure is technically infeasible (42 
U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)). DOE tentatively determined in the December 2008 
TP NOPR that it is technically feasible to integrate standby mode and 
off mode energy consumption into the overall energy consumption metrics 
for clothes dryers and room air conditioners. 73 FR 74639, 74650 (Dec. 
9, 2008). In the case of clothes dryers, the DOE test procedure already 
allows for a measure of standby power (i.e., pilot gas consumption) to 
be incorporated into EF. For both clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners, the difference in energy use in active and standby modes 
is so large that standby power has little impact on the overall measure 
of energy efficiency. Therefore, it is technically feasible for both 
products to integrate standby and off mode power into the energy-use 
metric. While DOE recognizes that a prescriptive standard for standby 
and off mode power could have certain advantages for products such as 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners in which energy use in such 
modes represents such a small percentage of annual energy use in the 
active mode, EISA 2007 provides a clear requirement for an integrated 
metric where technical feasibility for such incorporation is 
determined. In response to ACEEE's comment regarding the technical 
feasibility of mixing source use of gas with site use of electricity to 
present integrated measures of energy use, DOE notes that the current 
DOE clothes dryer test procedure only considers gas use at the 
appliance site, precluding the need for a site-to-source conversion 
factor. Since the test procedure already incorporates both electrical 
energy consumption and gas energy consumption for gas clothes dryers, 
converting the gas energy consumption metric, Btu/h, to kWh to obtain 
total energy consumption, DOE concludes that considering additional 
electricity or gas usage during standby mode or off mode would also be 
technically feasible.
    DOE was also made aware that the Air-Conditioning, Heating and 
Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 340/360-2007, ``Performance 
Rating of Commercial and Industrial Unitary Air-Conditioning and Heat 
Pump Equipment,'' (AHRI Standard 340/360) and the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-
2007, ``Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential 
Buildings,'' (ASHRAE 90.1) both published in 2007, included an IEER 
metric, also named ``Integrated Energy Efficiency Ratio,'' which is 
meant to rate the part-load performance of the air-conditioning 
equipment under test. Manufacturers of the equipment covered by these 
standards currently list IEER ratings in their product literature and 
in the AHRI certified product directory. This IEER metric does not 
integrate standby mode and off mode energy use, as is being proposed in 
today's SNOPR. Because the IEER metric used in AHRI Standard 340/360 
and ASHRAE 90.1 was established prior to the IEER proposed in this 
rulemaking, DOE is proposing for today's SNOPR to revise the name of 
the integrated metrics incorporating standby mode and off mode energy 
use to ``combined'' metrics for both clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners.
    For these reasons, today's SNOPR proposes to incorporate into the 
DOE test procedures the ``per-cycle combined total energy consumption 
expressed in kWh'' and ``combined energy factor'' (CEF) for clothes 
dryers and ``combined annual energy consumption'' and ``combined energy 
efficiency ratio'' (CEER) for room air conditioners as were proposed in 
the December 2008 TP NOPR. 73 FR 74639, 74650 (Dec. 9, 2008).
    AHAM and GE noted that DOE did not propose in the December 2008 TP 
NOPR to amend the annual energy cost calculations for room air 
conditioners in 10 CFR 430.23 to include the cost of standby mode and 
off mode energy use. (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 
164-165; GE, Public Meeting Transcript, TP No. 8 at p. 164) AHAM stated 
that such an annual energy cost should be obtained by multiplying the 
integrated annual energy consumption from the new method by the 
representative average unit cost of electrical energy in dollars per 
kWh. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 6) DOE is not proposing to amend the annual 
energy cost calculations in 10 CFR 430.23 for clothes dryers and room 
air conditioners to include the cost of energy consumed in standby and 
off modes because:
     EPCA as amended by EISA does not require DOE to include 
standby and off mode energy costs in the annual energy cost 
calculation; and
     The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) EnergyGuide Label 
for room air conditioners includes as an indicator of product energy 
efficiency the annual energy cost, compared to a range of annual energy 
costs of similar products. Appendix E to 16 CFR part 305. An annual 
energy cost incorporating standby and off mode energy would no longer 
be directly comparable to the minimum and maximum energy costs 
prescribed for the EnergyGuide Label. Clothes dryers are not covered 
products for the EnergyGuide Label.

C. Clothes Dryer and Room Air Conditioner Active Mode Test Procedures

1. Correction of Text Describing Energy Factor Calculation for Clothes 
Dryers
    DOE proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to correct certain errors 
contained in specific references used in the current DOE test procedure 
regulation. 73 FR 74639, 74650 (Dec. 9, 2008). In particular, the 
reference to sections 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 of 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, 
appendix D in the calculation of EF for clothes dryers found at section 
430.23(d)(2) was determined to be incorrect and should refer instead to 
sections 2.7.1 and 2.7.2. Section 2.6 provides instructions for the 
test clothes to be used in energy testing of clothes dryers, whereas 
section 2.7 provides instructions on test loads. The EF of clothes 
dryers is measured in lbs of clothes per kWh. Since the EF calculation 
requires the weight of the test load, DOE proposed in the December 2008 
TP NOPR to correct these references in 10 CFR 430.23(d)(2). DOE did not 
receive any comments opposing this correction. Therefore, this SNOPR 
does not affect DOE's proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR for this 
same correction.
2. Automatic Cycle Termination for Clothes Dryers
    In the October 2007 Framework Document, DOE stated that it believes 
that the clothes dryer test procedure may not adequately measure the 
benefits of automatic cycle termination, in which a sensor monitors 
either the exhaust air temperature or moisture in

[[Page 37613]]

the drum to determine the length of the drying cycle. (Framework 
Document, STD No. 1 at p. 5.) Currently, the test procedure provides a 
single credit for the enhanced performance of clothes dryers equipped 
with automatic termination but does not distinguish between the type of 
sensing control system (e.g., temperature-sensing or moisture-sensing 
controls) and the sophistication and accuracy of the control system. 
The current clothes dryer test procedure provides a credit in the 
calculation of EF for clothes dryers equipped with an automatic cycle 
termination feature, defined in terms of an FU scaling factor applied 
to the per-cycle drying energy consumption. Gas or electric clothes 
dryers with time termination control (i.e., those dryers equipped only 
with a timer to determine the end of a drying cycle) are assigned an FU 
of 1.18, while dryers with automatic termination are assigned an FU of 
1.04. Therefore, clothes dryers with automatic cycle termination 
control receive a 12-percent credit as compared to a comparable dryer 
with time termination control, which is assumed to consume more energy 
due to over- or under-drying, which in the latter case can result in 
consumers running an additional drying cycle. DOE sought comment in the 
October 2007 Framework Document on such a test procedure revision.
    In response to the October 2007 Framework Document, AHAM, Edison 
Electric Institute (EEI), Alliance Laundry Systems (ALS), and the 
Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) commented that the clothes dryer 
test procedure should be changed to account for the use of automatic 
cycle termination. (AHAM, STD No. 8 at p. 2; EEI, STD No. 5 at p. 2; 
ALS, STD No. 6 at p. 1; CEE, STD No. 10 at p. 2.)\21\ Whirlpool 
commented that automatic cycle termination reduces over- or under-
drying. According to Whirlpool, over-drying wastes energy directly, and 
under-drying leads to consumer use of a second clothes-drying cycle. 
Whirlpool believes that the test procedure should credit both 
temperature sensing and moisture sensing automatic termination and, 
because moisture sensing is less subject to over- or under-drying, this 
approach should receive greater credit. Whirlpool added that it would 
need additional time to evaluate a specific recommendation on the 
nature of the credit. (Whirlpool, STD No. 7 at p. 2.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ A notation in the form ``AHAM, STD No. 8 at p.2'' 
identifies a written comment that DOE has received and has included 
in the docket of the energy conservation standards rulemaking for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners (Docket No. EE-2007-STD-
0010). This particular notation refers to a comment (1) submitted by 
the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), (2) in 
document number 8 in the docket of that rulemaking, and (3) 
appearing on page 2 of document number 8.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The ACEEE, Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), Natural 
Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Northwest Power and 
Conservation Council (NPCC) (hereafter ``Joint Comment'') stated in 
jointly filed comments that DOE should verify the benefits of automatic 
cycle termination for clothes dryers and that testing should be 
conducted on new and accelerated-use models to verify long-term 
effectiveness. The Joint Comment added that the test procedure should 
not provide any ``default'' efficiency credit for reduced cycle time 
unless such benefits have been verified through actual testing. (Joint 
Comment, STD No. 9 at p. 13.) At the October 24, 2007 framework 
document public meeting, ACEEE questioned whether the current DOE 
clothes dryer test procedure allows for ambiguity or less-than-optimum 
results in terms of cycle termination when the clothes are defined to 
be dry. (ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, STD No. 4.6 at p. 36.) \22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ A notation in the form ``ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, 
STD No. 4.6, p. 36'' identifies an oral comment that DOE received 
during the October 24, 2007, framework public meeting and that was 
recorded in the public meeting transcript in the docket for the 
energy conservation standards rulemaking for clothes dryers and room 
air conditioners (Docket No. EE-2007-STD-0010), maintained in the 
Resource Room of the Building Technologies Program. This particular 
notation refers to a comment (1) made by the American Council for an 
Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) during the public meeting, (2) 
recorded in document number 4.6, which is the public meeting 
transcript that is filed in the docket of that rulemaking, and (3) 
which appears on page 36 of document number 4.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on comments received in response to the October 2007 
Framework Document, DOE agrees that the benefit of automatic cycle 
termination should be more accurately credited, and that this credit 
should account for any over- or under-drying. Therefore, DOE considered 
potential amendments to the DOE test procedure to account for automatic 
cycle termination. DOE investigated other clothes dryer test procedures 
for measuring the effectiveness of automatic cycle termination and 
conducted limited testing to analyze over-drying energy consumption and 
the applicability of the proposed amendments to the DOE clothes dryer 
test procedure.
    DOE reviewed industry and international clothes dryer test 
standards for testing methods and procedures for evaluating clothes 
dryers that use automatic cycle termination. DOE noted that AHAM 
recently published an update to its industry test standard, AHAM HLD-1-
2009, ``Household Tumble Type Clothes Dryers'' (AHAM Standard HLD-1-
2009), which contains provisions for measuring the over-drying energy 
consumption for dryers that use automatic cycle termination. DOE also 
noted that the international test standards EN Standard 61121 and AS/
NZS Standard 2442.1 both address methods for testing dryers with 
automatic termination sensor technologies. EN Standard 61121 is used in 
European Union (EU) member countries. DOE notes that this test standard 
appears to be identical to the IEC Standard 61121, which is used in 
other countries such as China.
    As noted above, DOE reviewed the recently issued AHAM Standard HLD-
1-2009, which provides separate testing procedures for automatic 
termination sensing dryers and timer dryers. For timer dryers, AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-2009 requires that the test cycle (with the temperature 
set to maximum) is run until the load is dried to 5-percent  1-percent RMC, which can be determined from experience or 
continuous weighing. The test procedure in AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009 for 
automatic termination sensing dryers requires that the dryer be 
operated at the maximum temperature setting and the test cycle is 
stopped when it just reaches cool down. If the RMC is less than 6 
percent, then the test is valid and is repeated two more times. AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-2009 allows automatic termination sensing dryers to dry 
the test load to any value below 6-percent RMC, and the total energy 
consumption and final RMC are recorded. DOE notes that the procedures 
for timer dryers and automatic termination sensing dryers both require 
that the initial RMC of the test load be 70 percent  5 
percent.
    Annex H of AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009 contains moisture removal 
datasheet tables that can be used to record testing data. As noted 
above, the test requires that the total energy input and the final RMC 
be recorded at the end of the test cycle for both timer dryers and 
automatic termination sensing dryers. Table H.2 of annex H, which 
includes test values to record for automatic termination sensing 
dryers, requires that the time to dry to 5-percent RMC and total energy 
to reach 5-percent RMC be recorded. This table indicates that the time 
to dry the test load to 5-percent RMC can be estimated using dynamic 
scale recording and that the total energy to reach 5-percent RMC can be 
estimated using dynamic energy

[[Page 37614]]

recording and the time determined above. From this, the over-drying 
energy loss is calculated by subtracting the total energy to reach 5-
percent RMC from the total measured energy input. Therefore, an 
automatic termination-sensing dryer that dries the test load to between 
5- and 6-percent final RMC would have no over-drying energy 
consumption. DOE believes that AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009 provides a 
clear methodology for measuring the over-drying energy consumption for 
automatic termination sensing dryers and provides a means for comparing 
the accuracy of different automatic termination sensor technologies 
used in different clothes dryer models. However, DOE believes that AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-2009 does not provide an appropriate method for 
comparing the amount of over-drying for a timer dryer to that of an 
automatic termination-sensing dryer. According to the methods in AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-2009, a timer dryer could appear to consume less energy, 
and thus appear more efficient, than an automatic termination-sensing 
dryer since the timer dryer test only allows for drying the test load 
to as low as 4-percent RMC, whereas the automatic cycle termination 
test would allow for drying the test load to any value below 6-percent 
RMC, including lower than 4-percent RMC.
    DOE reviewed EN Standard 61121, which defines ``automatic tumble 
dryer,'' as a dryer ``which switches off the drying process when a 
certain RMC of the load is reached,'' and ``non-automatic tumble 
dryer,'' as a dryer ``which does not switch off the drying process when 
a certain RMC of the load is reached, usually controlled by a timer, 
but may also be manually controlled.'' The testing procedures in 
section 9 of EN Standard 61121 require that, for automatic termination 
control dryers, a program is selected which achieves the final RMC 
value given in Table 3 in the test standard.\23\ The test standard adds 
additional clarification, stating that the test cycle be repeated using 
a different program if the program selected does not dry the test load 
to the specified RMC, and that if no program is available to dry the 
test load to the specified RMC, this fact is reported and the test is 
stopped. Section 9 of EN Standard 61121 also states that for non-
automatic (timer) dryers, the dryer is operated for as long as required 
to achieve the final RMC specified in Table 3 in the test standard. The 
test standard adds that if the dryer does not reach the RMC after its 
maximum programmed time, this fact is reported and the test is stopped. 
DOE notes that although EN Standard 61121 provides descriptions of the 
test methods to use for each type of dryer, it does not provide any 
methodology to account for the energy consumed over- or under-drying 
the test load beyond a certain RMC for each type of dryer. According to 
the test procedures in EN Standard 61121, if the test load is dried to 
the same RMC, and therefore consumed the same amount of energy during 
the test cycle, a timer dryer and automatic termination control dryer 
would appear to consume the same amount of energy in real world use.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \23\ Table 3 of EN Standard 61121 specifies the final moisture 
content of the test load after drying for ``dry cotton'' programme 
as 0 percent with an allowable range of 3 percent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE also reviewed AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 for potential amendments 
to the DOE test procedure to more properly account for automatic cycle 
termination. DOE noted that AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 provides similar 
definitions of types of dryers as provided by EN Standard 61121, 
including ``manual dryer,'' ``timer dryer,'' and ``autosensing dryer.'' 
In particular, AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 defines ``autosensing dryer'' as 
a dryer that can be preset to carry out at least one sequence of 
operations to be terminated by means of a system assessing, directly or 
indirectly, the RMC of the load. AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 also provides 
that when the drying temperature can be chosen independently of the 
program of an autosensing dryer, it shall be set to the maximum. DOE 
also notes that the combined definitions of manual and timer dryer in 
AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 are equivalent to the definition of ``non-
automatic tumble dryer'' in EN Standard 61121.
    AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 provides separate testing methods for 
manual/timer dryers and automatic termination control dryers, for which 
DOE noted the following differences. The manual/timer dryer test 
procedure requires that two test cycles be conducted. For the first 
test cycle, the dryer is operated until the RMC is greater than 6 
percent and less than 7 percent. The test procedure is then repeated to 
obtain an RMC greater than 5 percent and less than 6 percent. In both 
cases, the test cycle is not allowed to advance into the cool-down 
period. From these results, the energy consumption required to obtain a 
final RMC of exactly 6 percent is linearly interpolated. The automatic 
termination control dryer test procedure requires that a drying program 
be selected to achieve a final RMC below 6 percent. The test cycle is 
run until immediately before the cool-down period begins. AS/NZS 
Standard 2442.1 allows for any final RMC value below 6 percent for 
automatic termination control dryers. If the RMC of the test load is 
above 6 percent for such a dryer, the test is invalid and a new test is 
run with a different drying program setting. For the automatic 
termination control dryer test, the moisture removed from the load and 
the energy consumed to reach the measured final RMC are recorded. DOE 
notes that the automatic termination control dryer test procedure does 
not provide a calculation for determining the energy consumption to 
obtain a final RMC of exactly 6 percent, as is done in the timer dryer 
test procedure.
    AS/NZS Standard 2442.2 sets out the equations and procedures for 
calculating the values of the comparative energy consumption. The 
comparative energy consumption, which is determined through the 
projected annual energy consumption, includes an FU factor which 
accounts for the over-drying of clothes by manual/timer dryers. 
According to AS/NZS Standard 2442.2, the FU factor is equal to 1.1 for 
manual/timer controlled dryers and 1.0 for automatic termination 
control dryers; these values were estimated from research obtained in 
the United States. DOE notes that the AS/NZS Standard 2442.2 also 
provides a calculation for the ``tested energy performance,'' which is 
the tested energy consumption divided by the mass of moisture removed. 
However, DOE notes that AS/NZS Standard 2442.2 only uses this value as 
a check, requiring only that the tested energy performance be less than 
1.36 kilowatt hour (kWh) per kilogram (kg) of moisture removed. 
Therefore, DOE believes that for autosensing dryers the calculation for 
the comparative energy consumption, which is independent of the tested 
energy performance, takes into consideration the amount of energy 
consumed over-drying the test load below 6-percent RMC during the test 
cycle by simply adding this energy consumption to the overall annual 
energy consumption.
    DOE was made aware in discussions with an Australian clothes dryer 
manufacturer that the 1.1 FU factor for timer dryers in the calculation 
of comparative energy consumption in AS/NZS Standard 2442.2 was 
questioned in the past by interested parties involved in the 
development of Australia/New Zealand testing standards as possibly 
being too low. However, DOE was informed that limited studies were 
conducted by interested parties that showed that this value was still 
appropriate, and, therefore, DOE is not proposing a different FU factor 
for timer dryers. As discussed later in this

[[Page 37615]]

section, DOE is requesting comment on the FU factor for timer dryers.
    DOE notes that appendix E of AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 provides 
specifications for the preparation of the standard damp test load, in 
which the load is soaked in a clothes washer for 10 minutes and then 
the water is extracted by a normal spin operation to reduce the RMC of 
the test load to between 85 and 90 percent. This process is similar to 
the test load preparation outlined in the DOE test procedure (with 
different RMC values and soaking times). However, AS/NZS Standard 
2442.1 then requires that a final mass adjustment be made, such that 
the initial RMC of the test load is 90 percent (190 percent  0.02 kg of the bone dry weight) by adding water uniformly to the 
load in a very fine spray. Although AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 requires a 
much higher RMC than is representative of actual clothes washer loads, 
DOE still believes that the final mass adjustments to achieve a more 
exact initial RMC in AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 would improve the 
repeatability and help to reduce variation from test to test. DOE 
believes this would also allow for a more representative comparison 
(without the use of RMC correction factors for automatic termination 
control dryers based on limited test data) between timer dryers and 
automatic termination control dryers.
    DOE believes that AS/NZS Standard 2442 provides testing methods and 
procedures which accounts for the amount of over-drying associated with 
automatic termination control dryers beyond a specified RMC, and 
effectively takes into consideration the accuracy of different 
automatic termination sensor technologies. DOE also believes that the 
testing methods provide an accurate and representative method for 
comparing the energy consumption between timer dryers and automatic 
termination control dryers. For these reasons DOE proposes to amend the 
DOE test procedure for clothes dryers to incorporate the individual 
test procedures for timer dryers and automatic termination control 
dryers in AS/NZS Standard 2442 with modifications as appropriate for 
the DOE test procedure. The following discussion describes the proposed 
amendments.
    Based on the definitions in EN Standard 61121 and AS/NZS Standard 
2442, DOE proposes to define ``timer dryer'' as ``a dryer which can be 
preset to carry out at least one sequence of operations to be 
terminated by a timer, but may also be manually controlled,'' and 
``automatic termination control dryer'' as ``a dryer which can be 
preset to carry out at least one sequence of operations to be 
terminated by means of a system assessing, directly or indirectly, the 
moisture content of the load. An automatic termination control dryer 
with supplementary timer shall be tested as an automatic termination 
control dryer.''
    For the reasons discussed above, DOE proposes to amend sections 
2.7.1, ``Compact size dryer load,'' and 2.7.2, ``Standard size dryer 
load,'' of the DOE test procedure for clothes dryers, which contain 
provisions for test load preparation, to add at the end of both 
sections the following requirement: ``Make a final mass adjustment, 
such that the moisture content is 47 percent  0.33 percent 
by adding water uniformly to the load in a very fine spray.'' The 
 0.33 percent allowable RMC range was determined based upon 
the allowable range specified in AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 (190 percent 
 0.02 kg of the bone dry weight) for a 7-lb test load. DOE 
is also proposing that the procedure for dampening and extracting water 
from the test load specified in the current test procedure be changed 
to require that the moisture content of the test load be between 42 and 
47 percent of the bone-dry weight of the test load, and would serve as 
an initial preparation step prior to the final mass adjustments to 
obtain a test load with an RMC of 47 percent proposed above. DOE notes 
that it is proposing to use a nominal initial RMC of 47 percent based 
on the proposed amendment to change the initial RMC from 70 percent to 
47 percent, as discussed in section III.C.5.b. If DOE does not adopt 
this proposed amendment to change the nominal initial RMC, it would 
propose for the above mentioned amendment to first prepare the test 
load to 65- to 70-percent RMC and make adjustments to the moisture 
content to get 70-percent  0.33-percent initial RMC.
    DOE also notes that section 2.7 of the existing clothes dryer test 
procedure regarding test load preparation requires that the test load 
be agitated in water whose temperature is 100[deg]  5 
[deg]F. DOE recognizes that some residential clothes washers may use a 
default cold rinse cycle at the end of the wash cycle, which sections 
2.6.1.2.1 and 2.6.3.1 of the current DOE clothes washer test procedure 
specifies to be 60[deg]  5 [deg]F. However, DOE does not 
have any data indicating whether a different water temperature for 
clothes dryer test load preparation would be more representative of 
current consumer usage habits. For this reason, DOE is not proposing 
any changes to the water temperature for clothes dryer test load 
preparation at this time. If consumer usage data is made available that 
indicates a 60[deg]  5 [deg]F water temperature is more 
representative of consumer usage, DOE may adopt an alternate approach 
specifying a 60[deg]  5 [deg]F water temperature for test 
load preparation in section 2.7 of the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure. DOE invites comment on whether the existing water 
temperature of 100[deg]  5 [deg]F for test load preparation 
in the existing test procedure is representative of consumer usage 
habits, and, if not, what would be a representative value. In addition, 
DOE is unaware of how changes to the water temperature for clothes 
dryer test load preparation would affect the measured efficiency as 
compared to the existing test procedure. For this reason, DOE also 
requests data quantifying how changes to the water temperature for 
clothes dryer test load preparation would affect the measured 
efficiency as compared to the existing DOE test procedure, in 
particular for those units that are minimally compliant with current 
energy conservation standards.
    DOE also proposes to amend section 3.3, ``Test cycle,'' in the DOE 
test procedure for clothes dryers to include testing procedures 
specific to each type of dryer. For timer dryers, the clothes dryer 
shall be operated at the maximum temperature setting and, if equipped 
with a timer, at the maximum time setting. The load shall be dried to 
5-6 percent RMC without the dryer advancing into cool down, resetting 
the timer if necessary. The procedure would then be repeated until the 
RMC of the test load is 4-5 percent. DOE requests comment on whether 
using the maximum temperature setting is representative of current 
consumer usage habits. DOE also requests comment on whether multiple 
temperature settings should be evaluated and averaged, and if so, how 
testing multiple temperature settings would affect the measured 
efficiency as compared to the existing DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure, which only measures the clothes dryer at the maximum 
temperature setting.
    As part of the energy conservation standards rulemaking preliminary 
analyses, DOE conducted testing on a representative gas clothes dryer. 
To support the evaluation of the testing methods for automatic 
termination control dryers, DOE conducted additional testing on this 
gas clothes dryer to evaluate the effects of program settings that 
provide the maximum drying temperature and maximum dryness level (i.e., 
lowest final RMC). DOE selected these settings to remain consistent 
with the current DOE clothes dryer test procedure, which specifies

[[Page 37616]]

that the maximum temperature setting be selected for the test cycle. 
The tests consisted of running the clothes dryer on the cycle settings 
discussed above with test load initial RMCs of 70 percent  
0.33 percent, 56 percent  0.33 percent, and 47 percent 
 0.33 percent, and allowing the clothes dryer to run until 
the heater cycles off for the the final time (i.e., immediately before 
the cool-down period begins). For each initial RMC, three identical 
tests were conducted to determine the repeatability of the test 
results. Table 0.5 below shows the results from this testing compared 
to the results of testing the same gas dryer according to the current 
DOE test prcocedure.

                             Table 0.5--DOE Automatic Cycle Termination Test Results
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                               Per-cycle energy
             Initial RMC  (%)                          Test                Final RMC  (%)     consumption  (kWh)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
70.......................................  Automatic Cycle Termination.                 0.6              3.018
                                           Current DOE.................               * 3.3            * 2.462
56.......................................  Automatic Cycle Termination.                 0.6              2.559
                                           Current DOE.................               * 3.7            * 2.001
47.......................................  Automatic Cycle Termination.                 0.5              2.252
                                           Current DOE.................               * 3.4            * 1.754
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Current DOE test procedure normalizes the per-cycle energy consumption equation to represent the energy
  consumption required to dry the test load to 4-percent RMC. In addition, the current DOE test procedure
  multiplies the per-cycle energy consumption by a fixed field use factor of 1.04 to account for over-drying
  energy consumption.

    DOE noted that for all of the test runs, using the maximum 
temperature and dryness level settings resulted in the test load being 
dried to near bone dry (0.4-percent to 0.7-percent RMC). Using the data 
of the estimated RMC of the test load measured continuously during the 
test cycle, as discussed below, DOE also observed that for all of the 
test runs, the estimated RMC of the test load was below 1-percent RMC 
by the time the heater began cycling on/off. The increased amount of 
over-drying resulted in higher energy consumption, greater than the 
per-cycle energy consumption resulting from the same dryer being tested 
according to the DOE test procedure, which uses a fixed FU factor to 
account for over-drying energy consumption. DOE believes that different 
manufacturers may target different final RMCs for their highest dryness 
level setting. Based on the test results for this gas clothes dryer 
unit, DOE believes that the highest dryness level setting may be 
intended to dry the clothes load to near bone dry, beyond the target 
RMC of the DOE test procedure, and would not be appropriate for the 
proposed test cycle. For this reason, DOE does not intend to propose 
that the highest dryness level be specified for the test cycle. DOE 
believes that a ``normal'' drying program would be more representative 
of consumer usage habits and would more likely dry the clothes load to 
the target range specified in the DOE clothes dryer test procedure.
    Based on additional testing, DOE is proposing an alternative 
approach in which, for automatic termination control dryers, a 
``normal'' program shall be selected for the test cycle to be most 
representative of consumer usage. Where the drying temperature can be 
chosen independently of the program, it shall be set to the maximum. 
When the heater switches off for the final time at the end of the 
drying cycle, i.e., immediately before the cool-down period begins, the 
dryer shall be stopped. If the final RMC is greater than 5 percent, the 
tests shall be invalid and a new run shall be conducted using the 
highest dryness level setting. Any test cycle in which the final RMC is 
5 percent or less shall be considered valid. DOE is also proposing that 
for automatic termination control dryers, the cycle setting selected 
for the test be recorded. This would include settings such as the 
drying mode, dryness level, and temperature level. DOE requests comment 
on whether proposed cycle and settings are representative of current 
consumer usage habits. DOE also requests comment on whether multiple 
cycles and settings should be tested and how the results from those 
multiple tests should be evaluated, and if so, how testing multiple 
cycles and settings would affect the measured efficiency as compared to 
the existing DOE clothes dryer test procedure, which only requires that 
the clothes dryer be tested at the maximum temperature setting.
    DOE notes that AS/NZS Standard 2442 specifies the maximum allowable 
final RMC for automatic termination control dryers as 6 percent. DOE, 
however, is unaware of any data indicating that a final RMC of 6 
percent would be representative of current consumer usage habits. DOE 
also notes that using 5-percent RMC, as proposed in today's SNOPR, 
would remain within the range specified by the current DOE test 
procedure, which specifies 2.5- to 5-percent final RMC. DOE seeks 
comment and consumer usage data on whether a 6-percent final RMC target 
value would be more representative of current consumer usage habits. 
DOE also notes that AS/NZS Standard 2442 requires an initial RMC of 90 
percent. As noted in section III.C.5.b, DOE researched appropriate 
initial RMC values based on clothes washer shipment-weighted average 
RMC, and believes that a value of 47-percent RMC would be most 
representative of clothes loads being dried after completion of a 
residential clothes washer cycle.
    DOE notes that there are at least two ways to terminate the drying 
cycle during the test: (1) Termination before cool-down, or (2) 
termination at the end of the selected test cycle, including cool-down. 
As discussed above, section 4.2 of AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 requires that 
for automatic termination control dryers, the programmed test cycle be 
run until immediately before the cool-down period begins. Similarly, 
section 4.5.1 of AHAM-HLD-1-2009 requires that the automatic 
termination control dryer test cycle not be permitted to advance into 
the cool-down period. Alternatively, section 9.2.1 of EN Standard 61121 
requires that the selected test cycle program be allowed to run until 
completion, including the cool-down period. Today's SNOPR proposes 
automatic cycle termination based on the provisions in AS/NZS Standard 
2442 because it provides a more representative comparison of the energy 
consumption between automatic termination control dryers and timer 
dryers than EN Standard 61121. In addition, the proposed amendments to 
stop the test cycle immediately before the cool-down period will 
harmonize DOE test methods with industry and international test 
standards. However, DOE is considering the alternative

[[Page 37617]]

method of section 9.2.1 of EN Standard 61121 because it may provide 
incentives for energy-saving improvements in dryer controls. DOE 
recognizes that manufacturers may design products to use the residual 
heat during the cool-down period (i.e., immediately after the heater 
has switched off for the final time) to continue to dry the clothes 
load while slowly spinning the drum to achieve a desired RMC.\24\ DOE 
recognizes that inclusion of the cool-down period may make it possible 
for some manufacturers to design dryers that attain the desired RMC 
with lower total energy consumption. This potential for energy 
efficiency improvement would not be captured by the test methods 
proposed in today's SNOPR. In order to capture this real-world energy 
savings potential associated with the additional drying using residual 
heat during the cool-down period, DOE could adopt an alternate approach 
to include the measurement of the cool-down period as part of the 
proposed automatic cycle termination test methodology. Under an 
alternate approach, section 3.3.2 of the test procedure for automatic 
termination control dryers, instead of specifying that ``when the 
heater switches off for the final time, immediately before the cool-
down period begins, stop the dryer,'' would specify to ``run the 
clothes dryer until the programmed cycle has terminated.'' DOE also 
notes that the inclusion or exclusion of the cool-down period under the 
proposed test method would not affect the ability to compare energy 
consumption test results between automatic termination control dryers 
and timer dryers in DOE's clothes dryer test procedure. DOE welcomes 
comment on whether the cool-down period should be included as part of 
the active mode test cycle for automatic termination control dryers. 
DOE is unaware of data showing the effects of including the cool-down 
period on the measured efficiency as compared to the existing test 
procedure. For this reason, DOE also welcomes data quantifying how 
including the cool-down period in the test cycle would affect the 
measured efficiency of clothes dryers as compared to the existing DOE 
test procedure, in particular for those units that are minimally 
compliant with current energy conservation standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \24\ The clothes dryer would also consume energy to spin the 
drum during the cool-down period that is currently not accounted for 
by the DOE test procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, DOE proposes to revise section 4, ``Calculation of Derived 
Results from Test Measurements,'' of the DOE test procedure. DOE 
proposes to revise the FU factor credits in the current DOE test 
procedure to more appropriately account for automatic termination 
control dryers' over-drying energy consumption. Automatic termination 
control clothes dryers would receive an FU factor of 1.0 (instead of 
the 1.04 currently provided), with any over-drying energy consumption 
being added to the drying energy consumption to decrement EF. Based on 
the proposed test methods, an automatic termination control dryer that 
is able to dry the test load to close to 5-percent RMC, and thus 
minimize over-drying, would result in a higher measured efficiency than 
if it over-dried the test load to an RMC less than 5 percent. The 
energy consumed over-drying the test load would be included in the per-
cycle energy consumption, and would result in a reduction in the 
measured EF. For timer dryers, DOE is proposing to use the results from 
the proposed test cycles (5-6 and 4-5 percent final RMCs) to 
interpolate the value of the per-cycle energy consumption required to 
dry the test load to exactly 5-percent RMC. DOE invites comment on 
whether such methodology appropriately credits both automatic 
termination control and timer clothes dryers.
    DOE is unaware of any data or studies that would indicate that the 
1.18 FU factor credit for timer dryers (to account for over- or under-
drying test loads in real-world use) is inaccurate and not currently 
representative of consumer usage habits. For this reason, DOE does not 
intend to revise the 1.18 FU factor credit for timer dryers at this 
time. However, DOE recognizes that this field use factor for timer 
dryers was established at the same time the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure was established, in 1981, and may not be representative of 
current consumer usage patterns. DOE is open to revising this value and 
welcomes data and comment on whether this value is appropriate.
    In support of the residential clothes dryer energy conservation 
standards rulemaking, DOE conducted testing of ten vented clothes 
dryers and two vent-less clothes dryers (one of which was not an 
automatic termination control dryer) at an independent testing 
laboratory.\25\ As part of this testing, DOE conducted a limited number 
of preliminary automatic cycle termination tests in order to analyze 
the various automatic termination technologies found in DOE's sample of 
selected dryers. DOE selected the AHAM 8-lb test load \26\ instead of 
the 7-lb load specified in the DOE test procedure for standard-size 
clothes dryers in order to lengthen the test cycle times and better 
evaluate the function of the dryer controls as the test load approached 
low RMCs. The independent test lab conducting the clothes dryer tests 
used a data acquisition system to monitor estimated RMC of the test 
load continuously during the test cycle. The system used a platform 
weighing scale, along with an algorithm to account for buoyancy effects 
of hot air in the dryer, drum rotational effects, and other proprietary 
factors. With this data, DOE was able to estimate when the test load 
reached a certain RMC and how much energy was associated with over-
drying for RMCs beyond that point. However, for the vent-less clothes 
dryer, the test lab was unable to accurately monitor the estimated RMC 
of the test load continuously to analyze over-drying because the 
moisture removed from the clothes load remained inside the dryer 
cabinet until a drain pump removed it, in contrast to vented dryers in 
which the moisture-laden air exits the dryer cabinet through the 
exhaust pipe. Therefore, the scale weight measurement used to calculate 
the estimated RMC was not meaningful for the vent-less units.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ A summary of this testing is available in the preliminary 
technical support document for the residential clothes dryer energy 
conservation standards rulemaking and can be found online at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/clothes_dryers.html.
    \26\ The AHAM 8-lb test load is made up of the following mixed 
cotton items, which are intended to represent clothes items 
regularly laundered: 2 sheets, 1 table cloth, 2 shirts, 3 bath 
towels, 2 ``T'' shirts, 2 pillow cases, 3 shorts, 1 wash cloth, 2 
handkerchiefs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The automatic termination tests conducted by DOE consisted of 
running the test cycle in a user-programmable automatic termination 
mode and allowing the dryer to self-terminate the drying cycle using 
the various automatic termination sensor technologies. DOE monitored 
the energy consumption and estimated RMC of the test load during the 
test cycle from the starting time at 70-percent initial RMC to the time 
when the heater last cycled off (i.e., immediately before the cool-down 
period). The specific focus was on analyzing the amount of over-drying 
energy consumed drying the test load to less than 5-percent RMC. DOE 
also applied a correction factor to the test data to account for the 
fact that the automatic cycle termination tests used the AHAM 8-lb test 
load instead of the DOE 7-lb test load. For a test reducing the nominal 
RMC of the test load from an initial 70 percent to a final 5 percent, 
an 8-lb test load would require 5.2 lb of

[[Page 37618]]

water to be removed during the test cycle, whereas a 7-lb test load 
would only require 4.6 lb of water to be removed. Because the automatic 
cycle termination tests with the AHAM 8-lb test load would consume more 
energy to dry the greater amount of water in the test load, DOE 
developed a correction factor by comparing the rates of energy 
consumption per nominal percent RMC reduced between the automatic cycle 
termination test, and the tests conducted according to the current DOE 
test procedure.
    Figure 0.1 shows the over-drying energy consumption versus the 
final RMC for a number of different units tested, and, in some cases, 
different cycle settings. DOE noted that some of the tested units 
stopped the test cycle at or higher than 5-percent RMC, thereby not 
producing over-drying. For the remaining tests, the data show that 
over-drying the test load to lower final RMCs requires higher energy 
consumption, with a slightly exponential trend likely because it 
becomes more difficult to remove the final small amounts of moisture 
remaining in the test load. DOE did not observe any apparent 
relationship between the type of automatic cycle termination sensor 
technology used and the amount of over-drying. However, these tests 
were conducted using different testing methods than the methods 
proposed in today's SNOPR (e.g., various automatic cycle termination 
settings). Therefore, DOE was unable to determine whether one type of 
sensor technology is more accurate, and thus more effective at 
preventing over-drying.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP29JN10.015

    Figure 0.2 presents the data from one of the test runs for a vented 
baseline electric standard dryer, showing the cumulative energy 
consumption as the test load is dried. DOE observed that for this 
clothes dryer, the energy consumption versus the estimated RMC in the 
range of 70 percent to 10 percent shows a linear relationship. However, 
there appears to be an exponential trend when comparing the RMC below 5 
percent to the over-drying energy consumption, with a significant 
increase in over-drying energy consumption when the RMC of the test 
load reaches approximately 3 percent or less. DOE observed these same 
trends in most of the other clothes dryers tested. As discussed above, 
this non-linearity at low RMC likely occurs because it becomes more 
difficult to remove the lesser amounts of moisture remaining in the 
test load.

[[Page 37619]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP29JN10.016

    Because DOE had not yet developed the proposed test procedure for 
automatic cycle termination at the time that this testing was 
conducted, test conditions different than those proposed in the test 
procedure amendments were used; i.e., various automatic cycle 
termination settings were applied to achieve the low RMCs, and an 8-lb 
AHAM test load comprising different materials and articles of clothing 
was used. Therefore, the testing results may not be representative of 
the results obtained when using the proposed automatic cycle 
termination testing methods.
    DOE also analyzed how the proposed changes to the DOE clothes dryer 
test procedure, discussed above, would affect the measured EF of 
residential clothes dryers, as required by EPCA. EPCA also requires 
that DOE must determine how the EF of clothes dryers which are 
minimally compliant would be affected by the amendments to the test 
procedure, and based on this, amend the energy conservation standards 
as appropriate. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)) As part of DOE's preliminary 
analyses for the energy conservation standards rulemaking for clothes 
dryers, DOE concluded that all clothes dryers currently available on 
the U.S. market that are covered under the current energy conservation 
standards are equipped with some form of automatic cycle termination 
sensing. Therefore, DOE analyzed, as discussed in the paragraphs below, 
how the proposed changes to the clothes dryer test procedure would 
affect the measured EF of residential clothes dryers according to the 
test procedure for automatic termination control dryers.
    Because DOE is changing the FU credit from 1.04 to 1.0 for 
automatic termination control dryers, a dryer which has an automatic 
cycle termination setting that is capable of drying the test load to 
very close to 5-percent RMC, and therefore had little over-drying 
energy consumption, would receive a 4-percent credit in EF compared to 
the current DOE test procedure. DOE also notes that because the 
proposed test procedure requires the test load to be dried to a target 
final RMC of 5 percent (or lower), the measured energy consumption 
would decrease and EF increase if the target RMC of 5 percent is 
achieved (no over-drying), as compared to the current DOE test 
procedure which uses a correction factor in order to determine the 
energy consumption required to dry the test load to a final RMC of 4 
percent. As discussed below for timer dryers, based on the differences 
in the calculations of per-cycle energy consumption using a starting 
RMC of 47 percent, if the target final RMC of 5 percent is achieved, 
DOE believes that the EF would increase by about 2.4 percent using the 
proposed test procedure as compared to the current DOE test procedure.
    DOE believes that a clothes dryer which is minimally compliant with 
current energy conservation standards would likely use a less accurate 
automatic termination control system, and that such a dryer would 
possibly over-dry the test load below 5-percent RMC, such that the 
energy consumption and measured EF would be equivalent to that measured 
by the existing DOE clothes dryer test procedure. For this reason, DOE 
does not believe that any changes to the current energy conservation 
standards as a result of the proposed amendments to the test procedure 
to account for automatic cycle termination would be warranted. However, 
DOE welcomes comment on this tentative conclusion, as well as test data 
of minimally compliant clothes dryers tested according to the proposed 
automatic termination control dryer test procedure to determine whether 
changes to the current energy

[[Page 37620]]

conservation standards for dryers would be warranted.
    The proposed test procedure for timer dryers would provide the 
energy consumption required to dry the test load from 47-percent RMC to 
5-percent RMC. DOE notes that the 5-percent final RMC falls within the 
range of RMC specified by the current test procedure (2.5-5 percent 
final RMC). However, in the current DOE clothes dryer test procedure, 
the per-cycle energy consumption calculation contains a correction 
factor which is intended to normalize the measured energy consumption 
to represent the energy consumption required to dry the test load to 4-
percent RMC.\27\ Because the proposed test procedure for timer dryers 
would measure the energy consumption to reach a final RMC of only 5 
percent, the energy consumption would be lower, and EF higher, as 
compared to the current DOE test procedure, which measures the energy 
consumption to reach a final RMC of 4 percent. Based on the differences 
in the calculations of per-cycle energy consumption, DOE believes that 
the EF would increase by about 2.4 percent using the proposed test 
procedure as compared to the current DOE test procedure, assuming that 
an initial RMC of 47 percent would be used in both cases. However, 
because DOE is unaware of any clothes dryers controlled only by a timer 
currently on the U.S. market, as noted above, DOE does not intend to 
revise the current energy conservation standards based on the proposed 
amendments to the test procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \27\ The correction factor in the current test procedure 
normalizes the measured energy consumption to represent the energy 
consumption required to dry the test load from 70-percent initial 
RMC to 4-percent final RMC. As discussed in section III.C.5.b, DOE 
is proposing to change the initial RMC from 70 to 47 percent. DOE 
has considered the effects of changing the initial RMC from 70 to 47 
percent on the measured EF in section III.C.5.b.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Test Procedure for Vent-Less Clothes Dryers
    DOE noted in the October 2007 Framework Document that a potential 
limitation of the clothes dryer test procedure had been identified for 
vent-less dryers, which includes condensing clothes dryers and 
combination washer/dryers. (Framework Document, STD No. 1 at p. 5) 
Manufacturers of vent-less clothes dryers commented that the current 
clothes dryer test procedure is unable to test this type of clothes 
dryer. Vent-less clothes dryers do not vent exhaust air to the outside 
as a conventional dryer does. Instead, they typically use ambient air 
in a heat exchanger to cool the hot, humid air inside the appliance, 
thereby condensing out the moisture. Alternatively, cold water can be 
used in the heat exchanger to condense the moisture from the air in the 
drum.\28\ In either case, the dry air exiting the drum is reheated and 
recirculated in a closed loop. Thus, there is no moisture-laden exhaust 
air to vent outside, only a wastewater stream that either can be 
collected in an included water container or discharged down the 
household drain. However, the process of condensing out the moisture in 
the recirculated air results in higher energy consumption than a 
conventional dryer, and it can significantly increase the ambient room 
temperature.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ This is a typical approach for combination washer/dryers, 
which wash and dry a load in the same drum.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Manufacturers of condensing clothes dryers have, in the past, 
applied for waivers from the DOE test procedure for these products on 
the basis that the test procedure did not contain provisions for vent-
less clothes dryers. On November 15, 2005, LG filed an Application for 
Interim Waiver and Petition for Waiver from the clothes dryer test 
procedure for its condensing dryer model because it asserted that the 
current clothes dryer test procedure applies only to vented clothes 
dryers. The current test procedure requires the use of an exhaust 
restrictor to simulate the backpressure effects of a vent tube in an 
installed condition. Condenser dryers do not have exhaust vents as they 
recirculate rather than exhaust the process air. LG further stated that 
DOE's test procedure for clothes dryers provides no definition or 
mention of condensing clothes dryers. LG also noted that it knew of no 
other test procedure that would rate its condensing dryer products.
    On August 23, 2006, DOE published the LG Petition for Waiver. 71 FR 
49437. In that notice, DOE presented an alternate test procedure for 
vent-less dryers to address the potential limitation of the clothes 
dryer test procedure. 71 FR 49437, 49439.\29\ The alternate test 
procedure consisted of adding separate definitions for a ``conventional 
clothes dryer'' (which is vented) and a ``condensing clothes dryer'' 
(which is a vent-less design). Further, the alternate test procedure 
presented in the LG Petition for Waiver qualified the requirement for 
an exhaust simulator so that it would only apply to conventional 
clothes dryers. In that notice, DOE stated that it is seeking comment 
on the proposed modification to the test procedure. In response, 
Whirlpool submitted a comment agreeing with the alternate test 
procedure, although it recommended clarifications to DOE's proposed 
definitions. 73 FR 66641, 66642 (Nov. 10, 2008). On November 10, 2008, 
DOE approved the LG Petition for Waiver and determined that LG should 
not be required to rate or test the subject clothes dryer model 
according to the existing test procedure. The notice did not include 
further rulemaking actions on the presented alternate test procedure. 
73 FR 66641.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ DOE's alternate test procedure for vent-less dryers was 
described in the LG Petition for Waiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under DOE's regulations for petitions for waiver from the energy 
conservation program, codified in 10 CFR 430.27(m), DOE is required to 
publish a NOPR within 1 year of the granting of any waiver. The NOPR 
would propose amending its regulations to eliminate any need for 
continuation of the waiver. DOE is required to subsequently publish a 
final rule as soon thereafter as practicable. The waiver would then 
terminate on the effective date of the final rule. Publication of this 
SNOPR addressing, in part, test procedures for vent-less clothes 
dryers, would satisfy these regulatory requirements for the LG waiver.
    DOE notes that there are currently no existing Federal energy 
conservation standards for vent-less clothes dryers. In the October 
2007 Framework Document, DOE stated that it intended to analyze 
potential energy conservation standards for vent-less clothes dryers. 
In particular, DOE proposed to analyze vent-less clothes dryers as a 
separate product class, recognizing the unique utility that vent-less 
clothes dryers offers to consumers (the ability to be installed in 
conditions in which vented clothes dryers would be precluded due to 
venting restrictions). DOE proposed to analyze two product classes for 
vent-less clothes dryers: (1) Vent-less electric compact (240V) clothes 
dryers, and (2) electric combination washer/dryers. DOE also requested 
comment in the October 2007 Framework Document on the alternate test 
procedure for vent-less clothes dryers proposed in the LG Petition for 
Waiver.
    ALS and CEE both commented in response to the October 2007 
Framework Document in support of revising the clothes dryer test 
procedure to test vent-less clothes dryers. (ALS, STD No. 6 at p. 1; 
CEE, STD No. 10 at pp. 1-2) AHAM also supported including a provision 
to test vent-less clothes dryers, but added that a single procedure for 
vented and vent-less clothes dryers may not be applicable. (AHAM, STD 
No. 8 at p. 1) At the October 2007 public meeting, AHAM commented that 
adding ventless dryers

[[Page 37621]]

to the test procedure is not as simple as closing a vent off, but may 
require a more significant change to appropriately measure energy use. 
AHAM added that it would work on developing such a test procedure for 
DOE to measure energy use. (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, STD No. 
4.6 at pp. 18-19) AHAM commented that the energy calculation for vent-
less clothes dryers should take a more ``holistic'' approach than those 
for vented clothes dryers because vent-less clothes dryers can have an 
effect on energy use outside of their system (i.e., impacts on HVAC 
loads). (AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, STD No. 4.6 at p. 51; AHAM, 
STD No. 8 at p. 3) Whirlpool commented that in light of increasing 
interest by manufacturers in offering vent-less clothes dryers in North 
America, it would work through AHAM to propose an appropriate test 
procedure. (Whirlpool, STD No. 7 at p. 2) Whirlpool also noted that 
combination washer/dryers would require a unique test procedure, and 
that DOE should weigh the effort to create such a test procedure 
against the potential for energy savings from a product with very 
modest annual unit sales. (Whirlpool, STD No. 7 at p. 3)
    DOE notes that accounting for ambient space conditioning impacts 
would require significant changes to the current test procedure. 
According to EPCA, any test procedures prescribed or amended under this 
section shall be reasonably designed to produce test results which 
measure energy efficiency, energy use, water use, or estimated annual 
operating cost of a covered product during a representative average use 
cycle or period of use. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) DOE believes that 
accounting for impacts on HVAC loads on energy use of a household would 
be beyond the scope of a test procedure to measure the energy use of a 
product, as prescribed by EPCA. DOE also notes that other DOE test 
procedures for products such as refrigerators, ovens, and water heaters 
which could impact HVAC loads, do not take into account these impacts 
on ambient space conditioning in the test procedure. DOE also notes 
that for the energy conservation standards rulemaking for water 
heaters, DOE considered the effects of heat pump water heaters on house 
heating loads as part of the energy-use characterization, and did not 
propose to amend the test procedure to account for such energy use. For 
these reasons, DOE is not proposing to amend the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure to account for the ambient space conditioning impacts, but 
will consider such impacts as part of the concurrent energy 
conservation standards rulemaking.
    In order to analyze potential energy conservation standards for 
vent-less clothes dryers, provisions must be added to the DOE clothes 
dryer test procedure for measuring the energy efficiency performance in 
vent-less clothes dryers. Therefore, DOE determined to consider such 
amendments to its clothes dryer test procedure. DOE first examined the 
test procedure proposed as part of the LG Petition for Waiver. DOE 
conducted limited tests of vent-less clothes dryers at an independent 
testing laboratory according to those amendments. DOE tested one vent-
less electric compact (240V) clothes dryer and one vent-less 
combination washer/dryer, conducting three test runs per unit. Table 
0.6 shows the results from DOE's tests. DOE observed no variation in EF 
from test to test within the precision of the proposed test procedure 
for the vent-less electric compact (240V) dryer, and less than 2-
percent variation in EF from test to test for the vent-less combination 
washer/dryer. Based on this limited testing, the proposed testing 
procedures appear to produce repeatable results. DOE welcomes 
additional test data for vent-less clothes dryers tested according to 
the alternate test procedure presented in the LG Petition for Waiver, 
in particular to analyze the test-to-test variation for individual 
units tested multiple times.

                          Table 0.6--Data From DOE Testing of Vent-less Clothes Dryers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             Energy factor (lb/kWh)
                                                               -------------------------------------------------
                           Test run                                Vent-less electric     Vent-less combination
                                                                    compact (240 V)            washer/dryer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.............................................................                     2.37                     1.95
2.............................................................                     2.37                     1.96
3.............................................................                     2.37                     1.93
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In reviewing alternate test procedures for vent-less clothes dryers 
for potential amendments to the DOE test procedure, DOE also 
investigated testing conditions and methods specified in test standards 
used internationally. DOE is aware of international test standards for 
clothes dryers used in Europe, China, Australia, and New Zealand which 
include provisions for vent-less or condensing clothes dryers.
    DOE evaluated EN Standard 61121, and identified as relevant the 
test procedures for condensing (vent-less) clothes dryers, as well as 
certain test conditions which affect all clothes dryers. These test 
procedures provide greater specificity than the alternate test 
procedure presented in the LG Petition for Waiver, and details of the 
relevant sections of EN Standard 61121 are presented below.
    Section 3 of EN Standard 61121, ``Definitions and symbols,'' 
provides definitions for various types of dryers, including:

``3.1
tumble dryer
appliance in which textile material is dried by tumbling in a 
rotating drum, in which heated air is passed''

``3.2
air vented tumble dryer
tumble dryer with a fresh-air intake which is heated and passed over 
the textile material and where the resulting moist air is exhausted 
into the room or vented outside,''

``3.3
condenser tumble dryer
tumble dryer in which the air used for the drying process is 
dehumidified by cooling.''

    Section 6.1 of EN Standard 61121, ``General,'' which addresses 
general conditions for measurements, provides in part the following 
conditions for dryer installation and, in particular, installation 
without an exhaust duct:

    ``The measurements shall be carried out on a tumble dryer 
installed and used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, 
except as required by this standard.''
* * * * *
    ``Where the tumble dryer is intended for use without a duct 
(i.e., the tumble dryer is intended to be vented into the room), the 
tumble dryer shall be tested as supplied without a duct.''
* * * * *

[[Page 37622]]

    ``Where a manufacturer gives the option to use the tumble dryer 
both with and without a duct, the tumble dryer shall be tested 
without a duct.''

    Section 6.2.3 of EN Standard 61121, ``Ambient temperature,'' 
requires that the ambient temperature of the room in the vicinity of 
the dryer shall be maintained at 23  2 degrees Celsius 
([deg]C) throughout the test.
    Section 9 of EN Standard 61121, ``Performance tests,'' provides the 
test procedures for performance tests of the main tumble dryer 
functions. In particular, section 9.1, ``General,'' states:

* * * * *
    ``Tumble dryers shall be configured with or without a duct as 
specified in 6.1.''
    ``All tests shall be started with the tumble dryer at ambient 
temperature conditions according to 6.2.3.''

    Note: This can be done by leaving the machine at ambient 
conditions for at least 12 h [hours].

    Section 9.2.1 of EN Standard 61121, ``Drying tests general,'' 
which details the procedures for the drying test, provides in part 
the following:

    ``For automatic tumble dryers those programmes are selected which 
aim to achieve the final moisture values given in table 3.'' \30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ Table 3 of EN Standard 61121 specifies the final moisture 
content of the test load after drying for ``dry cotton'' programme 
as 0 percent with an allowable range of -3 to +3 percent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
    ``The minimum number of valid cycles shall be five * * * If the 
dryer is automatically stopped during a cycle and the reason is that 
the condensation box is full of water, the fact is reported and the 
test is stopped.''

    ``Note: If the manufacturer gives the option to use a condenser 
tumble dryer both with or without condensation box, the dryer should 
be tested with the condensation box.''

    Section 9.2.1 also provides that water and energy consumption for 
the cycle shall be reported. The water consumption would be applicable 
to condensing clothes dryers which use water to condense moisture in 
the drum exhaust air.
    Section 10.3 of EN Standard 61121, ``Water consumption,'' provides 
for the calculation of the corrected test cycle water consumption 
corresponding to the nominal final RMC (specified in Table 3 of EN 
Standard 61121).
    EN Standard 61121 also provides a method for measuring the 
efficiency of condensing moisture from the test load. Section 9.2.2 of 
EN Standard 61121, ``Condensation efficiency,'' states the following:

    ``The condensation efficiency for a condenser tumble dryer, 
shall be measured using the dry cotton programme and setting 
selected to achieve the ``dry cotton'' result (this means the 
equivalent timer setting for a timer dryer) in the drying test.''
    ``The mass of the test load is measured immediately before and 
after the cycle. The mass of the moisture condensed during the cycle 
and collected in the container is determined. The first cycle after 
a period of non-operation longer than 36 h shall not be used for 
evaluation.''
    ``During the time between two cycles the door of the tumble 
dryer shall be closed except for loading.''

    Section 10.5 of EN Standard 61121, ``Condensation efficiency,'' 
subsequently provides the following methods and calculations for the 
condensation efficiency:

    ``Efficiency of condensation, C, is determined according to 
9.2.2 as the ratio between the water produced during the cycle 
Ww, relative to the total mass of water evaporated from 
the load.''
* * * * *
    ``Efficiency of condensation is the mean value of a minimum of 
four valid cycles.''

    ``Note: Due [to] this requirement the first run of a 
condensation efficiency test has normally to be discarded.''


    DOE notes that AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 also includes provisions for 
condensing clothes dryers. AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 states that the scope 
of the standard specifically includes condenser dryers and the dryer 
function of combination washer/dryers. Section 1.4.4 of AS/NZS Standard 
2442.1, ``Dryer types,'' provides the following definitions for vented 
and condenser clothes dryers:

    ``Vented electric rotary clothes dryer--a clothes dryer in which 
air (usually heated) is passed through the load while it is being 
tumbled. The air and accumulated moisture is then discharged to the 
atmosphere.''
    ``Condenser electric rotary clothes dryer--a clothes dryer in 
which air (usually heated) is passed through the load while it is 
being tumbled. The moisture thus accumulated is then separated from 
the air within the dryer, converted to a liquid, and either drained 
or stored for later removal.''

    DOE notes that these definitions are essentially the same as those 
provided in EN Standard 61121. Both definitions state that the moisture 
in the air from the drying process is dehumidified, but AS/NZS Standard 
2442.1 adds more detail providing that the liquid can either be drained 
or stored for later removal. Section 3.4 of AS/NZS Standard 2442.1, 
``Exhaust,'' also provides the following exhaust conditions for 
installation, which DOE notes are very similar to those provided in EN 
Standard 61121, and provides conditions to cover all possible dryer 
configurations:

    ``3.4.3 Dryers with optional exhaust duct--Where a dryer is 
designed to operate with an optional exhaust duct, the dryer shall 
be tested without the duct fitted, in accordance with the 
manufacturer's instructions for operating without a duct.''
    ``3.4.4 Dryers without exhaust duct--Where a dryer is designed 
solely to operate without an exhaust duct, the test shall be carried 
out in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer.''

    Similar to EN Standard 61121, AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 provides that 
for condensing clothes dryers, as applicable, the volume of supply 
water consumed be recorded at the end of the test cycle. The test 
procedure also provides a calculation of the water consumption per test 
cycle (used to reach the specified final RMC).
    DOE also considered comments that Whirlpool submitted as part of 
the residential clothes dryer and room air conditioner energy 
conservation standards rulemaking, providing amendments to the DOE test 
procedure for clothes dryers to include methods for the testing of 
condensing dryers.\31\ These suggested amendments were largely based 
upon EN Standard 61121. Whirlpool stated that section 1 of the DOE test 
procedure for clothes dryers must incorporate definitions of an 
``exhausted dryer,'' ``non-exhausted dryer,'' and a ``condensing 
dryer.'' Whirlpool suggested the following definitions:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ Whirlpool, 2007. ``U.S Department of Energy Test Procedure 
Change for Condensing Clothes Dryers.'' September 4, 2007. Docket 
No. EE-2007-BT-STD-0010, Comment Number 13.

    ``An exhausted Dryer has a blower system which is intended to 
deliver the heated, moist air from the Drum cavity into a duct 
system external to the Dryer and this duct system is exhausted into 
the outdoors.''
    ``A non-exhausted Dryer is intended to be used without an 
external duct system and has no provision to connect to such a duct 
system.''
    ``A condensing Dryer is a non-exhausted tumble Dryer in which 
the air used for the drying process is dehumidified by using room 
ambient air for cooling. The blower system used for circulating room 
ambient air is independent of the heated moist air from the Drum 
cavity.''
    (Whirlpool, STD No. 13 at p. 20).

    Whirlpool also stated that section 2.1 of the DOE test procedure 
for clothes dryers must be updated to include non-exhausted dryers. 
Whirlpool proposed that ``[w]here the tumble Dryer is defined as a non-
exhausted Dryer and is intended for use without a duct [t]he tumble 
Dryer shall be tested as supplied without a duct,'' and that ``[w]here 
the tumble Dryer is defined as an exhausted Dryer and is intended for 
use with a duct [t]he Dryer exhaust shall be

[[Page 37623]]

restricted by adding the AHAM exhaust simulator described in 3.3.5 of 
[AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009].'' Id.
    With regard to the pre-conditioning cycle in section 2.8 of the DOE 
test procedure for clothes dryers, Whirlpool proposed that, in order to 
align with the European energy procedure, the DOE test procedure should 
incorporate the following condensing dryer pre-conditioning cycle: 
``For condensing Dryers, the Dryer steady state temperature must be 
equal to ambient room temperature according to 2.2 before the start of 
all test runs. Note: this can be done by leaving the machine at ambient 
room conditions for at least (12) hours between tests but not more than 
(36) hours between tests.'' Id. at 21. In addition, Whirlpool stated 
that in order to align with the European energy procedure and for 
consistency in results, the DOE test procedure should incorporate the 
following condenser dryer test procedure steps:

    ``If the manufacturer gives the option to use a condensing 
tumble Dryer both with or without condensation box, the Dryer shall 
be tested with the condensation box.''
    ``If the Dryer is automatically stopped during a cycle and the 
reason is that the condensation box is full of water, the test is 
stopped, and the run is invalid.''
    ``During the time between two cycles, the door of the tumble 
Dryer shall be closed except for loading.''
    ``The first cycle after a period of non-operation longer than 
(36) hours shall not be used for evaluation.''
    ``Results from the first test run on an unused (dry) condensing 
Dryer are invalid and cannot be used for the energy efficiency 
calculations.''
    ``The Condenser unit of the Dryer must remain in place and not 
be taken out of the Dryer for any reason between tests.''
    Id. at 22.

    After review of the definitions detailed in EN Standard 61121 
(section 3), AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 (section 1.4), and Whirlpool's 
proposed amendments to the DOE test procedure, DOE concludes that the 
definitions of ``conventional clothes dryer'' and ``condensing clothes 
dryer'' proposed in the LG Petition for Waiver are essentially the same 
as the definitions discussed above from the international test 
standards. Therefore, DOE proposes to define ``conventional clothes 
dryer'' as ``a clothes dryer that exhausts the evaporated moisture from 
the cabinet,'' and ``vent-less clothes dryer'' as ``a clothes dryer 
that uses a closed-loop system with an internal condenser to remove the 
evaporated moisture from the heated air. The moist air is not 
discharged from the cabinet.'' DOE is proposing to use the term ``vent-
less'' to reflect the actual consumer utility (i.e. no external vent 
required) instead of ``condensing'' because of the possibilty of market 
availability of vented dryers that also condense. DOE invites comment 
on these proposed definitions.
    After evaluating the installation conditions detailed in EN 
Standard 61121 (section 6.1), AS/NZS Standard 2442.1 (section 3.4), and 
Whirlpool's proposed amendments to the DOE test procedure, DOE believes 
that the proposed amendments regarding the exhaust duct installation 
requirements in DOE's publication of the LG Petition for Waiver are 
appropriate for testing vent-less dryers, along with additional 
clarifications. DOE notes that the exhaust duct installation conditions 
proposed in the LG Petition for Waiver simply remove the requirement of 
installing an exhaust simulator for a clothes dryer without an exhaust 
duct (vent-less dryer). The international test standards, detailed 
above, similarly require that a clothes dryer without an exhaust duct 
be tested as such, but also provide additional conditions for a clothes 
dryer with an optional exhaust duct, stating that such a dryer should 
be tested without the duct installed. DOE believes these installation 
conditions provide additional clarity and cover all possible clothes 
dryer configurations as well as provide harmonization with 
international test standards. Therefore, DOE proposes in today's notice 
to amend section 2.1 of the DOE test procedure for clothes dryers, 
which covers installation conditions, to qualify the requirement for an 
exhaust simulator so that it would only apply to conventional clothes 
dryers, with additional clarification that vent-less clothes dryers be 
tested without the exhaust simulator installed and, if a dryer is 
designed to operate with an optional exhaust duct, the dryer shall be 
tested without the duct installed.
    DOE also believes that the provisions in EN Standard 61121 
regarding a condensation box provides additional clarity in an effort 
to cover all possible vent-less dryer configurations. For this reason, 
DOE is proposing to revise section 2.1, ``Installation,'' of the DOE 
test procedure for clothes dryers to add the requirement in the 
installation conditions that ``if a manufacturer gives the option to 
use a vent-less dryer with or without a condensation box, the dryer 
shall be tested with the condensation box installed.'' In addition, DOE 
proposes to amend the testing cycle measurement in section 3.3 of the 
DOE test procedure for clothes dryers to add that ``if the dryer 
automatically stops during a cycle and the reason is that the 
condensation box is full of water, the test is stopped, and the test 
run is invalid.'' This requirement would ensure consistency of the 
measured efficiency.
    Also regarding installation conditions, DOE believes that 
Whirlpool's proposal to add a requirement that the condenser unit of 
the dryer must remain in place and not be taken out of the dryer for 
any reason between tests would provide additional clarification to the 
test procedure and ensure that all manufacturers are testing products 
under the same conditions. For this reason, DOE proposes in today's 
SNOPR to add in section 2.1 of the DOE clothes dryer test procedure 
regarding installation the provision that ``the condenser unit of the 
dryer must remain in place and not be taken out of the dryer for any 
reason between tests.'' DOE invites comment on the proposed amendments 
regarding installation conditions, including exhaust configuration, 
condensation box, and condenser unit requirements.
    DOE believes that the methodology in the current DOE test procedure 
for conventional (vented) dryers can be applied to vent-less dryers, 
with a number of added clarifications. Based upon starting test 
conditions detailed in EN Standard 61121 (section 9.1) and Whirlpool's 
proposed amendments, DOE agrees that section 2.8 of 10 CFR 430 subpart 
B appendix D will likely need to be revised to provide a consistent and 
repeatable approach for vent-less clothes dryers. Currently, this 
section, which addresses clothes dryer preconditioning, requires that 
before any test cycle is initiated, the clothes dryer must be operated 
without a test load in the non-heat mode for 15 minutes or until the 
discharge air temperature varies less than 1 [deg]F during a period of 
10 minutes, whichever is longer. Because a vent-less clothes dryer does 
not have discharge air for which the temperature can be measured, DOE 
proposes to revise this section to require that, for vent-less clothes 
dryers, the steady-state temperature must be equal to ambient room 
temperature according to section 2.2 of appendix D before the start of 
all test runs, with a note that this can be done by leaving the machine 
at ambient room conditions for at least 12 hours but not more than 36 
hours between tests. DOE also proposes to revise section 2.8, ``Test 
loads,'' of the DOE clothes dryer test procedure to add a qualification 
to the procedure for pre-conditioning that it applies only to vented 
clothes dryers.
    DOE agrees with the provisions in section 9.2.2 of EN Standard 
61121 and Whirlpool's proposed amendments that specify that the first 
cycle after a period of non-operation longer than 36 hours

[[Page 37624]]

shall not be used for evaluation, and that, between test cycles, the 
door of the tumble dryer shall be closed except for loading (and 
unloading). DOE notes that this would make the first test run on an 
unused (dry) condensing dryer invalid and could not be used for the 
energy efficiency calculations. DOE believes these provisions will 
maintain a clear and repeatable testing procedure and produce accurate 
and representative results. Therefore, DOE proposes in today's notice 
to incorporate these provisions into section 3.3 of the DOE clothes 
dryer test procedure. DOE welcomes comment on these provisions as well 
as data comparing test results allowing longer or shorter than 36 hours 
of non-operation to evaluate the repeatability of test results.
    DOE notes that section 9.2.1 of EN Standard 61121 requires that at 
least five valid test cycles be performed and the results averaged. 
DOE's clothes dryer test procedure does not specify multiple test 
cycles to obtain the representative EF, and DOE is not aware of data 
suggesting that test-to-test variation is sufficient to warrant a 
requirement for more than one test cycle. Therefore, DOE is not 
proposing amendments addressing the number of valid test cycles. DOE 
welcomes input and data on this issue.
    DOE also investigated the water consumption of vent-less clothes 
dryers. Based upon its review of products on the U.S. market, DOE is 
unaware of any vent-less electric compact (240V) condensing dryers 
which use water in a heat exchanger to condense moisture in the air 
exiting the drum; instead, available units use an air-to-air heat 
exchanger. DOE's review also showed that only vent-less combination 
washer/dryers use water to condense moisture in the air exiting the 
drum for products on the market in the United States. As part of its 
energy testing of clothes dryers conducted at an independent 
laboratory, DOE measured the water consumed by a vent-less combination 
washer/dryer according to the DOE clothes dryer test procedure (without 
the use of the exhaust simulator). The test procedure was conducted 
three times, and the combination washer/dryer consumed on average 3.25 
gallons (27.1 lb) of cold water, with a range of 2.83 gallons to 3.95 
gallons. Although this water consumption is not insignificant, 
combination washer/dryers represent a very small niche of the U.S. 
clothes dryer market and, therefore, DOE believes that the benefit of 
measuring water use for vent-less dryers is outweighed by the burden 
that would be placed on manufacturers to measure water consumption. For 
this reason, DOE is not proposing amend the DOE test procedure to 
include a requirement to measure the water consumption for vent-less 
condensing clothes dryers. DOE welcomes comment and data on the water 
consumption of vent-less clothes dryers and whether measurement of 
water consumption should be included in the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure.
    DOE believes the results from DOE's tests at an independent 
laboratory are representative of the repeatability of results that 
would be observed using the testing procedures proposed in today's 
SNOPR. Although DOE's tests were conducted using the alternate test 
procedure in the LG Petition for Waiver, DOE believes that the 
additional clarifications proposed in today's SNOPR would not 
significantly affect these testing results. Therefore, DOE believes 
that the amendments to the test procedure to for vent-less clothes 
dryers proposed in today's notice would produce accurate and repeatable 
measurements of CEF.
    The proposed amendments for vent-less clothes dryers would cover 
products which are not covered under the current DOE test procedure. 
For this reason, the proposed amendments in today's SNOPR for vent-less 
clothes dryers would not affect the existing EF ratings of residential 
clothes dryers. Therefore, no change to the current clothes dryer 
energy conservation standards would be required. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e))
4. Detergent Specifications for Clothes Dryer Test Procedure 
Preconditioning
    Section 2.6.3 of the current DOE clothes dryer test procedure 
specifies that the test cloth be preconditioned by performing a 10-
minute wash cycle in a standard clothes washer using AHAM Standard Test 
Detergent IIA. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix D, section 2.6.3. 
This detergent is obsolete and no longer supplied by AHAM or other 
suppliers. The current AHAM standard detergent is identified as AHAM 
standard test detergent Formula 3. Because AHAM Standard detergent IIA 
is no longer available to manufacturers, DOE proposes to amend section 
2.6.3 of the clothes dryer test procedure to specify the use of AHAM 
standard test detergent Formula 3 in test cloth preconditioning.
    Clothes washer tests that DOE conducted with AHAM standard test 
detergent Formula 3 suggest that the dosage that is specified in 
section 2.6.3(2) of the DOE clothes dryer test procedure for AHAM 
Standard detergent IIA--6.0 grams (g) per gallon of water--may no 
longer be appropriate, because at the end of clothes washer test cloth 
preconditioning, which specifies the same dosage, undissolved clumps of 
detergent were observed in the cloth load. Further, DOE conducted 
extractor tests that indicate that detergent dosage impacts RMC 
measurements by as much as several percent.
    AHAM's clothes dryer test standard, AHAM HLD-1-2009, specifies a 
standard test detergent Formula 3 dosage of 27 g + 4.0 g/lb of base 
test load for test cloth pre-treatment. For DOE's clothes dryer test 
cloth preconditioning, the current test procedure specifies that 
clothes washer water fill level be set to the maximum level, regardless 
of test load size. In today's notice, DOE is proposing to amend the 
test load size for standard-size clothes dryers to 8.45 lb .085 lb (see section III.C.5.c.), which would result in a 
detergent dosage for AHAM standard test detergent Formula 3 of 60.8 g. 
DOE believes that the detergent concentration should be set by the 
pounds of test cloth in this standard-size test load because this load 
is more closely matched to the maximum water fill level than is the 
compact-size test load (3.0 lb .03 lb.) For preconditioning 
a compact-size test load, DOE proposes that the same detergent dosage 
would be specified because the water fill level would remain the same 
as for the larger load, resulting in the same concentration of the 
water/detergent mixture. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix D, 
revised section 2.6.3.
    Due to the observed problems associated with the current dosage 
specification in the DOE clothes dryer test procedure, DOE is 
tentatively proposing in today's notice to amend section 2.6.3 of the 
clothes dryer test procedure to require 60.8 g of AHAM standard test 
detergent Formula 3 for test cloth preconditioning, but is also seeking 
further information on the appropriate detergent concentration.
    DOE is unaware of any data indicating that changes to the detergent 
specifications for test cloth preconditioning would affect the measured 
efficiency. DOE believes that the proposed amendments in today's SNOPR 
changing the detergent specifications for test cloth preconditioning 
would not affect the EF rating of residential clothes dryers and would 
not require revision of the existing energy conservation standards for 
these products. However, DOE welcomes data showing the effects of 
changing the detergent specifications for test cloth preconditioning on 
the measured EF for clothes dryers.

[[Page 37625]]

5. Changes To Reflect Current Usage Patterns and Capabilities
a. Clothes Dryer Number of Annual Cycles
    As noted above, DOE established its test procedure for residential 
clothes dryers in a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 
19, 1981. 46 FR 27324. Although DOE has updated its test procedure for 
residential clothes washers since that time,\32\ it has not updated its 
residential clothes dryer test procedure since it was first established 
in 1981. In the revised residential clothes washer test procedure, the 
average number of annual use cycles was revised to reflect current (at 
the time) consumer use patterns. DOE noted in the October 2007 
Framework Document that the average number of dryer use cycles assumed 
in the revised clothes washer test procedure is inconsistent with the 
use cycles in the clothes dryer test procedure. (Framework Document, 
STD No. 1 at p. 4)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ See 62 FR 45484 (Aug. 27, 1997); 68 FR 62198 (Oct. 31, 
2003).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the case of the average residential clothes washer annual use 
cycles, DOE published a final rule on August 27, 1997, amending the DOE 
clothes washer test procedure to lower the annual clothes washer use 
cycles from 416 to 392 cycles per year, a value that DOE determined to 
be more representative of current usage patterns. 62 FR 45484. Further, 
the revised DOE clothes washer test procedure assumes that 84 percent 
of all clothes washer loads are dried in clothes dryers. Thus, based 
upon the parameters in the current residential clothes washer test 
procedure, the annual usage pattern for clothes dryers is calculated to 
be 329 cycles per year. In contrast, the current DOE residential 
clothes dryer test procedure assumes an average annual clothes dryer 
use of 416 cycles per year, which is 21 percent higher than the number 
of cycles per year derived from the current clothes washer test 
procedure. DOE notes that the number of annual cycles does not factor 
into the EF calculation except in the case of gas clothes dryers with 
standing pilots (which DOE determined are no longer available on the 
market), nor is the number of annual cycles used in the life-cycle cost 
(LCC), national energy savings (NES), or national impact analysis (NIA) 
calculations, which instead use consumer survey data. DOE sought 
comment on this issue in the October 2007 Framework Document. 
(Framework Document, STD No. 1 at p. 5)
    In response to the October 2007 Framework Document, AHAM stated 
that it supports changing the clothes dryer test procedure to decrease 
the use cycles from 416 to 329 cycles per year, as proposed by DOE, 
based on usage patterns for residential washers. (AHAM, STD No. 8 at 
p.1) CEE also supported decreasing the number of use cycles to be more 
consistent with the clothes washer test procedure. CEE noted that in 
the amendments to the DOE test procedure for clothes washers in 1997, 
the clothes dryer utilization factor (i.e., percentage of clothes 
washer loads dried in clothes dryers) was set to 84 percent. However, 
CEE was unsure whether 392 (the number of annual clothes washer cycles) 
or 329 (84 percent of 392) is the correct number of clothes dryer 
cycles, and recommended that DOE re-examine the clothes dryer 
utilization factor. (CEE, STD No. 10 at p. 1) EEI stated that the test 
procedure should have fewer use cycles based on the EIA's RECS data and 
demographic projections. (EEI, STD No. 5 at p. 2)
    Whirlpool commented that 392 annual clothes washer cycles are 
generally accepted as valid. However, Whirlpool stated that the value 
of 84 percent of washer loads being machined dried is high. Whirlpool 
cited data from Procter & Gamble indicating that consumers average 5.72 
loads per week, or 297 annually, and that line drying and blocking are 
a common alternative to machine drying. Whirlpool also stated that 
other surveys suggest that annual laundry loads are closer to 343 than 
392, which, if the 84 percent were applied, would result in 288 dryer 
loads annually. However, Whirlpool concluded that the annual number of 
cycles should be 298 (equaling 76 percent of the 392 clothes washer 
loads). (Whirlpool, STD No. 7 at p. 2)
    The Joint Comment stated that DOE should request manufacturers to 
verify that the ratio of dryer cycles to washer cycles is 84 percent. 
The Joint Comment commented that DOE should establish the number of 
clothes dryer cycles independent of washer cycles because some laundry 
is washed but not dried in a dryer, while some clothes dryer loads have 
not been washed. The Joint Comment also noted that many recently 
manufactured clothes dryers have software that logs the number of 
cycles, and manufacturers could provide cycle count data for clothes 
dryers with at least 1 full year of operation (to account for month-to-
month variations). The Joint Comment stated that another potential data 
source DOE should check is the California Measurement Advisory Council 
(CALMAC), which documents appliance energy use in California. (Joint 
Comment, STD No. 9 at pp. 10-11)
    For these reasons, DOE determined to review available data and 
investigate the number of annual clothes dryer use cycles in order to 
amend its test procedure to accurately reflect current consumer usage 
habits. DOE reviewed the 2004 California Statewide Residential 
Appliance Saturation Study (RASS), which surveyed appliance product 
usage patterns, including clothes dryers.\33\ The study surveyed 7,686 
households between 2002 and 2003, asking the question ``how many loads 
of clothes do you dry in your clothes dryer during a typical week?'' 
For the 6,790 of these households that said they owned a clothes dryer, 
average usage was 4.69 loads per week, or approximately 244 loads per 
year. However, because this study provides only a limited dataset, DOE 
does not intend to rely only on this data to determine an appropriate 
number of annual use cycles for the clothes dryer test procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \33\ For more information visit: http://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/rass/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE also reviewed data from the 2005 RECS to determine the annual 
usage of clothes dryers. RECS is a national sample survey of housing 
units that collects statistical information on the consumption of and 
expenditures for energy in housing units along with data on energy-
related characteristics of the housing units and occupants. RECS 
provides enough information to establish the type (i.e., product class) 
of clothes dryer used in each household, the age of the product, and an 
estimate of the household's annual energy consumption attributable to 
clothes dryers. DOE estimated the number of clothes dryer cycles per 
year for each sample home using data given by RECS on the number of 
laundry loads (clothes washer cycles) washed per week and the frequency 
of clothes dryer use. Based on its analysis of RECS data, DOE estimated 
the dryer usage factor (the percentage of washer loads dried in a 
clothes dryer) to be 91 percent and the calculated average usage to be 
283 cycles per year for all product classes of clothes dryers. DOE also 
notes that the RECS data shows a historical decreasing trend for the 
number of clothes washer and clothes dryer cycles. Because this dataset 
is more extensive than that of the RASS, DOE believes these numbers are 
more representative of annual usage patterns. Therefore, DOE is 
proposing to amend the number of annual use cycles in its test 
procedure to 283 cycles for all product classes of clothes dryers.

[[Page 37626]]

    The proposed amendments for the number of annual use cycles only 
affect the equations for the per-cycle gas energy consumption of a 
continuously burning pilot light in gas dryers, which factors into EF, 
and the estimated annual operating cost for all clothes dryers. DOE is 
not aware of any gas dryers currently available on the market that 
incorporate a continuously burning pilot light. For this reason, DOE 
believes the proposed amendments in today's SNOPR to change the number 
of clothes dryer annual use cycles would not affect the EF rating of 
residential clothes dryers and would not require revision of the 
existing energy conservation standards for these products.
b. Clothes Dryer Initial Remaining Moisture Content
    In the revised residential clothes washer test procedure, a new 
parameter, the RMC of the test cloth, was introduced. The RMC is the 
ratio of the weight of water contained by the test load at the 
completion of the clothes washer energy test cycle to the bone-dry 
weight of the test load, expressed as a percent. Correspondingly, the 
initial RMC of a clothes load being dried is a function of RMC at the 
end of a clothes washer cycle. The current DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure specifies an initial RMC of 70  3.5 percent. As 
was explained above for the average number of use cycles per year, the 
RMC of typical clothes loads in the residential clothes washer test 
procedure should be consistent with values defined in the clothes dryer 
test procedure. However, DOE believes that the initial RMC in the 
clothes dryer test procedure may not reflect typical RMCs of actual 
clothes dryer loads.
    DOE notes that the revision to the clothes washer test procedure 
changed the clothes washer energy conservation standards metric to a 
modified energy factor (MEF), which established a method for crediting 
the performance of clothes washers that lower the RMC and, thereby, 
reduce clothes drying energy use. Since the clothes dryer test 
procedure was established in 1981 (46 FR 27324, May 19, 1981), average 
clothes washer RMC has decreased due to the introduction of higher 
efficiency models with higher final spin speeds. Therefore, while 
clothes dryer energy use has decreased with the lower RMC, clothes 
washer energy use has increased somewhat to achieve the higher spin 
speeds. This energy use is accounted for in the residential clothes 
washer energy conservation standards rulemaking, and the net national 
annual energy use for clothes washers and clothes dryers combined is 
expected to decrease as average RMC is reduced. During the course of 
the standards rulemaking for clothes washers that culminated in a final 
rule published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2001, DOE 
estimated RMCs at specific efficiency levels. 66 FR 3314. For the 
residential clothes washer standard which became effective January 1, 
2007 (1.26 MEF), DOE estimated a weighted-average RMC of 56 percent.
    As discussed in section I, the EF for clothes dryers is determined 
by measuring the total energy required to dry a standard test load of 
laundry to a ``bone dry'' state. If today's clothes dryer loads have 
initial RMCs that are lower than the nominal 70 percent specified in 
the existing DOE clothes dryer test procedure, revisions to the test 
procedure to reflect more realistic (i.e., lower) RMCs would result in 
the current EF rating increasing for a given clothes dryer, since the 
clothes dryer would have less water to remove.
    AHAM commented in response to the October 2007 Framework Document 
that an RMC of 56 percent is realistic, and added that it will collect 
additional information to validate this estimate. (AHAM, STD No. 8 at 
p. 1.) Whirlpool stated that the weighted-average RMC from clothes 
washers that it sells in North America is approximately 56 percent and 
that a revised test procedure should use this value. (Whirlpool, STD 
No. 7 at pp. 1-2.) CEE, EEI, and ALS also support revising the clothes 
dryer test procedure to account for lower RMC. (CEE, STD No. 10 at p. 
1; EEI, STD No. 5 at p. 2; ALS, STD No. 6 at p. 1) CEE added that the 
lower average RMC is likely due to recent improvements in clothes 
washers, particularly the entrance of horizontal-axis washers with high 
spin speeds and significantly reduced RMC. (CEE, STD No. 10 at p. 1.)
    The Joint Comment also commented that a lower RMC for the clothes 
dryer test procedure is justified. The Joint Comment referenced CEC 
data for the relationship between residential clothes washer MEF and 
RMC, which shows that models just meeting current energy conservation 
standards have an average RMC of 55 percent. The Joint Comment also 
noted that a regression fit through the entire CEC data set shows a 
residential clothes washer with an MEF of 0.817 (which approximates 
pre-2001 standards) would have an estimated RMC of 72 percent, which is 
comparable to the value in the existing test procedure. (Joint Comment, 
STD No. 9 at pp. 12-13.)
    DOE agrees that a review of the residential clothes washer models 
in the CEC database suggests that the average RMC is less than the 
nominal 70 percent which is currently provided in the DOE clothes dryer 
test procedure. Therefore, DOE considered amendments to the clothes 
dryer test procedure to address RMC.
    As part of the preliminary analyses for the residential clothes 
dryers energy conservation standards rulemaking, DOE estimated the RMC 
of clothes washers using a distribution of values for models listed in 
the December 12, 2008, CEC product database. For products for which the 
RMC was listed, the RMC values ranged from 30 percent to 61 percent, 
with an average of 46 percent.
    As part of the October 2007 Framework Document, DOE requested data 
from AHAM showing the shipments of residential clothes washers for 
which RMC was reported, along with shipment-weighted RMC (See Table 
0.7). These data sets, each including disaggregated data for front-
loading and top-loading clothes washers, as well as reported overall 
values for all units, provide insight into what initial clothes dryer 
RMC would be most representative of current residential clothes 
washers. However, as noted above, AHAM indicated that the data contains 
only shipments for which the RMC was reported and thus the total will 
not be equal to actual shipments reported for 2000-2008. The data 
indicate that RMC has been decreasing consistently, from about 54 
percent in 2000 to 47 percent in 2008, and suggest that the initial RMC 
of nominally 70 percent in the DOE clothes dryer test procedure is 
greater than the current shipment-weighted residential clothes washer 
average RMC.

[[Page 37627]]



                    Table 0.7--AHAM Shipment-Weighted Clothes Washer RMC Data Submittal \34\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Clothes washer shipments for which         Shipment-weighted RMC (%)
                                               RMC was reported           --------------------------------------
               Year                ---------------------------------------
                                       Front-                                 Front-    Top-loading     Total
                                      loading    Top-loading     Total       loading
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000..............................      232,714      686,440      919,154         43.6         57.4         53.9
2001..............................      235,989      473,629      709,618         41.3         57.7         52.2
2002..............................      280,667      529,265      809,932         41.5         58.1         52.3
2003..............................      351,411    1,676,877    2,028,288         43.1         54.5         52.5
2004..............................    1,179,813    5,270,285    6,450,098         42.2         52.8         50.9
2005..............................    1,563,108    5,394,511    6,957,619         40.8         52.7         50.1
2006..............................    1,851,218    5,628,279    7,479,497         39.3         51.4         48.4
2007..............................    1,973,825    5,371,142    7,344,967         38.3         51.4         47.8
2008..............................    2,043,024    4,492,059    6,535,083         38.1         51.0         47.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on the shipment-weighted RMC data submitted by AHAM and DOE's 
own review of the CEC residential clothes washer database, DOE believes 
that an initial RMC of 47 percent is representative of current 
residential clothes dryer initial test load characteristics. Therefore, 
DOE is proposing in today's notice to amend section 2.7, ``Test 
loads,'' of the clothes dryer test procedure to require that the 
initial RMC be changed from 70  3.5 percent to 47 percent. 
DOE is not proposing to allow the  3.5 percent range in RMC 
because the proposed amendments to the DOE clothes dryer test procedure 
for automatic cycle termination, detailed in section III.C.2, would 
require that the test load be initially prepared to between 42- and 47-
percent RMC, and that final adjustments be made to the RMC to achieve 
47-percent  0.33-percent RMC, in order to account for over-
drying energy consumption.
    Alternatively, if DOE, in the final rule, does not adopt the 
proposed amendments in today's SNOPR for testing automatic cycle 
termination, presented in section III.C.2, but adopts only these 
aforementioned proposed amendments to change the initial RMC, DOE 
proposes to specify an initial RMC of 47  3.5 percent. In 
that case, the tolerance of  3.5 percent on the nominal 
initial RMC, as currently specified in DOE's test procedure, would 
allow the same flexibility in test cloth preparation as is currently 
allowed. If DOE, in the final rule, does adopt the proposed amendments 
to account for automatic cycle termination, then the tolerance of 
 3.5 percent for the initial RMC would not be necessary. 
DOE welcomes comment on and additional data regarding the 
representative initial RMC for current dryer test loads.
    DOE also notes that the current test procedure contains a provision 
in the calculation of per-cycle energy consumption that is intended to 
normalize EF by the reduction in RMC over the course of the drying 
cycle. A scaling factor of 66 is applied, which is representative of 
the percentage change from the nominal initial RMC of 70 percent to the 
nominal ending RMC of 4 percent. However, DOE notes that the proposed 
changes to account for automatic cycle termination, as presented above 
in section III.C.2, would require amending the calculations for the 
per-cycle energy consumption to remove the need for this scaling 
factor. Therefore, DOE is not proposing to amend the scaling factor in 
today's SNOPR. Alternatively, if DOE, in the final rule, does not adopt 
the proposed amendments in today's SNOPR for testing automatic cycle 
termination, presented in section III.C.2, but adopts only these 
aforementioned proposed amendments to change the initial RMC, DOE 
proposes to change the scaling factor to 43 to reflect a starting RMC 
of 47 percent. If DOE, in the final rule, does adopt the proposed 
amendments to account for automatic cycle termination, then changes to 
the scaling factor would not  be necessary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ AHAM, 2009. AHAM Weighted RMC for Front Load and Top Load 
Units, 2000-2008--DOE Clothes Dryer Rulemaking, Secondary Data 
Request. July 7, 2009. Docket No. EE-2007-BT-STD-0010, Comment 
Number 18
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As noted above in section I, 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. In 
determining the amended energy conservation standard, the Secretary 
shall measure, pursuant to the amended test procedure, the energy 
efficiency, energy use, or water use of a representative sample of 
covered products that minimally comply with the existing standard. The 
average of such energy efficiency, energy use, or water use levels 
determined under the amended test procedure shall constitute the 
amended energy conservation standard for the applicable covered 
products. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(2))
    As part of the October 2007 Framework Document, DOE requested data 
from AHAM to help evaluate the effect of a lower initial RMC on 
measured EF for clothes dryers which minimally comply with existing 
energy conservation standards. Table 0.8 lists and Figure 0.3 
illustrates the data AHAM provided for the change in measured EF that 
was observed when initial RMC was reduced from nominally 70 percent to 
nominally 56 percent. When the scaling factor in the calculation of 
per-cycle energy consumption, described above, was changed to 52--
reflecting a change in RMC during the test cycle from an initial 56 
percent to a final 4 percent--measured EF increased by an average of 22 
percent in AHAM's test sample of 11 baseline clothes dryers. Under 
these conditions, the average EF increased from 3.09 to 3.77 lb per 
kWh. When this scaling factor was left as 66 as currently provided for 
in the DOE test procedure, measured EF decreased by an average of 4 
percent when initial RMC was reduced as described. In this case, 
average EF decreased from 3.09 to 2.97 lb per kWh.

[[Page 37628]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP29JN10.017


           Table 0.8--AHAM Data Submittal for the Impact of Initial RMC on Clothes Dryer Energy Factor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Initial RMC (%)                                         Baseline Model EF
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    (Using Existing
                              Test                                   Target       Actual    Scaling Factor = 66)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1a..............................................................  ...........           70                   3.1
2a..............................................................  ...........        70.08                  3.08
3a..............................................................  ...........        70.08                  2.99
4a..............................................................  ...........        70.24                  3.11
5a..............................................................  ...........        70.33                  3.08
6a..............................................................           70        70.17                  3.07
7a..............................................................  ...........         69.7                  3.07
8a..............................................................  ...........         71.6                  3.27
9a..............................................................  ...........         70.5                  3.03
10a.............................................................  ...........         70.9                  3.13
11a.............................................................  ...........           70                  3.04
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
                                                                       Baseline Model EF      Baseline Model EF
                  Test                       Target       Actual         (Using Revised        (Using Existing
                                                                      Scaling Factor = 52)  Scaling Factor = 66)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1b......................................  ...........         56                      3.77                  2.97
2b......................................  ...........         55.99                   3.73                  2.94
3b......................................  ...........         55.99                   3.85                  3.03
4b......................................  ...........         55.99                   3.74                  2.95
5b......................................  ...........         58.43                   3.73                  2.94
6b......................................           56         58.58                   3.8                   2.99
7b......................................  ...........         58.58                   3.82                  3.01
8b......................................  ...........         55.4                    3.8                   2.99
9b......................................  ...........         55.8                    3.78                  2.98
10b.....................................  ...........         55.7                    3.83                  3.02
11b.....................................  ...........         56                      3.59                  2.83
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 37629]]

    In order to supplement the data provided by AHAM, DOE conducted 
similar tests subsequent to the October 2007 Framework Document for one 
representative vented electric standard, vented electric compact (240 
V), vented gas, and vent-less electric compact (240 V) clothes dryer in 
its test sample. DOE tested each of these units according to the 
current DOE clothes dryer test procedure, but changing the initial RMC 
from 70 percent  3.5 percent to 56 percent  1 
percent and 39 percent  1 percent in order to evaluate the 
effects of lowering the initial RMC. DOE did not test an initial RMC of 
47 percent because, at the time of testing, the shipment-weighted RMC 
data indicating 47 percent was representative of laundry loads after 
the residential clothes washer cycle was not yet available to DOE. 
Therefore, DOE selected a wider range of initial RMC values for 
testing, such that effects of changing the initial RMC to a value in 
between the tested values could be interpolated from the testing 
results. DOE selected models that minimally complied with energy 
conservation standards for clothes dryers, except for the one vent-less 
model (since vent-less clothes dryers are not currently subject to 
energy conservation standards.) DOE selected a vent-less unit with an 
EF it considered a baseline for evaluating efficiencies of vent-less 
products.
    Table 0.9 shows the measured EF for each of the clothes dryers DOE 
tested at 70-percent, 56-percent, and 39-percent initial RMC, and the 
percentage change in EF for the reduced initial RMC compared to the 70-
percent initial RMC required by the current DOE test procedure. DOE 
notes that the scaling factor in the calculations of per-cycle energy 
consumption was adjusted to 52 and 35 (from 66) for the initial RMCs of 
56 percent and 39 percent, respectively, in order to represent the 
nominal change in percent from the initial RMC to the final RMC, as 
discussed above. The results from DOE testing indicate that, on 
average, measured EF increases by about 23 percent and 70 percent when 
the initial RMC is changed to 56 percent and 39 percent, respectively. 
DOE notes that the results showing a 23-percent increase in EF for the 
56-percent initial RMC tests are in close agreement with AHAM's test 
results, which shows a 22-percent increase in measured EF.

                           Table 0.9--DOE Test Results Evaluating Reduced Initial RMC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   70% RMC             56% RMC                   39% RMC
                  Product Class                 ----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      EF           EF        % Change        EF        % Change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vented Electric Standard.......................         3.09         3.86         25.0         5.39         74.6
Vented Electric Compact (240 V)................         3.06         3.69         20.6         5.02         63.8
Vented Gas.....................................         2.81         3.43         21.9         4.79         70.5
Vent-less Electric Compact (240 V).............         2.37         2.99         26.1         4.09         72.5
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Average....................................  ...........  ...........         23.4  ...........         70.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Plotting these test data reveals a non-linear trend in EF as a 
function of initial RMC, as seen in Figure III.4. DOE explored using a 
polynomial trend to fit the datasets in order to develop an estimate 
for the percentage change in EF resulting from changing the initial RMC 
to 47 percent, as proposed in today's SNOPR. Using the polynomial 
trends, an initial RMC of 47 percent would be predicted to increase 
measured EF by approximately 47 percent on average, as shown in Table 
0.10.

[[Page 37630]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP29JN10.018


 Table 0.10--Calculated Energy Factor Using Polynomial Trend Fits of the
                              DOE Test Data
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Calculated EF at    % Change from 70%
          Product class             47% initial RMC       initial RMC
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vented Electric Standard........                4.63                49.8
Vented Electric Compact (240 V).                4.37                42.8
Vented Gas......................                4.04                43.5
Vent-less Electric Compact (240                 3.58                51.2
 V).............................
                                 ---------------------------------------
    Average.....................  ..................                46.9
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After this analysis was complete, DOE conducted testing of three 
identical maximum-available gas clothes dryers as part of its energy 
conservation standards rulemaking preliminary analyses for clothes 
dryers. These tests investigated the measured EF for this model 
according to the current DOE test procedure with an initial RMC of 70 
percent  3.5 percent. In order to supplement the test 
procedure analysis discussed above, DOE subsequently conducted further 
testing on one of these maximum-available gas clothes dryers to 
evaluate the effects on EF of changing the initial RMC. DOE tested the 
unit according to the current DOE clothes dryer test procedure at 
reduced initial RMCs of 56 percent  3.5 percent and 47 
percent  3.5 percent. For each initial RMC, DOE conducted 
three tests for the test unit to determine if the results were 
repeatable. Table 0.11 below shows the results from this testing, which 
indicate that, on average, measured EF increases by about 24 percent 
and 41 percent when the initial RMC is reduced to 56 percent and 47 
percent, respectively. DOE notes that the results showing a 24-percent 
increase in EF for the 56-percent initial RMC tests are in close 
agreement with the AHAM data submittal and previous DOE test results.

      Table 0.11--DOE Test Results Evaluating Reduced Initial RMC Using Maximum-Available Gas Clothes Dryer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   70% RMC             56% RMC                   47% RMC
                    Test run                    ----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      EF           EF        % change        EF        % change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1..............................................         2.81         3.51         24.3         3.87         37.1
2..............................................         2.82         3.52         24.6         4.04         43.2
3..............................................         2.83         3.50         23.9         4.00         41.7
Average........................................         2.82         3.51         24.3         3.97         40.6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 37631]]

    Based on its testing, DOE believes that a 41-percent increase in EF 
resulting from switching from 70-percent to 47-percent initial RMC for 
a minimally compliant clothes dryer is representative. For this reason, 
DOE believes that the current energy conservation standards in terms of 
EF for vented clothes dryer product classes would need to be increased 
by 41 percent, based upon the proposed amendments to change the initial 
RMC from 70 percent  3.5 percent to 47 percent  
3.5 percent. DOE would consider addressing this change in the 
concurrent energy conservation standards rulemaking for residential 
clothes dryers, for which a final rule is scheduled for publication by 
June 30, 2011.
c. Clothes Dryer Test Load Weight
    The current DOE clothes dryer test procedure requires a 7.00 lb 
 .07 lb test load for standard-size dryers and a 3.00 lb 
 .03 lb test load for compact-size dryers. The Joint 
Comment stated in response to the October 2007 Framework Document that 
DOE should determine whether the average test load weight for standard-
capacity dryers is consistent with the current generation of washer 
capacities. The Joint Comment noted that, according to AHAM data, the 
average tub volume of washers has been increasing for a number of 
years. The Joint Comment indicated that between 1981, when the dryer 
testing protocol was established, to 2004, the average washer tub 
volume increased by more than 20 percent (2.52 cubic feet (ft\3\) to 
3.05 ft\3\). The Joint Comment also pointed out that, in the current 
DOE clothes washer test procedure, the maximum test load weight of a 
2.52 ft\3\ machine is 10.5 lb, while the maximum test load weight of a 
3.05 ft\3\ machine is 12.5 lb. The Joint Comment stated that if the 
ratio of the maximum test load weights were applied to the test load 
weight in the clothes dryer test procedure, this would imply that the 
current 7-lb test load weight should be adjusted upward by about 20 
percent to 8.3 lb. The Joint Comment added that DOE should request that 
manufacturers provide field data to document whether the current test 
load weight for standard-capacity dryers should be adjusted upward to 
account for the increased capacity of residential clothes washers. The 
Joint Comment also stated that DOE should interview detergent 
manufacturers since they are among the most knowledgeable parties in 
the laundry industry. Because the size of the load affects proper 
detergent dosing, the Joint Comment stated that detergent manufacturers 
are likely to have data on current load weights. (Joint Comment, STD 
No. 9 at pp. 11-12)
    DOE contacted detergent manufacturers to obtain data on average 
residential clothes washer load sizes. Procter and Gamble (P&G) 
conducted an internal study in 2003 on household laundry habits on a 
representative set of the population across the United States, from 
which P&G provided select summary data to DOE for this rulemaking. The 
clothes washer load weight data, which was based on a sample size of 
3367 loads of laundry from a total of 510 respondents, showed that the 
average load size for top-loading and front-loading clothes washers was 
7.2 lb and 8.4 lb, respectively. (P&G, No. 15 at p. 1) Based on the 
average shipment-weighted market share for top-loading and front-
loading clothes washers between 2000 and 2008 from data submitted by 
AHAM (shown in Table 0.7), the shipment-weighted average clothes washer 
load size would be approximately 7.5 lbs. However, DOE recognizes that 
clothes washer capacities were likely to have increased since the 
survey was conducted in 2003, and therefore DOE continued its analysis 
to factor in these capacity changes to estimate a more current average 
load size.
    Table 0.12 shows the trends of the shipment-weighted average tub 
volume for residential clothes washers from 1981 to 2008, based on data 
from the AHAM Trends in Energy Efficiency 2008. The shipment-weighted 
average tub volume has increased from 2.52 ft\3\ in 1981 to 3.22 ft\3\ 
in 2008.

  Table 0.12--Residential Clothes Washer Shipment-Weighted Average Tub
                           Volume Trends \35\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Shipment-weighted
                  Year                   average tub volume    % change
                                               (ft\3\)        since 1990
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981...................................                2.52  ...........
1990...................................                2.63  ...........
1991...................................                2.72          3.4
1992...................................                2.71          3.0
1993...................................                2.71          3.0
1994...................................                2.69          2.3
1995...................................                2.72          3.4
1996...................................                2.80          6.5
1997...................................                2.83          7.6
1998...................................                2.85          8.4
1999...................................                2.89          9.9
2000...................................                2.92         11.0
2001...................................                2.96         12.5
2002...................................                2.96         12.5
2003...................................                3.01         14.4
2004...................................                3.05         16.0
2005...................................                3.08         17.2
2006...................................                3.13         19.2
2007...................................                3.16         20.3
2008...................................                3.22         22.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Section 2.7, ``Test Load Sizes,'' in the DOE clothes washer test 
procedure provides the minimum, maximum, and average test load size 
requirements for the clothes washer test, which is determined based on 
the clothes container capacity. Table 0.13 shows the minimum, maximum, 
and average test load sizes for 2.52 ft\3\ and 3.22 ft\3\ container 
capacities, determined according to Table 5.1 in the DOE clothes washer 
test procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \35\ Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Trends in 
Energy Efficiency 2008. Available at: http://www.aham.org/ht/d/Store.

                           Table 0.13--DOE Clothes Washer Test Load Size Requirements
                                [Table 5.1 of 10 CFR 430 Subpart B, Appendix J1]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Minimum load      Maximum load      Average load
                 Container volume (ft\3\)                         (lb)              (lb)              (lb)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>=2.50 to <2.60...........................................              3.00             10.50              6.75
>=3.20 to <3.30...........................................              3.00             13.30              8.15
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 37632]]

    DOE notes that the average load size in the clothes washer test 
procedure increases by about 21 percent with the associated increase in 
capacity, which DOE believes proportionally impacts clothes dryer load 
sizes. Applying this ratio of average clothes washer test load sizes to 
the clothes dryer test load size would result in an increase from 7.00 
lb to 8.45 lb for standard-size dryers. For these reasons, DOE is 
proposing to amend the clothes dryer test load size to 8.45 lb for 
standard-size dryers. 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix D, revised 
section 2.7.2. DOE is proposing to amend the test load size based on 
the change in average load size for clothes washers rather than the 
maximum load size because data from RECS 2005 indicates that not all 
clothes that are washed are machine dried. Therefore, DOE believes that 
average clothes washer load size would be more representative of 
clothes dryer load size. DOE is also proposing to maintain the 1-
percent tolerance in load sizes specified by the current DOE test 
procedure for both standard-size dryers (8.45 lb  .085 lb).
    DOE believes most compact clothes dryers are used in conjunction 
with compact-size clothes washers, and DOE does not have any 
information to suggest that the tub volume of such clothes washers has 
changed significantly. Therefore, DOE is not proposing to change the 3-
lb test load size currently specified in the test procedure for compact 
clothes dryers. DOE welcomes data on the historical trends of compact-
size clothes washer average tub volumes or any other data that would 
suggest a change in the clothes dryer test load size for compact 
clothes dryers.
    As noted previously, EF for clothes dryers is the bone-dry test 
load weight divided by the clothes dryer energy consumption per cycle. 
DOE notes that the proposed amendments to the test load size would 
increase both the bone-dry test load weight and the energy consumption 
per cycle. For example, for a test in which the nominal RMC of the test 
load is reduced from an initial 70 percent to a final 4 percent, an 
8.45-lb test load would require about 5.6 lb of water to be removed 
during the drying cycle, whereas a 7-lb test load would require only 
4.6 lb of water to be removed. DOE also notes that, as lower nominal 
RMCs are reached at the end of the test cycle, the rate and efficiency 
of water removal from the load would be higher for the larger test load 
simply because there would be more water in the load, hence making it 
easier to remove.
    In order to determine a quantifiable estimate of the change in the 
measured EF, DOE reviewed research and investigations of the effects of 
changing the load size on the measured efficiency. The National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted testing to 
investigate the effects of changing the clothes dryer load size on the 
measured efficiency for a vented electric standard clothes dryer with a 
capacity of 6.3 ft3.\36\ NIST tested the clothes dryer 
according to the DOE clothes dryer test procedure, except the test load 
size was varied from 2 lb to 15 lb. Table 0.14 presents the results of 
the NIST testing, which shows an increase in EF when increasing the 
load size within the range of interest (i.e., from 7 lb to 9 lb).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \36\ J. Y. Kao. 1999. Energy Test Results of a Conventional 
Clothes Dryer and a Condensing Clothes Dryer. International 
Appliance Technical Conference, 49th. Proceedings. May 4-6, 
Columbus, OH, pp. 11-21, 1998.

                                     Table 0.14--NIST Vented Electric Standard Clothes Dryer Variable Test Load Data
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Test number                             1           2           3           4           5           6           7           8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Room Temperature, [deg]F................................      74.1        74.4        73.8        73.3        73.8        74.1        74.4        74.4
Room Humidity, %........................................      40          38          38          33          42          38          40          36
Nominal Bone-Dry Weight, lb.............................       2           3           5           7           9          11          13          15
Measured Bone-Dry Test Load Weight, lb..................       1.99        2.99        4.99        7.00        8.99       10.98       13.01       15.01
Measured Dry Test Load Weight, lb.......................       2.05        3.06        5.17        7.99        9.11       11.56       13.57       15.71
Measured Wet Test Load Weight, lb.......................       3.40        5.10        8.50       11.89       15.34       18.98       22.04       25.56
Measured Energy Consumption, kWh........................       0.953       1.159       1.593       2.112       2.667       3.250       3.796       4.384
Initial RMC, %..........................................      70.30       70.67       70.52       69.99       70.67       72.81       69.35       70.34
Final RMC, %............................................       2.84        2.48        3.73        2.88        1.28        5.27        4.29        4.67
Per-Cycle Energy Consumption, kWh.......................       0.970       1.167       1.637       2.160       2.638       3.303       4.005       4.582
EF, lb/kWh..............................................       2.06        2.56        3.04        3.24        3.41        3.33        3.25        3.27
Percentage Change in EF Compared to 7-lb Test, %........     -36.6       -20.9        -6.0         0.0         5.2         2.7         0.3         1.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE estimated the percentage change in EF for an 8.45-lb test load 
by linearly interpolating the results for the 7-lb and 9-lb tests. 
Using this method, the EF would increase by about 3.8 percent when 
increasing the test load size from 7 lb to 8.45 lb. DOE believes that 
this percentage change in EF can be applied to all vented standard-size 
clothes dryer product classes because it believes the moisture removal 
mechanisms are comparable among them. For these reasons, DOE believes 
that the current energy conservation standards in terms of EF for 
vented standard-size clothes dryer product classes would need to be 
increased by 3.8 percent, based upon the proposed amendments to 
increase the test load size to 8.45  .085 lb for standard-
size dryers. DOE would consider addressing this change in the 
concurrent energy conservation standards rulemaking for residential 
clothes dryers, for which a final rule is scheduled for publication by 
June 30, 2011. DOE welcomes comment and data on current clothes dryer 
test load sizes and additional data showing the effects of changing the 
clothes dryer test load size on the measured EF for both standard-size 
and compact-size clothes dryers.
d. Room Air Conditioner Annual Operating Hours
    The DOE test procedure currently assumes room air conditioners have 
an average annual use of 750 hours. DOE's technical support document 
from September 1997, issued in support of the most recent room air 
conditioner energy conservation standards

[[Page 37633]]

rulemaking, shows that the average annual operational hours are closer 
to 500 hours,\37\ which would yield approximately 33-percent lower 
annual energy consumption than the annual energy consumption determined 
using the 750 operational hours assumed in the current test procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \37\ U.S. Department of Energy, Technical Support Document for 
Energy Conservation Standards for Room Air Conditioners. September 
1997. Chapter 1, section 1.5. http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/room_ac.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    AHAM commented in response to the October 2007 Framework Document 
that the room air conditioner test procedure should be changed to 
account for fewer annual operating hours. (AHAM, STD No. 8 at p. 2.) 
The Joint Comment stated that DOE should update the room air 
conditioner test procedure for annual operating hours to reflect the 
best available information and to seek justification other than 
manufacturer assertions. The Joint Comment suggested checking the New 
York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) or the 
New York Department of Public Service, which have considerable 
ratepayer investments in changing out room air conditioners for more 
efficient models, and analysis to support this program may include data 
on hours of operation. (Joint Comment, STD No. 9 at p. 8) CEE also 
believes that DOE should research the number of annual hours of usage 
and does not believe that the hours have declined from 750 to 500. CEE 
believes the number of annual hours is higher, citing a study by the 
Northwest Power & Planning Council's Regional Technical Forum, which is 
claimed to represent a low usage area, which found the average annual 
operating hours to be 628. (CEE, STD No. 10 at p. 2.)
    DOE recognizes the uncertainty regarding room air conditioner usage 
patterns, and determined to investigate the annual hours of usage from 
a range of information sources to develop as accurate an estimate of 
annual operating hours as possible. DOE's investigation revealed a lack 
of metered and survey data for the operating hours of individual room 
air conditioners. DOE found that estimates of the annual operating 
hours of use were often based on regional climatic data rather than 
actual room air conditioner use. DOE did find two sources of survey 
data on room air conditioner use in the EIA's 2005 RECS (and previous 
versions) and the CEC California Statewide RASS. The CEC survey 
contained only aggregated residential data, which limited any analysis 
pertaining to the annual operating hours. Its regional scope also 
limited the relevance of the data. EIA's 2005 RECS provides extensive 
data on individual residences, while providing a more expansive and 
representative sample of households. Thus, DOE continued its analysis 
using EIA's 2005 RECS.
    DOE reviewed data from the EIA's 2005 RECS to determine the annual 
usage of room air conditioners. As noted above, RECS is a national 
sample survey of housing units that collects statistical information on 
the consumption of and expenditures for energy in housing units along 
with data on energy-related characteristics of the housing units and 
occupants. RECS provides enough information to establish the type 
(i.e., product class) of room air conditioner used in each household, 
the age of the product, and also provides an estimate of the 
household's annual energy consumption attributable to the room air 
conditioner. As a result, DOE was able to develop a household sample 
for the annual hours of use of a room air conditioner, which was used 
to calculate a weighted national average of room air conditioner usage 
hours. The data in the 2005 RECS indicates that the estimated room air 
conditioner average annual usage is 810 hours. This number of hours is 
higher than the current 750 hours of the test procedure, and 
significantly higher than the approximately 500 hours suggested by the 
previous energy conservation standard rulemaking analysis.
    An investigation of the 2005 cooling season covered by RECS 
indicates that there were roughly 12-percent more cooling degree days 
(CDD) in 2005 than the 30-year 1971 to 2000 average. CDD is a sum of 
the difference between ambient temperature in [deg]F and 65 [deg]F for 
every hour of the year that the ambient temperature is higher than 65 
[deg]F for a given location, divided by 24 to convert from hours to 
days; DOE used data on CDD from the National Solar Radiation Database 
(NSRDB).\38\ The Annual Energy Outlook projections of CDD for the 
future suggest that the higher level of CDD will continue.\39\ Hence, 
the year 2005 can be considered representative of future climate, and 
the predictions of annual hours based on the 2005 RECS is relevant 
within a certain level of uncertainty. However, DOE does not consider 
the increase of 60 hours from 750 hours to 810 hours to be significant, 
because it does not exceed the uncertainty level associated with the 
RECS-based approach for estimation of this value. Hence, DOE is not 
proposing a change at this time in the annual operating hours used in 
the test procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \38\ National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Solar 
Radiation Database 1991-2005 Update: User's Manual, 2007. Available 
online at: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy07osti/41364.pdf.
    \39\ Energy Information Administration, 2006 State Energy 
Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates (SEDS), 2006. 
Washington, DC. Available online at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/_seds.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

e. Room Air Conditioner Part-Load Performance
    DOE noted in the October 2007 Framework Document that the current 
DOE room air conditioner test procedure measures full-load performance, 
and is not able to assess energy savings associated with technologies 
which improve part-load performance. AHAM commented that the room air 
conditioner test procedure should not include part-load performance or 
seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) ratings, stating that these are 
not realistic or applicable to room air conditioners. According to 
AHAM, room air conditioners are a commodity item with a compressor that 
operates only in on/off mode, and that consumers historically have not 
been willing to pay for part-load performance options. (AHAM, STD No. 8 
at p. 2; AHAM, Public Meeting Transcript, STD No. 4.6 at p. 24.) CEE 
commented that peak-load performance is of greater significance for 
room air conditioners than part-load performance. CEE recommended a 
two-part reporting requirement based on both EER and SEER. CEE stated 
that including part-load operation in the test procedure would have 
more relevance for milder climates. (CEE, STD No. 10 at p. 2.) NRDC 
commented that if just one energy-use metric is used, it should be EER, 
since peak-load performance is most important for room air 
conditioners, and because it is difficult to develop a SEER test 
procedure that accurately reflects real-world performance. However, 
NRDC recommended the use of two energy-use metrics--one for peak-load 
performance and one for part-load performance. (NRDC, Public Meeting 
Transcript, STD No. 4.6 at pp. 25-26.) ACEEE commented that a SEER 
rating is not appropriate for room air conditioners due to their impact 
on utility peak demand. (ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, STD No. 4.6 
at p. 25.) Finally, the Joint Comment stated that there is no 
compelling reason to change from an EER rating, and that if a SEER 
rating is considered, it should be used in addition to EER. (Joint 
Comment, STD No. 9 at p. 8.)
    DOE has concluded that widespread use of part-load technology in 
room air conditioners would probably not be stimulated by the 
development of a part-

[[Page 37634]]

load metric, and, hence, the significant effort of development of an 
accurate part-load metric is not likely to be warranted by the expected 
minimal energy savings. A part-load metric would measure efficiency of 
a product when operating at conditions other than maximum capacity and/
or with outdoor or indoor conditions cooler than currently used in the 
DOE active mode energy test. In-field use of room air conditioners with 
currently available technologies, when enough cooling is provided to 
the space, any number of events can occur to prevent over-cooling: the 
user may turn off the unit or adjust fan speed; or the controls might 
turn off the compressor, turn off both the compressor and the fan, or 
reduce fan speed. Delivery of cooling might be done more efficiently 
with part-load technologies, such as a compressor that can adjust its 
capacity rather than cycling on and off. However, sufficient 
information is not available regarding use of room air conditioner 
features to assess whether such alternative technologies would be cost 
effective. While a part-load metric would be a different measurement, 
it still measures the efficiency of the product's delivery of cooling. 
The key design changes that improve full-load efficiency also improve 
part-load efficiency, so the existing EER metric is already a strong 
indication of product efficiency over a wide range of conditions. DOE 
concludes that the argument to develop an additional test for part 
load, or to change the room air conditioner metric to a part-load test, 
is not supported by available information. Also, because any part-load 
performance metric would address the same major function (cooling) as 
EER, DOE cannot consider a two-part performance metric including a 
part-load performance metric (42 U.S.C 6295 (o)(5)). Therefore, DOE 
does not plan to consider amendments to its room air conditioner test 
procedure to measure part-load performance.
f. Room Air Conditioner Ambient Test Conditions
    DOE also considered whether the ambient test conditions in its test 
procedure for room air conditioners are representative of typical 
installations. The Joint Comment recommended increasing the ambient 
temperature of the DOE energy test procedure from 95 [deg]F to 115 
[deg]F, stating that room air conditioners are generally operated when 
the outdoor temperatures are the highest, and that they are often 
located on the south or west side of residences where the sun can shine 
on them during operation. (Joint Comment, STD No. 9 at p. 9.) DOE did 
not receive further information to support the specification of the 
higher temperature, and, therefore, is not considering an amendment to 
the ambient test conditions specified in the room air conditioner test 
procedure at this time. DOE welcomes comment and data indicating 
representative ambient test conditions for room air conditioners, and 
how changes to the ambient test conditions would affect the measured 
efficiency, in particular on units that minimally comply with current 
energy conservation standards.
6. Room Air Conditioner Referenced Test Procedures
    The room air conditioner test procedure cites two test standards 
that are each at least 25 years old: (1) ANS Z234.1-1972 and (2) ASHRAE 
Standard 16-69. Both the ANS (since renamed ANSI) and ASHRAE standards 
have been updated since DOE last revised its room air conditioner test 
procedure. The current standards are ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 and ANSI/
ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009), respectively. Because it is likely 
that any manufacturer rating it products is using the most recent test 
standards, DOE suggested in the October 2007 Framework Document to 
consider updating its test procedure to incorporate by reference the 
most recent test standards. DOE sought comment on such a test procedure 
revision.
    AHAM and EEI both commented in response to the October 2007 
Framework Document that the room air conditioner test procedure should 
be amended to reference the most recent ANSI and ASHRAE test standards. 
(AHAM, STD No. 8 at p. 2; EEI, STD No. 5 at p. 2.)
    Based on these comments on the October 2007 Framework Document, DOE 
reviewed the differences between the test standards currently 
referenced by the DOE test procedure and the latest versions of these 
standards in order to determine if amendments to reference the latest 
ANSI and ASHRAE test standards are appropriate. DOE notes that the 
sections that would be referenced in ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 by the DOE 
test procedure do not introduce any new changes in the measurement of 
cooling capacity or power input. DOE also notes that the sections that 
would be referenced in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) by the 
DOE test procedure would introduce changes to the determination of 
capacity, four new temperature measurements, and changes to the test 
tolerances. DOE further notes that the referenced section numbers from 
the old and current test standards are identical. The following 
discussion details the differences between the test standards.
    ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 includes references to ``the latest editions 
of ASHRAE Standard 16'' and ``ASHRAE Standard 58''\40\ while ANS 
Z234.1-1972 cites ASHRAE Standard 16-1969. ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 also 
revised the wording of the ``Nameplate'' and ``Voltages for Standard 
Measurement Test'' requirements in section 5 of ANS Z234.1-1972, and 
included differences in rounding converted Celsius temperatures in the 
tolerances listed in section 4 of ANS Z234.1-1972. However, these 
changes do not measurably alter the measured efficiency from the value 
that would be obtained using the existing DOE test procedure. ANSI/AHAM 
RAC-1-R2008 also specifies different heating capacity test conditions 
as compared to ANS Z234.1-1972. It increases the outdoor side 
temperature from 45 [deg]F to 47 [deg]F, and specifies a maximum wet-
bulb temperature of 60 [deg]F for the indoor side, whereas ANS Z234.1-
1972 has no such requirement for the maximum wet-bulb temperature. DOE 
notes that the changes to the heating capacity test conditions do not 
affect the measurement and calculation of cooling capacity and EER.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \40\ ASHRAE Standard 58, ``Method of Testing for Rating Room Air 
Conditioner and Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner Heating Capacity''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) requires reporting of four 
additional temperatures that are not explicitly specified in ASHRAE 
Standard 16-1969:

    1. ``Wet-bulb temperature of air leaving room side of air 
conditioner;''
    2. ``Dry-bulb [* * *] temperature of air surrounding inner 
compartments of balanced ambient calorimeter;''
    3. ``Wet-bulb temperature of air surrounding inner compartments 
of balanced ambient calorimeter;'' and
    4. ``Dry-bulb temperature of air surrounding calibrated room 
type calorimeter''

    The first additional temperature allows for flexibility in 
determining the condensate temperature measurement. The first 
additional temperature can be assumed the temperature of the 
condensate, since it is difficult to measure the temperature of the 
condensed moisture being transferred within the room air conditioner. 
This temperature is then used to calculate the ``enthalpy of condensed 
moisture leaving the room-side compartment,'' which is an input for the 
calculation of the cooling capacity. While ASHRAE Standard 16-1969 
mentions that the ``wet-bulb temperature of the air leaving the air 
conditioner'' may be used as the

[[Page 37635]]

temperature of the condensate, under the calculation of ``net total 
room-cooling effect,'' it does not include this temperature in Table 2, 
``Data to be recorded for cooling-capacity tests.'' ANSI/ASHRAE 
Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) adds this temperature to Table 2.
    The remaining temperatures measure the conditions outside of either 
the calibrated room-side calorimeter set-up or the balanced ambient 
calorimeter set-up, and assist in calculating the heat leakages in the 
capacity calculation. The ``dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures 
surrounding [the] balanced ambient calorimeter'' are mentioned in Table 
1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) as part of the rating 
conditions for the capacity test, but are not explicitly mentioned in 
Table 2. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) adds these temperature 
measurements and the ``dry-bulb temperature of air surrounding 
calibrated room type calorimeter,'' which is the equivalent temperature 
measurement for the calibrated room-type calorimeter introduced in 
section 4 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) to Table 2.
    ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) also adds requirements for 
periodic calibration of instruments and chambers to verify the accuracy 
of the instruments and the performance of the indoor room-side 
compartment. Section 6.1.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) 
states that ``the performance of the indoor room-side compartment'' 
should be verified according to industry standards ``at least every six 
months.'' Section 5.7 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) also 
adds the requirement to verify the accuracy of all instruments ``at 
least annually'' according to recognized standards. These requirements 
will add some burden to manufacturers but the low yearly occurrence 
will limit the overall burden, while ensuring the accuracy and 
repeatability of the test results.
    ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) also adjusts the tolerances 
on the wet-bulb and dry-bulb temperatures measurements used to support 
calculation of airflow, to 1 [deg]F from 0.5 [deg]F. These temperature 
measurements are used to determine the density of the air for 
calculating the room-side calorimeter airflow. The change in required 
tolerance for wet-bulb and dry-bulb air temperatures may have a slight 
impact due the possible introduction of additional error of about 0.1 
percent on the airflow measurements, but other measurement tolerances 
have a greater impact on the value of the airflow measurements. In 
particular, the differential pressure measurement tolerance of 0.005 
inches of water listed in section 5.3.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 
(RA 2009) can introduce a larger uncertainty to the airflow 
measurement, making the change in temperature tolerance negligible in 
comparison. Thus, the effect on the measured airflow due to the change 
in tolerances will be negligible.
    Section 4.2.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) ``provides 
a method for determining cooling capacity on the room side only,'' 
subject to restrictions, whereas ASHRAE Standard 16-1969 determines 
cooling capacity using both room-side and outdoor-side calorimetry. 
Section 4.2.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) also states, 
``the outdoor-side capacity, if measured, provides a confirming test of 
the cooling and dehumidifying effect.'' The room-side capacity 
measurement is made independently of the outdoor-side measurement, and, 
due to the additional calibration of the compartments detailed in 
Section 6.1.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009), provides an 
accurate and verifiable representation of the cooling capacity without 
the outdoor-side capacity determination.
    Section 6.1.3 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) also 
introduces a correction factor based on the test room condition's 
deviation from the standard barometric pressure of 29.92 inches (in.) 
of mercury (Hg) (101 kilopascal (kPa)). Section 6.1.3 of ANSI/ASHRAE 
Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009) states that the cooling capacity may be 
increased 0.8 percent for each in. Hg below 29.92 in. Hg (0.24 percent 
for each kPa below 101 kPa). This change would not impact the measured 
efficiency of units tested at standard testing conditions. The capacity 
correction factor provides manufacturers with more flexibility in the 
test room conditions while normalizing results to standard conditions.
    DOE further believes that additional changes in the methodology of 
the test procedure introduced by ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 
2009), such as the ability to use one calibrated calorimeter instead of 
two, will not measurably affect the measured EER and will provide 
greater flexibility in the measurement of room air conditioner 
parameters. Additional calibration of the instruments will have no 
effect on the measured efficiency, but will instead ensure accuracy and 
repeatability of testing results over time. The change in required 
tolerance for wet-bulb and dry-bulb air temperatures may have a slight 
impact on measured EER due the possible introduction of additional 
error of 0.1 percent on the airflow measurements, but other measurement 
tolerances already have a greater impact on the accuracy of the value 
of the airflow measurements. Therefore, DOE believes this effect will 
be negligible. DOE concludes that the updated test procedure would not 
have a measurable impact on the measured efficiency of current room air 
conditioners and units that complied with the energy conservation 
standards for room air conditioners according to the current test 
procedure are expected to be able to comply when tested according to 
the proposed test procedure.
    In sum, DOE has reviewed the most recent revisions of the 
referenced test standards, ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 and ANSI/ASHRAE 
Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009), and has determined that incorporation by 
reference of these versions provide more accurate and repeatable 
measurements of capacity while providing greater flexibility to 
manufacturers in selecting equipment and facilities, and does not add 
any significant testing burden. Furthermore, these revisions would not 
impact the measurement of EER for this equipment. DOE also believes 
that manufacturers may already be using these updated standards in 
their testing. Therefore, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR to amend 
the DOE test procedure to reference the relevant sections of ANSI/AHAM 
RAC-1-R2008 and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009).
    If DOE determines that the proposed amendments to reference the 
updated room air conditioner test standards ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 and 
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009), discussed above, are not 
appropriate for the DOE room air conditioner test procedure, DOE would 
propose to correct the text regarding the referenced room air 
conditioner test standards, as proposed in the December 2008 TP NOPR. 
The room air conditioner test procedure currently references ASHRAE 
Standard 16-69, ``Method of Testing for Rating Room Air Conditioners.'' 
The text in 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix F, section 1, however, 
incorrectly identifies ASHRAE as ``American Society of Heating, 
Refrigerating and Air Conditioning in Engineers.'' The actual name of 
the referenced organization is ``American Society of Heating, 
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.'' DOE proposed to correct 
this reference in 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix F, section 1 
(which is being redesignated as section 2 in the

[[Page 37636]]

proposed amendments) in the December 2008 TP NOPR. 73 FR 74639, 74650. 
DOE did not receive any comments opposing this correction. Therefore, 
DOE would continue to propose the above text corrections regarding the 
referenced room air conditioner test standard if it decides not to 
amend the DOE room air conditioner test procedure to reference ANSI/
AHAM RAC-1-R2008 and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009).
7. Clothes Dryer Referenced Test Procedure
    The DOE clothes dryer test procedure currently references the 
industry test standard AHAM Standard HLD-1-1974, ``AHAM Performance 
Evaluation Procedure for Household Tumble Type Clothes Dryers'' (AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-1974.) Specifically, the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure requires that the clothes dryer under test be restricted by 
adding the AHAM exhaust simulator described in section 3.3.5 of AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-1974. The AHAM test standard has been updated since DOE 
established its clothes dryer test procedure. The current standard is 
designated as AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009. Because it is likely that any 
manufacturer rating it products is using the most recent test standard, 
DOE considered potential amendments to its clothes dryer test procedure 
to reference AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009. DOE notes that section 3.3.5.1 
of AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009 regarding exhausting conditions provides 
the same requirements for the exhaust simulator as required by AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-1974. For this reason, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR 
to amend the DOE test procedure to reference AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009. 
Because the requirements for the exhaust simulator would be the same, 
DOE believes that the proposed amendments would not affect the EF 
rating of residential clothes dryers and would not require revisions of 
the existing energy conservation standards for these products.
    DOE also recognizes that the newly issued AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009 
allows for the optional use of a modified exhaust simulator, which is 
included as a more convenient option than the exhaust simulator 
originally specified for testing vented clothes dryers. The 
requirements for the modified exhaust simulator are presented in 
section 3.3.5.2 of AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009. The test standard notes 
that only limited testing has been done to compare results using the 
two exhaust simulators, and that users are invited to submit results 
and comments for both options. Because this modified exhaust simulator 
is new and limited data exists to compare the effects of using 
different exhaust simulators, DOE will continue to require the standard 
exhaust simulator currently referenced by the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure. However, DOE welcomes data from manufacturers comparing the 
effects of the two exhaust simulators on the drying efficiency using 
the DOE test procedure. DOE also welcomes comment on whether the test 
procedure should be amended to allow for the optional modified exhaust 
simulator.
    Section 1.8 in the ``Definitions'' section of the DOE clothes dryer 
test procedure also references an obsolete AHAM clothes dryer test 
standard, AHAM Standard HLD-2EC, ``Test Method for Measuring Energy 
Consumption of Household Tumble Type Clothes Dryers,'' December 1975. 
No provisions of this test standard are currently used in DOE's test 
procedure, and, therefore, DOE proposes to remove this reference. DOE 
welcomes comment on this proposal.
8. Technical Correction for the Per-Cycle Gas Dryer Continuously 
Burning Pilot Light Gas Energy Consumption
    The equation provided under section 4.4 (``Per-cycle gas dryer 
continuously burning pilot light gas energy consumption'') of the 
current DOE clothes dryer test procedure contains a technical error in 
the equation for calculation of the per-cycle gas dryer continuously 
burning pilot light gas energy consumption, Eup, in Btu's 
per cycle. Eup is the product of the following three 
factors: (A) The cubic feet of gas consumed by the gas pilot in hour; 
(B) the total number of hours per year the pilot is consuming gas while 
the dryer is not operating in active mode (8,760 total hours per year 
minus 140 hours per year the dryer operates in active mode) divided by 
the representative average number of clothes dryer cycles in a year 
(416); and (C) the corrected gas heat value. Part (B) of this equation 
is currently incorrect, reading (8760--140/416) and missing the 
appropriate parentheses. The equation should correctly subtract the 
total number of hours per year the pilot is consuming gas while the 
dryer is not operating in active mode from the number of hours per year 
the dryer operates in active mode, before dividing by the average 
number of dryer cycles in a year. The equation should read ((8760--
140)/416) to correctly calculate the per-cycle gas dryer continuously 
burning pilot light gas energy consumption. Therefore, DOE proposes in 
today's SNOPR to amend the equation, as discussed above, to correctly 
calculate the per-cycle gas dryer continuously burning pilot light gas 
energy consumption.
9. Clarification of Gas Supply Test Conditions for Gas Clothes Dryers
    Section 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.2.2 of the DOE clothes dryer test procedure 
specifies maintaining ``the gas supply to the clothes dryer at a normal 
inlet test pressure immediately ahead of all controls at'' 7 to 10 
inches of water column for natural gas or 11 to 13 inches of water 
column for propane gas. DOE believes that the references to ``normal 
inlet test pressure'' in sections 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.2.2 of its clothes 
dryer test procedure, which are provided to specify natural gas and 
propane supply pressure test conditions, respectively, may be confusing 
as to what is meant by the term ``normal.'' DOE believes that such 
language is not necessary because the gas supply pressure immediately 
ahead of all controls is explicitly stated as either 7 to 10 inches 
water column for natural gas or 11 to 13 inches of water column for 
propane gas. Therefore, DOE proposes to revise the test pressure 
conditions in sections 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.2.2 of the DOE clothes dryer 
test procedure to specify maintaining ``the gas supply to the clothes 
dryer immediately ahead of all controls at a pressure of '' 7 to 10 
inches of water column for natural gas and 11 to 13 inches of water 
column for propane gas.
    DOE also believes that the specifications for a gas pressure 
regulator in sections 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.2.2 of its clothes dryer test 
procedure should clarify that the outlet pressure for a dryer equipped 
with a pressure regulator for which the manufacturer specifies an 
outlet pressure, should be approximately that recommended by the 
manufacturer. DOE is proposing to make these minor revisions to the 
language in these sections to clarify the outlet pressure conditions 
for a dryer equipped with a gas pressure regulator.

D. Compliance With Other EPCA Requirements

1. Test Burden
    Section 323(b)(3) of EPCA requires that ``[a]ny test procedures 
prescribed or amended under this section shall 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 shall not 
be unduly burdensome to conduct.'' (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) DOE 
tentatively concluded in the December

[[Page 37637]]

2008 TP NOPR that amending the relevant DOE test procedures to 
incorporate clauses regarding test conditions and methods found in IEC 
Standard 62301 for measuring standby mode and off mode power 
consumption, along with the proposed clarifications and text 
corrections, would satisfy this requirement. 73 FR 74639, 74650 (Dec. 
9, 2008)
    For clothes dryers, AHAM supported the development of an empirical 
factor, with appropriate energy units, that might be added to the 
active energy-use measurements to account for the delay start and cycle 
finished features, thereby eliminating the need for separate 
measurements in these modes. AHAM added that, while assumptions would 
still be involved in development of this type of factor, it would ease 
the testing requirements and burden. (AHAM, TP No. 10 at p. 5) 
Whirlpool believes that this proposed regulation would not be 
burdensome, subject to the changes it suggested for the active, 
standby, and off mode definitions (as discussed in section III.B.2) and 
changes to the test procedure (as discussed in sections III.B.3 and 
III.B.4). (Whirlpool, TP No. 9 at p. 4) For the reasons discussed in 
section III.B.2, DOE is not proposing amendments to measure delay start 
and cycle finished modes in the clothes dryer test procedure in today's 
SNOPR, and is instead proposing simplified methodology in which the 
energy use associated with delay start and cycle finished modes, 
although determined to not be energy use in a standby mode, would be 
approximated by the energy in inactive and off modes. Therefore, DOE 
tentatively concludes that the proposed amendments to the clothes dryer 
test procedures for measuring standby and off modes adopted in today's 
SNOPR are not unduly burdensome.
    AHAM commented that DOE's proposed ambient temperature of 74 [deg]F 
for determining standby power for room air conditioners would 
substantially increase the test burden, both in terms of time and 
resources, resulting in higher testing costs. AHAM stated that 
laboratories would require another facility to run the standby test 
procedure due to the different ambient conditions. AHAM believes that 
standby power should be measured at the same temperature conditions 
used for determining active energy use of room air conditioners. (AHAM, 
TP No. 10 at p. 5) GE also commented that the smaller tolerances for 
ambient conditions, which are different from the conditions for cooling 
performance testing, represent a testing burden. (GE, Public Meeting 
Transcript, TP No. 8 at pp. 99-100) For the reasons noted in section 
III.B.3, DOE is proposing to provide manufacturers flexibility in 
setting the ambient conditions for standby mode and off mode testing. 
The proposed amendments to the room air conditioner test procedure in 
today's SNOPR specify maintaining the indoor test conditions at the 
temperature required by section 4.2 of IEC Standard 62301. Further, if 
the unit is tested in the cooling performance test chamber, the 
proposed amendments allow the manufacturer to maintain the outdoor test 
conditions either as specified for the DOE cooling test procedure or 
according to section 4.2 of IEC Standard 62301. DOE notes that the 
indoor temperature range for the cooling performance test falls within 
the temperature range allowed by IEC Standard 62301 and, along with the 
flexibility to the outdoor test conditions, would not require another 
facility to run the standby and off mode tests. In addition, DOE is not 
proposing amendments to the room air conditioner test procedure that 
would measure energy use in delay start or off-cycle modes as discussed 
in section III.B.2. For these reasons, DOE tentatively concludes that 
the test conditions proposed in today's SNOPR are not unduly 
burdensome, yet still produce representative standby mode and off mode 
energy consumption measurements.
    The proposed amendments to the DOE test procedure for clothes 
dryers to test automatic termination control dryers are based upon an 
international testing standard used to determine compliance with energy 
conservation standards for clothes dryers in Australia. A number of 
manufacturers that sell dryers in the United States also sell clothes 
dryers in Australia, and, therefore, likely already test clothes dryers 
according to this test standard. DOE believes that the proposed 
amendments would not require testing methods and equipment that are 
substantially different from the test methods and equipment in the 
current DOE test procedures and, therefore, would not require 
manufacturers to make a major investment in test facilities and new 
equipment.
    The proposed amendments to the DOE test procedure for residential 
clothes dryers to test vent-less clothes dryers are based on an 
international test standard used throughout the EU to determine 
compliance with energy conservation standards. A number of 
manufacturers that sell dryers in the United States also sell dryers in 
the EU, and, therefore, likely already test clothes dryers according to 
this test standard, which is very similar to the amended test procedure 
proposed in today's SNOPR. DOE believes that the proposed amendments 
would not require testing methods and equipment that are substantially 
different from the test methods and equipment in the current DOE 
clothes dryer test procedure.
    DOE's proposed amendments to the clothes dryer test procedure, to 
reflect current usage patterns and capabilities, do not substantially 
change the testing procedures and methods such that they would become 
burdensome to conduct. DOE's proposed amendments to change the number 
of annual use cycles affects only the calculations of the per-cycle 
continuously burning pilot light gas energy consumption and the 
estimated annual operating cost for gas clothes dryers with such 
pilots. The number of annual use cycles does not impact the testing 
procedures themselves. The proposed amendments to change the initial 
RMC from 70 percent to 47 percent are intended to reflect current 
clothes loads after a wash cycle. DOE believes that such a change would 
likely only require a moderately longer spin time during test load 
preparation to achieve the proper lower moisture content, and that it 
would not be unduly burdensome to conduct. Finally, the proposed 
amendment to change the test load size for standard-size clothes dryers 
from 7.00 lb  .07 lb to 8.45 lb  .085 lb, 
respectively, would not impact the testing procedures themselves, and 
would not require manufacturers to make any significant new investment 
in test facilities and equipment. DOE believes that these proposed 
amendments to the DOE clothes dryer test procedure would produce test 
results that measure energy use of clothes dryers during a 
representative average use cycle.
    The proposed amendments to update the references to external 
standards in the DOE room air conditioner test procedure are based on 
the availability of revised standards representing current industry 
practices and methods. The proposed amendments to reference ANSI/AHAM 
RAC-1-R2008 do not introduce any new changes in the measurement of 
cooling capacity or power input, while the proposed amendments to 
reference ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-69 would introduce four new 
temperature measurements, provide increased test tolerances, and allow 
additional flexibility in the methodology for measuring capacity. These 
proposed amendments would not require manufacturers to make any 
significant new investment in test facilities and equipment, nor 
require significant changes in the testing methodology.

[[Page 37638]]

    For the reasons noted above, DOE has tentatively concluded that the 
amendments to the active mode test procedures would produce 
representative test results for both residential clothes dryers and 
room air conditioners, and that testing under the test procedures would 
not be unduly burdensome to conduct. Therefore, as discussed in section 
III.C.6, DOE is proposing in today's SNOPR to amend the DOE test 
procedure to reference the relevant sections of ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 
and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009).\41\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \41\ The DOE test procedure amendments reference ANSI/AHAM RAC-
1-R2008 sections 4, 5, 6.1, and 6.5, and state that these provisions 
should be conducted in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 16-1983 
(RA 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Potential Incorporation of IEC Standard 62087
    Section 325(gg)(2)(A) of the EISA 2007 amendments to EPCA directs 
DOE to consider IEC Standard 62087 when amending test procedures to 
include standby mode and off mode power measurements. (42 U.S.C. 
6295(gg)(2)(A)) As discussed in section III.B.1 of this notice, DOE 
reviewed IEC Standard 62087 ``Methods of measurement for the power 
consumption of audio, video, and related equipment'' (Second Edition 
2008-09) and determined that it would not be applicable to measuring 
power consumption of electrical appliances such as clothes dryers and 
room air conditioners. Therefore, DOE has determined that referencing 
IEC Standard 62087 is not necessary for the proposed amendments to the 
test procedures that are the subject of this rulemaking.
3. Integration of Standby Mode and Off Mode Energy Consumption Into the 
Efficiency Metrics
    Section 325(gg)(2)(A) requires that standby mode and off mode 
energy consumption be ``integrated into the overall energy efficiency, 
energy consumption, or other energy descriptor for each covered 
product'' unless the current test procedures already fully account for 
the standby mode and off mode energy consumption or if such an 
integrated test procedure is technically infeasible. (42 U.S.C. 
6295(gg)(2)(A)) For clothes dryers, today's SNOPR does not affect DOE's 
proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR to incorporate the standby and 
off mode energy consumption into a ``per-cycle combined total energy 
consumption expressed in kilowatt-hours'' and into an CEF, as discussed 
in section III.B.5 of this notice. For room air conditioners, today's 
SNOPR does not affect DOE's proposal in the December 2008 TP NOPR to 
incorporate the standby and off mode energy consumption into a metric 
for ``combined annual energy consumption'' and into an CEER, as 
discussed in section III.B.5.

IV. Effects of Test Procedure Revisions on Compliance With Standards

    As noted in section I, DOE must determine to what extent, if any, 
the proposed test procedures would alter the measured energy efficiency 
of covered products as determined under the existing test procedures. 
If DOE determines that an amended test procedure would alter the 
measured efficiency of a covered product, DOE must amend the applicable 
energy conservation standard during the rulemaking carried out with 
respect to such test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(e))
    As noted above in section II, EPCA provides that amendments to the 
test procedures to include standby mode and off mode energy consumption 
will not determine compliance with previously established standards. 
(U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(C)) Because the proposed amended test procedures 
for standby mode and off mode energy consumption would not alter 
existing measures of energy consumption or efficiency, these proposed 
amendments would not affect a manufacturer's ability to demonstrate 
compliance with previously established standards.
    Based on DOE's review of the proposed amendments to the DOE clothes 
dryer active mode test procedure in today's SNOPR, DOE believes that 
only the revisions to the initial RMC, described in section III.C.5.b, 
and the changes to the standard-size dryer test load sizes, described 
in section III.C.5.c, would affect the measured EF as compared to the 
existing test procedure. Based upon DOE testing and analysis of 
minimally compliant clothes dryers and review of available research, 
DOE believes that the proposed amendments to the initial RMC would 
increase the measured EF of minimally compliant clothes dryers by 41 
percent, while the proposed amendments to the test load size for 
standard-size clothes dryers would increase the measured EF by 3.8 
percent. Because of the proposed amendments in today's SNOPR, the 
measured EF of minimally compliant clothes dryers would increase by 
about 41 percent for compact-size clothes dryers and about 46 percent 
for standard-size clothes dryers. Table 0.1 shows how the current 
energy conservation standards would be affected by the proposed 
amendments to the DOE clothes dryer test procedure. DOE will consider 
such changes in the concurrent energy conservation standards rulemaking 
for clothes dryers and room air conditioners.

Table 0.1--Energy Factor of a Minimally Compliant Clothes Dryer With the
               Current and Proposed Amended Test Procedure
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Energy factor (lb/kWh)
                                   -------------------------------------
           Product class               Current test     Proposed amended
                                        procedure        test procedure
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Electric, Standard (4.4 ft\3\                 3.01               4.39
 or greater capacity).............
2. Electric, Compact (120 v) (less               3.13               4.41
 than 4.4 ft\3\ capacity).........
3. Electric, Compact (240 v) (less               2.90               4.09
 than 4.4 ft\3\ capacity).........
4. Gas............................               2.67               3.90
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Because the proposed clothes dryer test procedure amendments for 
active mode would substantially change the existing EF metric, DOE has 
tentatively decided to create a new appendix D1 in 10 CFR 430 subpart B 
for informational purposes only. Such an appendix would contain a 
clothes dryer test procedure that manufacturers would be required to 
use on the mandatory compliance date of amended clothes dryer energy 
conservation standards. The final rule for the clothes dryer energy 
conservation standards rulemaking is due to be delivered to the Federal 
Register on June 30, 2011, and will have a compliance date 3 years 
later. Manufacturers must continue to use

[[Page 37639]]

appendix D to subpart B of part 430 for clothes dryers until the energy 
conservation standards at 10 CFR 430.32(h) are amended to require 
mandatory compliance using appendix D1.
    Because DOE's review of the proposed room air conditioner test 
procedure amendments tentatively concluded that the measured EER would 
not be affected, manufacturers must continue to use appendix F to 
measure room air conditioner active mode energy use. Manufacturers 
would not be required to use the proposed provisions for standby mode 
and off mode energy use (specifically, sections 2.2, 3.2, 4.2, and 5.3) 
until the mandatory compliance date of amended room air conditioner 
energy conservation standards.
    All representations related to standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption of both clothes dryers and room air conditioners made 180 
days after the date of publication of the test procedures final rule in 
the Federal Register and before the compliance date of amended energy 
conservation standards must be based upon the standby mode and off mode 
requirements of the amended test procedures (for clothes dryers, 
appendix D1 and for room air conditioners, amended appendix F.)

V. Procedural Requirements

A. Review Under Executive Order 12866

    Today's proposed regulatory action is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, 
Regulatory Planning and Review, 58 FR 51735 (Oct. 4, 1993). 
Accordingly, this proposed action was not subject to review under the 
Executive Order by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
(OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires 
preparation of an initial regulatory flexibility analysis for any rule 
that by law must be proposed for public comment, unless the agency 
certifies that the proposed rule, if promulgated, will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
As required by Executive Order 13272, ``Proper Consideration of Small 
Entities in Agency Rulemaking,'' 67 FR 53461 (Aug. 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 rulemaking process. 68 FR 7990. DOE's procedures 
and policies may be viewed on the Office of the General Counsel's Web 
site (http://www.gc.doe.gov).
    DOE reviewed today's SNOPR under the provisions of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act and the procedures and policies published on February 
19, 2003. This SNOPR prescribes amendments to test procedures that 
would be used to test compliance with energy conservation standards for 
the products that are the subject of this rulemaking; these amendments 
are described in detail elsewhere in the preamble. DOE tentatively 
certifies that this SNOPR would not have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The factual basis for this 
certification is as follows.
    The Small Business Administration (SBA) considers an entity to be a 
small business if, together with its affiliates, it employs less than a 
threshold number of workers specified in 13 CFR part 121. The 
thresholds set forth in these regulations are based on size standards 
and codes established by the North American Industry Classification 
System (NAICS).\42\ The threshold number for NAICS classification for 
335224, which applies to household laundry equipment manufacturers and 
includes clothes dryer manufacturers, is 1,000 employees. Additionally, 
the threshold number for NAICS classification for 335224, which applies 
to air conditioning and warm air heating equipment and commercial and 
industrial refrigeration equipment, is 750 employees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \42\ For more information visit: http://www.sba.gov/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Most of the manufacturers supplying clothes dryers and room air 
conditioners are large multinational corporations. As part of the 
energy conservation standards rulemaking for residential clothes dryers 
and room air conditioners, DOE requested comment on whether there are 
any manufacturer subgroups, including potential small businesses, that 
it should consider for its analyses. However, DOE did not receive any 
comments regarding whether there are any residential clothes dryer or 
room air conditioner manufacturers that would be considered small 
businesses. Searches of the SBA Web site \43\ to identify manufacturers 
within NAICS code 335224 that produce clothes dryers revealed only one 
potential small business that could be affected by these proposed test 
procedure amendments. DOE also investigated manufacturers registered as 
small businesses under NAICS codes 333415 for room air conditioners, 
and only one small business was identified that could be affected by 
these proposed test procedure amendments, out of approximately 10 
manufacturers supplying room air conditioners in the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \43\ A searchable database of certified small businesses is 
available online at: http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The amendments set forth in today's SNOPR for standby and off mode 
energy use to adopt definitions of modes based on the relevant 
provisions from IEC Standard 62301 CDV do not impose additional impacts 
beyond those discussed in the December 2008 TP NOPR to amend DOE's test 
procedures by incorporating testing provisions to address standby mode 
and off mode energy consumption. DOE tentatively concluded in the 
December 2008 TP NOPR that the proposed measures would not have a 
significant impact on either small or large manufacturers under the 
provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act for the reasons set forth 
below.
    The tests to measure standby and off mode can be conducted in the 
same facilities used for the current energy testing of these products, 
so there would be no additional facilities costs required by the 
proposed rule. The power meter required for these tests might require 
greater accuracy than the power meter used for current energy testing, 
but the investment required for a possible instrumentation upgrade 
would likely be relatively modest--on the order of two thousand dollars 
per power meter--for small manufacturers with lower market share that 
may require as few as one power meter because they have fewer units to 
test. This cost is small compared to the overall financial investment 
needed to undertake the business enterprise of testing consumer 
products which involves facilities, qualified staff, and specialized 
equipment.
    The duration of the standby and off mode testing is not expected to 
exceed the time required to conduct current energy testing. The 
proposed standby and off mode test could begin immediately following 
the active mode efficiency test and therefore, would not require 
additional set up, instrumentation, or waiting period. The testing 
official could run simultaneous tests on other units and simply record 
the results of the test at the end of the standby period. For these 
reasons, DOE believes that these requirements for equipment and time to 
conduct the additional tests would not be expected to impose a 
significant economic impact on affected small businesses.
    Accordingly, DOE stated that it did not believe that the proposed 
rule

[[Page 37640]]

would have a significant economic impact on entities subject to the 
applicable testing requirements. 73 FR 74639, 74651-52 (Dec. 9, 2008). 
DOE received no comments on this issue. Because DOE believes that the 
proposed amendments to address standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption in today's SNOPR would not impose additional impacts beyond 
those that would be imposed by the amendments proposed in the December 
2008 TP NOPR, DOE believes that the amendments in today's SNOPR 
regarding standby mode and off mode would not have a significant 
economic impact on the small entities subject to the applicable testing 
requirements.
    The proposed rule in today's SNOPR would also amend DOE's active 
mode test procedures for clothes dryers and room air conditioners by: 
(1) Providing a clothes dryer testing procedure to properly account for 
automatic cycle termination; (2) providing a clothes dryer testing 
procedure for vent-less clothes dryers; (3) revising the clothes dryer 
and room air conditioner test procedures to reflect current usage 
patterns and capabilities; and (4) incorporating references to current 
external test standards for room air conditioners and clothes dryers. 
These proposed amendments to the test procedures can be conducted in 
the same facilities used for the current energy testing of these 
products, and because all manufacturers of vent-less clothes dryers 
which DOE identified also produce vented clothes dryers, no new 
investments would be required for the proposed addition of vent-less 
clothes dryers as covered products. In addition, the test time and 
equipment required for the proposed testing of automatic cycle 
termination are comparable to those for the existing clothes dryer test 
procedure. Further, the proposed adjustments to load size and initial 
RMC would require relatively minor changes in test materials and 
extraction time, respectively, and other proposed amendments to reflect 
current usage patterns and capabilities are reflected in changes to the 
calculations, which do not have a time impact. The proposed amendments 
to reference the current external clothes dryer test standard would 
reference the same procedures and equipment as the test standard 
referenced by the existing DOE clothes dryer test procedure. Finally, 
DOE recognizes that the proposed amendments to reference the current 
external room air conditioner test standards would add requirements for 
additional calibration of test instruments (at least once every six 
months). DOE estimates that such calibration would cost on the order of 
1,000 to 1,500 dollars per year. Thus, such requirements for equipment 
and time to conduct the additional tests would not be expected to 
impose a significant economic impact. Accordingly, DOE does not believe 
that the proposed rule would have a significant economic impact on 
entities subject to the applicable testing requirements.
    For these reasons, DOE tentatively concludes and certifies that 
today's SNOPR would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, DOE has not prepared 
a regulatory flexibility analysis for this rulemaking. DOE will 
transmit the certification and supporting statement of factual basis to 
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the SBA for review under 5 U.S.C. 
605(b).

C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This rule contains a collection-of-information requirement subject 
to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) which has been approved by OMB 
under control number 1910-1400. Public reporting burden for compliance 
reporting for energy conservation standards is estimated to average 30 
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. 
Send comments regarding this burden estimate, or any other aspect of 
this data collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to 
DOE (see ADDRESSES) and by e-mail to [email protected].
    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number.

D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

    In this notice, DOE is proposing test procedure amendments that it 
expects would be used to develop and implement future energy 
conservation standards for clothes dryers and room air conditioners. 
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 rule amends an 
existing rule without changing its environmental effect, and, 
therefore, is covered by the Categorical Exclusion in 10 CFR part 1021, 
subpart D, paragraph A5, which applies because this rule would 
establish revisions to existing test procedures that would not affect 
the amount, quality, or distribution of energy usage, and, therefore, 
would not result in any environmental impacts. Accordingly, neither an 
environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is 
required.

E. Review Under Executive Order 13132

    Executive Order 13132, ``Federalism,'' imposes certain requirements 
on agencies formulating and implementing policies or regulations that 
preempt State law or that have Federalism implications. 64 FR 43255 
(Aug. 10, 1999). 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 that it will follow in 
developing such regulations. 65 FR 13735. DOE examined this proposed 
rule and determined that it would not preempt State law and 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)) Therefore, Executive Order 13132 requires no further 
action.

F. Review Under Executive Order 12988

    Regarding the review of existing regulations and the promulgation 
of new regulations, section 3(a) of Executive Order 12988, ``Civil 
Justice Reform,'' 61 FR 4729 (Feb. 7, 1996), imposes on Federal 
agencies the general duty to adhere to the following requirements: (1) 
Eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity; (2) write

[[Page 37641]]

regulations to minimize litigation; (3) provide a clear legal standard 
for affected conduct rather than a general standard; and (4) promote 
simplification and burden reduction. Section 3(b) of Executive Order 
12988 specifically requires that Executive agencies make every 
reasonable effort to ensure that the regulation specifies the 
following: (1) The preemptive effect, if any; (2) any effect on 
existing Federal law or regulation; (3) a clear legal standard for 
affected conduct while promoting simplification and burden reduction; 
(4) the retroactive effect, if any; (5) definitions of key terms; and 
(6) other important issues affecting clarity and general draftsmanship 
under any guidelines issued by the Attorney General. Section 3(c) of 
Executive Order 12988 requires Executive agencies to review regulations 
in light of applicable standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b) to determine 
whether they are met or whether it is unreasonable to meet one or more 
of them. DOE has completed the required review and determined that, to 
the extent permitted by law, this proposed rule meets the relevant 
standards of Executive Order 12988.

G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Pub. 
L. 104-4; 2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) requires each Federal agency to assess 
the effects of Federal regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal 
governments and the private sector. For a proposed regulatory action 
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 
estimates of the resulting costs, benefits, and other effects on the 
national economy. (2 U.S.C. 1532(a), (b)) 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 proposed 
``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 such governments. On March 18, 
1997, DOE published a statement of policy on its process for 
intergovernmental consultation under UMRA. 62 FR 12820. (The policy is 
also available at http://www.gc.doe.gov). Today's proposed rule 
contains neither an intergovernmental mandate nor a mandate that may 
result in an expenditure of $100 million or more in any year, so these 
requirements do not apply.

H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 
1999

    Section 654 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations 
Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105-277) requires Federal agencies to issue a Family 
Policymaking Assessment for any rule that may affect family well-being. 
Today's proposed rule would not have any impact on the autonomy or 
integrity of the family as an institution. Accordingly, DOE has 
concluded that it is not necessary to prepare a Family Policymaking 
Assessment.

I. Review Under Executive Order 12630

    DOE has determined, under Executive Order 12630, ``Governmental 
Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected Property 
Rights,'' 53 FR 8859 (March 18, 1988), that this proposed regulation 
would not result in any takings that might require compensation under 
the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

J. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 
2001

    Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations 
Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note) provides for agencies to review most 
disseminations of information to the public under guidelines 
established by each agency pursuant to general guidelines issued by 
OMB. OMB's guidelines were published at 67 FR 8452 (Feb. 22, 2002), and 
DOE's guidelines were published at 67 FR 62446 (Oct. 7, 2002). DOE has 
reviewed today's notice under OMB and DOE guidelines and has concluded 
that it is consistent with applicable policies in those guidelines.

K. Review Under Executive Order 13211

    Executive Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use,'' 66 FR 28355 
(May 22, 2001), requires Federal agencies to prepare and submit to OIRA 
a Statement of Energy Effects for any proposed significant energy 
action. A ``significant energy action'' is defined as any action by an 
agency that promulgates or is expected to lead to promulgation of a 
final rule, and that: (1) Is a significant regulatory action under 
Executive Order 12866, or any successor order; and (2) is likely to 
have a significant adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use 
of energy; or (3) is designated by the Administrator of OIRA as a 
significant energy action. For any proposed significant energy action, 
the agency must give a detailed statement of any adverse effects on 
energy supply, distribution, or use if the proposal is implemented, and 
of reasonable alternatives to the action and their expected benefits on 
energy supply, distribution, and use. Today's proposed regulatory 
action is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 
12866. It has likewise not been designated as a significant energy 
action by the Administrator of OIRA. Moreover, it would not have a 
significant adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of 
energy. Therefore, it is not a significant energy action, and, 
accordingly, DOE has not prepared a Statement of Energy Effects.

L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 
1974

    Under section 301 of the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91; 42 
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), DOE must comply with section 32 of the Federal 
Energy Administration Act of 1974, as amended by the Federal Energy 
Administration Authorization Act of 1977 (FEAA). (15 U.S.C. 788) 
Section 32 essentially provides in part that, where a proposed rule 
authorizes or requires use of commercial standards, the rulemaking must 
inform the public of the use and background of such standards. In 
addition, section 32(c) requires DOE to consult with the Attorney 
General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 
concerning the impact of the commercial or industry standards on 
competition.
    The proposed modifications to the test procedures addressed by this 
proposed action incorporate testing methods contained in the commercial 
standard, IEC Standard 62301. Specifically DOE is proposing to 
incorporate from section 4, (``General conditions for measurements''), 
paragraph 4.2, ``Test room,'' paragraph 4.3, ``Power supply.'' 
paragraph 4.4, ``Supply voltage waveform,'' and paragraph 4.5, ``Power 
measurement accuracy,'' and from section 5 (``Measurements''), 
paragraph 5.1, ``General'' and paragraph 5.3, ``Procedure'' of IEC 
Standard 62301. DOE has evaluated this standard and is unable to 
conclude whether it fully complies with the requirements of section 
32(b) of the FEAA (i.e., whether it was developed in a manner that 
fully provides for public participation, comment, and review.) DOE will 
consult with the Attorney General and

[[Page 37642]]

the Chairman of the FTC about the impact on competition of using the 
methods contained in this standard, before prescribing a final rule.

VI. Public Participation

A. Attendance at the Public Meeting

    The time, date, and location of the public meeting are listed in 
the DATES and ADDRESSES sections at the beginning of this SNOPR. To 
attend the public meeting, please notify Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 
586-2945. As explained in the ADDRESSES section, foreign nationals 
visiting DOE Headquarters are subject to advance security screening 
procedures.

B. Procedure for Submitting Requests to Speak

    Any person who has an interest in today's notice, or who is a 
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 shown in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning of this 
notice between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. Requests may also be sent by mail or e-mail to: Ms. Brenda 
Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 
Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121, or [email protected]. Persons who wish to speak should 
include in their request a computer diskette or CD 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.
    DOE requests persons scheduled to make an oral presentation to 
submit an advance copy of their statements at least one week before the 
public meeting. DOE may permit persons who cannot supply an advance 
copy of their statement to participate, if those persons have made 
advance alternative arrangements with the Building Technologies 
Program. Requests to give an oral presentation should ask for such 
alternative arrangements.

C. Conduct of Public Meeting

    DOE will designate a DOE official to preside at the public meeting 
and may use a professional facilitator to aid discussion. The meeting 
will not be a judicial or evidentiary-type public hearing, but DOE will 
conduct it in accordance with section 336 of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6306). A 
court reporter will be present to record the proceedings and prepare a 
transcript. DOE reserves the right to schedule the order of 
presentations and to establish the procedures governing the conduct of 
the public meeting. After the public meeting, interested parties may 
submit further comments on the proceedings as well as on any aspect of 
the rulemaking until the end of the comment period.
    The public meeting will be conducted in an informal, conference 
style. DOE will present summaries of comments received before the 
public meeting, allow time for presentations by participants, and 
encourage all interested parties to share their views on issues 
affecting this rulemaking. Each participant will be allowed to make a 
prepared general statement (within time limits determined by DOE), 
before the discussion of specific topics. DOE will permit other 
participants to comment briefly on any general statements. At the end 
of all prepared statements on each specific topic, DOE will permit 
participants to clarify their statements briefly and to comment on 
statements made by others.
    Participants should be prepared to answer DOE's and other 
participants' questions. DOE representatives may also ask participants 
about other matters relevant to this rulemaking. The official 
conducting the public meeting will accept additional comments or 
questions from those attending, as time permits. The presiding official 
will announce any further procedural rules or modification of the above 
procedures that may be needed for the proper conduct of the public 
meeting.
    DOE will make the entire record of this proposed rulemaking, 
including the transcript from the public meeting, available for 
inspection at the U.S. Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950 L'Enfant 
Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586-2945, between 9 a.m. and 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Copies of the 
transcript are available for purchase from the transcribing reporter.

D. Submission of Comments

    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the 
proposed rule before or after the public meeting, but no later than the 
date provided at the beginning of this notice. Comments, data, and 
information submitted to DOE's e-mail address for this rulemaking 
should be provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) 
file format. Interested parties should avoid the use of special 
characters or any form of encryption, and wherever possible, comments 
should include the electronic signature of the author. Comments, data, 
and information submitted to DOE via mail or hand delivery/courier 
should include one signed original paper copy. No telefacsimiles 
(faxes) will be accepted.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that 
he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public 
disclosure should submit two copies: One copy of the document that 
includes all of the information believed to be confidential, and one 
copy of the document with that information deleted. DOE will determine 
the confidential status of the information and treat it accordingly.
    Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to treat 
submitted information as confidential include: (1) A description of the 
items; (2) whether and why such items are customarily treated as 
confidential within the industry; (3) whether the information is 
generally known by or available from other sources; (4) whether the 
information was previously made available to others without obligation 
concerning its confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the competitive 
injury to the submitting person that would result from public 
disclosure; (6) when such information might lose its confidential 
character due to the passage of time; and (7) why disclosure of the 
information would be contrary to the public interest.

E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment

    DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments and views of 
interested parties on the following issues:

    1. Incorporation of IEC Standard 62301. DOE invites comment on 
the adequacy of IEC Standard 62301 to measure standby power for 
clothes dryers and room air conditioners in general, and on the 
suitability of incorporating into DOE regulations the following 
specific provisions from IEC Standard 62301: Section 4 (``General 
conditions for measurements''), paragraph 4.2, ``Test room,'', 
paragraph 4.3 ``Power supply'' (for room air conditioners only), 
paragraph 4.4, ``Supply voltage waveform,'' and paragraph 4.5, 
``Power measurement accuracy,'' and section 5 (``Measurements''), 
paragraph 5.1, ``General'' and paragraph 5.3, ``Procedure.'' (See 
section III.B.1.)
    2. ``Standby mode'' definitions. DOE invites comment on the 
proposed definition of ``standby mode,'' which is based on the 
definition provided in IEC Standard 62301 CDV. (See section 
III.B.2.)
    3. Clothes dryer standby modes. DOE invites comment on the 
establishment of inactive mode as the only standby mode for clothes 
dryers and the determination that delay start mode and cycle 
finished mode would not be considered standby modes. DOE further 
invites comment on the

[[Page 37643]]

proposed mode definitions and on the question of whether there are 
any modes consistent with the ``active mode,'' ``standby mode,'' or 
``off mode'' definitions under the proposed definitions that have 
not been identified and that can represent significant energy use. 
(See section III.B.2.)
    4. Room air conditioner standby modes. DOE invites comment on 
the establishment of inactive mode as the only standby mode for room 
air conditioners and the determination that delay start mode and 
off-cycle mode would not be considered standby modes. DOE further 
invites comment on the proposed mode definitions and on the question 
of whether there are any modes consistent with the ``active mode,'' 
``standby mode,'' or ``off mode'' definitions under the proposed 
definitions that have not been identified and that can represent 
significant energy use. (See section III.B.2.)
    5. Network mode. DOE welcomes comment on whether clothes dryers 
and room air conditioners are currently available that incorporate a 
networking function and whether definitions and testing procedures 
for a network mode should be incorporated into the DOE test 
procedure. DOE also requests comment on appropriate methodologies 
for measuring energy consumption in a network mode, and data on the 
results and repeatability of such testing methodology. (See section 
III.B.2.)
    6. Test room conditions. DOE requests comment on the proposed 
room ambient temperature range for standby mode and off mode power 
measurements for room air conditioners and clothes dryers. (See 
section III.B.3.)
    7. Energy-use calculation for standby mode and off mode for 
clothes dryers. DOE invites comment on the approach for determining 
total energy use for standby mode and off mode for clothes dryers, 
including its accuracy and test burden. DOE also invites comment and 
requests data on the estimates for annual hours associated with each 
mode, including the 140 hours specified by the current test 
procedure for active mode (drying). (See section III.B.4.a.)
    8. Energy-use calculation for standby mode and off mode for room 
air conditioners. DOE invites comment on the approach for 
determining total energy use for standby mode and off mode for room 
air conditioners, including its accuracy and test burden. DOE also 
invites comment and requests data on the estimates for annual hours 
associated with each mode, including the estimate of ``unplugged'' 
time. (See section III.B.4.b.)
    9. Clothes dryer testing procedures to account for automatic 
cycle termination. DOE invites comment on the adequacy of AS/NZS 
Standard 2442, along with proposed definitions and clarifications, 
to measure energy consumption for timer and automatic termination 
control clothes dryers to account for over-drying energy 
consumption. DOE further invites comments on whether the proposed FU 
factor credits for timer and automatic termination control dryers, 
along with the revised calculations for per-cycle energy 
consumption, are appropriate. In addition, DOE welcomes comment on 
whether a final RMC of 5 percent is appropriate, and, if not, what a 
representative final RMC would be. DOE also welcomes data from 
dryers tested according to the proposed test procedure, in 
particular for units which minimally comply with current energy 
conservation standards, as well as data showing whether one sensor 
technology is more accurate, and reduces over-drying, than another. 
(See section III.C.2.)
    10. Water temperature for clothes dryer test load preparation. 
DOE invites comment on whether the existing water temperature of 
100[deg]  5 [deg]F for test load preparation in the 
existing test procedure is representative of consumer usage habits, 
and, if not, what would be a representative value. DOE also requests 
data quantifying how changes to the water temperature for clothes 
dryer test load preparation would affect the measured efficiency as 
compared to the existing DOE test procedure, in particular for those 
units that are minimally compliant with current energy conservation 
standards.
    11. Cycles and settings for timer dryer and automatic 
termination control dryer testing. DOE invites comment on whether 
using the maximum temperature setting for timer dryers is 
representative of current consumer usage habits. DOE also invites 
comment on whether the proposed cycles and settings for the 
automatic termination control dryer tests are representative of 
current consumer usage habits. DOE requests comment on whether 
multiple cycles and settings should be tested and how the results 
from those multiple tests should be evaluated, and if so, how 
testing multiple cycles and settings would affect the measured 
efficiency as compared to the existing DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure. (See section III.C.2.)
    12. Cool-down period for automatic termination control dryer 
testing. DOE welcomes comment on whether the cool-down period should 
be included as part of the active mode test cycle for automatic 
termination control dryers. In addition, DOE also welcomes data 
quantifying how including the cool-down period in the test cycle 
would affect the measured efficiency of clothes dryers as compared 
to the existing DOE test procedure, in particular for those units 
that are minimally compliant with current energy conservation 
standards. (See section III.C.2.)
    13. Incorporation of testing procedures for vent-less clothes 
dryers. DOE invites comment on the adequacy of proposed definitions 
and installation conditions for vent-less clothes dryers, which are 
based upon the alternate test procedure adopted in the LG Petition 
for Waiver. DOE further invites comment on the proposed additional 
clarifications to the installation conditions, condensation boxes, 
dryer preconditioning, and testing conditions based on EN Standard 
61121 and Whirlpool's proposed amendments. Finally, DOE requests 
comment and data on the water consumption of vent-less clothes 
dryers and if measurement of water consumption should be included in 
the DOE clothes dryer test procedure. (See section III.C.3.)
    14. Number of valid clothes dryer test cycles. DOE invites 
comment and data suggesting that test-to-test variation is 
sufficient to warrant a requirement for more than one clothes dryer 
test cycle. (See section III.C.3)
    15. Detergent specifications for test cloth preconditioning. DOE 
invites comment on the proposed revisions to the detergent 
formulation and dosage specifications, requiring 60.8 g of AHAM 
standard test detergent Formula 3 for clothes dryer test cloth 
preconditioning. DOE also welcomes data showing the effects of 
changing the detergent specifications for test cloth preconditioning 
on the measured EF for clothes dryers. (See section III.C.4)
    16. Clothes dryer number of annual use cycles. DOE seeks comment 
on the proposed amendment to change the number of clothes dryer 
annual use cycles to 283 cycles for all product classes of clothes 
dryers based upon data from the 2005 RECS. (See section III.C.5.a.)
    17. Clothes dryer initial remaining moisture content. DOE seeks 
comment on the proposed amendments to the DOE clothes dryer test 
procedure to change the initial RMC to 47 percent  3.5 
percent to reflect current consumer usage habits, based on the 
trends of the shipment-weighted average RMC of clothes washers shown 
in data submitted by AHAM. DOE further welcomes comment and data 
indicating an appropriate initial RMC and how that initial RMC would 
affect the measured EF of clothes dryers, in particular units that 
are minimally compliant with current energy conservation standards. 
(See section III.C.5.b.)
    18. Clothes Dryer Test Load Weight. DOE seeks comment on the 
proposed amendments to the DOE clothes dryer test procedure to 
change the clothes dryer test load size to 8.45 lb  .085 
lb for standard-size dryers. DOE also welcomes data on clothes 
washer and clothes dryer test load sizes representative of current 
consumer usage habits for both compact-size and standard-size units. 
DOE further requests data on how any changes in test load size would 
affect the measured EF of clothes dryers, in particular units that 
are minimally compliant with current energy conservation standards. 
(See section III.C.5.c.)
    19. Room air conditioner annual operating hours. DOE seeks 
comment on the determination that the 750 annual operating hours 
specified by the current DOE test procedure for room air 
conditioners is still representative based upon data from the 2005 
RECS. (See section III.C.5.d.)
    20. Room air conditioner ambient test conditions. DOE invites 
comment and data indicating representative ambient test conditions 
for the DOE room air conditioner test procedure. DOE further 
requests data showing how any changes to the ambient conditions 
would affect the measured EER of room air conditioners, in 
particular units that are minimally compliant with current energy 
conservation standards. (See section III.C.5.f.)
    21. Room air conditioner referenced test procedures. DOE invites 
comment on the proposed amendments to update the references in the 
DOE room air conditioner test procedure to reference the latest ANSI 
and ASHRAE test standards, ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 and ANSI/ASHRAE 
Standard 16-1983 (RA 2009). (See section III.C.6.)
    22. Clothes dryer referenced test procedure. DOE invites comment 
on the proposed amendments to update the reference in the DOE 
clothes dryer test procedure to reference

[[Page 37644]]

the latest AHAM clothes dryer test standard, AHAM Standard HLD-1-
2009, and to eliminate the reference to obsolete AHAM Standard HLD-
2EC. DOE also invites comment on whether the optional modified 
exhaust simulator in AHAM Standard HLD-1-2009 is appropriate for 
incorporation into the DOE clothes dryer test procedure. DOE seeks 
data comparing the effects of the two exhaust simulators in AHAM 
Standard HLD-1-2009 on the measured EF, in particular for units that 
minimally comply with current energy conservation standards. (See 
section III.C.7.)
    23. Technical correction for the per-cycle gas dryer 
continuously burning pilot light gas energy consumption. DOE seeks 
comment on its proposed correction to the calculation of the per-
cycle gas dryer continuously burning pilot light gas energy 
consumption. (See section III.C.8.)
    24. Clarification of gas supply test conditions for gas clothes 
dryers. DOE seeks comment on its proposed clarifying language for 
specifying the natural gas and propane supply pressure conditions 
for testing gas clothes dryers.
    25. Effects of test procedure revisions on compliance with 
energy conservation standards. DOE invites comment on how the 
proposed amendments to the DOE test procedures for clothes dryers 
and room air conditioners will affect the measured efficiency of 
products. In particular, DOE seeks data showing how certain proposed 
amendments affect the EF or EER of minimally compliant clothes 
dryers or room air conditioners, respectively. (See section IV.)

VII. Approval of the Office of the Secretary

    The Secretary of Energy has approved publication of this notice of 
proposed rulemaking.

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430

    Administrative practice and procedure, Confidential business 
information, Energy conservation, Household appliances, Imports, 
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Small 
businesses.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 11, 2010.
Cathy Zoi,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, DOE proposes to amend part 
430 of chapter II of title 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations, to 
read as set forth below:

PART 430--ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS

    1. The authority citation for part 430 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 6291-6309; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.
    2. Section 430.3 is amended by:
    a. Redesignating paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(9) as (e)(2) through 
(e)(10).
    b. Adding a new paragraph (e)(1).
    c. Adding a new paragraph (g)(2).
    d. Adding a new paragraph (g)(3).
    e. Adding a new paragraph (l)(3).
    The additions read as follows:


Sec.  430.3  Materials incorporated by reference.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (1) ANSI/ASHRAE 16-1983 (``ANSI/ASHRAE 16'') (Reaffirmed 2009), 
Method of Testing for Rating Room Air Conditioners and Packaged 
Terminal Air Conditioners, approved December 1, 1983, IBR approved for 
Appendix F to Subpart B.
* * * * *
    (g) * * *
    (2) AHAM HLD-1-2009 (``AHAM HLD-1''), Household Tumble Type Clothes 
Dryers, approved October 2, 2009, IBR approved for Appendix D1 to 
Subpart B.
    (3) ANSI/AHAM RAC-1-R2008 (``ANSI/AHAM RAC-1''), Room Air 
Conditioners, ANSI approved July 7, 2008, IBR approved for Appendix F 
to Subpart B.
* * * * *
    (l) * * *
    (3) IEC 62301-2005-06 (``IEC 62301''), Household electrical 
appliances--Measurement of standby power (First Edition 2005-06), 
approved June 13, 2005, IBR approved for Appendix D1 and Appendix F to 
Subpart B.
* * * * *
    3. Section 430.23 is amended by revising paragraphs (d) and (f) to 
read as follows:


Sec.  430.23  Test procedures for the measurement of energy and water 
consumption.

* * * * *
    (d) Clothes dryers. (1) The estimated annual operating cost for 
clothes dryers shall be-
    (i) For an electric clothes dryer, the product of the following 
three factors:
    (A) The representative average-use cycle of 283 cycles per year,
    (B) The total per-cycle electric dryer energy consumption in 
kilowatt-hours per-cycle, determined according to 4.1 of appendix D to 
this subpart before the date that appendix D1 becomes mandatory and 4.2 
of appendix D1 upon the date that appendix D1 to this subpart becomes 
mandatory (see the note at the beginning of appendix D1), and
    (C) The representative average unit cost in dollars per kilowatt-
hour as provided by the Secretary, the resulting product then being 
rounded off to the nearest dollar per year, and
    (ii) For a gas clothes dryer, the product of the representative 
average-use cycle of 283 cycles per year times the sum of:
    (A) The product of the per-cycle gas dryer electric energy 
consumption in kilowatt-hours per cycle, determined according to 4.2 of 
appendix D to this subpart before the date that appendix D1 becomes 
mandatory and 4.4 of appendix D1 upon the date that appendix D1 to this 
subpart becomes mandatory, times the representative average unit cost 
in dollars per kilowatt-hour as provided by the Secretary plus,
    (B) The product of the total gas dryer gas energy consumption per 
cycle, in Btu's per cycle, determined according to 4.5 of appendix D of 
this subpart before the date that appendix D1 becomes mandatory and 4.8 
of appendix D1 upon the date that appendix D1 to this subpart becomes 
mandatory, times the representative average unit cost in dollars per 
Btu as provided by the Secretary, the resulting product then being 
rounded off to the nearest dollar per year.
    (2) The energy factor, expressed in pounds of clothes per kilowatt-
hour, for clothes dryers shall be either the quotient of a 3-pound 
bone-dry test load for compact dryers, as defined by 2.7.1 of appendix 
D to this subpart before the date that appendix D1 becomes mandatory or 
by 2.7.1 of appendix D1 upon the date that appendix D1 to this subpart 
becomes mandatory, or the quotient of a 7-pound bone-dry test load for 
standard dryers, as defined by 2.7.2 of appendix D to this subpart 
before the date that appendix D1 becomes mandatory or an 8.45-pound 
bone-dry test load for standard dryers, as defined by 2.7.2 of appendix 
D1 upon the date that appendix D1 to this subpart becomes mandatory, as 
applicable, divided by the clothes dryer energy consumption per cycle, 
as determined according to 4.1 for electric clothes dryers and 4.6 for 
gas clothes dryers of appendix D to this subpart before the date that 
appendix D1 becomes mandatory and 4.2 for electric clothes dryers and 
4.9 for gas clothes dryers of appendix D1 upon the date that appendix 
D1 to this subpart becomes mandatory, the resulting quotient then being 
rounded off to the nearest hundredth (.01).
    (3) The combined energy factor, expressed in pounds of clothes per 
kilowatt-hour, for clothes dryers shall be either the quotient of a 3-
pound bone-dry test load for compact dryers, as defined by 2.7.1 of 
appendix D1 to this subpart, or the quotient of a 8.45-pound

[[Page 37645]]

bone-dry test load for standard dryers, as defined by 2.7.2 of appendix 
D1 to this subpart, as applicable, divided by the clothes dryer 
combined energy consumption per cycle, as determined according to 4.11 
of appendix D1 to this subpart, the resulting quotient then being 
rounded off to the nearest hundredth (.01).
    (4) Other useful measures of energy consumption for clothes dryers 
shall be those measures of energy consumption for clothes dryers which 
the Secretary determines are likely to assist consumers in making 
purchasing decisions and which are derived from the application of 
appendix D to this subpart before the date that appendix D1 becomes 
mandatory and appendix D1 upon the date that appendix D1 to this 
subpart becomes mandatory.
* * * * *
    (f) Room air conditioners. (1) The estimated annual operating cost 
for room air conditioners, expressed in dollars per year, shall be 
determined by multiplying the following three factors:
    (i) Electrical input power in kilowatts as determined in accordance 
with 5.2 of appendix F to this subpart,
    (ii) The representative average-use cycle of 750 hours of 
compressor operation per year, and
    (iii) A representative average unit cost of electrical energy in 
dollars per kilowatt-hour as provided by the Secretary, the resulting 
product then being rounded off to the nearest dollar per year.
    (2) The energy efficiency ratio for room air conditioners, 
expressed in Btu's per watt-hour, shall be the quotient of:
    (i) The cooling capacity in Btu's per hour as determined in 
accordance with 5.1 of appendix F to this subpart divided by:
    (ii) The electrical input power in watts as determined in 
accordance with 5.2 of appendix F to this subpart, the resulting 
quotient then being rounded off to the nearest 0.1 Btu per watt-hour.
    (3) The average annual energy consumption for room air 
conditioners, expressed in kilowatt-hours per year, shall be determined 
by multiplying together the following two factors:
    (i) Electrical input power in kilowatts as determined in accordance 
with 5.2 of appendix F to this subpart, and
    (ii) The representative average-use cycle of 750 hours of 
compressor operation per year, the resulting product then being rounded 
off to the nearest kilowatt-hour per year.
    (4) The combined annual energy consumption for room air 
conditioners, expressed in kilowatt-hours per year, shall be the sum 
of:
    (i) The average annual energy consumption as determined in 
accordance with paragraph (f)(3) of this section, and
    (ii) The standby mode and off mode energy consumption, as 
determined in accordance with 5.3 of appendix F to this subpart, the 
resulting sum then being rounded off to the nearest kilowatt-hour per 
year.
    (5) The combined energy efficiency ratio for room air conditioners, 
expressed in Btu's per watt-hour, shall be the quotient of:
    (i) The cooling capacity in Btu's per hour as determined in 
accordance with 5.1 of appendix F to this subpart multiplied by the 
representative average-use cycle of 750 hours of compressor operation 
per year, divided by
    (ii) The combined annual energy consumption as determined in 
accordance with section (4) multiplied by a conversion factor of 1,000 
to convert kilowatt-hours to watt-hours, the resulting quotient then 
being rounded off to the nearest 0.1 Btu per watt-hour.
* * * * *
    4. Appendix D to subpart B of part 430 is amended by adding a Note 
after the heading to read as follows:

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 430-Uniform Test Method for Measuring 
the Energy Consumption of Clothes Dryers

    Note: Manufacturers must continue to use appendix D to subpart B 
of part 430 until the energy conservation standards for clothes 
dryers at 10 CFR 430.32(h) are amended to require mandatory 
compliance using appendix D1.

* * * * *
    5. Appendix D1 is added to subpart B of part 430 to read as 
follows:

Appendix D1 to Subpart B of Part 430-Uniform Test Method for Measuring 
the Energy Consumption of Clothes Dryers

    Note: Appendix D1 to subpart B of part 430 is informational 
only. Manufacturers must continue to use appendix D to subpart B of 
part 430 until the energy conservation standards for clothes dryers 
at 10 CFR 430.32(h) are amended to require mandatory compliance 
using appendix D1.

1. Definitions

    1.1 ``Active mode'' means a mode in which the clothes dryer is 
connected to a main power source, has been activated and is 
performing the main function of tumbling the clothing with or 
without heated or unheated forced air circulation to remove moisture 
from and/or remove or prevent wrinkling of the clothing.
    1.2 ``AHAM'' means the Association of Home Appliance 
Manufacturers.
    1.3 ``Automatic termination control'' means a dryer control 
system with a sensor which monitors either the dryer load 
temperature or its moisture content and with a controller which 
automatically terminates the drying process. A mark or detent which 
indicates a preferred automatic termination control setting must be 
present if the dryer is to be classified as having an ``automatic 
termination control.'' A mark is a visible single control setting on 
one or more dryer controls.
    1.4 ``Automatic termination control dryer'' means a clothes 
dryer which can be preset to carry out at least one sequence of 
operations to be terminated by means of a system assessing, directly 
or indirectly, the moisture content of the load. An automatic 
termination control dryer with supplementary timer shall be tested 
as an automatic termination control dryer.
    1.5 ``Bone dry'' means a condition of a load of test clothes 
which has been dried in a dryer at maximum temperature for a minimum 
of 10 minutes, removed, and weighed before cool down, and then dried 
again for 10-minute periods until the final weight change of the 
load is 1 percent or less.
    1.6 ``Compact'' or ``compact size'' means a clothes dryer with a 
drum capacity of less than 4.4 cubic feet.
    1.7 ``Conventional clothes dryer'' means a clothes dryer that 
exhausts the evaporated moisture from the cabinet.
    1.8 ``Cool down'' means that portion of the clothes drying cycle 
when the added gas or electric heat is terminated and the clothes 
continue to tumble and dry within the drum.
    1.9 ``Cycle'' means a sequence of operation of a clothes dryer 
which performs a clothes drying operation, and may include 
variations or combinations of the functions of heating, tumbling and 
drying.
    1.10 ``Drum capacity'' means the volume of the drying drum in 
cubic feet.
    1.11 ``HLD-1'' means the test standard published by the 
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, titled ``Household 
Tumble Type Clothes Dryers'', October 2009, AHAM HLD-1-2009 
(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    1.12 ``IEC 62301'' means the test standard published by the 
International Electrotechnical Commission, titled ``Household 
electrical appliances-Measurement of standby power,'' Publication 
62301 (First Edition, 2005-06), IEC 62301-2005-06 (incorporated by 
reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    1.13 ``Inactive mode'' means a standby mode that facilitates the 
activation of active mode by remote switch (including remote 
control), internal sensor, or timer, or that provides continuous 
status display.
    1.14 ``Moisture content'' means the ratio of the weight of water 
contained by the test load to the bone-dry weight of the test load, 
expressed as a percent.
    1.15 ``Moisture sensing control'' means a system which utilizes 
a moisture sensing element within the dryer drum that monitors the 
amount of moisture in the clothes and automatically terminates the 
dryer cycle.
    1.16 ``Off mode'' means a mode in which the clothes dryer is 
connected to a main power source and is not providing any active

[[Page 37646]]

or standby mode function, and where the mode may persist for an 
indefinite time. An indicator that only shows the user that the 
product is in the off position is included within the clasification 
of an off mode.
    1.17 ``Standard size'' means a clothes dryer with a drum 
capacity of 4.4 cubic feet or greater.
    1.18 ``Standby mode'' means any product modes where the energy 
using product is connected to a mains power source and offers one or 
more of the following user oriented or protective functions which 
may persist for an indefinite time:
    (a) To facilitate the activation of other modes (including 
activation or deactivation of active mode) by remote switch 
(including remote control), internal sensor, or timer.
    (b) Continuous functions, including information or status 
displays (including clocks) or sensor-based functions. A timer is a 
continuous clock function (which may or may not be associated with a 
display) that provides regular scheduled tasks (e.g., switching) and 
that operates on a continuous basis.
    1.19 ``Temperature sensing control'' means a system which 
monitors dryer exhaust air temperature and automatically terminates 
the dryer cycle.
    1.20 ``Timer dryer'' means a clothes dryer that can be preset to 
carry out at least one sequence of operations to be terminated by a 
timer, but may also be manually controlled.
    1.21 ``Vent-less clothes dryer'' means a clothes dryer that uses 
a closed-loop system with an internal condenser to remove the 
evaporated moisture from the heated air. The moist air is not 
discharged from the cabinet.

2. Testing Conditions

    2.1 Installation. Install the clothes dryer in accordance with 
manufacturer's instructions. For conventional clothes dryers, as 
defined in 1.7, the dryer exhaust shall be restricted by adding the 
AHAM exhaust simulator described in 3.3.5.1 of HLD-1 (incorporated 
by reference; see Sec.  430.3). For vent-less clothes dryers, as 
defined in 1.21, the dryer shall be tested without the AHAM exhaust 
simulator. Where the manufacturer gives the option to use the dryer 
both with and without a duct, the dryer shall be tested without the 
exhaust simulator. All external joints should be taped to avoid air 
leakage. If the manufacturer gives the option to use a vent-less 
clothes dryer, as defined in 1.21, with or without a condensation 
box, the dryer shall be tested with the condensation box installed. 
For vent-less clothes dryers, the condenser unit of dryer must 
remain in place and not be taken out of the dryer for any reason 
between tests. For drying testing, disconnect all console lights or 
other lighting systems on the clothes dryer which do not consume 
more than 10 watts during the clothes dryer test cycle. For standby 
and off mode testing, do not disconnect console lights or other 
lighting systems.
    2.2 Ambient temperature and humidity.
    2.2.1 For drying testing, maintain the room ambient air 
temperature at 75  3 [deg]F and the room relative 
humidity at 50  10 percent relative humidity.
    2.2.2 For standby and off mode testing, maintain room ambient 
air temperature conditions as specified in section 4, paragraph 4.2 
of IEC 62301 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    2.3 Energy supply.
    2.3.1 Electrical supply. Maintain the electrical supply at the 
clothes dryer terminal block within 1 percent of 120/240 or 120/208Y 
or 120 volts as applicable to the particular terminal block wiring 
system and within 1 percent of the nameplate frequency as specified 
by the manufacturer. If the dryer has a dual voltage conversion 
capability, conduct test at the highest voltage specified by the 
manufacturer.
    2.3.1.1 Supply voltage waveform. For the clothes dryer standby 
mode and off mode testing, maintain the electrical supply voltage 
waveform indicated in section 4, paragraph 4.4 of IEC 62301 
(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    2.3.2 Gas supply.
    2.3.2.1 Natural gas. Maintain the gas supply to the clothes 
dryer immediately ahead of all controls at a pressure of 7 to 10 
inches of water column. If the clothes dryer is equipped with a gas 
appliance pressure regulator for which the manufacturer specifies an 
outlet pressure, the regulator outlet pressure shall be 
approximately that recommended by the manufacturer. The hourly Btu 
rating of the burner shall be maintained within 5 
percent of the rating specified by the manufacturer. The natural gas 
supplied should have a heating value of approximately 1,025 Btus per 
standard cubic foot. The actual heating value, Hn2, in 
Btus per standard cubic foot, for the natural gas to be used in the 
test shall be obtained either from measurements made by the 
manufacturer conducting the test using a standard continuous flow 
calorimeter as described in 2.4.6 or by the purchase of bottled 
natural gas whose Btu rating is certified to be at least as accurate 
a rating as could be obtained from measurements with a standard 
continuous flow calorimeter as described in 2.4.6.
    2.3.2.2 Propane gas. Maintain the gas supply to the clothes 
dryer immediately ahead of all controls at a pressure of 11 to 13 
inches of water column. If the clothes dryer is equipped with a gas 
appliance pressure regulator for which the manufacturer specifies an 
outlet pressure, the regulator outlet pressure shall be 
approximately that recommended by the manufacturer. The hourly Btu 
rating of the burner shall be maintained within 5 
percent of the rating specified by the manufacturer. The propane gas 
supplied should have a heating value of approximately 2,500 Btus per 
standard cubic foot. The actual heating value, Hp, in 
Btus per standard cubic foot, for the propane gas to be used in the 
test shall be obtained either from measurements made by the 
manufacturer conducting the test using a standard continuous flow 
calorimeter as described in 2.4.6 or by the purchase of bottled gas 
whose Btu rating is certified to be at least as accurate a rating as 
could be obtained from measurement with a standard continuous 
calorimeter as described in 2.4.6.
    2.4 Instrumentation. Perform all test measurements using the 
following instruments as appropriate.
    2.4.1 Weighing scale for test cloth. The scale shall have a 
range of 0 to a maximum of 30 pounds with a resolution of at least 
0.2 ounces and a maximum error no greater than 0.3 percent of any 
measured value within the range of 3 to 15 pounds.
    2.4.1.2 Weighing scale for drum capacity measurements. The scale 
should have a range of 0 to a maximum of 500 pounds with resolution 
of 0.50 pounds and a maximum error no greater than 0.5 percent of 
the measured value.
    2.4.2 Kilowatt-hour meter. The kilowatt-hour meter shall have a 
resolution of 0.001 kilowatt-hours and a maximum error no greater 
than 0.5 percent of the measured value.
    2.4.3 Gas meter. The gas meter shall have a resolution of 0.001 
cubic feet and a maximum error no greater than 0.5 percent of the 
measured value.
    2.4.4 Dry and wet bulb psychrometer. The dry and wet bulb 
psychrometer shall have an error no greater than 1 
[deg]F.
    2.4.5 Temperature. The temperature sensor shall have an error no 
greater than 1 [deg]F.
    2.4.6 Standard Continuous Flow Calorimeter. The Calorimeter 
shall have an operating range of 750 to 3,500 Btu per cubic feet. 
The maximum error of the basic calorimeter shall be no greater than 
0.2 percent of the actual heating value of the gas used in the test. 
The indicator readout shall have a maximum error no greater than 0.5 
percent of the measured value within the operating range and a 
resolution of 0.2 percent of the full-scale reading of the indicator 
instrument.
    2.4.7 Standby mode and off mode watt meter. The watt meter used 
to measure standby mode and off mode power consumption of the 
clothes dryer shall have the resolution specified in section 4, 
paragraph 4.5 of IEC 62301(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  
430.3). The watt meter shall also be able to record a ``true'' 
average power as specified in section 5, paragraph 5.3.2(a) of IEC 
62301.
    2.5 Lint trap. Clean the lint trap thoroughly before each test 
run.
    2.6 Test Clothes.
    2.6.1 Energy test cloth. The energy test cloth shall be clean 
and consist of the following:
    (a) Pure finished bleached cloth, made with a momie or granite 
weave, which is a blended fabric of 50-percent cotton and 50-percent 
polyester and weighs within +10 percent of 5.75 ounces per square 
yard after test cloth preconditioning, and has 65 ends on the warp 
and 57 picks on the fill. The individual warp and fill yarns are a 
blend of 50-percent cotton and 50-percent polyester fibers.
    (b) Cloth material that is 24 inches by 36 inches and has been 
hemmed to 22 inches by 34 inches before washing. The maximum 
shrinkage after five washes shall not be more than 4 percent on the 
length and width.
    (c) The number of test runs on the same energy test cloth shall 
not exceed 25 runs.
    2.6.2 Energy stuffer cloths. The energy stuffer cloths shall be 
made from energy test cloth material, and shall consist of pieces of 
material that are 12 inches by 12 inches and have been hemmed to 10 
inches by 10 inches before washing. The maximum shrinkage

[[Page 37647]]

after five washes shall not be more than 4 percent on the length and 
width. The number of test runs on the same energy stuffer cloth 
shall not exceed 25 runs after test cloth preconditioning.
    2.6.3 Test Cloth Preconditioning.
    A new test cloth load and energy stuffer cloths shall be treated 
as follows:
    (1) Bone dry the load to a weight change of  1 
percent, or less, as prescribed in section 1.5.
    (2) Place test cloth load in a standard clothes washer set at 
the maximum water fill level. Wash the load for 10 minutes in soft 
water (17 parts per million hardness or less), using 60.8 grams of 
AHAM standard test detergent Formula 3. Wash water temperature is to 
be controlled at 140 [deg]  5 [deg]F (60 [deg]  2.7 [deg]C). Rinse water temperature is to be controlled at 
100 [deg]  5 [deg]F (37.7  2.7 [deg]C).
    (3) Rinse the load again at the same water temperature.
    (4) Bone dry the load as prescribed in Section 1.5 and weigh the 
load.
    (5) This procedure is repeated until there is a weight change of 
1 percent or less.
    (6) A final cycle is to be a hot water wash with no detergent, 
followed by two warm water rinses.
    2.7 Test loads.
    2.7.1 Compact size dryer load. Prepare a bone-dry test load of 
energy cloths which weighs 3.00 pounds  .03 pounds. 
Adjustments to the test load to achieve the proper weight can be 
made by the use of energy stuffer cloths, with no more than five 
stuffer cloths per load. Dampen the load by agitating it in water 
whose temperature is 100 [deg]F  5 [deg]F and consists 
of 0 to 17 parts per million hardness for approximately two minutes 
in order to saturate the fabric. Then, extract water from the wet 
test load by spinning the load until the moisture content of the 
load is between 42-47 percent of the bone-dry weight of the test 
load. Make a final mass adjustment, such that the moisture content 
is 47 percent  0.33 percent by adding water uniformly to 
the load in a very fine spray.
    2.7.2 Standard size dryer load. Prepare a bone-dry test load of 
energy cloths which weighs 8.45 pounds  .085 pounds. 
Adjustments to the test load to achieve the proper weight can be 
made by the use of energy stuffer cloths, with no more than five 
stuffer cloths per load. Dampen the load by agitating it in water 
whose temperature is 100 [deg]F  5 [deg]F and consists 
of 0 to 17 parts per million hardness for approximately two minutes 
in order to saturate the fabric. Then, extract water from the wet 
test load by spinning the load until the moisture content of the 
load is between 42-47 percent of the bone-dry weight of the test 
load. Make a final mass adjustment, such that the moisture content 
is 47 percent  0.33 percent by adding water uniformly to 
the load in a very fine spray.
    2.7.3 Method of loading. Load the energy test cloths by grasping 
them in the center, shaking them to hang loosely, and then dropping 
them in the dryer at random.
    2.8 Clothes dryer preconditioning.
    2.8.1 Conventional clothes dryers. For conventional clothes 
dryers, before any test cycle, operate the dryer without a test load 
in the non-heat mode for 15 minutes or until the discharge air 
temperature is varying less than 1 [deg]F for 10 minutes--whichever 
is longer--in the test installation location with the ambient 
conditions within the specified test condition tolerances of 2.2.
    2.8.2 Vent-less clothes dryers. For vent-less clothes dryers, 
before any test cycle, the steady-state temperature must be equal to 
ambient room temperature described in 2.2.1. This can be done by 
leaving the machine at ambient room conditions for at least 12 hours 
but not more than 36 hours between tests.

3. Test Procedures and Measurements

    3.1 Drum Capacity. Measure the drum capacity by sealing all 
openings in the drum except the loading port with a plastic bag, and 
ensure that all corners and depressions are filled and that there 
are no extrusions of the plastic bag through the opening in the 
drum. Support the dryer's rear drum surface on a platform scale to 
prevent deflection of the dryer, and record the weight of the empty 
dryer. Fill the drum with water to a level determined by the 
intersection of the door plane and the loading port. Record the 
temperature of the water and then the weight of the dryer with the 
added water and then determine the mass of the water in pounds. Add 
or subtract the appropriate volume depending on whether or not the 
plastic bag protrudes into the drum interior. The drum capacity is 
calculated as follows:

C=w/d
C= capacity in cubic feet.
w= weight of water in pounds.
d= density of water at the measured temperature in pounds per cubic 
feet.
    3.2 Dryer Loading. Load the dryer as specified in 2.7.
    3.3 Test cycle

    3.3.1 Timer dryers. For timer dryers, as defined in 1.20, 
operate the clothes dryer at the maximum temperature setting and, if 
equipped with a timer, at the maximum time setting and dry the load 
until the moisture content of the test load is between 5 and 6 
percent of the bone-dry weight of the test load, but do not permit 
the dryer to advance into cool down. If required, reset the timer. 
Record the data specified by section 3.4. Repeat the procedure to 
dry the load until the moisture content of the test load is between 
4 and 5 percent of the bone-dry weight of the test load. If the 
dryer automatically stops during a cycle and the reason is that the 
condensation box is full of water, the test is stopped, and the test 
run is invalid. The first test cycle after a period of non-operation 
longer than 36 hours for vent-less dryers, as defined in 1.21, shall 
not be used for evaluation. For vent-less dryers, during the time 
between two cycles, the door of the dryer shall be closed except for 
loading (and unloading).
    3.3.2 Automatic termination control dryers. For automatic 
termination control dryers, as defined in 1.4, a ``normal'' program 
shall be selected for the test cycle. Where the drying temperature 
can be chosen independently of the program, it shall be set to the 
maximum. Operate the clothes dryer and monitor the dryer as it 
progresses through the program. When the heater switches off for the 
final time, immediately before the cool-down period begins, stop the 
dryer. Record the data specified by 3.4. If the final moisture 
content is greater than 5 percent, the test shall be invalid and a 
new run shall be conducted using the highest dryness level setting. 
If the dryer automatically stops during a cycle and the reason is 
that the condensation box is full of water, the test is stopped, and 
the test run is invalid. The first test cycle after a period of non-
operation longer than 36 hours for vent-less dryers, as defined in 
1.21, shall not be used for evaluation. For vent-less dryers, during 
the time between two cycles, the door of the dryer shall be closed 
except for loading (and unloading).
    3.4 Data recording. Record for each test cycle:
    3.4.1 Bone-dry weight of the test load described in 2.7.
    3.4.2 Moisture content of the wet test load before the test, as 
described in 2.7.
    3.4.3 Moisture content of the dry test load obtained after the 
test described in 3.3.
    3.4.4 Test room conditions, temperature, and percent relative 
humidity described in 2.2.1.
    3.4.5 For electric dryers--the total kilowatt-hours of electric 
energy, Et, consumed during the test described in 3.3.
    3.4.6 For gas dryers:
    3.4.6.1 Total kilowatt-hours of electrical energy, 
Ete, consumed during the test described in 3.3.
    3.4.6.2 Cubic feet of gas per cycle, Etg, consumed 
during the test described in 3.3.
    3.4.6.3 On gas dryers using a continuously burning pilot light--
the cubic feet of gas, Epg, consumed by the gas pilot 
light in one hour.
    3.4.6.4 Correct the gas heating value, GEF, as measured in 
2.3.2.1 and 2.3.2.2, to standard pressure and temperature conditions 
in accordance with U.S. Bureau of Standards, circular C417, 1938.
    3.4.7 The cycle settings selected for the automatic termination 
control dryer test in 3.3.2.
    3.5 Test for automatic termination field use factor credits. 
Credit for automatic termination can be claimed for those dryers 
which meet the requirements for either temperature-sensing control, 
1.19, or moisture-sensing control, 1.15, and having present the 
appropriate mark or detent feed defined in 1.3.
    3.6 Standby mode and off mode power. Establish the testing 
conditions set forth in Section 2, ``Testing Conditions,'' of this 
appendix, omitting the requirement to disconnect all console light 
or other lighting systems on the clothes dryer that do not consume 
more than 10 watts during the clothes dryer test cycle in section 
2.1. Prior to the initiation of the test measurements, the clothes 
dryer should be configured in the settings that produce the highest 
power consumption level, consistent with the particular mode 
definition under test. If the clothes dryer waits in a higher power 
state at the start of standby mode or off mode before dropping to a 
lower power state, as discussed in section 5, paragraph 5.1, note 1 
of IEC 62301 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3),wait until 
the clothes dryer passes

[[Page 37648]]

into the lower power state before starting the measurement. Follow 
the test procedure specified in section 5, paragraph 5.3 of IEC 
62301 for testing in each possible mode as described in 3.6.1 and 
3.6.2, except allowing the product to stabilize for 30 to 40 minutes 
and using an energy use measurement period of 10 minutes. For units 
in which power varies over a cycle, as described in section 5, 
paragraph 5.3.2 of IEC 62301, use the average power approach 
described in paragraph 5.3.2(a) of IEC 62301, except allowing the 
product to stabilize for 30 to 40 minutes and using an energy use 
measurement period not less than 10 minutes.
    3.6.1 If a clothes dryer has an inactive mode, as defined in 
1.13, measure and record the average inactive mode power of the 
clothes dryer, PIA, in watts.
    3.6.2 If a clothes dryer has an off mode, as defined in 1.16, 
measure and record the average off mode power of the clothes dryer, 
POFF, in watts.

4. Calculation of Derived Results From Test Measurements

    4.1 Per-cycle electric timer dryer energy consumption for 5-
percent final moisture content. Calculate the electric timer dryer 
energy consumption per cycle, Et, expressed in kilowatt-
hours per cycle and defined as:

Et = Et1 + [(RMC1-RMC3) x 
(Et2-Et1)/(RMC1-
RMC2)],Where

Et1 = the energy recorded in 3.4.5 for the test described 
in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content between 5 and 6 
percent.
Et2 = the energy recorded in 3.4.5 for the test described 
in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content between 4 and 5 
percent.
RMC1 = the moisture content in 3.4.3 for the test 
described in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content 
between 5 and 6 percent.
RMC2 = the moisture content in 3.4.3 for the test 
described in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content 
between 4 and 5 percent.
RMC3 = 5 percent.

    4.2 Total per-cycle electric dryer energy consumption. Calculate 
the total electric dryer energy consumption per cycle, Ece, 
expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as:

Ece = Et x FU,

Where

Et = the energy calculated in 4.1 for timer dryers or 
recorded in 3.4.5 for automatic termination control dryers
FU = Field use factor
=1.18 for timer dryers, as defined in 1.20.
=1.0 for automatic termination control dryers, as defined in 1.4.

    4.3 Per-cycle gas timer dryer electrical energy consumption for 5-
percent final moisture content. Calculate the gas timer dryer 
electrical energy consumption per cycle, Ete, expressed in 
kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as:

Ete = Ete1 + [(RMC1-RMC3) x 
(Ete2-Ete1)/(RMC1-RMC2)],
Where

Ete1 = the energy recorded in 3.4.6.1 for the test 
described in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content 
between 5 and 6 percent.
Ete2 = the energy recorded in 3.4.6.1 for the test 
described in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content 
between 4 and 5 percent.

    RMC1, RMC2, RMC3 as defined in 
4.1.

    4.4 Total per-cycle gas dryer electrical energy consumption. 
Calculate the gas dryer electrical energy consumption per cycle, 
Ege, expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle and defined as:

Ege = Ete x FU,

Where

Ete = the energy calculated in 4.3 for timer dryers or 
recorded in 3.4.6.1 for automatic termination control dryers.
FU = as defined in 4.2.

    4.5 Per-cycle gas timer dryer gas energy consumption for 5-percent 
final moisture content. Calculate the gas timer dryer energy 
consumption per cycle, Etg, expressed in Btu's per cycle and 
defined as:

Etg = Etg1 + [(RMC1-RMC3) x 
(Etg2-Etg1)/(RMC1-RMC2),

Where

Etg1 = the energy recorded in 3.4.6.2 for the test 
described in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content 
between 5 and 6 percent.
Etg2 = the energy recorded in 3.4.6.2 for the test 
described in 3.3 for timer dryers for a final moisture content 
between 4 and 5 percent.

    RMC1, RMC2, RMC3 as defined in 
4.1.
    4.6 Total per-cycle gas dryer gas energy consumption. Calculate the 
gas dryer gas energy consumption per cycle, Egg, expressed 
in Btu's per cycle and defined as:

Egg = Etg x FU x GEF,

Where

Etg = the energy calculated in 4.5 for timer dryers or 
recorded in 3.4.6.2 for automatic termination control dryers.
FU = as defined in 4.2.
GEF = corrected gas heat value (Btu per cubic feet) as defined in 
3.4.6.4.

    4.7 Per-cycle gas dryer continuously burning pilot light gas energy 
consumption. Calculate the gas dryer continuously burning pilot light 
gas energy consumption per cycle, Eup, expressed in Btu's 
per cycle and defined as:

Eup = Epg x ((8760 - 140)/283) x GEF,

Epg = the energy recorded in 3.4.6.3
8760 = number of hours in a year
283 = representative average number of clothes dryer cycles in a year
140 = estimated number of hours that the continuously burning pilot 
light is on during the operation of the clothes dryer for the 
representative average use cycle for clothes dryers (283 cycles per 
year)

    GEF as defined in 4.6

    4.8 Total per-cycle gas dryer gas energy consumption expressed in 
Btu's. Calculate the total gas dryer energy consumption per cycle, 
Eg, expressed in Btu's per cycle and defined as:

Eg = Egg + Eup

    Egg as defined in 4.6
    Eup as defined in 4.7

    4.9 Total per-cycle gas dryer energy consumption expressed in 
kilowatt-hours. Calculate the total gas dryer energy consumption per 
cycle, Ecg, expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle and 
defined as:

Ecg = Ege + (Eg/3412 Btu/kWh)

    Ege as defined in 4.4
    Eg as defined in 4.8

    4.10 Per-cycle standby mode and off mode energy consumption. 
Calculate the dryer inactive mode and off mode energy consumption per 
cycle, ETSO, expressed in kWh per cycle and defined as:

ETSO = [(PIA x SIA) + (POFF 
x SOFF)] x K/283

Where:

PIA= dryer inactive mode power, in watts, as measured in 
section 3.6.1;
POFF = dryer off mode power, in watts, as measured in 
section 3.6.2.

    If the clothes dryer has both inactive mode and off mode, 
SIA and SOFF both equal 8,620 / 2 = 4,310, where 
8,620 is the total inactive and off mode annual hours;
    If the clothes dryer has an inactive mode but no off mode, the 
inactive mode annual hours, SIA, is equal to 8,620 and the 
off mode annual hours, SOFF, is equal to 0;
    If the clothes dryer has an off mode but no inactive mode, 
SIA is equal to 0 and SOFF is equal to 8,156

Where

K = 0.001 kWh/Wh conversion factor for watt-hours to kilowatt-hours; 
and
283 = representative average number of clothes dryer cycles in a 
year.

    4.11 Per-cycle combined total energy consumption expressed in 
kilowatt-hours. Calculate the per-cycle combined total energy 
consumption, ECC, expressed in kilowatt-hours per cycle and 
defined for an electric clothes dryer as:

ECC = Ece + ETSO

Where:

Ece = the energy recorded in 4.2, and
ETSO = the energy recorded in 4.10,


and defined for a gas clothes dryer as:

ECC = Ecg + ETSO


[[Page 37649]]


Where:

Ecg = the energy recorded in 4.9, and
ETSO = the energy recorded in 4.10.

    6. Appendix F to subpart B of part 430 is revised to read as 
follows:

Appendix F to Subpart B of Part 430--Uniform Test Method for Measuring 
the Energy Consumption of Room Air Conditioners

    Note: Manufacturers are not required to use the test procedures 
and calculations that refer to standby mode and off mode energy 
consumption, (specifically, sections 2.2, 3.2, 4.2, and 5.3 of this 
appendix F) until the mandatory compliance date of amended energy 
conservation standards for room air conditioners at 10 CFR 
430.32(b).


1. Definitions

    1.1 ``Active mode'' means a mode in which the room air 
conditioner is connected to a mains power source, has been activated 
and is performing the main function of cooling or heating the 
conditioned space, or circulating air through activation of its fan 
or blower, with or without energizing active air-cleaning components 
or devices such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electrostatic 
filters, ozone generators, or other air-cleaning devices.
    1.2 ``ANSI/AHAM RAC-1'' means the test standard published by 
jointly by the American National Standards Institute and the 
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, titled ``Room Air 
Conditioners,'' Standard RAC-1-2008 (incorporated by reference; see 
Sec.  430.3).
    1.3 ``ANSI/ASHRAE 16'' means the test standard published by 
jointly by the American National Standards Institute and the 
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning 
Engineers, titled ``Method of Testing for Rating Room Air 
Conditioners and Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners,'' Standard 16-
1983 (reaffirmed 2009) (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    1.4 ``IEC 62301'' means the test standard published by the 
International Electrotechnical Commission, titled ``Household 
electrical appliances--Measurement of standby power,'' Publication 
62301 (First Edition 2005-06), IEC 62301-2005-6 (incorporated by 
reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    1.5 ``Inactive mode'' means a standby mode that facilitates the 
activation of active mode by remote switch (including remote 
control) or internal sensor or which provides continuous status 
display.
    1.6 ``Off mode'' means a mode in which a room air conditioner is 
connected to a mains power source and is not providing any active or 
standby mode function and where the mode may persist for an 
indefinite time. An indicator that only shows the user that the 
product is in the off position is included within the clasification 
of an off mode.
    1.7 ``Standby mode'' means any product modes where the where the 
energy using product is connected to a mains power source and offers 
one or more of the following user oriented or protective functions 
which may persist for an indefinite time:
    (a) To facilitate the activation of other modes (including 
activation or deactivation of active mode) by remote switch 
(including remote control), internal sensor, or timer.
    (b) Continuous functions, including information or status 
displays (including clocks) or sensor-based functions. A timer is a 
continuous clock function (which may or may not be associated with a 
display) that provides regular scheduled tasks (e.g., switching) and 
that operates on a continuous basis.

2. Test Methods

    2.1 Cooling. The test method for testing room air conditioners 
in cooling mode shall consist of application of the methods and 
conditions in ANSI/AHAM RAC-1 sections 4, 5, 6.1, and 6.5 
(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3), and in ANSI/ASHRAE 16 
(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    2.2 Standby and off modes. The method for testing room air 
conditioners in standby and off modes shall consist of application 
of the methods and conditions in IEC 62301 (incorporated by 
reference; see Sec.  430.3), as modified by the requirements of this 
standard. The testing may be conducted in test facilities used for 
testing cooling performance. If testing is not conducted in such a 
facility, the test facility shall comply with IEC 62301 section 4.2.

3. Test Conditions

    3.1 Cooling mode. Establish the test conditions described in 
sections 4 and 5 of ANSI/AHAM RAC-1 (incorporated by reference; see 
Sec.  430.3) and in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE 16 (incorporated by 
reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    3.2 Standby and off modes.
    3.2.1 Test room conditions. Maintain the indoor test conditions 
as required by section 4.2 of IEC 62301 (incorporated by reference; 
see Sec.  430.3). If the standby and off mode testing is conducted 
in a facility that is also used for testing cooling performance, 
maintain the outdoor test conditions either as required by section 
4.2 of IEC 62301or as described in section 3.1. If the unit is 
equipped with an outdoor air ventilation damper, close this damper 
during testing.
    3.2.2 Power supply. Maintain power supply conditions specified 
in section 4.3 of IEC 62301 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  
430.3). Use room air conditioner nameplate voltage and frequency as 
the basis for power supply conditions. Maintain power supply voltage 
waveform according to the requirements of section 4.4 of IEC 62301.
    3.2.3 Watt meter. The watt meter used to measure standby mode 
and off mode power consumption of the room air conditioner shall 
have the resolution specified in section 4, paragraph 4.5 of IEC 
62301 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3). The watt meter 
shall also be able to record a ``true'' average power specified in 
section 5, paragraph 5.3.2(a) of IEC 62301.

4. Measurements

    4.1 Cooling mode. Measure the quantities delineated in section 5 
of ANSI/AHAM RAC-1 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    4.2 Standby and off modes. Establish the testing conditions set 
forth in section 3.2. Prior to the initiation of the test 
measurements, the room air conditioner should be configured in the 
settings that produce the highest power consumption level, 
consistent with the particular mode definition under test. For room 
air conditioners that drop from a higher power state to a lower 
power state as discussed in section 5, paragraph 5.1, note 1 of IEC 
62301 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3), allow sufficient 
time for the room air conditioner to reach the lower power state 
before proceeding with the test measurement. Follow the test 
procedure specified in section 5, paragraph 5.3 of IEC 62301 for 
testing in each possible mode as described in 4.2.1 and 4.2.2, 
except allowing the product to stabilize for 5 to 10 minutes and 
using an energy use measurement period of 5 minutes. For units in 
which power varies over a cycle, as described in section 5, 
paragraph 5.3.2 of IEC 62301, use the average power approach in 
paragraph 5.3.2(a).
    4.2.1 If a room air conditioner has an inactive mode, as defined 
in 1.5, measure and record the average inactive mode power of the 
room air conditioner, PIA, in watts.
    4.2.2 If a room air conditioner has an off mode, as defined in 
1.6, measure and record the average off mode power of the room air 
conditioner, POFF, in watts.

5. Calculations

    5.1 Calculate the cooling capacity (expressed in Btu/hr) as 
required in section 6.1 of ANSI/AHAM RAC-1 (incorporated by 
reference; see Sec.  430.3) and in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE 16 
(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    5.2 Determine the electrical power input (expressed in watts) as 
required by section 6.5 of ANSI/AHAM RAC-1 (incorporated by 
reference; see Sec.  430.3) and in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE 16 
(incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
    5.3 Standby mode and off mode annual energy consumption. 
Calculate the standby mode and off mode annual energy consumption 
for room air conditioners, ETSO, expressed in kilowatt-
hours per year, according to the following:

ETSO = [(PIA x SIA) + (POFF 
x SOFF)] x K


[[Page 37650]]


Where:

PIA= room air conditioner inactive mode power, in watts, 
as measured in section 4.2.1
POFF = room air conditioner off mode power, in watts, as 
measured in section 4.2.2.
If the room air conditioner has both inactive mode and off mode, 
SIA and SOFF both equal 5,115 / 2 = 2,557.5, 
where 5,115 is the total inactive and off mode annual hours;
If the room air conditioner has an inactive mode but no off mode, 
the inactive mode annual hours, SIA, is equal to 5,115 
and the off mode annual hours, SOFF, is equal to 0;
If the room air conditioner has an off mode but no inactive mode, 
SIA is equal to 0 and

SOFF is equal to STOT;

K = 0.001 kWh/Wh conversion factor for watt-hours to kilowatt-hours.

[FR Doc. 2010-15025 Filed 7-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P