[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 66 (Friday, April 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20628-20629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07972]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Wireless Metering Challenge

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) requests comments on the draft 
version of the Wireless Power Meter Challenge Specification. This draft 
is a set of performance specifications applicable to energy efficiency 
metering devices for use at the electrical panel level within 
commercial buildings. The specifications are intended to spur the 
development of new technologies in the wireless electric metering 
space.

DATES: Comments on the Wireless Meter Challenge Specification must be 
received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time April 26, 2013.
    DOE will be holding a webinar on April 30, 2013. Information 
regarding the webinar is provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by electronic mail to 
[email protected].
    For further information on how to submit comments, please see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions regarding the submission 
of comments, technical questions, and questions regarding the 
Challenge, contact Jason Koman, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop 
EE-2J, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585. Phone number: (202) 287-1578. Email: [email protected].
    For legal questions contact Christopher Calamita, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, Forrestal Building, GC-71, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. Phone number: (202) 
586-1777. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EERE is developing a challenge specification 
to spur the development of new, low cost wireless electric metering 
devices. In order to take action to reduce energy usage, owners and 
operators need to know how energy is being used in their buildings. 
Metering data provides

[[Page 20629]]

visibility to a building's energy use. Energy costs can be reduced by 
taking action to resolve problems identified by examining metered data. 
While metering systems do not directly improve energy efficiency, 
metering systems enable focused energy efficiency actions. It is 
estimated that the use of metering systems result in energy efficiency 
actions that deliver electricity energy savings of at least 2% or more 
annually. Today, the cost of building and panel level metering systems 
is typically a key hurdle to implementing these technologies.
    Through the Wireless Power Meter Challenge, EERE is developing an 
aspirational but achievable performance specification for wireless 
metering devices at a low price point. The intent is to identify 
performance specifications that would meet the demand from the 
commercial building sector and leverage this demand to spur 
manufacturers to create new technologies. This model has been 
successfully deployed in the past through EERE's Roof Top Unit 
Challenge (RTU) in which DOE provided a similar performance 
specification that had not yet been offered on the market and 
manufacturers responded with compliant technologies, resulting in the 
most efficient products available on the market.
    The Wireless Power Meter Challenge Specification is supported by 
the Building Technologies Office (BTO) Commercial Building Integration 
(CBI) team. In developing the draft Specification, EERE has considered 
input from Federal Agencies and individual comments from commercial 
building owners. This will be the first time EERE has issued a notice 
requesting general public comment on the Specification.
    EERE is providing an opportunity for public comment on the 
technical provisions laid out in the Specification. EERE may give 
further consideration to certain technical elements and subsequently 
make changes to the Specification as a result of issues identified by 
commenters. The draft Specification is available at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial/bba_wireless metering.html.
    DOE intends to host a webinar on April 30, 2013, to provide 
information on the development of the Specification. Interested parties 
should check the above Web page regularly for information regarding the 
webinar and Challenge, as it becomes available.

Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment

    DOE is seeking comments and views of interested parties on the 
following issues:
    [cir] The performance requirements laid out in the specification.
    [cir] The price targets laid out in the specification.
    [cir] The applicability of the performance requirements to various 
types of commercial buildings.
    [cir] The feasibility of developing a technology that meets the 
performance and price targets laid out in the specification.

Submission of Comments

    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the draft 
Specification no later than the date specified under the DATES heading.
    Comments, data, and information submitted via DOE's email address 
should be provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) 
file format. Interested parties should avoid the use of special 
characters or any form of encryption, and wherever possible, comments 
should include the electronic signature of the author. Comments, data, 
and information submitted to DOE via regular mail may include one 
signed paper original.
    According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that 
he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public 
disclosure should submit two copies: one copy of the document including 
all the information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the 
document that does not include the information believed to be 
confidential. DOE will make its own determination as to 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) A date upon which such information might lose its confidential 
nature due to the passage of time; and
    (7) Why disclosure of the information would be contrary to the 
public interest.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 29, 2013.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-07972 Filed 4-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P