[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15808-15833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05371]



[[Page 15807]]

Vol. 78

Tuesday,

No. 48

March 12, 2013

Part II





Department of Energy





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10 CFR Parts 429 and 430





 Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Television Sets; 
Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 48 / Tuesday, March 12, 2013 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 15808]]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Parts 429 and 430

[Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026]
RIN 1904-AC29


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Television Sets

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

ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: On January 19, 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 
issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in which DOE proposed a 
new test procedure for television sets (TVs). To address comments in 
response to the NOPR, DOE conducted additional research and analysis, 
which is incorporated in today's supplemental notice of proposed 
rulemaking (SNOPR). DOE also incorporated elements from the draft 
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) standard ``CEA-2037-A, 
Determination of Television Average Power Consumption'' into the SNOPR. 
In today's SNOPR, DOE proposes to update the input power requirements 
in the TVs test procedure NOPR by referencing International 
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301 Ed. 2.0, ``Household 
electrical appliances--Measurement of standby power.'' The SNOPR also 
proposes to include example accuracy tolerance calculations for light 
measuring devices (LMD). Additionally, DOE proposes to update the video 
source input cable hierarchy in the test procedure, as well as specify 
the TV input terminal for testing. Further, today's SNOPR clarifies TV 
warm-up and stabilization prior to testing, removes the standby-active, 
high mode test, includes a test for standby-active, low mode, updates 
the test order, and provides details for testing TVs shipped with 
Automatic Brightness Control (ABC) enabled. Finally, today's SNOPR adds 
rounding requirements to the TV test procedure NOPR that provide 
guidance for any calculated values used for representation in multiple 
metric outputs, including an annual energy consumption metric. The 
multiple metric outputs will also be subject to a sampling plan in 
today's SNOPR. DOE will hold a public meeting to receive and discuss 
comments on the proposal.

DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting on April 4, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 
4 p.m., in Washington, DC. The meeting will also be broadcast as a 
webinar. See section V, ``Public Participation,'' for webinar 
registration information, participant instructions, and information 
about the capabilities available to webinar participants.
    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) submitted no later 
than April 26, 2013. See section V, ``Public Participation,'' for 
details.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 8E-089, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20585. To attend, 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 meeting should advise 
DOE as soon as possible by contacting Ms. Edwards to initiate the 
necessary procedures. Please also note that those wishing to bring 
laptops into the Forrestal Building will be required to obtain a 
property pass. Visitors should avoid bringing laptops, or allow an 
extra 45 minutes. Persons can attend the public meeting via webinar. 
For more information, refer to the Public Participation section near 
the end of this notice.
    Any comments submitted must identify the Television Set Test 
Procedure SNOPR, and provide docket number EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 and/or 
Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 1904-AC29. Comments may be 
submitted using any of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    2. Email: [email protected]. Include docket 
number EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 and/or RIN 1904-AC29 in the subject line of 
the message.
    3. Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC, 20585-0121. If possible, please submit all items 
on a compact disc (CD), in which case it is not necessary to include 
printed copies.
    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. If possible, 
please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not necessary to 
include printed copies.
    For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see section V of this document 
(Public Participation).
    Docket: The docket, which includes Federal Register notices, public 
meeting attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting 
documents/materials, is available for review at www.regulations.gov. 
All documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov 
index. However, some documents listed in the index, such as those 
containing information that is exempt from public disclosure, may not 
be publicly available.
    A link to the docket Web page can be found at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;rpp=10;po=0;D=EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026. 
This web page contains a link to the docket for this notice on the 
www.regulations.gov site. The www.regulations.gov Web page contains 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, 
in the docket. See section V for information on how to submit comments 
through www.regulations.gov.
    For further information on how to submit a comment, review other 
public comments and the docket, or participate in the public meeting, 
contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or by email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Mr. Jeremy Dommu, 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) 586-9870. Email: [email protected].
    Ms. Celia Sher, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 287-6122. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Authority and Background
    A. General
    B. Test Procedure Rulemaking Process
    C. Rulemaking Background
II. Summary of the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
III. Discussion
    A. Industry Test Procedures
    B. Scope of Rulemaking
    C. Sampling Plan and Rounding Requirement
    D. Definitions
    1. General
    2. Definitions Incorporated From IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0
    3. New Definitions

[[Page 15809]]

    E. Testing Conditions and Accuracy and Precision of Measurement 
Equipment
    1. Power Supply Measurements
    2. Light Measurement Device
    3. Input Cable
    4. Input Terminal
    5. Video Input Device
    6. Stabilization
    7. Test Order
    F. Automatic Brightness Control Test Set-up
    1. General
    2. Set-up for Generating and Measuring Illuminance
    3. Test Illuminance Values
    4. Illuminance Weighting Scale
    G. Standby Modes
    1. Standby-Passive Mode
    2. Standby-Active, Low Mode
    3. Standby-Active, High Mode
    H. Energy Efficiency Metrics for Televisions
    1. Multiple Output Metrics
    2. Annual Energy Consumption
    I. Technical Corrections
IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review
    A. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal Energy Administration 
Act of 1974
V. Public Participation
    A. Attendance at Public Meeting
    B. Procedure for Submitting Prepared General Statements for 
Distribution
    C. Conduct of Public Meeting
    D. Submission of Comments
    E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment
VI. Approval of the Office of the Secretary

I. Authority and Background

A. General

    Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (42 
U.S.C. 6291, et seq.; ``EPCA'' or, ``the Act'') sets forth a variety of 
provisions designed to improve energy efficiency. (All references to 
EPCA refer to the statute as amended through the American Energy 
Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act (AEMTCA), Public Law 112-210 
(Dec. 18, 2012)). Part B \1\ of title III of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, 
as codified) established the ``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer 
Products Other Than Automobiles.'' The program includes TVs, the 
subject of today's notice. (42 U.S.C. 6292(a)(12))
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    \1\ For editorial reasons, Part B was redesignated as Part A 
upon codification in the U.S. Code.
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    Under EPCA, the energy conservation program consists essentially of 
four parts: (1) Testing, (2) labeling, (3) Federal energy conservation 
standards, and (4) certification and enforcement procedures. The 
testing requirements consist of test procedures that manufacturers of 
covered products must use as the basis for (1) certifying to DOE that 
their products comply with the applicable energy conservation standards 
adopted under EPCA, and (2) making representations about the efficiency 
of those products. Similarly, DOE must use these test procedures when 
testing to determine whether the products comply with any relevant 
standards promulgated under EPCA. For a further description of the 
basic nature of the program, see section I.A of the TVs test procedure 
NOPR that DOE published in this rulemaking. 77 FR 2830, 2831 (Jan. 19, 
2012) (the January 2012 NOPR).

B. Test Procedure Rulemaking Process

    Under 42 U.S.C. 6293, EPCA sets forth the criteria and procedures 
DOE must follow when prescribing or amending test procedures for 
covered products. EPCA provides in relevant part that any test 
procedures prescribed or amended under this section 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))
    EISA 2007 amended EPCA to require DOE to integrate a standby and 
off mode energy consumption measurement into test procedures where no 
such measurement is already included, if technically feasible. 
Otherwise, DOE must prescribe a separate standby and off mode energy 
test procedure, if technically feasible. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)) DOE 
recognizes that the standby and off mode conditions of operation apply 
to TVs.
    In addition, if DOE determines that a test procedure amendment is 
warranted, it must publish proposed test procedures and offer the 
public an opportunity to present oral and written comments on them. (42 
U.S.C. 6293(b)(2)) Finally, in any rulemaking to amend a test 
procedure, DOE must determine 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. (42 U.S.C. 
6293(e)(2))

C. Rulemaking Background

    DOE adopted a test procedure for TVs on June 29, 1979, codified at 
10 CFR part 430, subpart B, Appendix H. 44 FR 37938. In May 2008, the 
California Energy Commission (CEC) and the Consumer Electronics 
Association (CEA) each petitioned DOE to repeal this test procedure. 
CEC's petition stated that the 1979 test procedure was not capable of 
accurately measuring the energy consumption of modern TVs because TV 
broadcasting is no longer transmitted via an analog signal. CEA 
petitioned for DOE's adoption of the International Electrotechnical 
Commission (IEC) test procedure IEC 62087 Ed. 2.0, ``Method of 
measurement for the power consumption of audio, video and related 
equipment.'' 74 FR 53641. DOE agreed that the 1979 test procedure was 
largely obsolete for today's products and repealed the test procedure 
on October 20, 2009. 74 FR 53640.
    As the first step in establishing a new test procedure for TVs, DOE 
published a Request for Information on September 3, 2010 (the 2010 RFI) 
requesting information and views from stakeholders on a range of issues 
it had identified based on its review of various TV standards and test 
procedures, including: (1) IEC 62087 Ed. 2.0; (2) the ENERGY STAR 
Program Requirements for Televisions, Version 4.1 (ENERGY STAR v. 4.1); 
and (3) CEA's TV test procedure, ``Determination of Television Average 
Power Consumption,'' CEA-2037 (March 2010). 75 FR 54049. Using the 
information gathered in the 2010 RFI, DOE issued a TV test procedure 
NOPR on January 19, 2012, which proposed the adoption of a new TV test 
procedure to accurately measure the energy consumption of today's TVs. 
77 FR 2830 (the January 2012 NOPR). The proposed test procedure was 
based on updated versions of the IEC, ENERGY STAR and CEA test 
procedures, namely, IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0, ENERGY STAR v. 5.3, and CEA-2037 
(March 2010). In addition, the January 2012 NOPR incorporated by 
reference certain provisions of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 \2\ and IEC 62301 Ed. 
2.0.\3\
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    \2\ IEC 62087 Ed 3.0 ``Method of Measurement of the Power 
Consumption of Audio, Video, and Related Equipment''. April 13, 
2011.
    \3\ IEC 62301 Ed 3.0 ``Household Electrical Appliances--
Measurement of Standby Power''. January 27, 2011.
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    The January 2012 NOPR proposed test procedures for measuring screen 
luminance and determining power consumption for on mode, standby-
passive mode, standby-active, low mode, and off mode. DOE requested 
written comments on the NOPR and held a public meeting on March 22, 
2012.\4\ Commenters to the January 2012 NOPR generally supported DOE's 
proposed approach for determining the luminance and power consumption 
of TVs but suggested that DOE do its best

[[Page 15810]]

to use industry-led standards in the creation of its test procedure.
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    \4\ Public Meeting Transcript. (Last accessed November 30, 2012) 
<http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026-
0051. The material from this Web site is available in 
Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at regulations.gov.
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    Based on comments received from interested parties on the January 
2012 NOPR, additional research and testing performed by DOE, the draft 
version of CEA 2037-A, Determination of Television Average Power 
Consumption,\5\ and the updated version of ENERGY STAR Program 
Requirements for Televisions, Version 6.0 (ENERGY STAR v. 6.0), this 
SNOPR proposes amendments to the following issues:
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    \5\ CEA's working group initiated a revision to CEA-2037-A on 
February 28th, 2011; This revision process is still underway.

    (1) Method for measuring screen luminance,
    (2) Testing multiple illuminance values,
    (3) Method for generating illuminance,
    (4) The best possible signal source and connection to that 
signal source,
    (5) Stabilization time for luminance and power measurements,
    (6) Measuring energy consumption in Download Acquisition mode 
(DAM),
    (7) Measuring power consumption while connected to a network, 
and
    (8) Measuring power consumption on TVs with power saving 
technologies, such as sensors, display power management systems 
(DPMS), and high-definition multimedia interfaceTM with 
consumer electronic controls (HDMITM).

In addition, this SNOPR proposes sampling and rounding provisions, 
which were not addressed in the January 2012 NOPR.
    For further details on the background of this rulemaking prior to 
issuance of the January 2012 NOPR, see section I.C of that document, 77 
FR 2830, 2821-32.

II. Summary of the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    In today's SNOPR, DOE proposes: (1) To amend the January 2012 NOPR 
based on comments received from interested parties and data collected 
by DOE during round robin and other additional testing; and (2) to 
adopt a metric to calculate the annual energy consumption (AEC) of a 
TV. DOE notes that comments previously made by stakeholders that are 
not addressed in today's SNOPR will be addressed by DOE in the final 
rule.
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed definitions for ``retail 
picture setting'' and ``home picture setting.'' In today's SNOPR, DOE 
proposes to replace these terms with ``brightest-selectable preset 
picture setting'' and ``default picture setting'', respectively. DOE 
feels that these new terms will provide clarity for on mode and 
luminance testing. DOE also proposes to modify the definition of a 
television set to ensure the scope of coverage clearly differentiates 
between televisions and displays which are typically used with a 
computer. Additionally, DOE proposes to include definitions for the 
following terms, not included in the January 2012 NOPR: ``component 
video'', ``composite video'', ``HDMI'', ``S-video'', ``special 
functions'', ``preset picture settings'', and ``dark room''. DOE 
believes these additional definitions will provide clarity to the test 
procedure.
    In addition, DOE is proposing to modify the Accuracy and Precision 
of Measurement Equipment section as well as the Test Conditions section 
of the January 2012 NOPR. In the NOPR, DOE proposed using a 115 V, 60 
Hz input power supply for testing TVs. In today's SNOPR, DOE is 
proposing to incorporate by reference the power supply requirements 
specified in section 4.3.1 of IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 which would allow the 
DOE test procedure to be more easily adopted by international 
regulating bodies. DOE also proposes to clarify instrument accuracy 
requirements by providing examples for calculating light measuring 
device (LMD) tolerance.
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed a hierarchy for selecting 
the video source input cable used for testing TVs. Today, DOE proposes 
to update that hierarchy by removing Video Graphics Array (VGA) and 
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) cables. VGA and DVI are typically used 
as display input video sources, which do not meet the scope of coverage 
for the proposed test procedure, and are not appropriate for TV 
testing. DOE is also proposing to add a section to the test procedure 
which specifies the appropriate input terminal that should be used 
during testing. Specifying the input terminal connection will help 
ensure all TVs are connected in the same manner during testing.
    Today's SNOPR also proposes to further clarify the TV test 
procedure by: (1) Updating the stabilization requirements outlined in 
the January 2012 NOPR; (2) incorporating by reference the stabilization 
section of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0; (3) including a test for standby-active, 
low mode; (4) removing the test for standby-active, high mode; and (5) 
revising the test order outlined in the January 2012 NOPR.
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed including a separate test 
method for TVs with ABC enabled by default. In today's SNOPR, DOE is 
proposing to provide clarification to the testing of TVs with ABC 
enabled by default. This SNOPR updates the light source specifications 
to allow for new lamp \6\ requirements based on amended energy 
conservation standard levels. DOE is specifying the location and set-up 
of the light source, the illuminance values at which measurements are 
taken, and the weighting for each measurement when calculating overall 
on mode power consumption. DOE's proposals in today's SNOPR are based 
on data collected during round robin and additional testing, as well as 
public comment received on the January 2012 NOPR. This information, 
found on regulations.gov,\7\ includes the following:
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    \6\ Lamp is an industry term used for what is commonly referred 
to outside the television industry as a ``light bulb''.
    \7\ This material is available in Docket EERE-2010-BT-
TP-0026 at http://www.regulations.gov.

    (1) Round Robin Test Report
    (2) IR/ND Testing Filter Test Results
    (3) Room Testing Conditions Test Results
    (4) Analysis of Nielsen Data
    (5) Input Terminal Test Results

    Today's SNOPR also includes a proposed metric to calculate the AEC 
of a TV from the rated power consumption in the on, standby, and off 
modes of operation. The proposed metric combines the rated power 
consumption values of the TV in the different modes of operation into a 
single metric based on the expected time spent in each mode of 
operation such that it is representative of the TV's annual energy use. 
Providing an approach for calculating AEC will ensure harmonization of 
reported values across different voluntary, incentive, and State 
programs applicable to TVs.
    Finally, today's SNOPR proposes sampling requirements that must be 
used to represent power consumption values for on mode, standby-active, 
low mode and standby-passive mode. DOE is also proposing rounding 
provisions for these metrics.
    The specific amendments proposed in today's SNOPR represent the 
only changes to the January 2012 NOPR. For the reader's convenience, 
DOE has reproduced in this SNOPR the entire body of proposed regulatory 
text from the January 2012 NOPR, amended as appropriate to incorporate 
today's proposed changes. DOE's supporting analysis and discussion on 
the portions of the proposed regulatory text not affected by this SNOPR 
may be found in the January 2012 NOPR. 77 FR 2830.
    DOE seeks comments from interested parties on the proposed TV test 
procedure amendments in today's notice. DOE will consider modifications 
that improve the accuracy, precision of language, or other elements of 
the procedure and/or decrease the testing burden. In submitting 
comments,

[[Page 15811]]

interested parties should state the nature of the recommended 
modification and explain how it would improve upon the test procedure 
proposed in this SNOPR. Interested parties should also submit data, if 
any, to support their positions.

III. Discussion

A. Industry Test Procedures

    DOE primarily focused on the draft CEA-2037-A standard, 
Determination of Television Average Power Consumption, to develop the 
test procedure for TVs that is proposed in today's SNOPR. The draft 
CEA-2037-A standard specifies the test conditions and test setup at 
which power consumption of the TV should be measured. These include the 
modes of operation of the TV, test room and equipment requirements, and 
measurement tests for determining the power consumption in each mode of 
operation. CEA is a leading organization that connects consumer 
electronics manufacturers, retailers, and other interested parties to 
develop industry accepted electronics product test procedures. The CEA 
Technology & Standards program is CEA's standard making body that is 
accredited by ANSI (American Nation Standards Institute).\8\ CEA-2037-A 
is currently under development in the CEA R4 Video Systems Committee. 
In response to the January 2012 NOPR, CEA urged DOE to work with the 
CEA R4 team (CEA, No.47 at p. 6). DOE representatives have observed the 
development of CEA-2037-A, attended conference call meetings between TV 
manufacturers and energy advocates discussing draft revisions of the 
standard, and have been included on all notes and documentation from 
the CEA R4 WG13 TV Energy Consumption working group. DOE has 
incorporated elements of the draft CEA-2037-A standard into today's 
SNOPR.
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    \8\ ``ANSI-Accredited Standard Developers.'' (Last accessed 
November 30, 2012) (www.ansi.org/about_ansi/accredited_programs/overview.aspx?menuid=1).
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    The CEA-2037-A standard is currently in a 30 day voting period, 
which is expected to end on March 4, 2013. Once the CEA-2037-A standard 
is published it will be available on CEA's Web site at http://www.ce.org/Standards/Standard-Listings.aspx.

B. Scope of Rulemaking

    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed that a television set be 
defined as ``A product designed to be powered primarily by mains power 
having a diagonal screen size of fifteen inches or larger that is 
manufactured with a TV tuner, * * *''. 77 FR 2864. However, in the 
January 2012 NOPR preamble, DOE uses both ``manufactured with a TV 
tuner'' and ``sold with a TV tuner'' in its discussion of the TVs 
definition. 77 FR 2836. In response to this inconsistency, Energy 
Solutions (ES) requested clarification on what DOE meant by 
``manufactured with'' (Public Meeting Transcript, No. 51 at p. 23). In 
order to eliminate any confusion, DOE is proposing to simplify the 
definition of TV in the test procedure scope by requiring that the TV 
tuner is physically incorporated into the TV and removing any mention 
of the tuner being manufactured or sold with the TV. DOE believes that 
requiring the TV tuner to be located internal to the TV housing 
clarifies the scope and definitively separates TVs from displays, as 
defined in ENERGY STAR v. 6.0.
    In addition, within the television set definition, DOE has modified 
the January 2012 NOPR language of ``* * * and that is capable of 
displaying dynamic visual information * * *'' to ``* * * and that is 
capable of displaying dynamic visual content * * *''. DOE believes 
changing ``information'' to ``content'' provides a clearer description 
of a television set's primary function.
    The revised definition of a television set, as proposed in today's 
SNOPR, is ``a product designed to be powered primarily by mains power, 
having a diagonal screen size of fifteen inches or larger, that 
contains an internal TV tuner encased in a single housing, and that is 
capable of displaying dynamic visual content from wired or wireless 
sources including but not limited to: * * *''. DOE seeks comment from 
interested parties on DOE's proposed TV definition, and on whether the 
revised definition provides sufficient clarity on the TV test procedure 
scope of coverage (Section V.B.1).

C. Sampling Plan and Rounding Requirement

    DOE is proposing the following sampling plan and rounding 
requirements for TVs to enable manufacturers to make representations of 
power consumption in the on, standby-active, low, and standby-passive 
modes of operation. A sampling plan and rounding requirement were not 
proposed in the January 2012 NOPR, however, DOE believes they will 
improve consistency of results reported for regulatory and voluntary 
programs. The represented power consumption values shall be used to 
calculate the AEC metric, which shall be rounded according to the 
requirements proposed below. The sampling requirements are included in 
the proposed section 429.25 of subpart B of 10 CFR part 429.
    For consistency with other consumer products regulated under EPCA, 
DOE is proposing that a minimum of two units of a TV basic model be 
tested to develop a representative rating, as prescribed in 10 CFR 
429.11. However, manufacturers may test more units of a TV basic model, 
if desired. Additionally, DOE is proposing that any represented power 
consumption values of a TV basic model shall be greater than or equal 
to the higher of the mean of the sample or the 95 percent upper 
confidence limit (UCL) of the true mean divided by 1.05.
    The mean of the sample is calculated as follows:
    [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.000
    
Where:

[chi] = the sample mean,
n = the number of samples, and
[chi]i = the ith sample.

    The UCL is calculated as follows:
    [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.001
    
Where:

[chi] = the sample mean
s = the sample standard deviation,
n = the number of samples, and
t95 = the t statistic for a 95 percent one-tailed confidence 
interval with n-1 degrees of freedom.

    DOE testing indicates that the on mode power consumption test 
procedure, for TVs without an ABC sensor or with ABC disabled by 
default, is repeatable to within one percent. Test procedure 
repeatability for TVs with ABC enabled by default varies from 0.4 to 
3.6 percent, depending on the TV model tested, with an average 
repeatability of 1.1 percent and a median of 0.6 percent.\9\ On mode 
repeatability is based on testing a unit at multiple test labs and 
includes test equipment variation. DOE is therefore proposing in 
today's SNOPR for on mode power consumption, that the UCL value be 
divided by 1.05 for on mode power consumption to provide a conservative 
allowance for test procedure variation.\10\
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    \9\ Round Robin Test Report. (Last accessed February 26, 2013). 
This material is available in Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 
at www.regulations.gov.
    \10\ Id.
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    DOE is also proposing a 1.10 divisor for standby mode power 
consumption and for other power consumption measurements other than on 
mode. Due to the relatively small power consumption values for standby 
modes, a small change in tested values can

[[Page 15812]]

result in significant variation. For instance, standby mode power 
consumption varied by up to 10 percent for a unit, which included test 
equipment variation, when tested at multiple labs. Therefore, DOE is 
proposing that any represented value of standby-active, low mode power 
consumption and standby-passive mode power consumption, or other power 
consumption value that is not on mode, of a TV basic model for which 
consumers would favor lower values shall be greater than or equal to 
the higher of the mean of the sample or the 90 percent UCL of the true 
mean divided by 1.10.
    DOE is therefore proposing to incorporate this sampling plan into 
10 CFR 429.25. DOE requests comment from interested parties regarding 
its proposed sampling plan for on mode power consumption, which 
specifies a divisor of 1.05, and for standby mode and other power 
consumption measurements other than on mode, which specifies a divisor 
of 1.10 (See Section V.B. 2).
    Finally, DOE proposes that only the mean and the UCL of the samples 
tested shall be rounded, while all calculations to determine the mean 
and UCL shall be performed with unrounded values. The proposed rounding 
requirements for the rated power consumption values are included in 
section 5.3 (Calculation of Average and Rated Power Consumption) of the 
proposed Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430.
    Once the rated power consumption values for the on, standby mode, 
and other power consumption values that are not on mode are calculated 
and rounded, DOE proposes that these rated values shall be used to 
calculate the AEC metric. To round the AEC metric from the rated power 
consumption values, DOE proposes the following: if the AEC is 100 kWh 
or less, the value shall be rounded to the nearest tenth of a kWh. If 
the AEC is greater than 100 kWh, the value shall be rounded to the 
nearest kWh. DOE requests comment on the proposed rounding requirements 
for representing a TV's on mode, standby mode and other power 
consumption modes that are not on mode.

D. Definitions

1. General
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed incorporating definitions 
for the TV test procedure from IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 and ENERGY STAR v. 
5.3. DOE also proposed new definitions for ``home picture setting'' and 
``retail picture setting'' for on mode and luminance testing. 77 FR 
2830, 2836, 2837. In response to the January 2012 NOPR, Mitsubishi 
Electric Visual Solutions America (MEVSA) and Sharp recommended 
including the following terms in the DOE test procedure: ``special 
functions'', ``preset picture setting'', and ``dark room''. (MEVSA, No. 
2 at p. 2; Sharp, No 45 at p. 2) MEVSA also recommended that DOE 
provide further clarification for dark room conditions. (MEVSA, No. 2 
at p. 2) DOE believes that adding definitions for ``special 
functions,'' ``preset picture setting'' and ``dark room'' will provide 
added clarity to the luminance and on mode tests and DOE is therefore 
proposing to add such definitions to the test procedure.
    Interested parties also indicated that the definition for ``retail 
picture setting'' was confusing due to the ambiguity over which modes 
could be interpreted as the ``retail picture setting''. Specifically, 
Sharp, MEVSA, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Northwest Energy 
Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), and Panasonic noted confusion with the 
definition and recommended that it be modified. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 2; 
MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 5; PG&E, No. 46 at p. 3; NEEA, No. 43 at p. 2; 
Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 2) Given interested party feedback, and to 
clarify the test procedure, DOE proposes to remove the ``retail picture 
setting'' term and definition from the test procedure and replace it 
with ``brightest-selectable preset picture setting''. Similarly, DOE 
proposes to remove the ``home picture setting'' term and definition and 
replace it with ``default picture setting''. The following sections 
discuss the modified and additional definitions proposed in today's 
SNOPR.
2. Definitions Incorporated from IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0
    In response to the January 2012 NOPR, Sharp recommended that DOE 
include the IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 definition for ``special functions''. 
(Sharp, No. 45 at p. 2) Sharp also commented that additional functions 
should be disabled during testing while special functions should remain 
in their default configuration (Sharp No. 45 at p. 2). DOE notes that 
many TVs are now equipped with a variety of ``special functions'', such 
as ``quick start'' power on, ABC, and other power saving features, 
which are not standard among different manufacturers and models. DOE 
proposes to define such ``special functions'' in the TV test procedure 
as functions that shall remain enabled during testing if they are 
enabled by default (i.e., if they are enabled as-shipped). This 
definition is in contrast to DOE's definition for ``additional 
functions'', proposed in the January 2012 NOPR, which are to be 
disabled for testing regardless of their status as-shipped. 
Incorporating a definition for ``special functions'' helps to clearly 
define which functions shall be enabled during testing. DOE believes 
that the definition for ``special functions'' from IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 is 
appropriate because it is a clear, concise and widely accepted 
definition. For these reasons, DOE is proposing to incorporate by 
reference this term, from section 3.1.18 of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0, in 
section 2.12 (Special Functions) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR 
part 430. Specifically, DOE proposes to define ``special functions'' as 
``functions that are related to, but not required for, the basic 
operation of the device''. Additionally, DOE proposes to incorporate 
the definition for ``additional funtions'' from section 3.1.1 of IEC 
62087 Ed. 3.0 in section 2.1 (Additional Functions) of Appendix H to 
subpart B of 10 CFR part 430. DOE notes that this definition has not 
changed from the definition proposed in the January 2012 NOPR, but is 
incorporated by reference to be consistent with existing industry test 
procedures. DOE requests comment from interested parties on 
incorporating by reference the IEC definitions for ``additional 
functions'' and ``special functions'' in today's SNOPR (Section V.B.4).
3. New Definitions
    In response to the January 2012 NOPR, Sharp and MEVSA proposed 
adding definitions for ``preset picture setting'' and ``dark room'' 
respectively. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 2; MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 3) 
Additionally, in written comments to the January 2012 NOPR, Sharp 
commented that an abbreviation for Blu-ray Disc\TM\ should be included. 
(Sharp, No. 45 at p. 3) Based on interested party feedback, DOE is 
proposing to define ``component video'', ``composite video'', ``HDMI'', 
``S-video'', ``preset picture setting'', and ``dark room'', and add the 
abbreviation ``BD'' for Blu-ray Disc in today's SNOPR.
a. Input Connections
    In order to further aid in defining the scope of coverage of this 
rulemaking DOE would like to harmonize its definitions for input 
connections with other DOE rules such as the set-top box rulemaking 
published on January 23, 2013. 78 FR 5076. Thus, DOE proposes to 
include definitions for component video, composite video, HDMI, and S-
video in the test procedure. DOE proposes to incorporate by reference 
two industry standards that are used to

[[Page 15813]]

define the component video and HDMI connections. DOE proposes to 
incorporate by reference CEA-770.3-D, ``High Definition TV Analog 
Component Video Interface'' for the definition of component video, and 
HDMI Specification Version 1.0, ``High-Definition Multimedia Interface 
Specification, Informational Version 1.0'' for the definition of HDMI. 
DOE believes these standards provide the appropriate information for 
defining the component video and HDMI connections.
b. Dark Room
    MEVSA agreed with the testing conditions outlined in the January 
2012 NOPR but believes that dark room conditions are underspecified. 
(MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 2) MEVSA suggested the following dark room 
definition: ``All luminance testing (with a non-contact meter) and on 
mode testing (with ABC enabled by default) shall be performed in dark 
room conditions, meaning the display screen illuminance measurement in 
off mode must be less than or equal to 1.0 lux, and in a room or an 
enclosure with dark, non-reflective walls.'' (MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 3) 
DOE conducted on mode testing while varying room wall color (black, 
beige) and wall reflectance (fabric, matte paint, glossy paint and 
white-backed window), while ensuring room illuminance values were less 
than 1.0 lux at the sensor. DOE observed a difference in power 
consumption of less than 2 percent with these room variations.\11\ 
Since on mode power measurements and luminance results were minimally 
impacted by these variations in room conditions, DOE tentatively 
concludes that specifying a maximum illuminance value of 1.0 lux 
measured at the TV ABC sensor or bottom of the TV bezel is sufficient 
for defining a dark room. Including a definition for dark room 
conditions provides clarity to the test procedure since it may be 
necessary for the luminance test and on mode test with ABC enabled by 
default to be performed in a dark room. Given interested party feedback 
from the January 2012 NOPR, DOE is proposing to define the term dark 
room in section 2.3 (Dark Room) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR 
part 430.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ Room Testing Conditions Test Results. This report is 
available in Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at 
www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Even though DOE testing indicated that room conditions have a 
minimal impact on test results, DOE proposes to specify that the ABC 
sensor remain at least 2 feet from any wall surface (i.e. wall, 
ceiling, and floor). Maintaining a distance of at least 2 feet away 
from all wall surfaces increases test set-up repeatability. DOE 
clarifies that this specification does not include surfaces on which 
the TV may be placed or the room surface closest to the back of the TV. 
Additionally, this requirement is only necessary for TV's with ABC 
sensors enabled by default. DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on requiring the ABC sensor to be at least 2 feet from any room 
surface (See Section V.B.5).
c. Picture Settings
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed to define ``retail picture 
setting'' as the ``preset picture setting'' in which the TV produces 
the highest luminance in on mode. 77 FR 2830, 2837. Sharp, MEVSA, PG&E, 
NEEA, and Panasonic all stated that the term and definition were 
confusing and proposed alternative definitions or changes to the term.
    NEEA stated that DOE should change the definition for ``retail 
picture setting'' and could define it as ``the mode with the highest 
brightness level attainable by a factory defined menu option.'' 
Otherwise, NEEA recommended changing the term to something other than 
``retail picture setting''. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 2) MEVSA recommended 
the following definition: ``Retail picture setting is the television 
configuration when the `retail' forced menu is selected (if available), 
or the preset picture setting in which the TV produces the highest 
luminance during the on mode conditions.'' (MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 6) PG&E 
suggested an alternative term, ``brightest picture setting, which is 
the picture setting in which the TV produces the highest luminance 
during on mode.'' (PG&E, No. 46 at p. 2) Sharp urged DOE to define 
``retail picture setting'' as ``the picture setting which is 
recommended for retail use by the manufacturer from the initial set up 
menu.'' (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 2) Further, Panasonic recommended changing 
the definition for ``retail picture setting'' to the following: 
``Retail picture setting (or the brightest-selectable preset picture 
setting) is the preset picture setting in which the TV produces the 
highest luminance during the on mode conditions.'' (Panasonic, No. 50 
at p. 3) Sharp also indicated that manufacturers may have brighter 
preset settings than the retail picture setting. (Public Meeting 
Transcript, No. 51 at p. 41)
    In ENERGY STAR v. 6.0, EPA requires that a forced menu is displayed 
when the TV is powered on for the first time, providing users with a 
choice of ``home'' or ``retail'' (see Figure 1). Once a consumer 
chooses the home menu, multiple pre-programmed viewing options are 
provided, such as ``standard'', ``vivid'', ``movie'', ``sports'', and 
``game'', which adjust the brightness, contrast and other settings to 
modify the picture depending on the user's preference. In general, the 
TV will default to one of the pre-programmed settings once the ``home'' 
menu is selected. From the list above, the default setting would likely 
be the ``standard'' viewing setting.

[[Page 15814]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.002

    Since most, if not all, power consumption will occur in the 
``home'' menu for a given TV purchased by a consumer, DOE believes that 
on mode power consumption values should be representative of the 
viewing options available from the ``home'' menu rather than from the 
``retail'' menu. DOE is therefore proposing to remove the definitions 
for ``retail picture setting'' and ``home picture setting'' proposed in 
the January 2012 NOPR and replace these definitions with the following 
new terms: ``preset picture setting'', ``brightest-selectable preset 
picture setting'', and ``default picture setting''. DOE believes these 
changes clarify the picture settings for testing and provide a more 
representative power consumption value.
    DOE received feedback from the January 2012 NOPR requesting 
clarification of the term ``preset picture setting'', as it is used in 
the definition of ``retail picture setting''. Neither IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 
nor ENERGY STAR v. 6.0 provide a definition for this term; therefore, 
DOE proposes to define ``preset picture setting'' in today's SNOPR. 
MEVSA and PG&E suggested that DOE clarify what is meant by the term 
``preset picture setting''. (MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 5; PG&E, No. 46 at p. 
2) DOE believes that defining ``preset picture setting'' will improve 
test repeatability and reproducibility, and minimize confusion when 
selecting picture settings for on mode and luminance testing. DOE 
proposes to define ``preset picture setting'' in section 2.11 (Preset 
Picture Setting) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430 as ``a 
pre-programmed factory setting obtained from the TV menu with pre-
determined picture parameters such as brightness, contrast, color, 
sharpness, etc. Preset picture settings are selected within the home 
menu after the initial set-up selection from the forced menu, if a 
forced menu is present''. DOE requests comment on the need to define 
``preset picture setting'', as well as DOE's proposed definition 
(Section V.B.6).
    Based on comments from interested parties, DOE is proposing to 
remove the term ``retail picture setting'' and define ``brightest 
selectable preset picture setting'' in section 2.2 (Brightest -
selectable preset picture setting) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR 
part 430 as ``the preset picture setting in which the television 
produces the highest luminance during on mode''. To determine the 
``brightest selectable preset picture setting'', each ``preset picture 
setting'' must be tested according to the luminance test in section 5.5 
(Luminance Test) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430. DOE 
requests comment from interested parties on the use of the term 
``brightest selectable preset picture setting'' and its proposed 
definition (Section V.B.7).
    Although Sharp commented that it agrees with the current definition 
for ``home picture setting'' (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 2), DOE no longer 
feels this term and its associated definition is appropriate given its 
association with the forced menu requirements in ENERGY STAR v. 6.0. 
DOE is therefore proposing to remove the term and definition for ``home 
picture setting'' and replace it with ``default picture setting''. DOE 
proposes to define ``default picture setting'', in section 2.4 (Default 
picture setting) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430, as the 
picture setting the TV enters into immediately following the selection 
of the home menu from the forced menu. If the TV does not have a forced 
menu, the as-shipped picture setting shall be the ``default picture 
setting''. DOE requests comment from interested parties on the proposed 
term, ``default picture setting'' (Section V.B.8).
    DOE believes that the addition of ``brightest selectable preset 
picture setting'' and ``default picture setting'' clarifies how picture 
settings should be selected and used for testing. Determining the 
luminance values of the available ``preset picture settings'' should 
require little time and is the most definitive way to determine the 
''brightest selectable preset picture setting'' (see figure 1). DOE 
also believes that excluding any picture settings derived from the 
``retail'' forced menu setting (see figure 2), as specified in ENERGY 
STAR v. 6.0, will result in representative picture settings for 
determining on mode power consumption. Figure 2 illustrates the concept 
of picture settings as proposed in today's SNOPR.

[[Page 15815]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.003

E. Testing Conditions and Accuracy and Precision of Measurement 
Equipment

1. Power Supply Measurements
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed adopting the IEC 62087 Ed. 
3.0 power supply specifications with several modifications. 77 FR 2830, 
2838. DOE proposed to limit the input voltage and frequency to 115 V at 
60 Hz, rather than including the general requirement that the TV be 
tested at ``the nominal voltage of the region.'' DOE also proposed 
restricting the voltage fluctuation supplied to the TV during testing 
to be within  1 percent, rather than the  2 
percent specified in IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0. 77 FR 2830, 2838.
    In response to DOE's proposal, Panasonic recommended adopting IEC 
62087 Ed 3.0 Section 5.1.1 (Power Supply) requirements, which specify 
that the nominal voltage and frequency of the region be used and 
provide tolerances for voltage, frequency, and harmonics. (Panasonic, 
No. 50 at p. 2) Although DOE agrees with Panasonic's comments in 
support of a nominal voltage requirement, DOE is proposing to adopt 
power specifications from IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 rather than from IEC 62087 
Ed. 3.0. IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 is consistent with DOE's proposal in the 
January 2012 NOPR of a voltage and frequency tolerance of 1% while still specifying the nominal voltage and frequency of 
the country. This allows the DOE test procedure to be used by other 
regulating bodies while still specifying the same criteria proposed in 
the January 2012 NOPR. IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 also provides a table for the 
nominal voltage and frequency values by country which is consistent 
with the NOPR proposal of 115 volts at a frequency of 60 Hz for the 
United States. This table explicitly states the nominal voltage of the 
United States to avoid any confusion while listing other regions so the 
DOE test procedure may easily be adapted by other regions and 
regulating bodies. DOE proposes to modify section 3.1.1 (Power Supply 
Requirements) to Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430, and 
incorporate by reference section 4.3.1 (Supply Voltage and Frequency) 
of IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0.
    Additionally, it has come to DOE's attention that the proposed 
language in the January 2012 NOPR for measuring power factor may be 
confusing. DOE clarifies that for proposed section 3.1.2.2 to Appendix 
H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430, both power factor and real power 
shall be measured and reported for all on mode tests.
    DOE wishes to retain the total harmonic distortion (THD) 
requirement that was proposed in the January 2012 NOPR as additional 
clarification to the power supply requirement referenced in IEC 62301 
Ed. 2.0. DOE did not receive comment on its proposal and feels that a 
tolerance of 5% is sufficient without being a test burden.
2. Light Measurement Device
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed that either a contact or a 
non-contact Light Measurement Device (LMD) could be used for measuring 
TV screen luminance. 74 FR 2838-39. DOE believes the January 2012 NOPR 
proposal may have incorrectly implied that LMD specifications only 
referred to luminance meters. In this SNOPR, DOE clarifies that LMD 
specifications are designed to be used for both luminance and 
illuminance LMDs. DOE also proposed, in the January 2012 NOPR, an 
accuracy of 2 percent (2 digits) of the 
digitally displayed value, and repeatability within 0.4 percent (2 digits) of the display value for all LMDs used during the test. 
77 FR 2830, 2838-39. PG&E agreed with allowing both a contact and 
distance luminance meter for measuring screen luminance (PG&E, No. 46 
at p. 2), and Sharp agreed with DOE's proposed LMD specifications. 
(Sharp, No. 45 at p. 3) NEEA urged DOE to clarify the accuracy of the 
luminance meters in the test procedure. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 2) MEVSA 
also asked DOE to provide more clarification on the LMD tolerance 
specification. (Public Meeting Transcript, No. 51 at p. 29) Given 
interested party feedback, DOE is proposing to update section 3.1.3 
(Light Measurement Device) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 
430 by providing examples for calculating LMD tolerance and adding 
language to clarify the scope of this requirement. However,

[[Page 15816]]

DOE has removed the repeatability requirement as it may not be 
appropriate for all LMDs. DOE seeks comment from interested parties on 
the clarification of the LMD accuracy requirement and the removal of 
the LMD repeatability requirement (Section V.B.9).
3. Input Cable
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed adopting High-Definition 
Multimedia Interface (HDMI)/Digital Video Interface (DVI), Video 
Graphics Array (VGA), component video, separate video (S-Video), and 
composite video input cables for conducting on mode power consumption 
testing. 77 FR 2830, 2839-40. Panasonic, Sharp, and MEVSA indicated 
that VGA and DVI inputs should be excluded from TV testing because 
those formats are designed for displays. Sharp also noted that video 
input should be tested in the following order: HDMI, Component Analog, 
S-Video, and Composite Analog. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 6) MEVSA suggested 
the following input hierarchy: ``Testing shall be performed using an 
HDMI input. If the TV does not have an HDMI input, the following inputs 
shall be used in the following order: component, S-Video, and 
composite. If the TV has none of these inputs, an appropriate interface 
shall be used.'' (MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 3) Panasonic commented that VGA 
and DVI should be excluded from the input hierarchy. (Panasonic, No. 50 
at p. 2) NEEA also commented on the input and signal sources, 
indicating that DOE should align the signal source and generation 
section with IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 2) IEC 62087 Ed. 
3.0 does not specify a particular input cable or input cable hierarchy, 
but rather indicates that only one set of input cables be used. DOE 
believes that specifying a particular hierarchy of input cables will 
avoid confusion and improve test repeatability.
    Given interested party feedback, and that VGA and DVI input cables 
are specific to displays, DOE is proposing to remove VGA and DVI from 
section 4.5 (Input Cable) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 
430, resulting in the following input cable hierarchy: HDMI, component 
video, S-video, and composite video. DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on the proposed input cable hierarchy and the 
removal of VGA and DVI from this hierarchy (Section V.B.10).
4. Input Terminal
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE did not propose to specify a 
particular input terminal when connecting the signal source and the TV. 
DOE is aware that some TVs have multiple HDMI input terminals designed 
for specific signal sources such as video game consoles and personal 
computers. Different input terminals may affect the picture setting the 
TV assigns to a particular component. For example, an input terminal 
designed for video game consoles may default to a picture setting 
designed for video games; this may not be the picture setting designed 
for typical on mode viewing or with a Blu-ray Disc player. Given that 
some TVs have multiple input terminals and some of those inputs are not 
designed for a typical on mode signal source, DOE is proposing to 
include section 4.6 (Input Terminal) to Appendix H to subpart B of 10 
CFR part 430, to specify that the primary input terminal (or any input 
that maintains the same TV characteristics as the primary input, as 
specified by the owner's manual) shall be used to conduct testing. Such 
input terminals are designed to be used with Blu-ray disc players and 
set-top boxes. DOE requests comment from interested parties on the 
proposal to perform testing using the primary input terminal (Section 
V.B.11).
5. Video Input Device
    During testing, DOE observed that power consumption differences can 
arise when the Blu-ray Disc (BD) player used in testing is made by the 
same manufacturer as the television. DOE has observed that these power 
consumption differences can be as high as 29.7%, which may result in 
test procedure reproducibility issues.\12\ Since the TV power 
consumption in on mode can vary significantly based on the BD player 
used for testing, DOE proposes additional specificity for BD players.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ Video Input Terminal Test Results. This report is available 
in Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE believes that these power consumption differences in the TV 
arise because TVs and BD players can communicate by utilizing the 
consumer electronic control function on the HDMI terminal. Consumer 
electronic control functionality can automatically perform operations 
for the customer, such as powering on or off the other device, 
adjusting volume on the TV when the BD player volume is adjusted, or 
defaulting to a different picture setting. While this functionality can 
provide a better user experience, DOE observed two situations in which 
this communication can result in the television automatically changing 
to a different picture setting when connected to a BD player made by 
the same manufacturer as the TV. The picture setting and energy 
consumption differences observed when using different manufacturer BD 
players with TV1, manufactured by Manufacturer A is shown in Table 1 
through Table 4. Although Table 1 shows constant power consumption for 
TV1 across all BD player manufacturers, BD player A (same manufacturer 
as TV A) exhibited a proprietary picture setting by default, which was 
not seen with the other BD players. When the picture setting was 
changed to the standard picture setting, consistent with the other BD 
players, DOE observed an average power consumption decrease for TV1 of 
21.2% (Table 2). Table 3 shows another TV from manufacturer A, TV2, 
that also entered the proprietary picture setting when using BD player 
A, but the power consumption of TV2 was on average 29.7% higher than 
when using the other BD players. When the picture setting was changed 
to the standard picture setting seen with the other BD players, the 
power consumption of TV2 decreased to a value similar to the other 
players (Table 4). DOE tested both TV1 and TV2 with four BD players 
made by other manufacturers and did not observe any changes to the 
picture setting or power consumption. To prevent such interaction 
between the TV and BD player, DOE is proposing that all TVs shall be 
tested with a BD player of a different manufacturer than the TV. For 
example, Manufacturer A's TV may be tested with any BD player other 
than one manufactured by Manufacturer A.
    Additionally, DOE believes that the video input device may interact 
with the TV in standby modes as well as in on mode. To ensure that no 
data are transferred between the video input device and the TV, DOE 
proposes that all video input devices be disconnected from the TV 
during standby-passive mode and standby-active, low mode testing. DOE 
requests comment from interested parties on the proposed additional 
specifications for video input devices (See Section III.E.).

[[Page 15817]]



                                   Table 1--TV1 Manufacturer A On Mode Power Consumption Measured With Five BD Players
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              Blu-ray disc player manufacturer
        TV1--Manufacturer A        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               A                       B                       C                      D                      E
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Default picture setting...........  Proprietary...........  Standard..............  Standard..............  Standard.............  Standard
Power Consumption (W).............  50.72.................  50.72.................  51.95.................  51.99................  50.82
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                Table 2--TV1 Manufacturer A On Mode Power Consumption in Standard Picture Setting
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Blu-ray disc player manufacturer
        TV1--Manufacturer A        -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           A               B               C               D              E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power Consumption (W).............          40.46           50.72           51.95           51.99         50.82
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                   Table 3--TV2 Manufacturer A On Mode Power Consumption Measured With Five BD Players
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              Blu-ray disc player manufacturer
        TV2--Manufacturer A        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               A                       B                       C                      D                      E
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Default picture setting...........  Proprietary...........  Standard..............  Standard..............  Standard.............  Standard
Power Consumption (W).............  273.5.................  212.9.................  209.1.................  209.9................  211.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                Table 4--TV2 Manufacturer A On Mode Power Consumption in Standard Picture Setting
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Blu-ray disc player manufacturer
        TV2--Manufacturer A        -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           A               B               C               D              E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power Consumption (W).............          209.8           212.9           209.1           209.9         211.9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Stabilization
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed section 5.2 (Warm-up), which 
included warming up the TV using the IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 dynamic 
broadcast-content video signal. 77 FR 2830, 2842-43. In response to 
this proposal, interested parties indicated that DOE should reference 
IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 for stabilization criteria. While Panasonic is in 
favor of the 2 percent stabilization criteria proposed in the NOPR, 
they recommended that DOE adopt the stabilization criteria used by IEC 
62087 Ed 3.0. This allows the stabilization period to end once the TV 
has reached the 2 percent stabilization criteria, rather than the 
mandatory 1 hour period proposed in the January 2012 NOPR for all TVs. 
(Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 2) Sharp indicated that IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 
should be used for stabilization criteria. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 3)
    DOE believes that it is appropriate to incorporate IEC 62087 Ed. 
3.0 Section 11.4.2 (Stabilization) by reference, since it is similar to 
section 5.2 (Warm-up) which DOE proposed in the January 2012 NOPR. 77 
FR 2830, 2842-43. The specifications in IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 ensure that 
the TV reaches stabilization, as proposed in the January 2012 NOPR, but 
it may reduce test time if a TV stabilizes in less than an hour. For 
this reason, DOE proposes to remove section 5.2 (Warm-up) as proposed 
in the January 2012 NOPR and replace it with a revised section 5.2 
(Stabilization) of Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430, which 
incorporates by reference section 11.4.2 (Stabilization) of IEC 62087 
Ed. 3.0. DOE requests comment from interested parties on incorporating 
by reference the stabilization requirements in section 11.4.2 of IEC 
62087 Ed. 3.0 (Section V.B.12).
    Additionally, DOE would like to provide guidance for stabilization 
specifications incorporated from IEC 62087. DOE proposes that the TV 
stabilization shall be performed in the ``default picture setting'' and 
all TVs shipped with the ABC sensor enabled by default shall be 
stabilized with the ABC sensor enabled. The TV settings are configured 
in the same manner for on mode testing as they are for the 
stabilization, in order to decrease the risk that other settings may be 
modified when enabling or disabling functions or settings. DOE also 
proposes that at least 300 lux of light shall enter the TV ABC sensor 
during the stabilization period, allowing the sensor to remain active 
and engaged. A light level of at least 300 lux shall be applied in 
accordance with section 5.5 of Appendix H. DOE believes that the TV 
should be stabilized under the same conditions used during on mode 
testing. DOE would like to ensure that the TV settings remain in the 
default picture setting throughout testing. DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on (1) stabilizing the TV in the default picture 
setting and (2) stabilizing the TV with the ABC sensor enabled and 300 
lux entering the sensor, when the ABC sensor is enabled by default (See 
Section V.B.14).
7. Test Order
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed conducting testing in the 
following order: luminance, on mode, standby mode, and off mode. 77 FR 
2830, 2841-42. DOE proposed testing luminance before on mode since 
``brightest selectable preset picture setting'' could have been 
interpreted as the retail mode from the forced menu, using the 
definitions in the January 2012 NOPR. Thus, if the on mode test is 
performed before luminance testing, some TVs may not be capable of 
being placed into the ``retail picture setting'' for luminance testing 
once the TV has been placed in the ``home picture setting''. To address 
this potential issue, DOE proposed testing luminance prior to on mode 
in the January 2012 NOPR.77 FR 2830.

[[Page 15818]]

    NEEA supported DOE's proposal to test luminance before testing on 
mode. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 3) Panasonic urged DOE to place the luminance 
test after the on mode test as the on mode test may not be as 
repeatable when it does not immediately follow the stabilization 
period. (Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 3) Panasonic indicated that if a TV 
could not switch back to the ``retail picture setting'' after being in 
``home picture setting'' a revised test procedure could be used that 
includes an additional stabilization period between the luminance and 
on mode tests to ensure that it is repeatable. (Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 
3) Sharp noted that changing the order of luminance testing might 
require double testing for products that need to be tested with IEC 
62087 Ed. 3.0. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 3)
    As discussed earlier, DOE is proposing to add the defined term 
``brightest selectable preset picture setting'' and remove the 
definition of ``retail picture setting'', initially proposed in the 
January 2012 NOPR. Since the ``brightest selectable preset picture 
setting'' can be readily accessed within the home mode from a forced 
menu, DOE is proposing to revise the test order to the following: on 
mode, luminance, standby mode, and off mode. This is consistent with 
the comments received from Panasonic and Sharp and is also consistent 
with the current test order specified by IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 and ENERGY 
STAR v. 6.0. DOE requests comment from interested parties regarding the 
proposed change to the testing order (Section V.B.12).
    The January 2012 NOPR proposed that the luminance test be performed 
immediately following the initial warm-up period. MEVSA agreed with 
DOE's proposed warm-up period but suggested that DOE clarify what was 
meant by ``immediately after the warm-up period'' to measure the 
luminance (MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 6). Panasonic suggested that an 
additional 10 minute warm-up period is needed before each luminance 
measurement (Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 3). Today's SNOPR proposes that 
the on mode test follow the initial stabilization period with the 
luminance test conducted immediately following the on mode test. As 
discussed in the stabilization section of the SNOPR (Section III.E.5), 
DOE is proposing to incorporate by reference the requirements in 
section 11.4.2 (Stabilization) of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0, which states that 
the luminance measurement should occur ``before the activation of any 
image retention prevention features''. Prior to the January 2012 NOPR, 
DOE found that stabilizing the TV for any length of time resulted in 
activation of anti-image retention features and therefore proposed in 
the January 2012 NOPR that the screen luminance be measured immediately 
after the TV is warmed-up.\13\ Based on a comment received from MEVSA, 
DOE has revised section 5.5.1 (Luminance Test) in Appendix H to clarify 
that the luminance test be conducted immediately following the on mode 
test and the screen shall not be allowed to stabilize. This 
clarification aligns with the stabilization language incorporated from 
section 11.5 of IEC 62087 Ed 3.0 which states that measurements ``shall 
be made before the activation of image retention prevention features''. 
DOE requests comment from interested parties on the transition between 
the on mode power consumption test and the luminance test (Section 
V.B.16).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ Television Luminance Stabilization Period Data. This 
material is available in Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at 
www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

F. Automatic Brightness Control Test Set-up

1. General
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed incorporating a test 
procedure for TVs with ABC enabled by default. 77 FR 2850. NEEA agreed 
that TVs with ABC enabled by default should be tested differently than 
TVs without ABC or without ABC enabled by default. (NEEA No. 8 at p. 4) 
Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP) supported a robust test 
procedure that captures the effect of ABC on energy consumption for TVs 
with ABC enabled by default. (ASAP No. 1 at p. 1) Based on interested 
party feedback, DOE has maintained its initial proposal to incorporate 
a test procedure for TVs with ABC enabled by default in today's SNOPR 
but wishes to modify the specification of this procedure to make it 
more repeatable and reproducible.
2. Set-up for Generating and Measuring Illuminance
a. Direct Light Source
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed to evaluate ABC sensor 
response by directing light from a halogen incandescent lamp into the 
TV's ABC sensor. 77 FR 2853-54. NEEA supported using a direct light 
source to generate the illuminance values, as diffused light may not be 
repeatable. (NEEA No. 9 at p. 5) PG&E agreed with using a direct light 
source but recommended allowing different lighting types. (PG&E No. 5 
at p. 4) Panasonic supported creating illuminance with a direct light 
source. (Panasonic No. 9 at p. 7) Sharp agreed that halogen 
incandescent is a proper lamp for ABC testing. (Sharp No. 8 at p. 6) 
Sharp further suggested directing light into the ABC sensor at an angle 
that results in the maximum power consumption. (Sharp No. 8 at p. 6) 
Additionally, National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) recommended that 
DOE provide clear guidance on how to create the illuminance values. 
(NRDC, No. 2 at p. 4) While DOE has maintained its proposal to generate 
illuminance values using a direct light source, DOE proposes to clarify 
the light source set-up in response to stakeholder comment.
    Neither IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 nor ENERGY STAR v. 5.3 \14\ specifies the 
particular location of the light source with respect to the TV and ABC 
sensor. DOE recognizes that there are many ways to create direct 
illuminance and therefore believes that specifying the exact location 
of the light source will provide a more repeatable test procedure. DOE 
evaluated two methods for directly illuminating the ABC sensor; a 
``distance'' test set-up and an ``adjacent'' test set-up. DOE evaluated 
both of these methods to determine the effect of distance between the 
light source and ABC sensor and the impact of lamp set-up on TV 
performance and repeatability. The evaluation consisted of a round 
robin where four labs performed testing with each method on eight 
different TVs.\15\ Based on this evaluation, DOE is proposing the 
method outlined by the ``distance'' test set-up. DOE further explains 
both test set-ups below, and the results obtained from each.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ ENERGY STAR v. 6.0 references the January 2012 NOPR, 
therefore ENERGY STAR v. 5.3 is being referenced.
    \15\ Round Robin Test Report. This report is available in Docket 
EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The ``distance'' test set-up requires only a light source that is 
placed at a distance of 5 feet ( 3 inches) from the center 
of the ABC sensor. The center of the lamp is aligned at the same height 
as the center of the ABC sensor with respect to the floor, resulting in 
a perpendicular angle with respect to the center of the sensor. All 
four corners of the TV face are equidistant from a vertical reference 
wall (e.g., fixed position room wall). The light source is positioned 
ensuring the center focal point of the lamp is perpendicular to the 
center of the ABC sensor, and the vertical reference wall. A side view 
of the ``distance'' test set-up is shown in Figure 3; a bird's eye view 
of the

[[Page 15819]]

``distance'' test set-up is shown in Figure 4.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.004


[[Page 15820]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.005

    The ``adjacent'' test set-up requires a lamp and a cylindrical 
apparatus with a diameter at one end large enough to fit completely 
around the lamp and a diameter at the other end of 2 inches. The light 
source is secured flush against the large diameter end of the apparatus 
so that no light escapes between the lamp and apparatus. The 2 inch 
diameter end of the apparatus is then placed flush against the bezel of 
the TV, completely covering the ABC sensor. The center of the lamp is 
aligned at the same height as the center of the ABC sensor with respect 
to the floor, resulting in a perpendicular angle with respect to the 
center of the sensor. The ``adjacent'' test set-up is shown in Figure 
4.

[[Page 15821]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.006

    In the January 2012 NOPR DOE proposed using a 100 W halogen 
incandescent lamp to create illuminance values. While no stakeholders 
expressed objection to the proposed 100 W halogen incandescent lamp, 
DOE now has an incandescent reflector lamp efficacy standard in place 
\16\, which affects the halogen incandescent lamp specified in the 
January 2012 NOPR. As part of this standard, 100W halogen incandescent 
lamps will be phased out and replaced by higher efficacy lamps. To 
accommodate these lighting standards, DOE is proposing to use a 
standard spectrum halogen parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR) short 
neck lamp with a rated light output of 1000 lumens ( 5 
percent). Specifying lumens allows for lamps with a range of wattages 
to be used for testing, ensuring that lamps meeting the above 
requirements can be easily obtained. Standard spectrum is any 
incandescent reflector lamp that does not meet the definition of 
modified spectrum as defined in 10 CFR 430.2. DOE's proposal allows for 
lamp efficacy to improve, while retaining the brightness necessary to 
perform ABC testing on TVs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ Energy conversation standards for Incandescent Relector 
Lamps. 77 FR 4203. January 31, 2013. http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=DOE-HQ-2012-0001-0039
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

b. Lamp Specifications
    Both the ``distance'' and ``adjacent'' test set-up discussed in the 
previous section utilized a 1000 lumen PAR 30S halogen incandescent 
lamp in the round robin testing instead of a 100 W lamp. For both set-
ups, target illuminance values are obtained by varying the light source 
input voltage, with the illuminance measured at the ABC sensor. To 
compare these test set-ups, DOE conducted round robin testing on eight 
different TV models at four separate test labs to determine the 
repeatability and reproducibility of both test set-ups. Each lab tested 
all eight TVs \17\ a total of six times, three times using the 
``distance'' test set-up and three times using the ``adjacent'' test 
set-up. Each test comprised measurements taken at multiple illuminance 
values ranging from 0 to 300 lux.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ One TV was tested at only three labs as it sustained damage 
during set-up, prior to testing, at the final lab; DOE did not test 
this TV since it was not clear how the damage may have affected the 
TV's performance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Analysis of the round robin testing results indicates that the 
``distance'' test set-up provides more repeatable results at the target 
illuminance values.\18\ For this testing DOE selected illuminance 
values at 0, 10, 12, 35, 50, 75, 100 and 300 lux to test a wide range 
of values. The power consumption coefficient of variation at each 
target illuminance value is lower for the ``distance'' test set-up when 
comparing results from all four labs for each TV tested. Results also 
show that TVs exhibit maximum power consumption (saturate) at 
significantly lower illuminance values, in some cases below 35 lux, 
with the ``adjacent'' test set-up. DOE does not believe ABC sensor 
saturation at these illuminance

[[Page 15822]]

values are representative of actual operation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ Round Robin Test Report. This report is available in Docket 
EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

c. Infrared Light
    During round robin testing, DOE observed different power 
consumption values for the ``distance'' and ``adjacent'' test set-ups 
when testing at the same illuminance values. To further understand this 
concept, DOE conducted an investigation which evaluated light intensity 
as a function of wavelength at multiple illuminance values using the 
``distance'' set-up. The ``distance'' test set-up requires a greater 
light intensity output compared to the ``adjacent'' set-up to 
compensate for the increased distance from the ABC sensor. Results show 
that the ratio of infrared (IR) to visible light increased 
significantly as illuminance values decreased, especially at 
illuminance values less than 35 lux.\19\ To further evaluate the impact 
of IR on ABC sensor response, DOE used the ``distance'' test set-up to 
evaluate the power consumption on multiple TVs while placing a 67 
millimeter (mm) diameter IR and ultraviolet (UV) blocking filter over 
the ABC sensor. DOE then compared power consumption results obtained 
with the IR/UV blocking filter to the round robin results to better 
understand how IR and UV light may impact TV sensor response. Results 
show decreased power consumption when testing with the IR/UV blocking 
filter regardless of TV or illuminance values.\20\ As a lamp is dimmed 
to simulate lower illuminance values, the IR to visible spectrum ratio 
is altered and the sensor receives more IR light that may result in 
higher power consumption. The LMD does not register the increased IR 
level. The ``adjacent'' test set-up most likely resulted in higher 
power consumption due to the increased amount of IR caused by 
substantially dimming the lamp. Therefore, DOE is proposing to use an 
IR/UV blocking filter to remove the IR entering the ABC sensor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ IR/ND Filter Test Results. This report is available in 
Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at www.regulations.gov.
    \20\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE is proposing to use a 67 mm diameter IR/UV blocking filter 
because it is a common size used in photography and can be easily 
obtained. DOE is proposing to place the filter directly in front of the 
ABC sensor because it provides a safer, simpler, more repeatable 
method. Although DOE is proposing to use an IR/UV filter placed in 
front of the TV's sensor during ABC on mode testing with the 
``distance'' test set-up, DOE is also considering using this test set-
up without an IR/UV filter.
d. Summary of Test Set-up
    In summary, DOE performed round robin testing to evaluate the 
repeatability of two test set-ups for specifying the location of the 
light source in response to interested party feedback requesting 
detailed instructions on how to generate direct illuminance values. 
Results show that the ``distance'' test set-up is more repeatable than 
the ``adjacent'' test set-up. Additional testing using an IR/UV 
blocking filter, with the ``distance'' test set-up resulted in more 
realistic ABC sensor responses than when no filter was used. Based on 
interested party feedback and recent test results, DOE is proposing the 
following set up requirements for determining on mode power consumption 
for TVs with ABC enabled by default: (1) Light source shall be a 
standard spectrum halogen PAR short neck lamp with a rated brightness 
of 1000 lumens ( 5 percent); (2) lamp assembly shall be 
set-up using the ``distance'' test set-up (Figure 3), with the lamp 5 
feet ( 3 inches) from the sensor and the center focal point 
of the lamp perpendicular to the center of the ABC sensor; (3) each 
corner of the TV face shall be aligned equidistant to a vertical 
reference wall; (4) all illuminance measurements shall be taken at the 
ABC sensor; and (5) a 67 mm diameter IR/UV blocking filter shall be 
placed in front of the ABC sensor in a way that allows no unfiltered 
light to pass into the sensor during testing. The full round robin test 
report and additional testing data are provided on regulations.gov.
    DOE requests comment from interested parties on each of the five 
proposed test set-up specifications for determining on mode power 
consumption for TVs with ABC enabled by default (Section V.B.17).
3. Test Illuminance Values
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed testing TVs with ABC enabled 
by default at four distinct illuminance values: 10, 50, 100, and 300 
lux. 77 FR 2850-52. ASAP, CEA, MEVSA, NEEA, NRDC, PG&E, and Sharp all 
agreed that testing should be performed at multiple illuminance values 
and also proposed specific values at which testing should be done.
    ASAP supported testing at four different illuminance values, in 
particular at both 50 and 100 lux. (ASAP No. 1 at p. 1) Sharp suggested 
illuminance values of 0, 12, 35, and 300 lux and stated that no testing 
should be performed at an illuminance level near 100 lux as 
manufacturers may dim brightness above 100 lux, potentially leading 
consumers to disable ABC. (Sharp No. 8 at p. 4) NEEA supported DOE's 
proposed illuminance values of 10, 50, 100, and 300 lux but would 
prefer testing at 150 lux instead of 100 lux, as 150 lux would act as a 
better saturation point. (NEEA No. 8 at p. 5-6) NRDC also preferred 
testing at 150 lux instead of 100 lux. (NRDC No. 2 at p. 3) MEVSA 
recommended levels of 0, 12, and 300 lux, as ``23% of viewership occurs 
between 0 lux and 6 lux, 70% between 6 and 156 lux, and 7% greater than 
156 lux.'' (MEVSA No. 5 at p. 7) PG&E suggested setting illuminance 
values at 5, 15, 45, and 135 lux. (PG&E No. 5 at p. 4) Panasonic 
provided a prioritized list of illuminance values for testing as 
follows: (1) 0 and 300 lux; (2) 0, 12, and 300 lux; (3) 0, 35, and 300 
lux; (4) 0, 12, 35, and 300 lux. (Panasonic No. 8 at p. 5)
    In response to the January 2012 NOPR, CEA recommended that the 
illuminance values for testing should be 0, 12, and 300 lux, with the 
possibility of an additional point at 35 lux. (CEA No. 5 at p. 5) While 
multiple interested parties recommended testing at 0 lux, an ambient 
lighting level of 0 lux is impossible to achieve in practice and is 
typically achieved in the lab by covering the ABC sensor during 
testing. NEEA commented that a 0 lux value does not add value to this 
test since it is not representative of real world conditions. (NEEA, 
No. 43 at p. 4) ASAP also stated that a 0 lux illuminance value is not 
representative of real world conditions, but that a value under 10 lux 
may be appropriate. (ASAP, No. 46 at p. 2) DOE agrees and believes that 
an illuminance value just above 0 lux should be tested to measure the 
lowest possible power consumption with ABC enabled and is therefore 
proposing to test at 3 lux. DOE feels that it is necessary to have 
another low illuminance value due to the high viewership that takes 
place under low illuminance conditions. As such, DOE is proposing to 
also test at 12 lux, which aligns with many industry advocates 
including CEA, MEVSA, Panasonic and Sharp. (CEA, No. 47 at p. 5; MEVSA, 
No. 44 at p. 7; Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 5; Sharp, No. 45 at p. 4) DOE 
proposed testing at the 10 lux value in the January 2012 NOPR; however, 
since round robin results indicate little difference between power 
consumption at 10 and 12 lux,\21\ and 12 lux aligns with interested

[[Page 15823]]

parties' recommendations, DOE is proposing 12 lux in today's SNOPR.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ Round Robin Test Report. This report is available in Docket 
EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additionally DOE is proposing 100 lux as a maximum illuminance 
value. DOE proposed both 150 and 300 lux in the January 2012 NOPR. 
However, based on DOE's round robin testing,\22\ stakeholder feedback 
to the NOPR, and data from reports like the Collaborative Labeling and 
Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) study,\23\ DOE no longer feels that 
150 or 300 are appropriate test values. The CLASP study indicates that 
the majority of TV viewership occurs when ambient light conditions are 
between 0 and 100 lux at the ABC sensor and that most TVs reach 
saturation near the 100 lux value. Testing at 100 lux is also supported 
by ASAP. (ASAP, No. 46 at p. 1) The CLASP study also reports that 76 
percent of viewing occurs at room illuminance values less than or equal 
to 50 lux.\24\ DOE believes that it is important to have an additional 
illuminance value between 12 and 50 and is therefore proposing to test 
at 35 lux. CEA, MEVSA, Panasonic, and Sharp all provided comments 
supporting 35 lux as an illuminance test value. (CEA, No. 47 at p. 5; 
MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 7; Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 5; Sharp, No. 45 at p. 
4) Therefore, DOE is proposing to determine on mode power consumption 
for TVs with ABC enabled by default at 3  1, 12  1, 35  2, and 100  5 lux.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ Id.
    \23\ Jones, Keith. Further Analysis of Background Lighting 
Levels during Television Viewing. CLASP. March, 29, 2012. http://www.clasponline.org/en/ResourcesTools/Resources/StandardsLabelingResourceLibrary/2012/Further-Analysis-Background-Lighting-Levels.
    \24\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE is also proposing to measure illuminance from the brightest 
value to the dimmest value. The TV will already be warmed up at 
brighter levels and specifying the test order will ensure test 
repeatability. DOE seeks comment from interested parties on the 
proposed illuminance values and the order in which the values are 
tested (Section V.B.18).
    DOE originally selected the 0 lux illuminance value because it 
could be easily simulated by completely blocking the sensor. Now that 
DOE is proposing a 3 lux illuminance point, there may be some 
measurement equipment accuracy concerns for stakeholders because this 3 
lux value is so low. To mitigate some of these concerns for 
stakeholders, DOE is proposing to allow the 3 lux illuminance value to 
be simulated with a neutral density (ND) filter. ND filters work by 
uniformly reducing the light intensity entering the ABC sensor across 
the full spectrum (both visible and invisible). For example, 12 lux 
could be measured at the ABC sensor, but when a 2-stop ND filter is 
placed in front of the sensor, 75% of the light is blocked and the 
sensor would read 3 lux. This approach was created for labs that may 
not have illuminance meters capable of accurately reading 3 lux. An ND 
filter is not required for ABC testing, but may be used to simulate the 
3 lux value.
    DOE performed testing to verify that similar power consumption 
values are measured whether or not an ND filter is used when testing at 
3 lux. DOE observed that the power consumption in some TVs decreased by 
as much as 12 percent \25\ with the use of an ND filter compared to 
testing without a filter. DOE believes that by dimming a lamp from 12 
lux to 3 lux, the IR to visible spectrum ratio increases and the ABC 
sensor interprets that it is receiving more visible light than it 
actually receives. Even though the ND filter is blocking 75% of the 
light, it does so uniformly across all wavelengths, allowing IR to pass 
through the filter. To verify this theory, DOE tested ND filters in 
conjunction with the IR/UV blocking filter and compared the results to 
testing at 3 lux with the IR/UV blocking filter only. DOE observed a 
difference of less than 1 percent for all cases and therefore believes 
that using both filters together would be preferable.\26\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ IR/ND Filter Test Results. This report is available in 
Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at www.regulations.gov.
    \26\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, DOE evaluated illuminance meters that are currently 
available on the market and found that with the accuracy specified in 
section 3.1.3 (Light Measurement Device) of the proposed test 
procedure, LMDs should have the tolerance to accurately measure 3 lux. 
Although DOE believes that the LMD accuracy specifications are 
sufficient to accurately measure 3 lux at the ABC sensor, DOE is 
proposing to allow the option to use a ND filter to obtain 3 lux at the 
sensor provided that DOE moves forward with its proposal to also 
require the use of an IR/UV blocking filter. DOE notes that it is only 
proposing to allow an ND filter when also using an IR/UV blocking 
filter. DOE seeks comment from interested parties on the use of a ND 
filter (section V.B.19).
4. Illuminance Weighting Scale
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE discussed combining the power 
consumption measured at the four illuminance values using a weighted 
average, with equal weighting factors to determine ABC power 
consumption for TVs with ABC enabled by default. 77 FR 2854. DOE 
ultimately decided not to propose a specific weighting approach in the 
January 2012 NOPR and requested additional feedback from interested 
parties.
    Sharp, NRDC, and ASAP all agreed with assigning equal weight to the 
power consumption at each illuminance value. (Sharp No. 45 at p. 6; 
NRDC No. 40 at p. 3; ASAP No. 46 at p. 2) NEEA preferred that power 
consumption be reported for each of the four illuminance values instead 
of reporting an average. However, NEEA suggested weightings of 33 
percent, 33 percent, 17 percent, and 17 percent for each of the 
illuminance values, respectively, if a weighting system were used. 
(NEEA No. 8 at p. 4-5) Panasonic commented that the higher illuminance 
values should be weighted less, as viewership occurs less at those 
levels. (Panasonic No. 8 at p. 5-6) Given that 76 percent of viewership 
occurs at or below 50 lux, DOE believes that the three lower 
illuminance values proposed (3, 12, and 35 lux) should comprise the 
majority of the overall power consumption average. Based on interested 
party feedback, DOE is proposing to weight each illuminance value 
equally when calculating a TV's overall power consumption. DOE requests 
comment from interested parties on equally weighting the illuminance 
values to determine on mode power consumption for TVs with ABC enabled 
by default (Section V.B.20).

G. Standby Modes

1. Standby-Passive Mode
    In comments to the January 2012 NOPR, NRDC expressed concerns with 
``quick start'' options that may be available on some TVs. NRDC 
suggested that DOE require network-capable TVs be attached to a live 
internet connection with ``quick start'' features enabled and power 
consumption measured over 15 minutes. (NRDC, No. 40 at p. 4-5) While 
DOE understands that there may be an increase in power consumption 
associated with this feature, DOE does not believe the TV needs to be 
connected to a network for this feature to be active. The additional 
power consumed is most likely keeping components active to reduce the 
latency of powering on the TV, rather than downloading content. In 
addition, DOE believes that ``quick start''-type functions would be 
classified as ``special functions''. As discussed in Section III.D.2, 
DOE proposes to incorporate the definition for ``special functions'' 
from IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 by

[[Page 15824]]

reference, where ``special functions'' shall remain enabled during 
testing if they are enabled by default (i.e., if they are enabled as-
shipped). As such, functions such as ``quick start'' would be tested in 
the standby-passive mode or standby-active, low test (as proposed 
below) if they are enabled as-shipped. DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on testing ``quick start'' functionality, and if it 
is adequately covered under the proposed test procedure (Section 
V.B.21).
2. Standby-Active, Low Mode
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE discussed potentially testing standby 
while connected to a network, as standby-active, low mode. DOE 
ultimately decided not to propose this test in the January 2012 NOPR 
because testing revealed little to no increase in power consumption 
when the TV was connected to a network input (e.g. Wi-Fi or 
Ethernet).\27\ However, the ENERGY STAR v. 6.0 TV specifications 
incorporates a test for standby-active, low mode. To ensure testing 
consistency between voluntary and State programs applicable to TVs, DOE 
reconsidered including the standby-active, low mode into its TV test 
procedure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \27\ Television Internet Standby Data. This material is 
available in Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at 
www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In today's SNOPR, DOE is proposing to incorporate the ENERGY STAR 
v. 6.0 standby-active, low mode test into the DOE test procedure. DOE 
expects the market share of network-capable TVs to grow,\28\ and 
believes that additional features will be introduced that will increase 
power consumption in standby-active, low mode. DOE wants to ensure that 
this increased power consumption is captured during testing. A standby-
active, low mode test will measure the power consumption associated 
with a TV's network capabilities with no data transfer. While this 
proposed test requires a local area network (LAN) connection, there is 
no data exchange to and from the TV, so no LAN connection 
specifications are necessary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ Connected TV Shipments to Exceed 138 Million Units in 2015. 
DisplaySearch. July 5, 2011. http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/110705_connected_tv_shipments_to_exceed_138_million_units_in_2015.asp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE also proposes that standby-active, low mode is tested using a 
hierarchy of network inputs, as follows: Wi-Fi, Ethernet (if the TV 
supports an Energy Efficient Ethernet, it shall be tested using that 
connection), Coax, RJ11 and other. DOE believes that using the 
aforementioned hierarchy will increase testing repeatability and 
reproducibility by ensuring that a network-capable TV is tested using 
the same network connection regardless of who is administering the 
test. The addition of this test is expected to increase the overall 
test time by approximately 40 minutes, 30 minutes for stabilizing the 
TV while in the standby-active, low mode and 10 minutes for measuring 
the power consumption. The proposed additional testing will add 
approximately 17 percent to the testing time assuming that each test 
(on mode, standby-passive mode, standby-active, low mode, and 
luminance) takes approximately 10 minutes to perform. DOE does not 
believe that this test adds a significant amount of test burden 
compared to the entire test procedure proposed for TVs. Including a 
test to measure the energy consumption associated with standby-active, 
low mode would allow consumers to understand the increased cost and 
energy consumption associated with the TV while it is in that mode. 
Furthermore, including a standby-active, low mode test as part of the 
TV test procedure will ensure a consistent test set-up that other 
programs, such as ENERGY STAR, can reference. For these reasons, DOE is 
proposing to add section 5.6.2 (Standby-Active, Low Mode Test) to 
Appendix H to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430 to include a standby-active, 
low mode test that requires the TV be connected to a LAN input while 
the TV is in standby mode. DOE requests comment from interested parties 
on the addition of a standby-active, low mode power measurement test in 
addition to the proposed network hierarchy (Section V.B.22).
3. Standby-Active, High Mode
    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE incorporated several definitions from 
IEC 62087 Ed. 2.0, including standby-active, high mode. This mode is 
defined as a period when the TV provides neither audio nor video 
output, may be switched into another mode by a user initiated input, 
and is actively exchanging data with an external source. DOE also 
proposed to adopt the ``CEA Procedure for testing DAM: For TVs'' (CEA 
DAM test procedure) \29\ to test standby-active, high mode. The CEA DAM 
test procedure includes two measurement methods: a ``practical 
approach'' and an ``ideal approach.'' The practical approach measures 
the TV's instantaneous power while performing a download. To determine 
the daily energy consumption (DEC), the instantaneous power value is 
multiplied by the total duration over which the TV performs downloads 
in 24 hours. The download duration time must be provided by the 
manufacturer for each basic model. If a laboratory does not know the 
download duration time for a given model, the ideal approach must be 
performed. The ideal approach is a 24 hour test that cycles the TV on 
and off while measuring the instantaneous power for the entire duration 
and DEC is reported.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ CEA Procedure for DAM Testing: For TVs. (Last Accessed 
December 1, 2012) http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/prod_development/revisions/downloads/television/CEA_DAM_Test_Procedure.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    PG&E voiced their support to include the CEA DAM test procedure, 
but indicated that DOE should clarify that all TVs require DAM testing. 
(PG&E, No. 46 at p. 5) Panasonic recommended that DOE should include 
the ENERGY STAR guidance document for the CEA DAM test procedure, which 
specifies that the test may be performed using the ``practical 
approach''. (Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 7)
    While DOE proposed to include the CEA DAM test procedure in the 
January 2012 NOPR, further investigation has revealed that the DAM test 
requires significant manufacturer involvement during testing. First, 
laboratories must use a hardware module specific to the make and model 
of the TV under test. The hardware module must correspond to the 
preloaded software on the TV in order for data to be sent and received 
by the TV. It is impossible for the TV to enter into DAM without this 
external source; however, this approach is not explicitly stated in the 
CEA DAM test procedure. Second, each manufacturer must specify the 
workload the hardware module sends to the TV. The CEA DAM test 
procedure only states that the workload shall be ``representative of 
frequent downloads''. Without a specific and consistent workload 
applied to all tested units, it is likely impossible to obtain a 
reliable evaluation of a TV's performance in DAM that can be compared 
to other TVs available on the market.
    DOE has also discovered that the CEA DAM test procedure may not be 
applicable for all network-capable TVs. The CEA DAM test procedure was 
originally designed to capture the energy associated with hospitality 
TVs. Hospitality TVs, as defined by ENERGY STAR v. 6.0, operate 
similarly to a set-top box and frequently receive updates while they 
are in standby mode. Hospitality TVs are different from many network-
capable TVs in that they are designed to communicate with a specific 
hardware module to update program guide information and download pay-
per-view movies. As

[[Page 15825]]

network-capable TVs have become more prevalent, energy advocates have 
supported DAM testing on all TVs. However, firmware and application 
updates, which are the most common downloads for network-capable TVs, 
are not typically included in the daily energy calculation under the 
CEA DAM test procedure because they are considered to be infrequent 
downloads. Section 4 of the CEA DAM test procedure states that if a 
total download duration is less than 24 hours in a one-year period, it 
is considered to be an infrequent download and it is not to be included 
in the daily energy calculation \30\. Finally, even if an internet 
download were to meet the CEA definition of a frequent download, DOE is 
not aware of a method for producing a consistent workload that can be 
used to evaluate all network-capable TVs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Accordingly, DOE is proposing to remove the reference to the CEA 
DAM test procedure in today's SNOPR. As discussed above, there are 
currently no accepted approaches for producing a consistent network 
workload that could be used to evaluate and compare the power 
consumption of all TVs when in standby-active, high mode. Therefore, 
DOE does not plan to specify a test procedure for determining TV power 
consumption in standby-active, high mode at this time. However, DOE 
will maintain the proposed definition for standby-active, high mode in 
section 2.14 (Standby-Active, High Mode) of Appendix H to subpart B of 
10 CFR part 430 to help distinguish between all TV standby modes. DOE 
requests comment from interested parties on the removal of the CEA DAM 
test procedure, while maintaining a definition for standby-active, high 
mode (Section V.B. 23).

H. Energy Efficiency Metrics for Televisions

    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE proposed multiple output metrics. 
These metrics included luminance ratio, on mode power consumption, 
standby mode power consumption, and off mode power consumption. In 
addition to proposing multiple output metrics, DOE also requested 
comment on the energy efficiency metrics in general and, more 
specifically, including the use of an annual energy consumption metric. 
77 FR 2830, 2859. In today's SNOPR, DOE maintains its proposal from the 
January 2012 NOPR to include metrics for luminace ratio, on mode power 
consumption and standby mode power consumption, and also proposes a 
metric to estimate the annual energy consumption.
1. Multiple Output Metrics
    CEC, NEEA, NRDC, MEVSA, PG&E, Sharp and Panasonic all indicated 
that reporting individual metrics is critical. MEVSA commented that a 
single metric would not be helpful and it would force changes elsewhere 
in the industry. (MEVSA, No. 44 at p. 7) PG&E urged DOE to require 
separate power consumption outputs and not a single metric. (PG&E, No. 
46 at p. 5) Sharp noted that a single metric would be helpful but 
reporting on individual modes is critical. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 7) 
Panasonic urged for reporting individual metrics. (Panasonic, No. 50 at 
p. 7) NEEA suggested that the output of the test procedure should be 
the average power (in watts) of each mode tested. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 
7) NRDC also recommended that the test procedure output the power 
values in each mode rather than a combined metric. This would allow 
other policy makers to determine which metrics to include in a 
calculation of total energy consumption. (NRDC, No. 40 at p. 1) Given 
interested party feedback, DOE is maintaining multiple output metrics 
in the test procedure but is proposing that the standby mode power 
consumption metric be separated into two output metrics: standby-
passive mode and standby-active, low mode. DOE also proposes to include 
an additional metric to the test procedure for calculating annual 
energy consumption, discussed in Section below.
    DOE received additional comments pertaining to the output metrics 
in general. NRDC noted that the test procedure should output the on 
mode power consumption associated with both two and three dimensional 
(2D and 3D, respectively) pictures and allow policy makers to determine 
how these values would be utilized. (NRDC, No. 40 at p. 6) PG&E voiced 
their support for DOE to include a power factor measurement as part of 
the output metric. (PG&E, No. 46 at p. 5) NEEA suggested that the test 
procedure require reporting the power consumption at each illuminance 
level, in addition to annual kilowatt-hours. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 5) 
NEEA stated that ``the use of the power values (in watts) from the 
television test procedure, while the minimum efficiency ratings are 
specified in annual kilowatt-hours, would effectively be no 
different.'' (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 7)
    DOE is proposing to require the following output metrics in the 
test procedure: luminance ratio, on mode power consumption (watts), 
standby-passive mode power consumption (watts), standby-active, low 
mode power consumption (watts), and power factor during testing. DOE is 
not proposing to include a 3D metric because it does not currently 
intend to include a 3D on mode power consumption test in the test 
procedure. DOE is also not proposing to report the power consumption at 
each illuminance value. DOE feels that it may be confusing for 
consumers if power consumption was reported at each illuminance. 
Therefore, DOE believes that it is sufficient to only report the on 
mode power consumption as a calculated value for TVs with ABC enabled 
by default.
2. Annual Energy Consumption
    In addition to the metric outputs discussed above, DOE is proposing 
to include an annual energy consumption (AEC) metric, calculated from 
the test procedure values for on mode, standby modes and off mode power 
consumption. The AEC uses standard TV viewing hours over a 24 hour 
period and extrapolates to a yearly kilowatt-hour value. A standard 
approach for calculating AEC will harmonize different voluntary, 
incentive, and State programs applicable to TVs.
    The proposed equation to calculate annual energy consumption (kWh/
year) is:
    AEC = 365* (Pon * HOn + 
Pstandby-active, low * Hstandby-active, low + 
Pstandby-Passive * Hstandby-passive + 
Poff * Hoff)/1000

Where:

Pm = power measured in a given mode m (in Watts)
Hm = hours per day spent in mode m
365 = conversion factor from daily to yearly
1000 = conversion factor from watts to kilowatts

    In the January 2012 NOPR, DOE considered using a similar metric 
which weighted 7 hours for on mode (typical TV viewing hours 
represented by Hon), 17 hours for standby-passive mode 
(Hstandby-passive), and 0 hours for Off Mode 
(Hoff). DOE received several comments from interested 
parties on this proposal. NEEA commented that the biggest issue with 
generating a single metric is the lack of good data on viewing hours in 
each mode. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 7) NEEA believed that a blended average 
of 5.5 hours (combining the average of primary and non-primary TVs) for 
on mode energy consumption is more appropriate than the 7 hours 
suggested in the NOPR. (NEEA, No. 43 at p. 7) Panasonic recommended 
assigning 5 hours to on mode power consumption to remain consistent 
with ENERGY STAR and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); this is also 
the on mode hours associated with

[[Page 15826]]

a blended average. (Panasonic, No. 50 at p. 8) Sharp indicated that a 7 
hour period in on mode is acceptable. (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 7)
    Given interested party feedback and DOE's revised analysis of 
Nielson data of typical TV viewing hours,\31\ DOE is proposing to 
revise the time associated with on mode energy consumption to 5 hours. 
DOE's revised analysis of the Nielson data indicates that both primary 
and non-primary TVs average 5 hours in on mode per day, compared to the 
7 hours which DOE originally considered in the January 2012 NOPR. While 
the analysis DOE used in the January 2012 NOPR only included primary 
TVs, DOE believes that this revised analysis provides a more 
representative average by using both primary and non-primary TVs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ Analysis of Nielsen Data. This material is available in 
Docket EERE-2010-BT-TP-0026 at www.regulations.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In today's SNOPR, DOE is also proposing to assign 0 hours to off 
mode for those TVs equipped with a hard off switch. DOE believes that 
consumers will not use this mode as it does not allow for powering the 
TV on using a remote. As such, DOE is proposing to distribute the 
remaining 19 hours in which the TV is not in on mode among standby-
active, low mode and standby-passive mode depending on the features 
specific to the TV. For TVs that are network-capable, DOE is proposing 
to assign all 19 remaining hours to standby-active, low mode, as this 
is the only other power consuming mode.
    After publication of the January 2012 NOPR, DOE considered 
additional weighting criteria for TVs with network connectivity enabled 
by default, but no longer feels this method is appropriate. The network 
connection for these TVs needs to be configured before network access 
is granted and therefore cannot be enabled by default. While this set-
up can typically be performed from a menu when the TV is initially 
powered on, this can take several minutes and frequently offers a skip 
option. Additionally, this set-up requires information like the 
wireless access point name and password which are unique to each 
network connection. Even wired connections that require very little 
set-up, prompt the user to check the network connection with a 
connection test prior to completing the network set-up.
    DOE believes that most users will connect network-capable TVs, 
regardless of the set-up required, in order to take advantage of the 
additional capabilities. However, DOE cannot determine the appropriate 
hourly average that a network-capable TV spends in standby-active, low 
mode without market data. Therefore, DOE is assuming that all network-
capable TVs will be connected to a network. When placed in standby, any 
network capable TV will enter standby-active, low mode and not standby-
passive mode. Therefore, DOE proposes in today's SNOPR that a network-
capable TV will have 19 hours assigned to standby-active, low mode.
    In Table 5, DOE has outlined the proposed hourly weightings 
associated with an AEC metric for each power mode. DOE believes that 
these values are representative of consumer use, based on data from 
Nielsen,\32\ and will ensure consistent representation of energy usage. 
DOE requests comment from interested parties on the annual energy 
consumption metric and its proposed hourly weighting in addition to the 
other multiple metric outputs discussed above (Section III.H.1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Proposed values for hourly weightings are summarized in Table 5.

                                       Table 5--Proposed Hourly Weightings
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Hstandby-active,
         Network Capable                  Hon                 low          Hstandby-passive          Hoff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes.............................                   5                  19                   0                   0
No..............................                   5                   0                  19                   0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Technical Corrections

    In section 2.15 (Symbol Usage) of the January 2012 NOPR, DVD was 
identified as ``digital visual disc''. After receiving a comment from 
Sharp indicating that DVD stands for Digital Versatile 
DiscTM (Sharp, No. 45 at p. 3), DOE proposes to revise 
section 2.16 (Symbol Usage) of the test procedure to indicate that DVD 
stands for Digital Versatile DiscTM.

IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review

    DOE has concluded that the determinations made pursuant to the 
various procedural requirements applicable to the January 2012 NOPR 
remain unchanged for this SNOPR. These determinations are set forth in 
the NOPR. 77 FR 2830, 2859-62. An update to its Review under Section 32 
of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974, section IV.L of the 
January 2012 NOPR, is set forth below.

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

    Under section 301 of the Department of Energy Organization Act 
(Pub. L. 95-91; 42 U.S.C. 7101), 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. (15 U.S.C. 788; FEAA) 
Section 32 essentially provides in relevant part that, where a proposed 
rule authorizes or requires use of commercial standards, the notice of 
proposed 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.
    Today's SNOPR incorporates testing methods contained in the 
following standards: CEA-770.3-D, High Definition TV Analog Component 
Video Interface, HDMI Specification Version 1.0, High-Definition 
Multimedia Interface Specification, and Section 3.1.1, 3.1.18, 11.4.2, 
and 11.4.5 from International Electrotechnical Commission Standard 
62087, Methods of measurement of the power consumption of audio, video, 
and related equipment (Edition 3.0, 2011-05). DOE has evaluated these 
standards and is unable to conclude whether they fully comply with the 
requirements of section 32(b) of the FEAA, (i.e., that they were 
developed in a manner that fully provides for public participation, 
comment, and review). DOE will consult with the Attorney General and 
the Chairman of the FTC concerning the impact of these test procedures 
on competition, prior to prescribing a final rule.

[[Page 15827]]

V. Public Participation

A. Attendance at Public Meeting

    The time, date and location of the public meeting are listed in the 
DATES and ADDRESSES sections at the beginning of this document. If you 
plan to attend the public meeting, please notify Ms. Brenda Edwards at 
(202) 586-2945 or [email protected]. As explained in the 
ADDRESSES section, foreign nationals visiting DOE Headquarters are 
subject to advance security screening procedures.
    In addition, you can attend the public meeting via webinar. Webinar 
registration information, participant instructions, and information 
about the capabilities available to webinar participants will be 
published on DOE's Web site http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/set_top_boxes.html. Participants are 
responsible for ensuring their systems are compatible with the webinar 
software.

B. Procedure for Submitting Prepared General Statements for 
Distribution

    Any person who has plans to present a prepared general statement 
may request that copies of his or her statement be made available at 
the public meeting. Such persons may submit requests, along with an 
advance electronic copy of their statement in PDF (preferred), 
Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format, to 
the appropriate address shown in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning 
of this notice. The request and advance copy of statements must be 
received at least one week before the public meeting and may be 
emailed, hand-delivered, or sent by mail. DOE prefers to receive 
requests and advance copies via email. Please include a telephone 
number to enable DOE staff to make a follow-up contact, if needed.

C. Conduct of Public Meeting

    DOE will designate a DOE official to preside at the public meeting 
and may also 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 prepared general statements by 
participants, and encourage all interested parties to share their views 
on issues affecting this rulemaking. Each participant will be allowed 
to make a general statement (within time limits determined by DOE), 
before the discussion of specific topics. DOE will allow, as time 
permits, other participants to comment briefly on any general 
statements.
    At the end of all prepared statements on a topic, DOE will permit 
participants to clarify their statements briefly and comment on 
statements made by others. Participants should be prepared to answer 
questions by DOE and by other participants concerning these issues. DOE 
representatives may also ask questions of participants concerning 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.
    A transcript of the public meeting will be included in the docket, 
which can be viewed as described in the Docket section at the beginning 
of this notice. In addition, any person may buy a copy of the 
transcript from the transcribing reporter.

D. Submission of Comments

    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this 
SNOPR no later than the date provided in the DATES section at the 
beginning of this notice. Interested parties may submit comments using 
any of the methods described in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning 
of this notice.
    Submitting comments via www.regulations.gov. The 
www.regulations.gov web page will require you to provide your name and 
contact information. Your contact information will be viewable to DOE 
Building Technologies staff only. Your contact information will not be 
publicly viewable, except for your first and last names, organization 
name (if any), and submitter representative name (if any). If your 
comment is not processed properly because of technical difficulties, 
DOE will use this information to contact you. If DOE cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, DOE may not be able to consider your comment.
    However, your contact information will be publicly viewable if you 
include it in the comment or in any documents attached to your comment. 
Any information that you do not want to be publicly viewable should not 
be included in your comment, nor in any document attached to your 
comment. Persons viewing comments will see only first and last names, 
organization names, correspondence containing comments, and any 
documents submitted with the comments.
    Do not submit to www.regulations.gov information for which 
disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and 
commercial or financial information (hereinafter referred to as 
Confidential Business Information (CBI)). Comments submitted through 
www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed as CBI. Comments received through 
the Web site will waive any CBI claims for the information submitted. 
For information on submitting CBI, see the Confidential Business 
Information section.
    DOE processes submissions made through www.regulations.gov before 
posting. Normally, comments will be posted within a few days of being 
submitted. However, if large volumes of comments are being processed 
simultaneously, your comment may not be viewable for up to several 
weeks. Please keep the comment tracking number that www.regulations.gov 
provides after you have successfully uploaded your comment.
    Submitting comments via email, hand delivery, or mail. Comments and 
documents submitted via email, hand delivery, or mail also will be 
posted to www.regulations.gov. If you do not want your personal contact 
information to be publicly viewable, do not include it in your comment 
or any accompanying documents. Instead, provide your contact 
information on a cover letter. Include your first and last names, email 
address, telephone number, and optional mailing address. The cover 
letter will not be publicly viewable as long as it does not include any 
comments.
    Include contact information each time you submit comments, data, 
documents, and other information to DOE. Email submissions are 
preferred. If you submit via mail or hand delivery, please provide all 
items on a CD, if feasible, in which case it is not necessary to submit 
printed copies. No facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.
    Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE 
electronically should be provided in

[[Page 15828]]

PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) 
file format. Provide documents that are not secured, written in 
English, and are free of any defects or viruses. Documents should not 
contain special characters or any form of encryption and, if possible, 
they should carry the electronic signature of the author.
    Campaign form letters. Please submit campaign form letters by the 
originating organization in batches of between 50 to 500 form letters 
per PDF or as one form letter with a list of supporters' names compiled 
into one or more PDFs. This reduces comment processing and posting 
time.
    Confidential Business Information. 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 via 
email, postal mail, or hand delivery two well-marked copies: one copy 
of the document marked ``confidential'' including all the information 
believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-
confidential'' with the information believed to be confidential 
deleted. Submit these documents via email or on a CD, if feasible. DOE 
will make its own determination about the confidential status of the 
information and treat it according to its determination.
    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 has previously been made available to others without 
obligation concerning its confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the 
competitive injury to the submitting person which 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.
    It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public 
docket, without change and as received, including any personal 
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be 
exempt from public disclosure).

E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment

    Although comments are welcome on all aspects of this rulemaking, 
DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments and views of 
interested parties on the following issues:

    1. Television Set Definition--DOE seeks comment from interested 
parties on DOE's proposed TV definition, and on whether the modified 
definition provides clarification on the scope of coverage (See 
Section III.B).
    2. Sampling Plan--DOE requests comment from interested parties 
regarding its proposed sampling plan for on mode power consumption, 
which specifies a divisor of 1.05, and for standby mode and other 
power consumption values that are not on mode, which specifies a 
divisor of 1.10 (See Section III.C).
    3. Rounding--DOE requests comment on the proposed rounding 
requirements for representing a TV's on mode, standby-active, low 
mode, and standby-passive mode power consumption (See Section 
III.C).
    4. Special Functions--DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on incorporating by reference the IEC definitions for 
``additional functions'' and ``special functions'' in today's SNOPR 
(See Section III.D.2).
    5. Distance from Room Surface--DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on requiring the ABC sensor to be at least 2 feet 
from any room surfaces (See Section III.D.3.a).
    6. Preset Picture Setting--DOE requests comment on adding a 
definition for ``preset picture setting'' (See Section III.D.3.c).
    7. Brightest Selectable Preset Picture Setting--DOE requests 
comment from interested parties on discontinuing the use of the term 
``retail picture setting'' and using the term ``brightest selectable 
preset picture setting'' and its proposed definition (See Section 
III.D.3.c).
    8. Default Picture Setting--DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on discontinuing the use of the term ``home picture 
setting'' and instead using the proposed term and definition 
``default picture setting'' (See Section III.D.3.c).
    9. Light Measurement Devices--DOE seeks comment from interested 
parties on the clarification for the LMD accuracy requirement and 
the removal of the LMD repeatability requirement (See Section 
III.E.2).
    10. Video Input Cable--DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on the proposed input cable hierarchy and the removal of VGA 
and DVI from this hierarchy (See Section III.E.3).
    11. Input Terminal--DOE requests comment from interested parties 
on the proposal to perform testing using the primary input terminal 
(See Section III.E.4).
    12. Video Input Device--DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on the additional specifications for video input devices 
(See Section III.E.5).
    13. Stabilization--DOE requests comment from interested parties 
on incorporating by reference the stabilization requirements in 
section 11.4.2 of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 (See Section III.E.5).
    14. Guidance to Stabilization--DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on stabilizing the TV with the ABC sensor enabled 
and 300 lux entering the sensor when the ABC sensor is enabled by 
default (See Section III.E.5).
    15. Testing Order--DOE requests comment from interested parties 
regarding the proposed change to the testing order (See Section 
III.E.7).
    16. Test Transition--DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on the transition between the on mode power consumption test 
and the luminance test (See Section III.E.7).
    17. ABC Test Set-up--DOE requests comment from interested 
parties on each of the five proposed test set-up specifications, (1) 
a 1000 lumen halogen incandescent PAR 30S type lamp shall be used to 
generate light for testing, (2) the test set-up shall be configured 
as seen in Figure 3 replicating the ``distance'' test set-up, (3) 
all four corners of the TV shall be aligned equidistant to a 
vertical reference plane, (4) illuminance values shall be measured 
at the sensor, and (5) a 67mm IR/UV blocking filter shall be placed 
in front of the ABC sensor to only allow visible light to enter (See 
Section III.F.2).
    18. Illuminance Values--DOE seeks comment from interested 
parties on the proposed illuminance values of 3  1 lux, 
12  1 lux, 35  2 lux, and 100  5 
lux (See Section III.F.3).
    19. ND Filter--DOE is also proposing the option to use an ND 
filter to obtain 3 lux. DOE seeks comment from interested parties on 
the use of an ND filter only with the use of an IR/UV blocking 
filter (See Section III.F.2.d).
    20. Illuminance Value Weighting--DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on equally weighting the illuminance values to 
determine on mode power consumption for TVs with ABC enabled (See 
Section III.F.4).
    21. Quick Start--DOE requests comment from interested parties on 
testing ``quick start'' functionality and if it is adequately 
covered under the proposed test procedure (See Section 
III.G.1III.G.1).
    22. Standby-active, low mode--DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on the addition of a standby-active, low mode 
power measurement test. DOE also requests comments on the proposed 
network hierarchy (See Section III.G.2).
    23. Standby-active, high mode--DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on the removal of the CEA DAM test, while 
maintaining a definition for standby-active, high mode (See Section 
III.G.3).
    24. Energy Efficiency Metrics--DOE requests comment from 
interested parties on the multiple metric outputs (see Section 
IIII.H.1), including the annual energy consumption metric. DOE also 
requests comment on its proposed hourly weighting for the annual 
energy consumption metric (See Section III.H.2).

VI. Approval of the Office of the Secretary

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



    List of Subjects

10 CFR Part 429

    Confidential business information, Energy conservation, Household

[[Page 15829]]

appliances, Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

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 February 28, 2013.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
    For the reasons stated in the preamble, DOE is proposing to amend 
parts 429 and 430 of chapter II of title 10, subchapter D of the Code 
of Federal Regulations as set forth below:

PART 429--CERTIFICATION, COMPLIANCE, AND ENFORCEMENT FOR CONSUMER 
PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT

0
1. The authority citation for part 429 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291-6317.
0
2. Section 429.25 is added to read as follows:


Sec.  429.25  Television sets.

    (a) Sampling plan for selection of units for testing.
    (1) The requirements of Sec.  429.11 are applicable to televisions; 
and
    (2) For each basic model of television, samples shall be randomly 
selected and tested to ensure that--
    (i) Any represented value of power consumption of a basic model for 
which consumers would favor lower values shall be greater than or equal 
to the higher of:
    (A) The mean of the sample, where:
    [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.007
    
    and, x is the sample mean; n is the number of samples; and 
xi is the ith sample;

Or,
    (B) For on mode power consumption, the upper 95 percent confidence 
limit (UCL) of the true mean divided by 1.05, where:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.008

    And x is the sample mean; s is the sample standard deviation; n is 
the number of samples; and t0.95 is the t statistic for a 
95% one-tailed confidence interval with n-1 degrees of freedom (from 
Appendix A of this subpart).
    And
    (C) For standby mode power consumption and power consumption 
measurements in modes other than on mode, the upper 90 percent 
confidence limit (UCL) of the true mean divided by 1.10, where:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.009

    And x is the sample mean; s is the sample standard deviation; n is 
the number of samples; and t0.90 is the t statistic for a 
90% one-tailed confidence interval with n-1 degrees of freedom (from 
Appendix A of this subpart).
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (b) [Reserved]

PART 430--ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS

0
3. The authority citation for part 430 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291-6309; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.

0
4. Section 430.2 is amended by:
0
a. Removing the definitions ``Color television set'' and ``Monochrome 
television set'';
0
b. Adding the definitions ``Component Video'', ``Composite Video'', 
``Direct Video'', ``High-Definition Multimedia Interface'', and ``S-
Video''; and
0
c. Revising the definition for ``Television set''.
    The additions and revisions read as follows:


Sec.  430.2  Definitions.

* * * * *
    Component Video means a video display interface that meets the 
specification in CEA-770.3-D (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  
430.3).
    Composite Video means a video display interface that uses a Radio 
Corporation of America (RCA) connection to transmit National Television 
System Committee (NTSC) analog video.
* * * * *
    Direct video connection means any connection type that is one of 
the following: High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Component 
Video, S-Video, Composite Video, or any other video interface that may 
be used to output video content.
* * * * *
    High-Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI means an audio/video 
interface that meets the specification in HDMI Specification Version 
1.0 (incorporated by reference; see Sec.  430.3).
* * * * *
    S-Video means a video display interface that transmits analog video 
over two channels: luminance and color.
* * * * *
    Television set (also referred to as ``TV'') means a product 
designed to be powered primarily by mains power, having a diagonal 
screen size of fifteen inches or larger, that contains an internal TV 
tuner encased in a single housing, and that is capable of displaying 
dynamic visual content from wired or wireless sources including but not 
limited to:
    (1) Broadcast and similar services for terrestrial, cable, 
satellite, and/or broadband transmission of analog and/or digital 
signals; and/or
    (2) Display-specific data connections, such as HDMI, Component 
Video, S-Video, Composite Video; and/or
    (3) Media storage devices such as a USB flash drive, memory card, 
or a DVD; and/or
    (4) Network connections, usually using Internet Protocol, typically 
carried over Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
    A TV may contain, but is not limited to, one of the following 
display technologies: liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light-
emitting diode (OLED), cathode ray tube (CRT), or plasma display panel 
(PDP). TV also includes TV Combination units that DOE has further 
defined in Appendix H to subpart B of this part.
* * * * *
0
5. Section 430.3 is amended by:
0
a. Redesignating paragraphs (i) through (k) as (j) through (l), and (l) 
through (p) as (n) through (r), respectively;
0
b. Further redesignating newly designated paragraphs (o)(1) and (2) as 
(o)(2) and (3), respectively;
0
c. Adding paragraphs (i), (m) and (o)(1);
0
d. Amending newly designated paragraph (o)(2) by adding ``appendix H'' 
after ``appendix F'';
0
e. Amending newly designated paragraph (o)(3) by adding ``H,'' after 
``G,'';
    The additions read as follows:


Sec.  430.3  Materials incorporated by reference.

* * * * *
    (i) CEA. Consumer Electronics Association, Technology & Standards 
Department, 1919 S. Eads Street, Arlington, VA 22202, 703-907-7600, or 
go to www.CE.org.
    (1) CEA-770.3-D, High Definition TV Analog Component Video 
Interface, approved February 2008; IBR approved for Sec.  430.2.

[[Page 15830]]

    (2) [Reserved]
* * * * *
    (m) HDMI. High-Definition Multimedia Interface Licensing, LLC, 1140 
East Arques Avenue, Suite 100, Sunnyvale, CA 94085, 408-616-1542, or go 
to www.hdmi.org.
    (1) HDMI Specification Version 1.0, High-Definition Multimedia 
Interface Specification, Informational Version 1.0, approved September 
4, 2003; IBR approved for Sec.  430.2.
    (2) [Reserved]
* * * * *
    (o) IEC. * * *
    (1) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62087, 
(``IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0''), Methods of measurement of the power 
consumption of audio, video, and related equipment (Edition 3.0, 2011-
05), Section 3.1.1, 3.1.18, 11.4.2, 11.4.5, 11.5.5, 11.5.6, and 11.6 
and annex c.3, IBR approved for Appendix H to subpart B.
* * * * *
0
6. Section 430.23 is amended by adding paragraph (h) to read as 
follows:


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

* * * * *
    (h) Television Sets. The power consumption of a television set, 
expressed in watts, including on mode, standby-active low mode, and 
standby-passive mode power consumption values, shall be measured in 
accordance with section 5 of Appendix H of this subpart.
* * * * *
0
7. Appendix H to subpart B of part 430 is added to read as follows:

Appendix H to Subpart B of Part 430--Uniform Test Method for Measuring 
the Power Consumption of Television Sets

1. Scope

    This appendix covers the test requirements used to measure the 
power consumption of television sets.

2. Definitions and Symbols

    2.1. Additional functions shall be defined using the additional 
functions definition in section 3.1.1 of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 
(incorporated by reference, see Sec.  430.3).
    2.2. Brightest selectable preset picture setting is the preset 
picture setting in which the television produces the highest 
luminance during on mode conditions.
    2.3. Dark room is the condition when the room illuminance at the 
automatic brightness control sensor measures less than or equal to 
1.0 lux while the TV is in off mode or standby-passive mode.
    2.4. Default picture setting is the preset picture setting that 
the TV enters into immediately after selecting the home menu from 
the forced menu. If the TV does not have a forced menu, this is the 
as-shipped preset picture setting.
    2.5. IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 means the test standard published by the 
International Electrotechnical Commission, entitled ``Methods of 
measurement of the power consumption of audio, video, and related 
equipment,'' IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0.
    2.6. IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 Blu-ray Disc\TM\ Dynamic Broadcast-
Content Video Signal means the test clip published by the 
International Electrotechnical Commission, entitled ``IEC 62087 Ed. 
3.0, video content--BD, video content for IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 on Blu-
ray Disc,'' IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  
430.3).
    2.7. IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 means the test standard published by the 
International Electrotechnical Commission, entitled ``Household 
electrical appliances--Measurement of standby power,'' IEC 62301 Ed. 
2.0 (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  430.3).
    2.8. Luminance is the photometric measure of the luminous 
intensity per unit area of light traveling in a given direction, 
expressed in units of candelas per square meter (cd/m\2\).
    2.9. Off mode is the power mode where the TV is connected to a 
power source, produces neither sound nor picture and cannot be 
switched into any other mode with the remote control unit, an 
external or internal signal.
    2.10. On mode is the power mode in which the TV is connected to 
a mains power source, has been activated, and is providing one or 
more of its principal functions.
    2.11. Preset picture setting is a pre-programmed factory setting 
obtained from the TV menu with pre-determined picture parameters 
such as brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, etc. Preset picture 
settings are selected within the home menu after the initial set-up 
selection from the forced menu if a forced menu is present.
    2.12. Special functions shall be defined using the definition in 
section 3.1.18 of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 (incorporated by reference, see 
Sec.  430.3).
    2.13. Standby-passive mode is the power mode in which the TV is 
connected to a power source, produces neither sound nor picture but 
can be switched into another mode with the remote control unit or an 
internal signal.
    2.14. Standby-active, high mode is the power mode in which the 
TV is connected to a power source, produces neither sound nor 
picture but can be switched into another mode with the remote 
control unit or an internal signal, and with an external signal, and 
is exchanging/receiving data with/from an external source.
    2.15. Standby-active, low mode is the power mode in which the TV 
is connected to a power source, produces neither sound nor picture 
but can be switched into another mode with the remote control unit 
or an internal signal and can additionally be switched into another 
mode with an external signal.
    2.16. Symbol usage. The following identity relationships are 
provided to help clarify the symbols used throughout this test 
procedure.

ABC--Automatic Brightness Control
BD--Blu-ray DiscTM
DVD--Digital Versatile DiscTM
DVI--Digital Visual Interface
HDD--Hard Disk Drive
HDMI--High Definition Multimedia Interface
IR--Infrared
Lbrightest--Luminance of TV in brightest selectable 
preset picture setting
Ldefault- Luminance of TV in default picture setting
L- Ratio of Ldefault to Lbrightest
LMD--Light Measurement Device
LAN--Local Area Network
ND--Neutral Density (Filter)
Pon- Power consumed in on mode with ABC disabled
P3--Average power consumed in on mode, ABC enabled, 3 
lux, with a direct light source
P12--Average power consumed in on mode, ABC enabled, 12 
lux, with a direct light source
P35--Average power consumed in on mode, ABC enabled, 35 
lux, with a direct light source
P100--Average power consumed in on mode, ABC enabled, 100 
lux, with a direct light source
Pstandby-passive--Power consumption in standby-passive 
mode
Pstandby-active, low--Power consumption in standby-
active, low mode
Poff--Power consumption in off mode
THD--Total Harmonic Distortion
TV--Television Set
UCL--Upper Confidence Level
USB--Universal Serial Bus
UV--Ultraviolet
VCR--Videocassette Recorder
W3--Percent weighting for on mode, ABC enabled, 3 lux
W12--Percent weighting for on mode, ABC enabled, 12 lux
W35--Percent weighting for on mode, ABC enabled, 35 lux
W100--Percent weighting for on mode, ABC enabled, 100 lux
    WAN--Wide Area Network

    2.17. TV combination unit is a TV in which the TV and one or 
more additional devices (e.g., DVD player, Blu-ray DiscTM 
(BD) player, Hard Disk Drive) are combined into a single enclosure, 
and which meets the following criteria: (a) it is not possible to 
measure the power of the individual components without removing the 
product housing; and (b) the product connects to a wall outlet via a 
single power cord.

3. Accuracy and Precision of Measurement Equipment

3.1. Electrical Power Supply

    3.1.1. Power Supply Requirements. The TV power use shall be 
measured using a power supply that meets the specifications found in 
section 4.3.1. (Power Supply) of IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 (incorporated by 
reference, see Sec.  430.3). The THD of the supply voltage shall not 
exceed 5%, inclusive to the 13th order harmonic, when the unit is 
under test.
    3.1.2. Power Meter Requirements. The power measurement shall be 
carried out directly by means of a wattmeter, a wattmeter with 
averaging function, or a watt-hour meter, by dividing the reading by 
the

[[Page 15831]]

measuring time. For TVs where the input video signal varies over 
time, use a wattmeter with an averaging function to carry out the 
measurement.
    3.1.2.1. The sampling rate of the watt-hour meter or wattmeter 
with averaging function shall be one measurement per second or more 
frequent.
    3.1.2.2. The power measurement instrument shall measure and 
record the power factor and the real power consumed during all on 
mode tests.
    3.1.2.3. Power measurements of 0.5 W or greater shall be made 
with an uncertainty of less than or equal to 2 percent (at the 95 
percent confidence level). Measurements of power of less than 0.5 W 
shall be made with an uncertainty of less than or equal to 0.01 W 
(at the 95 percent confidence level). The power measurement 
instrument shall have a resolution of:
    0.01 W or better for power measurements of 10 W or less;
    0.1 W or better for power measurements of greater than 10 W up 
to 100 W;
    1 W or better for power measurements of greater than 100 W.
    3.1.3. Light Measurement Device. All LMDs shall have an accuracy 
of 2 percent 2 digits of the digitally 
displayed value. Luminance meters shall also have an acceptance 
angle of 3 degrees or less. This specification covers all types of 
luminance meters, both contact and non-contact, as well as 
illuminance meters.
    Example 1:  If the LMD displays ``300'', then 2 percent is 
6 cd/m\2\. The least significant digit is the tenths 
place, which adds an additional 2 cd/m\2\ to the overall 
tolerance. Therefore, the accuracy of the LMD at ``300'' must be 
within 8 cd/m\2\.
    Example 2:  If the LMD displays ``10.00'', then 2 percent is 
0.2 cd/m\2\. The least significant digit is the hundreds 
place, which adds an additional 0.02 cd/m\2\ to the 
overall tolerance. Therefore, the accuracy of the LMD at ``10.00'' 
must be within 0.22 cd/m\2\.
    4. Test Room and Set-up Criteria.
    4.1. Additional Functions. The TV shall be set up according to 
the requirements in IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 section 11.4.5. Additional 
functions (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  430.3).
    4.2. Ambient Temperature Conditions. For all testing, maintain 
ambient temperature conditions between 23 [deg]C  5 
[deg]C.
    4.3. Ambient Relative Humidity Conditions. For all testing, 
maintain the ambient relative humidity between 10 and 80 percent.
    4.4. Luminance Conditions. All luminance testing (with a non-
contact meter) and on mode testing (with ABC enabled by default) 
shall be performed in a Dark Room.
    4.5. Input Cable. Testing shall be performed using a HDMI input 
cable. If the TV does not have a HDMI input, the following inputs 
shall be used, in the following order: Component Video, S-Video, and 
Composite Video.
    4.6. Input Terminal. If the TV has multiple input terminals of 
the same type (i.e. HDMI 1, HDMI 2), testing shall be performed 
using any input terminal designed for viewing live TV or dynamic 
content from a BD player or set-top box.
    Example 1: All acceptable input terminals to use for testing
    [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.010
    
    Example 2: Only TV/STB and HDMI are acceptable input terminals 
for testing
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12MR13.011

    4.7. Input Voltage and Frequency. Select the voltage frequency 
that is in accordance with the nominal voltage frequency of the 
region.
    4.8. Installation. Install the TV in accordance with 
manufacturer's instructions.
    4.9. Special Functions. The TV shall be set up according to the 
requirements in IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 section 11.4.6. Special functions 
(incorporated by reference, see Sec.  430.3).
    4.10. TV Placement. TVs which have an ABC sensor enabled by 
default shall measure at least 2 feet away from any wall surface 
(i.e. wall, ceiling, and floor). This does not include the 
furnishings which the TV may be placed on or the wall which the back 
of the TV faces. All four corners of the face of the TV shall be 
placed equidistant from a vertical reference plane (e.g. wall).
    5. 2D Testing Signal Source. The signal source shall be able to 
generate a Blu-ray signal.
    5.1. Video Input Device. The video input device (i.e. Blu-ray 
Disc player) manufacturer shall be different from the manufacturer 
of the TV under test to prevent device interaction.
    5.2. Test Measurements. For on mode and luminance testing, 
connect the signal source generator to the TV via the input cable.
    5.3. Stabilization. The TV shall be stabilized prior to testing 
using section 11.4.2 of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 (incorporated by 
reference, see Sec.  430.3). If the TV has an ABC sensor enabled by 
default, direct 300 lux or greater into the ABC sensor in accordance 
with sections 5.4.2, 5.4.3, and 5.4.4.
    5.4. Calculation of Average Rated Power Consumption.
    5.4.1. For all tests in the on, standby-active, low, and 
standby-passive modes, the average power shall be calculated using 
one of the following two methods:
    5.4.1.1. Record the accumulated energy (Ei) in kilo-watt hours 
(kWh) consumed over the time period specified for each test (Ti). 
The average power consumption is calculated as Pi = Ei/Ti.
    5.4.1.2. Record the average power consumption (Pi) by sampling 
the power at a rate of at least 1 sample per second and computing 
the arithmetic mean of all samples over the time period specified 
for each test (Ti).

[[Page 15832]]

    5.4.2. The rated power consumption in the on, standby, and off 
modes shall be determined as follows:
    5.4.2.1. Apply the sampling and statistical requirements 
described in 10 CFR 429.25 to the average power consumption values 
of each mode of operation.
    5.4.2.2. The resulting rated power consumption value for each 
mode of operation shall be rounded according to the accuracy 
requirements specified in section 3.1.2.3.
    5.5. On Mode Test for TVs without ABC Enabled By Default.
    5.5.1. General Measurement Procedure for On Mode. On mode power 
consumption shall be tested under the conditions outlined in section 
11.4 of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  
430.3).
    5.5.2. Testing. On mode testing shall be performed with the TV 
in its ``default picture setting'' while displaying the full 10-
minute duration of IEC 62087 Ed. 3.0 Blu-ray DiscTM 
dynamic broadcast-content video signal (incorporated by reference, 
see Sec.  430.3). Measure the instantaneous power and record the 
average value over the test duration as Pon.
    5.6. On mode Test for TVs with ABC Enabled By Default. The 
following test shall be performed if the TV is shipped with ABC 
enabled by default:
    5.6.1. Illuminance Values. On mode testing shall be performed 
with the TV in its ``default picture setting'', while displaying IEC 
62087 Ed. 3.0 Blu-ray DiscTM dynamic broadcast-content 
video signal for one 10 minute interval (incorporated by reference, 
see Sec.  430.3) with 100 lux ( 5 lux) entering the ABC 
sensor. Measure the instantaneous power consumption and record the 
average value over the test duration as P100. Repeat the 
measurements with 35 lux ( 2 lux), 12 lux ( 
1 lux), and 3 lux ( 1 lux) entering the ambient light 
sensor and record the values as P35, P12, and 
P3 respectively. Testing shall be performed from 
brightest to dimmest room illuminance and values shall be changed by 
varying the input voltage to the light source.
    5.6.2. On Mode Power Calculation. All illuminance values shall 
be weighted equally when calculating the on mode power for a TV with 
ABC enabled by default and shall be determined by the following 
equation:
    Pon = P100 * W100 + 
P35 * W35 + P12 * W12 + 
P3 * W3

Where

    W100 = W35 = W12 = 
W3 = 0.25

    5.6.3. Lamp Requirements. A 1000 lumen ( 5%) 
standard spectrum PAR 30S halogen incandescent lamp shall be 
positioned in front of the ABC sensor so that the light is directed 
into the sensor. A 67 mm infrared and ultraviolet light blocking 
filter shall be placed over the ABC sensor ensuring that only 
filtered light reaches the ABC sensor.
    5.6.4. Light Source Set-up. The center of the lamp shall measure 
5 feet ( 3 inches) from the center of the ABC sensor. 
The light source shall be aligned ensuring that the center focal 
point of the lamp is perpendicular with the center of the ABC 
sensor.
    5.6.5. Illuminance Measurement. The room illuminance shall be 
measured at the sensor in the direction of the light source while 
the TV is on and displaying the first menu from the IEC 62087 Ed. 
3.0 annex c.3.
    5.6.6. Neutral Density Filter. A neutral density (ND) filter is 
allowed as an optional method for creating the 3 lux illuminance 
value. The ND filter shall be placed on top of the IR/UV blocking 
filter and shall be appropriately calibrated to allow 3 lux to enter 
the ABC sensor.
    Example: A 2-stop ND filter uniformly blocks 75% of the light 
from entering the ABC sensor. For an ABC sensor to receive 3 lux, 12 
lux of light needs to reach the sensor prior to applying the ND 
filter. After applying the ND filter the TV will only interpret 3 
lux of light entering the sensor.
    5.7. Luminance Test.
    5.7.1. Luminance Test. The luminance test shall be performed 
immediately following the on mode test prior to the activation of 
anti-image retention features. The luminance test shall first be 
performed with the TV in the ``brightest selectable preset picture 
setting'', followed by the TV in the ``default picture setting''. 
The ``brightest selectable preset picture setting'' shall be 
determined using the Three Bar Video Signal Measurement in section 
5.5.1.2. The ABC sensor must be disabled during this test.
    5.7.1.1. Luminance Meter Set-up. Align the LMD perpendicular to 
the center of the TV screen. If a non-contact meter is being used 
for testing, the LMD shall be at a distance capable of achieving the 
specifications outlined in section 3.1.3.
    5.7.1.2. Three Bar Video Signal Measurement. The TV luminance 
shall be measured in both the ``default picture setting'' and 
``brightest-selectable preset picture setting'' using the IEC 62087 
Ed. 3.0 Three Bar Video signal found in section 11.5.5 of IEC 62087 
Ed. 3.0 (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  430.3). Record the 
luminance immediately after the Three Bar Video signal is displayed 
in the ``brightest-selectable preset picture setting'', as 
Lbrightest, followed by the ``default picture setting'', 
as Ldefault.
    5.7.1.3. Luminance Ratio Calculation. Calculate the Luminance 
ratio, L, as the ratio of Ldefault to 
Lbrightest.
    5.8. Standby Mode Tests.
    5.8.1. Video Input Device. The video input device shall be 
disconnected from the TV during standby-passive mode and standby-
active, low mode testing.
    5.8.2. Standby-Passive Mode. The standby-passive mode test shall 
be performed according to section 5.3.1 of IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 standby 
mode test (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  430.3). Measure the 
instantaneous power and record the average value over the test 
duration of 10 minutes as Pstandby-Passive.
    5.8.3. Standby-Active, Low Mode.
    5.8.3.1. Network Connection and Capabilities. Network 
connections should be listed in the user manual. If no connections 
are specified in the user manual, verify that the TV does not have 
network capabilities by checking for the absence of physical 
connections or the absence of network settings in the menu. If the 
TV has the capability to be connected to a network but was not 
shipped with a required piece of hardware (e.g. wireless adapter), 
that connection type shall not be tested.
    5.8.3.2. Peripherals and Network Connections. If a physical 
network connection is present, network connectivity is listed in the 
TV menu, or network connection capabilities are listed in the user 
manual, the TV network capabilities shall be activated and the TV 
shall be connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) prior to being 
placed into standby mode. The LAN shall allow devices to ping other 
devices on the network but will not allow access to a wide area 
network (WAN). If the TV has multiple network connections (e.g., Wi-
Fi, Ethernet, other), the TV shall be configured and connected to a 
single network source in accordance with the hierarchy of 
connections listed in Table 1.
    5.8.3.3. Measurement Procedure. After the TV is placed into 
standby-active, low mode, allow the TV to stabilize in standby-
active, low mode for a minimum of 30 minutes. Measure the 
instantaneous power and record the average value over at least a 10 
minute duration as Pstandby-active, low.

                  Table 1--Network Connection Hierarchy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Priority                      Network connection type
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................         Wi-Fi (Institution of
                                              Electrical and Electronics
                                                 Engineers--IEEE 802.11-
                                                                 20072).
2.........................................     Ethernet (IEEE 802.3). If
                                                  the TV supports Energy
                                                Efficient Ethernet (IEEE
                                                 802.3az-20103), then it
                                                 shall be connected to a
                                               device that also supports
                                                           IEEE 802.3az.
3.........................................    75 ohm Coaxial Cable (i.e.
                                                         RG-6, RG-59/U).
4.........................................                        RJ-11.
5.........................................                        Other.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5.9. Off Mode Test.
    5.9.1. The off mode test shall be performed according to section 
5.3.1 of the IEC 62301 Ed. 2.0 off mode test (incorporated by 
reference, see Sec.  430.3). Measure the instantaneous power and 
record the average value over the test duration as Poff.
    6. Annual Energy Consumption.
    6.1. The annual energy consumption (AEC) of the TV shall be 
calculated using on mode and standby mode power consumption values 
as calculated pursuant to section 5.4
    6.2. Compute the AEC of the TV using the equation below. The 
computed AEC value shall be rounded as follows:
    6.2.1. If the computed AEC value is 100 kWh or less, the rated 
value shall be rounded to the nearest tenth of a kWh.
    6.2.2. If the computed AEC value is greater than 100 kWh, the 
rated value shall be rounded to the nearest kWh.
    6.3. Calculate AEC expressed in kilowatt-hours per year, 
according to the following: AEC = 365 * (Pon * 
Hon + Pstandby-active, low * 
Hstandby-active, low + Pstandby-passive * 
Hstandby-passive + Poff * Hoff)/
1000

Where:

Pm = power measured in a given mode m (in Watts)
Hm = hours per day spent in mode m
365 = conversion factor from daily to yearly

[[Page 15833]]

1000 = conversion factor from watts to kilowatts

    Proposed values for Hm (in hours/day) are specified 
in Table 2:

                                           Table 2--Hourly Weightings
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Hstandby-        Hstandby-
               Network capable                      Hon          active, low        passive            Hoff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes.........................................               5               19                0                0
No..........................................               5                0               19                0
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[FR Doc. 2013-05371 Filed 3-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P