[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 205 (Monday, October 24, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65631-65633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27406]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket Number EERE-2010-BT-TP-0023]
RIN 1904-AC26


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Microwave Ovens

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

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a test 
procedure rulemaking to develop active mode testing methodologies for 
residential microwave ovens. DOE specifically is seeking information, 
data, and comments regarding representative and repeatable methods for 
measuring the energy use of microwave-only ovens and combination 
microwave ovens, including: Food loads representative of consumer use; 
the repeatability of energy use measurements using different food 
loads; and consumer usage data on the hours of operation in active 
mode, standby mode, and off mode for the development of an integrated 
energy use metric.

DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before 
November 23, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at  http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested 
persons may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2010-BT-
TP-0023 and/or RIN 1904-AC26, by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include docket number 
EERE-2010-BT-TP-0023 and/or RIN 1904-AC26 in the subject line of the 
message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, 
PDF, or ASCII file format and avoid the use of special characters or 
any form of encryption.
     Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 
586-2945. Please submit one signed original paper copy.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., 6th 
Floor, Washington, DC 20024. Please submit one signed original paper 
copy.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, or 
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Wes Anderson, 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: 202-586-7335. E-mail: 
[email protected].
    In the Office of the General Counsel, contact Mr. Ari Altman, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Room 6B-159, 
Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: 202-287-6307; E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 2010, DOE published in the 
Federal Register a final rule for the microwave oven test procedure 
rulemaking (July TP repeal final rule), in which it repealed the 
regulatory provisions for establishing the cooking efficiency test 
procedure for microwave ovens under the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act (EPCA). 75 FR 42579. In the July TP repeal final rule, DOE 
determined that the existing microwave oven test procedure to measure 
the cooking efficiency did not produce representative and repeatable 
test results and was unaware of any test procedures that have been 
developed that address DOE's concerns with the microwave oven cooking 
efficiency test procedure. DOE was also unaware of any research or data 
on consumer usage indicating what a representative food load would be, 
or any data showing the repeatability of test results. 75 FR 42579, 
42581.
    On July 22, 2010, DOE also published in the Federal Register a 
notice of public meeting to initiate a separate rulemaking process to 
consider new provisions for measuring microwave oven energy efficiency 
in active (cooking) mode. 75 FR 42611. DOE held the public meeting on 
September 16, 2010 to discuss and receive comments on several issues 
related to active mode test procedures for microwave ovens to consider 
in developing a new test procedure. DOE received no data or comments at 
or after the September 16, 2010 public meeting suggesting potential 
methodologies for test procedures for microwave oven active mode.
    In support of its test procedure rulemaking, DOE conducts in-depth 
technical analyses of publicly available test standards and other 
relevant

[[Page 65632]]

information. DOE continually seeks data and public input to improve its 
testing methodologies to more accurately reflect consumer use and to 
produce repeatable results. In general, DOE is requesting comment and 
supporting data regarding representative and repeatable methods for 
measuring the energy use of combination microwave ovens. Additionally, 
DOE seeks comment and information on the specific topics below.

Food Test Load Characteristics

    DOE's previous active mode test procedure incorporated portions of 
the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 705-1998 
and Amendment 2-1993, ``Methods for Measuring the Performance of 
Microwave Ovens for Households and Similar Purpose.'' The test methods 
measured the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 
kilogram of water by 10 degrees Celsius ([deg]C) under controlled 
conditions. The ratio of usable output power over input power described 
the energy factor (EF), a measure of the cooking efficiency.\1\ In 
comments received in response to a separate test procedure notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NOPR) published in the Federal Register on October 
17, 2008, which addressed provisions for measuring standby mode and off 
mode energy use for microwave ovens (73 FR 62134), interested parties 
commented that pure water has relatively low specific resistivity, and 
actual food items that might be cooked in a microwave oven would have 
more salts and thus absorb microwave energy more efficiently than pure 
water. Interested parties stated that, as a result, testing with a 
water load would likely result in lower efficiency measurements than 
would be expected from using actual food products.
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    \1\ The previous DOE microwave oven test procedure also provided 
for the calculation of several other measures of energy consumption, 
including cooking efficiency and annual energy consumption.
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    DOE also notes that IEC is currently revising its test standard for 
microwave ovens, IEC Standard 60705, ``Household microwave ovens--
Methods for measuring performance,'' but that this test procedure 
continues to use a water load for testing. DOE is also unaware of any 
industry or international test standards that address the active mode 
cooking function of combination microwave ovens (i.e., microwave ovens 
that incorporate convection features or possibly other means of 
cooking) and what food loads would be appropriate for testing the 
combination cooking function.
    DOE is therefore interested in stakeholder feedback on what food 
loads are most commonly cooked by consumers and should be used for 
measuring the energy efficiency of microwave oven cooking, as well as 
the methodology for testing such food loads. In particular, DOE is 
requesting inputs on the following:
     Consumer usage data on the characteristics of food loads 
cooked by consumers in both microwave-only and combination cooking 
modes. Please provide specific details on which food loads are cooked 
with the microwave-only cooking function and which are cooked with the 
combination cooking function;
     The percentage of cooking cycles consumers use the 
microwave-only and combination cooking modes;
     Specific details on the food loads, including, but not 
limited to, weights, composition, frequency of cooking, and initial and 
final temperatures, as well as the racks or plates used to hold the 
food load;
     Food loads used by manufacturers to evaluate both 
efficiency and cooking performance;
     Testing methodology for measuring the cooking efficiency 
using different food loads (Please provide specific details on 
suggested testing methodologies, including, but not limited to, the 
number and placement of temperature probes, required temperature 
increases, and any procedures for preparing the load prior to heating); 
and
     Appropriate metrics to use for measuring energy use or 
efficiency in both microwave-only ovens and combination microwave 
ovens.

Food Load Repeatability

    As discussed previously, interested parties commented in response 
to the October 2008 test procedure NOPR that the previous DOE microwave 
oven test procedure did not produce repeatable results. DOE is not 
aware of any data on the repeatability of various food loads. DOE notes 
that consumer product review organizations evaluate performance of 
microwave ovens by testing loads such as: Potatoes, mashed potatoes, 
whole chicken, cake, and other real-world food loads. DOE also notes 
that one consumer product review organization in the UK uses a 
solidifying gel, TX-151, to simulate a food load (in this case 
lasagna).\2\ DOE specifically requests comment on:
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    \2\ For more information, visit http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/kitchen/guides/how-we-test-microwaves/.
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     Repeatability of various loads that may be used for 
measuring the energy efficiency of microwave oven active mode cooking. 
When providing data, please provide detailed description of the 
characteristics of the cooking load under test;
     Whether there are any artificial loads that accurately 
simulate real food loads and the repeatability of test results using 
those loads;
     Methodologies for improving the repeatability of testing 
using various food loads, for example, using multiple thermocouples to 
determine an average temperature;
     The number of identical tests that should be conducted for 
various food loads (with results averaged) in order to produce accurate 
and repeatable results; and
     Any testing burdens associated with testing various food 
loads.

Consumer Usage Data on Hours of Operation in Active Mode, Standby Mode, 
and Off Mode Operation

    EPCA requires that the energy consumption in standby mode and off 
mode be integrated into the energy descriptor (which would include 
active mode) for a covered product unless the current test procedures 
already fully accounts for such consumption. If integration is 
technically infeasible, DOE must prescribe a separate standby mode and 
off mode energy use test procedure, if the latter is technically 
feasible. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) DOE conducted a separate test 
procedure rulemaking and published an interim final rule amending its 
test procedures for microwave ovens to provide for the measurement of 
standby mode and off mode power use by microwave ovens. 76 FR 12825 
(Mar. 9, 2011). In the interim final rule, DOE determined that the 
absence of active mode provisions results in a de facto separate energy 
use descriptor for microwave oven standby mode and off mode energy use. 
If DOE adopts amendments to the microwave oven test procedure to 
include provisions for measuring active mode energy use, it will 
consider adopting a single metric that integrates active mode, standby 
mode, and off mode energy use.
    DOE is therefore interested in stakeholder feedback on developing 
such an integrated energy use metric. In particular, DOE is requesting 
inputs on the following:
     Consumer usage data on the number of hours microwave ovens 
are operated in active mode, standby mode, and off mode; and
     What metric should be used to describe the integrated 
energy use (i.e., annual energy use, EF, or cooking efficiency);

[[Page 65633]]

Public Participation

    DOE invites all interested parties to submit in writing by November 
23, 2011, comments and information on matters addressed in this notice 
and on other matters relevant to DOE's consideration of a revised test 
procedure for measuring the active mode energy consumption of 
residential microwaves (both microwave-only and combination microwave 
types).
    After the close of the comment period, DOE will begin collecting 
data, conducting relevant analyses, and reviewing the public comments. 
These actions will be taken to aid in the development of a test 
procedure NOPR for residential microwaves.
    DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of 
the process for developing test procedures. DOE actively encourages the 
participation of the public during the comment period in each stage of 
the rulemaking process. Interactions with and between members of the 
public provide a balanced discussion of the issues and assist DOE in 
the rulemaking process. Anyone who wishes to be added to the DOE 
mailing list to receive future notices and information about this 
rulemaking should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945, or via 
e-mail at [email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 18, 2011.
Kathleen Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2011-27406 Filed 10-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P