[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 208 (Thursday, October 27, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 74727-74730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26007]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 431

[Docket Number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0048]
RIN 1904-AD37


Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Central Air 
Conditioners and Heat Pumps: Availability of Provisional Analysis 
Results

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

ACTION: Notice of data availability (NODA).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed a 
provisional analysis to translate the residential central air 
conditioner and heat pump energy conservation standard levels 
recommended by the CAC/HP ECS Working Group--expressed in terms of the 
test procedure at the time of the Working Group negotiations--into 
levels consistent with the DOE test procedure proposed in the August 
2016 test procedure SNOPR. At this time, DOE is not proposing any 
energy conservation standard for residential central air conditioners 
and heat pumps. However, it is publishing these analysis results and 
the underlining assumptions and calculations that might ultimately 
support a proposed standard. DOE

[[Page 74728]]

encourages stakeholders to provide any additional data or information 
that may improve the analysis.

DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this 
notice of data availability (NODA) no later than November 14, 2016.
    Any comments submitted must identify the NODA for central air 
conditioners and heat pumps, and provide docket number EERE-2014-BT-
STD-0048 and/or regulatory information number (RIN) number 1904-AD37. 
Comments may be submitted using any of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Email: [email protected] Include the docket number 
and/or RIN in the subject line of the message.
    Mail: Ms. Ashley Armstrong, U.S. Department of Energy, Building 
Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. If possible, please submit all items on a 
CD, in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Ashley Armstrong, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Suite 
600, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-6590. If possible, 
please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not necessary to 
include printed copies.
    For further information on how to submit a comment, review other 
public comments and the docket, contact the Appliance and Equipment 
Standards Program staff at (202) 586-6636 or by email: 
[email protected].

ADDRESSES: The Docket Number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0048, is available for 
review at www.regulations.gov, including Federal Register notices, 
comments, and other supporting documents/materials. All documents in 
the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. However, not 
all documents listed in the index may be publicly available, such as 
information that is exempt from public disclosure.
    A link to the docket Web page can be found at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2014-BT-STD-0048. The 
www.regulations.gov Web page contains instructions on how to access all 
documents in the docket, including public comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Ashley Armstrong, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building 
Technologies, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-6590. Email: 
[email protected].
    Ms. Johanna Jochum, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the 
General Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 287-6307. Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background
II. Summary of the Analyses Performed by DOE
III. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Public Comment

I. Background

    On June 27, 2011, DOE published in the Federal Register a direct 
final rule amending the energy conservation standard for residential 
furnaces and central air conditioners and heat pumps. 76 FR 37408. (The 
standards set forth in the June 27, 2011 DFR were confirmed in a notice 
of effective date and compliance dates published in the Federal 
Register on October 31, 2011. 76 FR 67037.)
    DOE is amending its energy conservation standards for central air 
conditioners pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1), which requires DOE to 
periodically review its already established energy conservation 
standards for a covered product. More specifically, the Energy Policy 
and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended by the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), requires that not 
later than 6 years after issuance of any final rule establishing or 
amending a standard, DOE must publish either a notice of determination 
that standards for the product do not need to be amended, or a notice 
of proposed rulemaking including new proposed energy conservation 
standards. As DOE's last final rule for residential central air 
conditioners and heat pumps energy conservation standards was issued on 
June 27, 2011, DOE must act by June 27, 2017.
    On July 14, 2015, DOE published a notice of intent to form a 
working group to negotiate energy conservation standards for central 
air conditioners and heat pumps and requested nominations from parties 
interested in serving as members of that working group. 80 FR 40938. 
This working group (``CAC/HP ECS Working Group''), which ultimately 
consisted of 15 members in addition to one member from the Appliance 
Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC), and one 
DOE representative, came to a consensus on January 19, 2016 to 
recommend the energy conservation standard levels outlined in the ASRAC 
Working Group Final Term Sheet (``the Term Sheet''). (ASRAC Working 
Group Term Sheet, Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0048, No. 0076). On 
August 24, 2016, DOE published a supplemental notice of proposed 
rulemaking (the August 2016 SNOPR) that incorporates some of those 
recommendations into DOE's test procedure for central air conditioners 
and heat pumps. 81 FR 58164.
    Several of the Term Sheet recommendations are relevant to this 
NODA. Recommendation #8 of the Term Sheet recommended standard levels, 
in terms of SEER, EER, and HSPF, based on the test procedure that was 
in place at the time of the CAC/HP ECS Working Group negotiations. 
Recommendation #9 of the Term Sheet provided translated values, in 
terms of SEER2 and EER2, for some of the recommended standard levels in 
Recommendation #8 that would be consistent with the proposed amendments 
to the test procedure outlined in the November 2015 test procedure 
SNOPR.\1\ 80 FR 69278 (Nov. 9, 2015). The Term Sheet also provided 
translated values for heating efficiency of split system and single-
package heat pumps, in terms of HSPF2, using an alternative test 
procedure favored by some of the Working Group members. Recommendation 
#9 of the Term Sheet stated that the energy conservation standards for 
small-duct high velocity and space constrained products should remain 
unchanged from current levels (i.e. that there would be no change in 
stringency), but did not provide translated values. (ASRAC Term Sheet, 
No. 76 at pp. 4-5)
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    \1\ DOE proposed similar amendments most recently in the August 
2016 SNOPR published on August 24, 2016. 81 FR 58164.
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    Based on comments received on the November 2015 test procedure 
SNOPR, DOE continued work on the concurrent rulemaking to amend the 
CAC/HP test procedure while the CAC/HP ASRAC Working Group was 
negotiating the standard levels for CACs and HPs. DOE published a test 
procedure SNOPR on August 24, 2016 proposing revisions to the 
amendments of the November 2015 NOPR. 81 FR 58164. The August 2016 test 
procedure SNOPR included translated HSPF2 levels for split-system and 
single-package heat pumps, but did not include translated levels for 
small-

[[Page 74729]]

duct high velocity and space constrained products.
    This NODA provides provisional translations of the CAC/HP Working 
Group's recommended energy conservation standard levels for small-duct 
high velocity and space constrained products (which are in terms of the 
test procedure at the time of the 2015-2016 Negotiations) into levels 
consistent with the test procedure proposed in the August 2016 test 
procedure SNOPR. As mentioned, translated values for all other product 
classes can be found in the Term Sheet \2\ or August 24, 2016 test 
procedure SNOPR. 81 FR 58164.
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    \2\ Available at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2014-BT-STD-0048-0076.
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II. Summary of the Analyses Performed by DOE

    Table 1--Provisional Translations of CAC/HP Working Group-Recommended Energy Conservation Standard Levels
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                                                       CAC/HP working group         August 2016 test procedure
                                                          recommendation                 SNOPR translation
                  Product class                  ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       SEER            HSPF            SEER2           HSPF2
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Small-Duct High-Velocity Systems................              12             7.2              12             6.1
Space-Constrained Air Conditioners..............  ..............  ..............  11.6 */11.8 **  ..............
Space-Constrained Heat Pumps....................              12  ..............  11.5 */11.9 **             6.3
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* Estimated SEER2 at 0.50 in. wc.
** Estimated SEER2 at 0.30 in. wc.

A. Small-Duct High-Velocity

    The August 2016 test procedure SNOPR made minor changes to the 
procedure for measuring SEER in SDHV systems. Specifically, rather than 
testing with external static pressure that varies with capacity from 
1.1 to 1.2 inches water column (in. wc.), consistent with term sheet 
Recommendation #2, the August 2016 SNOPR proposed testing all SDHV 
units with 1.15 in wc. external static pressure. 81 FR 58163 (Aug. 24, 
2016). Translation of SEER for this test procedure change would involve 
a slight reduction for low-capacity unit, no change for medium-capacity 
units, and a slight increase for high-capacity units. Rather than 
setting three different SEER levels for these products, DOE's 
translated level represents an average translation, equivalent to no 
change in the value. Consequently, current SEER ratings would not 
change should DOE adopt the test procedure proposed in the August 2016 
SNOPR, per the CAC/HP Working Group's Recommendation #8 to keep the 
current 12 SEER standard.
    The August 2016 test procedure SNOPR proposes changes to the test 
procedure for determining heating performance, including for SDHV 
systems. Consequently, HSPF2 numerical values for SDHV will be 
different than the current HSPF numerical values. In the August 2016 
test procedure, DOE interpolated between the HSPF2 values resulting 
from the heating load line slope factor options presented by the CAC/HP 
Working Group in the Term Sheet to translate current HSPF standard 
levels to HSPF2 levels in terms of the proposed heating load line slope 
factor for split-system heat pumps. DOE found that this methodology 
resulted in a 15% reduction from HSPF to HSPF2 ratings. 81 FR at 58191. 
For SDHV heat pump products, DOE reviewed split-system heat pump test 
data to determine the appropriate HSPF to HSPF2 translation and found 
that the same 15% reduction in HSPF to HSPF2 would be appropriate to 
apply to SDHV heat pump products as well. Thus, to translate the CAC/HP 
Working Group recommendation a HSPF2 value consistent with the August 
2016 test procedure SNOPR achieve the HSPF2 values presented in this 
NODA, DOE applied a 15% reduction to the current SDHV HSPF standard.

B. Space-Constrained Products

    For the space-constrained air conditioner SEER standard level 
translation, DOE reviewed existing test data, adjusted relevant 
measurements based on indoor fan performance data to account for the 
test procedure changes (e.g., increased ESP), and translated the levels 
based on the average impact. DOE reviewed test data for multiple 
blower-coil split-system space-constrained air conditioners. Because 
these data are for blower-coil systems tested at static pressures lower 
than those proposed in the August 2016 test procedure SNOPR, DOE had to 
adjust the data for a relevant translation. Under 10 CFR 429.16, 
ratings for split-system space-constrained products must include a 
coil-only efficiency representation of the least efficient coil-only 
combination. To derive a space-constrained coil-only SEER rating based 
on the test data, DOE replaced the tested indoor fan power with 365 W/
1000 CFM, and recalculated the SEER rating. The 365 W/1000 CFM is the 
default fan power value in the current test procedure, which represents 
indoor fan performance at the operating conditions specified in the 
current test procedure.
    The August 2016 test procedure SNOPR proposed that split-system 
coil-only products be tested at a minimum external static pressure of 
0.5 in. wc. To adjust for this change, DOE replaced the tested indoor 
fan power with 441 W/1000 CFM, and recalculated the SEER rating. The 
441 W/1000 CFM is the default fan power value recommended in the CAC/HP 
Working Group Term Sheet and proposed in the August 2016 test procedure 
SNOPR to represent split-system coil-only blower power consumption at 
0.5 in. wc., which reduced the space-constrained coil-only SEER value 
by an average of 4%. ASRAC Term Sheet, No. 76 at p. 3; 81 FR at 58185 
(Aug. 24, 2016). DOE applied this 4% reduction to the SEER standard 
level recommended by the CAC/HP Working Group (to maintain stringency 
equivalent to the current space constrained air conditioner 12 SEER 
standard) to derive the translated SEER2 level in Table 1. DOE also 
evaluated the impact on SEER assuming operation at 0.30 in. wc., as 
recommended by the CAC/HP ECS Working Group, given that the test 
procedure is not finalized and DOE's proposals may change. To estimate 
SEER at 0.30 in. wc., DOE replaced the tested indoor fan power with 406 
W/1000 CFM, and recalculated the SEER rating. The 406 W/1000 CFM is the 
default fan power value recommended in the CAC/HP Working Group Term 
Sheet and proposed in the August 2016 test procedure SNOPR to represent 
split-

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system mobile home coil-only blower power consumption at 0.30 in. wc. 
(ASRAC Term Sheet, No. 76 at p. 3) 81 FR at 58185 (Aug. 24, 2016). The 
space-constrained coil-only SEER reduced by an average of 2%. DOE 
applied this 2% reduction to the SEER standard level recommended by the 
CAC/HP Working Group (to maintain stringency equivalent to the current 
space constrained air conditioner 12 SEER standard) to derive the 
translated SEER2 level in Table 1.
    For the space-constrained heat pump SEER translation, DOE used a 
similar methodology as it used for space-constrained air conditioners, 
but the adjustments to blower power were slightly different. Section 
429.16 requires that split-system heat pumps have blower-coil 
efficiency representations. In addition, the August 2016 test procedure 
SNOPR proposed that split-system coil-only products be tested at a 
minimum external static pressure of 0.5 in. wc., which is higher than 
the 0.1 to 0.2 in. wc. at which these products are currently. DOE 
replaced the tested indoor fan power with fan power at 0.5 in. wc. 
determined from product specification sheets and recalculated SEER. The 
tested SEER reduced by an average of 4% to 11.5, as listed in Table 1 
of this preamble. DOE also evaluated the impact on SEER reduction, 
assuming operation at 0.30 in. wc., as recommended by the CAC/HP ECS 
Working Group, given that the test procedure is not finalized and DOE's 
proposals may change. DOE replaced the tested indoor fan power with fan 
power at 0.30 in. wc. determined from product specification sheets and 
recalculated SEER. The tested SEER reduced by an average of 1% to 11.9, 
as listed in Table 1 of this preamble.
    For the space-constrained heat pump HSPF translation, DOE used the 
same methodology as it used for its SDHV system HSPF translation (i.e., 
applying a 15% reduction). See section II.A.

III. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Public Comment

    DOE is interested in receiving comments and views of interested 
parties concerning the translation of SEER and HSPF values to SEER2 and 
HSPF2 values shown in Table 1 for spaced-constrained and SDHV products.
    The purpose of this NODA is to notify industry, manufacturers, 
consumer groups, efficiency advocates, government agencies, and other 
stakeholders of the publication of an analysis of potential energy 
conservation standards for commercial and industrial fans and blowers. 
Stakeholders should contact DOE for any additional information 
pertaining to the analyses performed for this NODA.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 21, 2016.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-26007 Filed 10-26-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P