Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Commercial Packaged Boilers, 89276-89317 [2016-29081]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Parts 429 and 431
[Docket No. EERE–2014–BT–TP–0006]
RIN 1904–AD16
Energy Conservation Program: Test
Procedure for Commercial Packaged
Boilers
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
On March 17, 2016, the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) issued a
notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR)
to amend the test procedure for
commercial packaged boilers. That
proposed rulemaking serves as the basis
for the final rule. DOE incorporates by
reference certain sections of the
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)/Air-Conditioning, Heating, and
Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard
1500, ‘‘2015 Standard for Performance
Rating of Commercial Space Heating
Boilers.’’ In addition, this final rule
incorporates amendments that clarify
the coverage for field-constructed
commercial packaged boilers and the
applicability of DOE’s test procedure
and standards for this category of
commercial packaged boilers, provide
an optional field test for commercial
packaged boilers with rated input
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, provide a
conversion method to calculate thermal
efficiency based on combustion
efficiency testing for steam commercial
packaged boilers with rated input
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, modify the
inlet water temperatures during tests of
hot water commercial packaged boilers,
establish limits on the ambient
temperature during testing, and
standardize terminology and provisions
for ‘‘rated input’’ and ‘‘fuel input rate.’’
DOE originally published this final rule
in the Federal Register on November 10,
2016, however that document contained
errors and is being withdrawn on
December 7, 2016. This is a
republication of the final rule that
replaces the version published on
November 10, 2016 in its entirety.
DATES: The effective date of this rule is
January 9, 2017. The final rule changes
will be mandatory for representations
related to energy efficiency or energy
use starting December 4, 2017. The
incorporation by reference of certain
publications listed in this rule is
approved by the Director of the Federal
Register on January 9, 2017.
ADDRESSES: The docket, which includes
Federal Register notices, public meeting
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SUMMARY:
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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 https://www.regulations.gov/
docket?D=EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006. The
docket Web page will contain simple
instructions on how to access all
documents, including public comments,
in the docket.
For further information on how to
review the docket, contact the
Appliance and Equipment Standards
Program staff at (202) 586–6636 or by
email: ApplianceStandardsQuestions@
ee.doe.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
James Raba, U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies Office, EE–5B, 1000
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–8654. Email:
ApplianceStandardsQuestions@
ee.doe.gov.
Mr. Peter Cochran, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of the General Counsel,
GC–71, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–9496. Email:
Peter.Cochran@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final
rule incorporates by reference into 10
CFR parts 429 and 431 the testing
methods contained in the following
commercial standard:
Part 429—ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, (‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015’’), ‘‘Performance Rating of
Commercial Space Heating Boilers,’’
ANSI approved November 28, 2014:
Figure C9, Suggested Piping
Arrangement for Hot Water Boilers.
Part 431—ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, (‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015’’), ‘‘Performance Rating of
Commercial Space Heating Boilers,’’
Section 3 ‘‘Definitions,’’ Section 5
‘‘Rating Requirements,’’ Appendix C
‘‘Methods of Testing for Rating
Commercial Space Heating Boilers—
Normative,’’ Appendix D ‘‘Properties
of Saturated Steam—Normative,’’ and
Appendix E ‘‘Correction Factors for
Heating Values of Fuel Gases—
Normative,’’ ANSI approved
November 28, 2014.
Copies of AHRI standards may be
purchased from the Air-Conditioning,
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Heating, and Refrigeration Institute,
2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500, Arlington,
VA 22201, or by visiting https://
www.ahrinet.org/site/686/Standards/
HVACR-Industry-Standards/SearchStandards.
See section IV.N for additional
information about this standard.
Table of Contents
I. Authority and Background
A. Authority
B. Background
II. Synopsis of the Final Rule
III. Discussion
A. Scope and Definitions
1. Definition of Commercial Packaged
Boiler
2. Field-Constructed Commercial Packaged
Boilers
3. Other Definitions
B. General Comments
C. Adoption of Certain Sections of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015
D. Fuel Input Rate Certification and
Enforcement
E. Testing of Large Commercial Packaged
Boilers
1. Optional Field Test
2. Optional Conversion of Combustion
Efficiency to Thermal Efficiency
F. Hot Water Temperatures
1. General Comments
2. Recirculating Loops
3. Condensing Commercial Packaged
Boilers
4. Test Facility Water Flow Rate
Capabilities
5. Other Issues Related to Water
Temperatures
G. Ambient Conditions
H. Set-Up and Instrumentation
1. Steam Piping
2. Digital Data Acquisition
3. Calibration
4. Other Set-Up and Instrumentation
Comments
I. Other Issues
1. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial
Packaged Boilers
2. Certification and Enforcement
Provisions
3. Part-Load Testing
4. Stack Temperature Adjustment
5. Oxygen Combustion Analyzer
6. Rounding Requirements
7. Waiver Requests
IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review
A. Review Under Executive Order 12866
B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility
Act
C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995
D. Review Under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
E. Review Under Executive Order 13132
F. Review Under Executive Order 12988
G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995
H. Review Under the Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act, 1999
I. Review Under Executive Order 12630
J. Review Under Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act, 2001
K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
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L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal
Energy Administration Act of 1974
M. Congressional Notification
N. Description of Materials Incorporated by
Reference
V. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
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I. Authority and Background
Packaged boilers are included in the
list of ‘‘covered equipment’’ for which
the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is
authorized to establish and amend
energy conservation standards and test
procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6311(1)(J)) DOE’s
energy conservation standards and test
procedure for commercial packaged
boilers, a subset of packaged boilers, are
currently prescribed at 10 CFR 431.87
and 10 CFR 431.86, respectively. The
following sections discuss DOE’s
authority to establish test procedures for
commercial packaged boilers and
relevant background information
regarding DOE’s consideration of test
procedures for this equipment.
A. Authority
Title III of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C.
6291, et seq.; ‘‘EPCA’’ or, ‘‘the Act’’) 1
sets forth a variety of provisions
designed to improve energy efficiency.
Part C of title III, which for editorial
reasons was redesignated as Part A–1
upon incorporation into the U.S. Code
(42 U.S.C. 6311–6317, as codified),
establishes the ‘‘Energy Conservation
Program for Certain Industrial
Equipment.’’ The covered industrial
equipment includes packaged boilers,
the subject of this document. (42 U.S.C.
6311(1)(J))
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 to
determine whether the products comply
with any relevant standards
promulgated under EPCA.
Under 42 U.S.C. 6314, EPCA sets forth
the criteria and procedures DOE must
follow when prescribing or amending
test procedures for covered equipment.
EPCA provides that any test procedures
1 All references to EPCA refer to the statute as
amended through the Energy Efficiency
Improvement act of 2015, Public Law 114–11 (April
30, 2015).
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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
covered equipment during a
representative average use cycle or
period of use and shall not be unduly
burdensome to conduct. (42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2))
In addition, if DOE determines that a
test procedure amendment is warranted,
it must publish a proposed test
procedure and offer the public an
opportunity to present oral and written
comments on it. (42 U.S.C. 6314(b))
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 the covered
equipment as determined under the
existing test procedure. (42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(4)(C))
With respect to commercial packaged
boilers, EPCA requires DOE to use
industry test procedures developed or
recognized by the Air-Conditioning,
Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
(AHRI) or the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), as
referenced in ASHRAE/IES Standard
90.1, ‘‘Energy Standard for Buildings
Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.’’
(42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(A)) Further, if such
an industry test procedure is amended,
DOE is required to amend its test
procedure to be consistent with the
amended industry test procedure,
unless it determines, by rule published
in the Federal Register and supported
by clear and convincing evidence, that
the amended test procedure would be
unduly burdensome to conduct or
would not produce test results that
reflect the energy efficiency, energy use,
and estimated operating costs of that
equipment during a representative
average use cycle. (42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(4)(B))
EPCA also requires that, at least once
every 7 years, DOE evaluate test
procedures for each type of covered
equipment, including commercial
packaged boilers, to determine whether
amended test procedures would more
accurately or fully comply with the
requirements for test procedures to not
be unduly burdensome to conduct and
be reasonably designed to produce test
results that reflect energy efficiency,
energy use, and estimated operating
costs during a representative average
use cycle. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(1)(A)) DOE
last reviewed the test procedures for
commercial packaged boilers on July 22,
2009. 74 FR 36312. Therefore, DOE is
required to re-evaluate the test
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procedures no later than July 22, 2016,
and this rulemaking has been
undertaken in fulfillment of that
requirement. As the industry standard
for commercial packaged boilers was
recently updated, this rulemaking will
also fulfill DOE’s statutory obligations to
make its test procedure consistent with
the applicable industry test procedure.
Prior to December 4, 2017,
manufacturers must make any
representations with respect to the
energy use or efficiency of commercial
packaged boilers in accordance with the
results of testing pursuant to the new
appendix A to subpart E of part 431 or
the existing test procedure, as it
appeared in 10 CFR 431.86, revised as
of January 1, 2016. On or after December
4, 2017, manufacturers must make any
representations with respect to energy
use or efficiency in accordance with the
results of testing pursuant to appendix
A to subpart E of part 431.
B. Background
On September 3, 2013, DOE initiated
a test procedure and energy
conservation standards rulemaking for
commercial packaged boilers and
published a notice of public meeting
and availability of the Framework
document (September 2013 Framework
document). 78 FR 54197. Both in the
September 2013 Framework document
and during the October 1, 2013 public
meeting, DOE solicited public
comments, data, and information on all
aspects of, and any issues or problems
with, the existing DOE test procedure,
including whether the test procedure
was in need of updates or revisions.
DOE also received comments on the test
procedure in response to the notice of
availability of the preliminary technical
support document (TSD) for the
standards rulemaking, which was
published in the Federal Register on
November 20, 2014 (November 2014
Preliminary Analysis). 79 FR 69066.
Additionally, on February 20, 2014,
DOE published in the Federal Register
a request for information (February 2014
RFI) seeking comments on the existing
DOE test procedure for commercial
packaged boilers, which incorporates by
reference Hydronics Institute (HI)/AHRI
Standard BTS–2000 (Rev 06.07),
‘‘Method to Determine Efficiency of
Commercial Space Heating Boilers’’
(BTS–2000). 79 FR 9643. BTS–2000
provides test procedures for measuring
steady-state combustion and thermal
efficiency of a gas-fired or oil-fired
commercial packaged boiler capable of
producing hot water and/or steam and
operating at full load only. In the
February 2014 RFI, DOE requested
comments, information, and data about
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a number of issues, including (1) partload testing and part-load efficiency
rating, (2) typical inlet and outlet water
temperatures for hot water commercial
packaged boilers, (3) the steam pressure
for steam commercial packaged boilers
operating at full load, and (4) design
characteristics of commercial packaged
boilers that are difficult to test under the
existing DOE test procedure.
On April 29, 2015, AHRI, together
with the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI), published the ‘‘2015
Standard for Performance Rating of
Commercial Space Heating Boilers’’
(ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015).
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 states
‘‘this standard supersedes AHRI
Hydronics Institute Standard BTS–2000
Rev. 06.07’’ in the front matter of the
document. On May 29, 2015, AHRI
submitted a request directly to DOE to
update the incorporation by reference in
the DOE test procedure to reference the
new ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
(Docket EERE–2014–BT–TP–0006,
AHRI, No. 29 at p. 1) 2
Subsequently, DOE published a notice
of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) on
March 17, 2016, in the Federal Register
(hereafter March 2016 NOPR). 81 FR
14642. DOE proposed to incorporate by
reference relevant sections of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 as a
replacement for BTS–2000 in the DOE
test procedure as well as several
modifications to its test procedure that
are not captured in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. The additional
proposed amendments included the
following:
• Clarifying the coverage of fieldconstructed commercial packaged
boilers under DOE’s regulations;
• Incorporating an optional field test
for commercial packaged boilers with
fuel input rate greater than 5,000,000
Btu/h;
• Incorporating an optional
conversion method to calculate thermal
efficiency based on the combustion
efficiency test for steam commercial
packaged boilers with fuel input rate
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h;
• Modifying the inlet and outlet water
temperatures required during tests of
hot water commercial packaged boilers
to be more repeatable and representative
of field conditions;
• Modifying setup and
instrumentation requirements to remove
ambiguity;
• Requiring additional limits on the
room ambient temperature and ambient
humidity during testing; and
• Standardizing terminology and
provisions in regulatory text related to
‘‘fuel input rate.’’
In this final rule, DOE is replacing
BTS–2000 with the updated industry
standard, ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, as the basis for the DOE test
procedure. DOE is also adopting certain
proposals from the March 2016 NOPR
and has modified some proposals from
the March 2016 NOPR in light of
comments received. Section III contains
a more detailed discussion of the basis
for transitioning to the commercial
packaged boiler test procedures outlined
in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 as
well as the additional amendments
being adopted.
DOE originally published this final
rule on November 10, 2016 in the
Federal Register. 81 FR 79224.
However, the published version
contained errors, and DOE has therefore
withdrawn that notice. This version of
the final rule replaces the originally
published version in its entirety. DOE
notes that the effective date for the
original version of the final rule was
December 12, 2016. As a result of this
republication, the effective date of the
final test procedure is now January 9,
2017. In addition, DOE has updated the
compliance date for the final test
procedure as a result of this
republication. As indicated in section
I.A, manufacturers will be required to
make any representations of energy
efficiency using the amended test
procedure on or after December 4, 2017.
DOE emphasizes that the original
published version of the final rule was
not yet effective at the time of this
republication, and that DOE has
updated the compliance date of the final
test procedure as a result of the
republication. In addition, following the
publication of the March 2016 NOPR,
DOE provided a total of 75 days for
interested parties to comment on DOE’s
proposed amendments to the
commercial packaged boiler test
procedure and held a public meeting on
April 4, 2016 to present and seek further
comment on the proposal. (In light of
the comment period already provided,
DOE is not providing an additional
comment period at this time.) All
manufacturers have the same amount of
time to prepare for use of the final test
procedure (360 days) under the
republication as they had under the
original final rule that DOE has
withdrawn. To the extent that some
manufacturers may have already begun
preparations needed for use of the new
test procedure, in advance of the
original effective date, they are in no
worse position given the extension of
the compliance date. For these reasons,
DOE does not anticipate that the
withdrawal and republication of the
final rule would impose any additional
burden on interested parties. Contra
Utility Solid Waste Activities Group v.
EPA, 236 F.3d 749 (2001)(holding that
EPA’s action did not amount to
harmless error).
2 A notation in this form provides a reference for
information that is in Docket No. EERE–2014–BT–
TP–0006, which is maintained at https://
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2014BT-TP-0006. The references are arranged as follows:
(commenter name, comment docket ID number,
page of that document). This particular notation
refers to a comment from AHRI on p. 1 of document
number 29 in the docket.
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II. Synopsis of the Final Rule
In this final rule, DOE amends subpart
E of 10 CFR part 431 as follows:
• Clarifies definitions regarding
commercial packaged boilers;
• Incorporates by reference certain
provisions of the current revision to the
applicable industry standard: ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 ‘‘2015
Standard for Performance Rating of
Commercial Space Heating Boilers;’’
• Provides an optional field test and
an optional conversion calculation from
combustion to thermal efficiency for
commercial packaged boilers with rated
input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h;
• Modifies the inlet water
temperature requirements for
commercial packaged boilers;
• Reduces the allowable range for
ambient room temperature during
testing; and
• Requires digital data acquisition for
certain parameters.
The final rule also amends 10 CFR
part 429 to clarify certification and
enforcement procedures, specifically to
provide for the verification of rated
input and to accommodate certification
based on the optional field test.
III. Discussion
The following sections address the
products within the scope of this
rulemaking, the test procedure
amendments, other test procedure
considerations, test burden, measured
energy efficiency, and changes to
certification and enforcement
provisions.
Table III.1 presents the list of
interested parties that submitted written
comments in response to the March
2016 NOPR.
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TABLE III.1—INTERESTED PARTIES PROVIDING WRITTEN COMMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE MARCH 2016 NOPR
Document
Docket ID No.
Name
Acronym
36, 46 ...............
38 ......................
42 ......................
Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute ............................................................
American Boiler Manufacturers Association .......................................................................
American Gas Association and American Public Gas Association ...................................
45 ......................
Appliance Standards Awareness Project, Alliance to Save Energy, American Council for
an Energy-Efficient Economy, and Natural Resources Defense Council.
Bradford White Corporation ................................................................................................
Burnham Holdings, Inc .......................................................................................................
California Investor Owned Utilities .....................................................................................
Council of Industrial Boiler Owners ....................................................................................
Lochinvar, LLC ....................................................................................................................
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance .................................................................................
Raypak, Inc .........................................................................................................................
Tahir Khan ..........................................................................................................................
Weil-McLain ........................................................................................................................
Veritatis ...............................................................................................................................
AHRI.
ABMA.
Gas
Associations
(AGA
and
APGA).
Efficiency Advocates (ASAP, ASE,
ACEEE, and NRDC).
Bradford White.
Burnham.
CA IOUs.
CIBO.
Lochinvar.
NEEA.
Raypak.
Khan.
Weil-McLain.
Veritatis.
39
40
48
35
43
44
47
31
41
33
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
Interested parties provided comments
on a range of issues, including both
issues raised by DOE for comment, as
well as other issues related to the
proposed changes to the test procedure.
The issues on which DOE received
comments, as well as DOE’s responses
to those comments and the resulting
changes to the test procedure proposals
presented in the March 2016 NOPR, are
discussed in the subsequent sections. A
parenthetical reference at the end of a
comment quotation or paraphrase
provides the location of the item in the
public record.
A. Scope and Definitions
In this final rule, DOE adopts several
new definitions that help further clarify
the scope and applicability of DOE’s
commercial packaged boiler test
procedure. DOE notes that these
amendments to DOE’s definitions at 10
CFR 431.82 also apply to DOE’s energy
conservation standards for commercial
packaged boilers.
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1. Definition of Commercial Packaged
Boiler
While EPCA authorizes DOE to
establish, subject to certain criteria, test
procedures and energy conservation
standards for packaged boilers, to date,
DOE has only established test
procedures and standards for
commercial packaged boilers, a subset
of packaged boilers. In 2004, DOE
published a final rule (October 2004
final rule) establishing definitions, test
procedures, and energy conservation
standards for commercial packaged
boilers. 69 FR 61949 (Oct. 21, 2004). In
the October 2004 final rule, DOE
defined ‘‘commercial packaged boiler’’
as a type of packaged low pressure
boiler that is industrial equipment with
a capacity (fuel input rate) of 300,000
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Btu per hour (Btu/h) or more which, to
any significant extent, is distributed in
commerce: (1) For heating or space
conditioning applications in buildings;
or (2) for service water heating in
buildings but does not meet the
definition of ‘‘hot water supply boiler.’’
69 FR 61949, 61960. DOE also defined
‘‘packaged low pressure boiler’’ as a
packaged boiler that is: (1) A steam
boiler designed to operate at or below a
steam pressure of 15 psig; or (2) a hot
water commercial packaged boiler
designed to operate at or below a water
pressure of 160 psig and a temperature
of 250 °F; or (3) a boiler that is designed
to be capable of supplying either steam
or hot water, and designed to operate
under the conditions in paragraphs (1)
and (2) of this definition. 69 FR 61949,
61960.
DOE notes that, because commercial
packaged boilers are currently defined
as a subset of packaged low pressure
boilers, commercial packaged boilers are
also defined by the pressure and
temperature criteria established in the
definition of a ‘‘packaged low pressure
boiler.’’ Consequently, DOE proposed in
the March 2016 NOPR a definition of
‘‘commercial packaged boiler’’ that
explicitly includes the pressure and
temperature criteria established by the
‘‘packaged low pressure boiler’’
definition, and to remove its definitions
for ‘‘packaged low pressure boiler’’ and
‘‘packaged high pressure boiler’’ as
those definitions would no longer be
necessary. DOE stated that it believed
such a modification would clarify the
characteristics of the equipment to
which DOE’s test procedure and energy
conservation standards apply.
In response to the March 2016 NOPR,
AHRI and Bradford White supported
DOE’s proposals to modify its
commercial packaged boiler definition
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and to remove the extraneous
definitions. (Bradford White, No. 39 at
p. 2; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 8) No
commenters in response to the March
2016 NOPR raised concerns over the
proposal. DOE therefore adopts these
proposed changes in this final rule.
DOE’s amended definition for
commercial packaged boilers also
includes exclusionary language for
field-constructed equipment (discussed
in section III.A.2) as was proposed in
the March 2016 NOPR. This exclusion
was previously part of DOE’s definition
for the broader ‘‘packaged boiler’’
definition.
Burnham suggested that the scope of
regulated commercial boilers should be
limited to sizes that can be reasonably
tested in a laboratory and that, in spite
of backsliding concerns, to do so would
acknowledge practical concerns and
previous rulemaking error (Burnham,
No. 40 at p. 8). In response, DOE notes
that the scope of coverage and original
energy conservation standards were
established by EPCA, not by a DOE
rulemaking. 42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(4).
Because the scope of coverage has never
included a capacity limit, DOE must
have a test procedure in place for all
commercial packaged boilers for
manufacturers to be able to certify their
equipment as complying with the
energy conservation standards. DOE
reiterates that to establish such a rated
input limit for covered equipment with
existing standards would violate the
anti-backsliding provisions of EPCA
found at 42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(B)(iii)(I)
for those equipment larger than the
limit. Additionally, both BTS–2000
(incorporated by reference in the
existing DOE test procedure) and ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (being
incorporated by reference in this final
rule) include in their scope any
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commercial packaged boiler with rated
input of 300,000 Btu/h or greater.
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2. Field-Constructed Commercial
Packaged Boilers
EPCA establishes the statutory
authority by which DOE may regulate
‘‘packaged boilers’’ and defines a
‘‘packaged boiler’’ as a boiler that is
shipped complete with heating
equipment, mechanical draft
equipment, and automatic controls;
usually shipped in one or more sections.
(42 U.S.C. 6311(11)(B)) In adopting the
EPCA definition for a ‘‘packaged
boiler,’’ DOE amended the definition to:
(1) Include language to address the
various ways in which packaged boilers
are distributed in commerce; and (2)
explicitly exclude custom-designed,
field-constructed boilers. 69 FR 61949,
61952. ‘‘Custom-designed, fieldconstructed’’ boilers were excluded
because DOE believed the statutory
standards for ‘‘packaged boilers’’ were
not intended to apply to these boiler
systems, which generally require
alteration, cutting, drilling, threading,
welding or similar tasks by the installer.
As a result, DOE defined a ‘‘packaged
boiler’’ as a boiler that is shipped
complete with heating equipment,
mechanical draft equipment and
automatic controls; usually shipped in
one or more sections and does not
include a boiler that is custom designed
and field constructed. If the boiler is
shipped in more than one section, the
sections may be produced by more than
one manufacturer, and may be
originated or shipped at different times
and from more than one location. 10
CFR 431.82. As noted in section III.A.1,
DOE is moving this exclusion from the
definition for ‘‘packaged boiler’’ to the
definition for ‘‘commercial packaged
boiler’’ in order to clarify the
applicability of its regulations.
In order to further clarify the
difference between field-constructed
commercial packaged boilers (which are
excluded from DOE’s commercial
packaged boiler regulations) and fieldassembled commercial packaged boilers
(which are subject to DOE’s regulations),
DOE proposed the following definition
for ‘‘field-constructed’’ in the March
2016 NOPR:
Field-constructed means customdesigned equipment that requires
welding of structural components in the
field during installation; for the
purposes of this definition, welding
does not include attachment using
mechanical fasteners or brazing; any
jackets, shrouds, venting, burner, or
burner mounting hardware are not
structural components.
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DOE noted in the March 2016 NOPR
that it considered structural components
include heat exchanger sections, flue
tube bundles and internal heat
exchanger surfaces, external piping to
one or more heat exchanger sections or
locations, and the mechanical
supporting structure the heat exchanger
rests upon in the case where a support
structure is not provided with the
commercial packaged boiler. DOE
further noted that welding does not
include attachment using mechanical
fasteners or brazing; and any jackets,
shrouds, venting, burner, or burner
mounting hardware are not structural
components. Conversely, DOE stated
that a field-assembled commercial
packaged boiler can be assembled in the
field without the welding of structural
components, as previously listed.
DOE received several comments
pertaining to the proposed definition for
‘‘field-constructed’’ in response to the
March 2016 NOPR. Bradford White
expressed support for the proposed
definition. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p.
2) Lochinvar suggested that because
DOE is proposing a field test that would
be limited to commercial packaged
boilers with fuel input rates greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h that the same rated
input limit be included in the definition
for field-constructed commercial
packaged boilers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at
p. 2) NEEA and Lochinvar also
suggested that the definition for fieldconstructed should mean custom
designed equipment that requires
American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) code stamped with
the ‘‘H’’ (heating) or ‘‘R’’ (repair)
designator welding in the field during
installation. (NEEA, No. 44 at p.2;
Lochinvar, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 21)
DOE notes that the field-constructed
exemption for commercial packaged
boilers applies to field-constructed
equipment of any size; the field test
methodology accommodates those
commercial packaged boilers that are
not field-constructed (and therefore not
exempt from DOE regulations) and the
size of which makes testing in a
laboratory setting exceptionally difficult
or cost-prohibitive. Therefore DOE is
not adopting a size limitation in its
definition for field-constructed as it
pertains to commercial packaged
boilers. With respect to Lochinvar’s
suggestion that the ASME code for
welding could be used to limit the scope
of what is considered ‘‘fieldconstructed,’’ DOE does not believe the
ASME stamp requirements are applied
equally across all jurisdictions, making
it a poor indicator that a unit meets the
field-constructed definition. Therefore,
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DOE will not define field-constructed to
include a requirement that the ASME
stamps designators for welding be used
as a means of delineating fieldconstructed commercial packaged
boilers.
DOE reiterates that field-assembled
equipment is covered, is required to be
tested using the DOE test procedure,
and is required to comply with the
existing energy conservation standards
and certification requirements.
3. Other Definitions
DOE also received comments
regarding other commercial packaged
boilers definitions proposed in the
March 2016 NOPR. In the March 2016
NOPR, DOE proposed to modify its
definition for combustion efficiency.
The current definition states that
combustion efficiency for a commercial
packaged boiler ‘‘is determined using
test procedures prescribed under
§ 431.86 and is equal to 100 percent
minus percent flue loss (percent flue
loss is based on input fuel energy).’’ 10
CFR 431.82. As noted in the March 2016
NOPR, this definition does not
sufficiently describe what the metric
represents, and therefore DOE proposed
to define combustion efficiency for a
commercial packaged boiler as ‘‘a
measurement of how much of the fuel
input energy is converted to useful heat
in combustion and is calculated as 100percent minus flue loss, as determined
with the test procedures prescribed
under § 431.86.’’
CIBO, AERCO, and the Gas
Associations suggested that DOE’s
proposed definition for combustion
efficiency conflicted with the definition
found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 and that the definition found in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 should
be retained. (CIBO, No. 35 at p.2; Gas
Associations, No. 42 at p. 2; AERCO,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
129–131) AERCO suggested that the
DOE’s proposed definition does not
exclude jacket losses but that the
definition in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 does. (AERCO, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 129–
131) CIBO also suggested that DOE’s
definition for ‘‘combustion efficiency’’
should use the higher heating value of
the fuel in the calculation in order to
account for water vapor produced
during combustion.
In response, DOE notes that its
combustion efficiency definition (both
current and proposed) defines
combustion efficiency as being
measured under the DOE test procedure
whereas industry definitions for the
term do not. DOE believes that
specifying in the definition that
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combustion efficiency is determined
using the test procedures prescribed
under § 431.86 makes clear that where
DOE uses the term in its regulations it
is referring to the metric as determined
by DOE’s test procedure. The rest of the
definition provides description of what
combustion efficiency represents and
DOE believes this descriptive portion of
the proposed definition is consistent
with industry definitions. In this final
rule, however, DOE has modified the
descriptive portion of the definition to
be consistent with that found in ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015. Specifically,
DOE’s definition now describes the
combustion efficiency as being 100
percent minus the percent losses due to
dry flue gas, incomplete combustion,
and moisture formed by combustion of
hydrogen. In response to CIBO’s
comment with respect to using a higher
heating value, DOE notes that DOE’s test
method and calculations for combustion
efficiency incorporate by reference the
pertinent sections of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015, specifically
sections C7.2 and C7.3, which take into
account the higher heating value of the
fuel. Section C7.2.16 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 uses the measured
value for QIN which is calculated using
the higher heating value of the fuel.
The Efficiency Advocates suggested
that DOE clarify the distinction between
condensing and non-condensing boilers
to ensure that proper test conditions are
used for any tested commercial
packaged boiler. (Efficiency Advocates,
No. 45 at pp. 2–3) In the March 2016
NOPR, DOE proposed to incorporate by
reference the definitions for these terms
as found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015. DOE notes that section 3.2.2 in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
(incorporated by reference in this final
rule) states that a condensing boiler
means a ‘‘[commercial packaged] boiler
which will, during the laboratory tests
prescribed in this standard, condense
part of the water vapor in the flue gases
and which is equipped with a means of
collecting and draining this condensate
from the heat exchange section.’’
Section 3.2.5 states that a noncondensing commercial packaged boiler
means a ‘‘[commercial packaged] boiler
that is not a condensing [commercial
packaged] boiler.’’ DOE believes that the
definition for condensing commercial
packaged boiler found in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 is sufficient for
distinguishing from non-condensing
commercial packaged boilers.
To further remove ambiguity, DOE is
also not incorporating by reference
definitions in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 that conflict with DOE
definitions, including the terms
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‘‘boiler,’’ ‘‘heating boiler,’’ and
‘‘packaged boiler.’’ DOE notes that the
scope of coverage for its test procedure
is commercial packaged boilers as
described in section III.A and these
definitions in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 would cause ambiguity in
DOE regulations. In the March 2016
NOPR and in this final rule, DOE
includes language in its test procedure
that clarifies that in all sections of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 that
are incorporated by reference, the term
‘‘boiler’’ means a commercial packaged
boiler as defined in 10 CFR 431.82. Also
in the March 2016 NOPR and in this
final rule, DOE includes language in the
test procedure that where there is a
conflict between DOE definitions and
those found in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, DOE definitions take
precedence. To remove additional cases
of conflict, DOE is also not
incorporating by reference ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 definitions for
‘‘combustion efficiency,’’ ‘‘thermal
efficiency,’’ ‘‘gross output,’’ ‘‘ratings,’’ or
‘‘rating conditions.’’
B. General Comments
AHRI, Burnham, Raypak, and the Gas
Associations suggested that DOE
suspend the energy conservation
standards rulemaking (Docket EERE–
2013–BT–STD–0030) until after the test
procedure is finalized. (AHRI, No. 46 at
p. 9, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 11; Burnham, No. 39 at p. 1;
Raypak, No. 47 at p. 1; Gas Associations,
No. 42 at p. 1) The Gas Associations
suggested that impacts on ratings
originating from the test procedure
amendments must be known with
certainty prior to submitting comments
on the standards NOPR and that
stakeholders must know with certainty
that the test procedure is technically
correct, provides for the repeatability of
ratings, and can be performed without
any excessive burden on the
manufacturer/test facility. (Gas
Associations, No. 42 at p. 1) WeilMcLain suggested that DOE violated the
process rule at 10 CFR part 430, subpart
C, Appendix A, and the EPCA
requirement at 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(3).
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 11) WeilMcLain also suggested that
simultaneous standards and test
procedure rulemakings for commercial
packaged boilers as well as changes to
equipment classes could cause serious
harm to industry, manufacturers,
contractors, and consumers. They
further stated that the simultaneous
impact of increasing standards and
lowering of ratings due to the changing
test procedure will render product
models unavailable, possibly resulting
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in building owners/consumers and
contractors having to consider more
expensive alternatives. (Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at p. 9)
In response to the comment from
Weil-McClain, 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(3) is a
provision under Part A of EPCA,
‘‘Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products Other than
Automobiles,’’ that generally prohibits
the Secretary from prescribing a new or
amended standard for a covered
consumer product if a test procedure
has not been prescribed for that
consumer product. The test procedure
provision is also generally applicable to
the ‘‘Energy Conservation Program for
Certain Industrial Equipment,’’ with
several exceptions, including packaged
boilers, the subject of this rulemaking.
(42 U.S.C. 6311(a)). Nevertheless, DOE
already has a test procedure in effect for
commercial packaged boilers and this
rulemaking would not result in a lapse
in effectiveness during which standards
would be amended without having a
test procedure in place. With regard to
the Process Rule, DOE developed the
Process Rule to establish procedures,
interpretations and policies to guide
DOE in the consideration and
promulgation of new or revised
appliance efficiency standards for
consumer products under EPCA. 10 CFR
part 430, subpart C, Appendix A.
However, this approach is considered
guidance that DOE generally follows,
but from which DOE may deviate as
necessary. See paragraph 14 of 10 CFR
part 430, subpart C, Appendix A.
In general, DOE does not believe that
the timing of the test procedure and
standards rulemakings has negatively
impacted stakeholders’ ability to
provide meaningful comment on this
test procedure rulemaking. The March
2016 NOPR included an update to the
latest industry standard (i.e., ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015), which was
developed by a consensus-based AHRI
process and was released in April 2015.
Further, in May 2015 AHRI petitioned
DOE to replace BTS–2000 with ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 in the DOE
test procedure for commercial packaged
boilers. (AHRI, No. 29 at p. 1) DOE
understands that industry was involved
in developing and has experience with
the changes adopted in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. Further, DOE
believes that the proposals in the March
2016 NOPR were largely consistent with
the test methodology found in ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015. In response
to the March 2016 NOPR, stakeholders
provided detailed, insightful comments
on all aspects of the proposal, including
those proposals not derived from the
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015. This
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demonstrates that industry was able to
carefully consider DOE’s proposed test
procedure and how it compared to the
current Federal test procedure.
C. Adoption of Certain Sections of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
The existing DOE test procedure for
commercial packaged boilers
incorporates by reference BTS–2000 to
determine the steady-state efficiency of
steam or hot water commercial
packaged boilers while operating at full
load. As described in section I, on April
29, 2015, AHRI published a new ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (ANSI
approved November 28, 2014), which
supersedes BTS–2000. On May 29,
2015, AHRI submitted a request directly
to DOE to update the incorporation by
reference in the DOE test procedure to
reference the new ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015. (Docket EERE–2014–BT–
TP–0006, AHRI, No. 29 at p. 1) DOE
noted that several of the changes
incorporated into ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 were also suggested by
interested parties in public comments
responding to DOE’s September 2013
Framework document, November 2014
Preliminary Analysis, and February
2014 RFI. Consistent with the
requirement under 42 U.S.C. 6314(4)(B)
that DOE amend the commercial
packaged boilers test procedure to be
consistent with the updated industry
test procedure, DOE proposed to adopt
certain sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 in the March 2016 NOPR, as
well as certain modifications that DOE
determined were necessary to meet the
statutory requirements of 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2)–(3).
Several parties responding to the
March 2016 NOPR expressed support
for adopting ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 1;
AHRI, No. 46 at p. 2; Burnham, No. 40
at p. 1–3, 9; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 1–2;
Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.1; Gas
Associations; No. 42 at p. 2; NEEA, No.
44 at p. 1; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 13;
ABMA, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 12; Crown Boiler, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 36)
However, multiple parties did not agree
with DOE’s additional proposals and
modifications or suggested that DOE’s
proposals meant that DOE was not
adopting ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 2; Burnham,
No. 40 at p. 1–3, 9; Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 1–2; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.1; Gas
Associations; No. 42 at p. 2; WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 13) AHRI,
Burnham, and Raypak suggested that
DOE had not provided clear and
convincing evidence pursuant to 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B) that its proposed
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changes in addition to ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 were necessary.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 2; Burnham, No. 40
at p. 1–3, 9; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 1–2)
As described in section I.A, with
respect to commercial packaged boilers,
EPCA directs DOE to use industry test
methods as referenced in ASHRAE/IES
Standard 90.1, ‘‘Energy Standard for
Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential
Buildings.’’ (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(A)) If
and when such an industry test
procedure is amended, EPCA requires
that DOE amend its test procedure as
necessary to be consistent with the
amended industry test method unless it
determines, by rule published in the
Federal Register and supported by clear
and convincing evidence, that the
amended test procedure would be
unduly burdensome to conduct or
would not produce test results that
reflect the energy efficiency, energy use,
and estimated operating costs of that
equipment during a representative
average use cycle. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2),
(3) and (4)(B))
DOE does not agree with commenters’
interpretations of the relevant statutory
provisions at issue. Under 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(4)(B), when DOE is triggered by
the amendment of an industry test
method applicable to ASHRAE
equipment, the Secretary is directed to
undertake an assessment of that
industry test method to determine
whether amendments to the Federal test
procedure are ‘‘necessary’’ to be
‘‘consistent’’ with the amended industry
test method. (There may be cases where
the industry standard-setting
organization reviews its method and
puts out a new version with minimal or
no changes, in which case it may not be
necessary for DOE to amend its own test
procedure.) The term ‘‘consistent’’ does
not equate to ‘‘identical,’’ so Congress
envisioned that some differentiation
from the industry standard may be
necessary. However, in the event DOE
determines that a more significant
deviation from the industry test method
is needed (i.e., a change that would not
be ‘‘consistent’’ with the industry
method), the Secretary must determine
by rule published in the Federal
Register and supported by clear and
convincing evidence that a Federal test
procedure consistent with the industry
test method would not meet the
requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2) and
(3). It is only in the latter case that the
clear and convincing evidence standard
would apply.
In DOE’s experience, industry
standard-setting bodies typically
undertake a thorough and professional
approach to revising their test
procedures. However, DOE must remain
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cognizant of its statutory duty to ensure
that the Federal test method be
consistent with the industry test method
while meeting other statutory
requirements at 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)–(3)
(including that the procedure produces
test results that reflect the energy
efficiency, energy use, and estimated
operating costs of that equipment during
a representative average use cycle and is
not unduly burdensome to conduct). To
the extent that DOE identifies
provisions of the relevant industry test
method that would produce inaccurate,
inconsistent, or unrepeatable results, as
demonstrated by DOE’s testing or
analysis, such results would be unlikely
to reflect a product’s representative
average energy efficiency or energy use.
Such findings would demonstrate that
the industry test procedure would not
meet the statutory requirements of 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3) without alteration,
thereby justifying DOE’s decision to
modify the industry test procedure (or
in certain instances, even to deviate
from the industry test procedure
entirely, in which case the clear and
convincing evidence standard would
apply). That is why DOE usually adopts
certain sections of industry test methods
rather than adopting industry methods
wholesale and adjusts the industry test
methods as needed to satisfy the
aforementioned statutory requirements.
Such is the case here, where DOE is
adopting amended test procedures that
are largely consistent with the industry
test methods (parts of which are
incorporated by reference), but that also
include several deviations from those
industry test methods. The
modifications adopted in this final rule
are intended to clarify the test method
to ensure consistent application,
improve repeatability, make the test
method more representative of the
energy efficiency during a
representative average use cycle, and/or
ensure that the test procedure is not
unduly burdensome to conduct.
Assuming that DOE requires clear and
convincing evidence for its amendments
to industry standards in this final rule,
DOE believes its findings fully satisfy
that threshold. To explain that
conclusion, DOE articulates how it
understands the ‘‘clear and convincing
evidence’’ concept to operate in the
context of DOE’s establishing of test
procedures. A rulemaking procedure is
unlike the context of litigation, where
‘‘clear and convincing’’ means that the
evidence must ‘‘place in the ultimate
factfinder an abiding conviction that the
truth’’ of its conclusions is ‘‘highly
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probable.’’ 3 Nonetheless, DOE fully
recognizes that whenever it must have
‘‘clear and convincing evidence’’
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6314(a), it needs
a higher degree of confidence in its
conclusions than would be required
under the ‘‘preponderance’’ standard
that ordinarily applies in agency
rulemaking. In such matters, the
administrative record, taken as a whole,
must justify DOE in a strong conviction
that its conclusions are highly likely to
be correct.4
For purposes of establishing test
procedures under 42 U.S.C. 6314(a),
‘‘clear and convincing evidence’’ can
include the same sorts of evidence that
DOE would use in any other
rulemaking. But DOE will conclude it
has ‘‘clear and convincing evidence’’
only when it is strongly convinced that
it is highly likely to have reached
appropriate findings. With respect to the
findings discussed in this rulemaking,
DOE does have that strong conviction.
Consistent with this authority, DOE is
adopting a test procedure that is
generally consistent with the industrybased test procedure and in some
instances contains deviations from the
industry test procedure consistent with
the requirements of 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2)–(3) and in satisfaction of 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B). The justification
and evidence supporting each provision
adopted in this final rule are described
in the sections that follow.
D. Fuel Input Rate Certification and
Enforcement
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In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed to standardize its terminology
by introducing a definition for ‘‘fuel
input rate’’ and proposed provisions for
measuring and certifying the value for
each basic model. Specifically, DOE
proposed a procedure for determining
the fuel input rate, which would be
certified to DOE, by using the mean of
measured values rounded to the nearest
1,000 Btu/h. DOE believed it was
necessary to make this clarification
because the fuel input rate determines
the division of equipment classes and
therefore the applicable Federal energy
conservation standards for commercial
packaged boilers.
Bradford White recommended using
the term ‘‘rated input’’ instead of ‘‘fuel
input rate.’’ (Bradford White, No. 39 at
3 Colorado v. New Mexico, 467 U.S. 310, 316
(1984).
4 Because a test procedure rulemaking is not a
litigation, the differences warrant some differences
in how the ‘‘clear and convincing evidence’’
threshold operates. DOE both develops the record
and reviews it to make findings. Also, as an agency
tasked with setting policy, DOE is ordinarily
expected to use its technical judgment.
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p. 6) AHRI suggested DOE drop its
proposed definition and requirements
for fuel input rate. (AHRI, No. 46 at p.
6) Lochinvar indicated that the boiler
industry is not confused by the terms
used for input rate and would be
harmed by the DOE’s proposed
definition (and more significantly) use
of the terms for input rate. (Lochinvar,
No. 43 at p. 10)
AHRI, Burnham and Lochinvar stated
that the maximum rated input is
determined as part of the safety
certification process, that this process
occurs before efficiency testing, and that
the safety certification agency requires
that the maximum rated input for which
the boiler is certified is used on the
nameplate. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6;
Burnham, No. 40 p. 7; Lochinvar, No. 43
at p. 10) AHRI stated that the
manufacturer’s first requirement is to
design a model that will comply with all
the safety standards and codes
applicable to that boiler model, and that
part of this design phase is establishing
the maximum input rate of the boiler.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 7) They also stated
that manufacturers do not conduct
efficiency tests until they are certain of
the model’s compliance with the
applicable safety requirements, and that
manufacturers therefore cannot wait
until their efficiency tests to determine
the model’s input rating. (AHRI, No. 46
at p. 7) AHRI stated that with respect to
efficiency testing the role of the
maximum input rating is to assure that
the unit is set up to fire at the rate at
which the model was designed to
operate. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6)
Lochinvar indicated that the input rate
of a commercial packaged boiler is more
likely to fall slightly below that found
on the nameplate so as not to exceed its
safety certification. (Lochinvar, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 117)
Raypak also did not support DOE’s
proposed approach for the fuel input
rate because the rated input is first
established during safety certification
testing, specifically in accordance with
ANSI/CSA Z21.13 ‘‘Gas-Fired Low
Pressure Steam and Hot Water Boilers.’’
Raypak further suggested DOE accept
the fuel input rate from this process for
its certification reports as is currently
done. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 7)
DOE proposed a certification
procedure for fuel input rate in the
March 2016 NOPR to standardize and
clarify the method by which the fuel
input rate for a basic model is
determined. However, in light of
comments received, DOE recognizes the
precedence of the safety certification
process during the design and
development of commercial packaged
boilers, particularly with respect to
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determining the rated input for a
commercial packaged boiler. DOE
acknowledges that in general
manufacturers subject each model to
testing witnessed or performed by safety
certification organizations that ensure a
commercial packaged boiler model fires
on rate over a range of operating
conditions and ignitions. DOE also
acknowledges that once the safety
certification body has verified the fuel
input rate of a commercial packaged
boiler, the manufacturer is often
obligated to use that rate on the
nameplate of the commercial packaged
boiler and the accompanying product
literature, and that rate has been the rate
used when certifying compliance to
DOE.
Lochinvar stated that since the test
method and efficiency metric change
with the classification of the boiler, it
makes sense that a fixed rating such as
‘‘rated input’’ would be used to
determine the test that should be run.
Lochinvar further commented that the
DOE proposal to use the tested input
rate to determine the product class
creates a paradox where the necessary
test is not determined until the test is
done. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 10)
AHRI suggested that the proposed
definition for input rate would assure
that the input rate of a model would
change every time the efficiency test is
conducted and that it also creates a
paradox where the test to be conducted
is based on its equipment class but that
the equipment class is not determined
until the test is conducted. (AHRI, No.
46 at p. 7) AHRI suggested that
comparable models that could meet the
same design load of a prospective
customer would have different fuel
input rates under DOE’s proposal and
that this creates a distinction without a
difference. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 7)
Burnham stated that under the proposed
rule the manufacturer could be required
to claim two slightly different inputs for
the boiler—one for safety certification
and one for meeting DOE
requirements—and that this is
burdensome and will create confusion
in the field. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7)
Burnham suggested that a boiler could
fall into different standards categories
depending on, for example, the higher
heating value of the fuel used on the day
the unit is tested. (Burnham, No. 40 at
p. 7)
In light of the safety certification
process, DOE is not adopting its
proposed certification provisions for the
fuel input rate. Manufacturers must use
the rated input for the basic model as
determined through the safety
certification process, which results in
the maximum rated input listed on the
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nameplate and in manufacturer
literature for the basic model. Based on
the suggestions made by Bradford
White, DOE will adopt the term ‘‘rated
input’’ to mean the maximum rate at
which a commercial packaged boiler has
been rated to use energy as indicated by
the nameplate or in the manual shipped
with the commercial packaged boiler,
and will adopt ‘‘fuel input rate’’ to mean
the rate at which any particular
commercial packaged boiler uses energy
and is determined using test procedures
prescribed under § 431.86.
DOE also proposed in the March 2016
NOPR a set of enforcement provisions to
confirm that the fuel input rate of a
commercial packaged boiler being tested
matched the certified value for rated
input for the basic model. DOE
proposed these provisions to clarify its
process for determining compliance,
specifically for determining the
equipment class and therefore
applicable standard for a commercial
packaged boiler if it did not fire on rate
(within 2-percent of the certified rated
input value). In the case that a
commercial packaged boiler did not fire
on rate, DOE proposed the following
steps:
• DOE will attempt to adjust the gas
pressure in order to increase or decrease
the fuel input rate as necessary;
• If still not on rate, DOE will then
attempt to modify the gas inlet orifice
(e.g., drill) accordingly;
• If still not on rate, DOE will use the
measured fuel input rate when
determining equipment class and the
associated combustion and/or thermal
efficiency standard level for the basic
model.
In response, Bradford White
recommended that the following steps
be taken: the manifold pressure is
adjusted; followed by changing the gas
pressure, if necessary; and lastly,
modify the gas orifice(s). (Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 6) Bradford White
also suggested that DOE should consult
with the manufacturer on how to
achieve desired conditions if
adjustments do not allow a model to
operate within 2-percent of its rated
input. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6)
Similarly, AHRI suggested that if,
during testing, a unit cannot be put on
rate and the input rate that is achieved
in that situation would put the model in
a different equipment class, DOE should
ask the manufacturer for the
documentation that confirms that the
nameplate input rate is the value
certified by the testing agency which
certified the model’s compliance with
the applicable safety standards. (AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 7) Raypak opposed the
proposal that DOE attempt to modify gas
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inlet orifices when the fuel input rate of
a boiler is not within 2-percent of the
certified value because several of its
commercial packaged boilers use zerogovernor technology that use a nozzle
instead of an orifice. The nozzle cannot
simply be drilled to gain more gas flow,
and drilling would damage the nozzle.
Raypak suggested that DOE consult
manufacturer’s instructions and input
before attempting to adjust the input
rate. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 7)
DOE agrees with Bradford White that
adjusting the manifold pressure of a
commercial packaged boiler could bring
the measured fuel input rate of a unit to
within 2-percent of the rated input
during testing. DOE notes that its
proposed regulatory text stated that it
would modify ‘‘gas pressure’’ without
specifying inlet or manifold, though
both modifications would be attempted.
In this final rule, DOE further specifies
that it would attempt to alter both the
manifold pressure and inlet pressure in
order to bring the measured fuel input
rate to within 2-percent of the rated
input. In response to Raypak’s
comments, DOE agrees that
manufacturer’s instructions should first
be consulted and therefore is adopting
additional language to clarify that this
would occur before any attempts at
adjustments to the commercial packaged
boiler or test set-up are made. DOE also
notes, however, that the proposed
language stated that DOE would attempt
each modification as specified in the
test procedure. That language is being
adopted in this final rule and DOE will
therefore use its expertise and discretion
in attempting each modification as may
be required to bring the measured fuel
input rate of a gas-fired unit to within
2-percent of rated input. If a commercial
packaged boiler uses a nozzle rather
than an orifice, DOE would not attempt
to drill the nozzle as the provision
clearly states that only a gas inlet orifice
would be drilled (if the unit is equipped
with one). DOE also clarifies that this
set of attempts to bring a tested unit on
rate apply only to gas-fired commercial
packaged boilers, and that DOE would
not attempt modifications for oil-fired
equipment.
Raypak suggested that rounding fuel
input rates to the nearest 1,000 Btu/h
will create confusion and uncertainty.
(Raypak, No. 47 at p. 7) Bradford White
disagreed with the proposal that a
model’s measured input is to be
rounded to the nearest 1,000 Btu/h and
does not see a value in rounding the
input. The model, if not already, must
be adjusted to achieve its rated input ±2percent. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6)
DOE notes that the provision requiring
rounding fuel input rates to the nearest
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1,000 Btu/h was associated with the
proposed certification process for fuel
input rate and is not being adopted in
this final rule. Raypak’s and Bradford
White’s concerns are therefore now
moot.
E. Testing of Large Commercial
Packaged Boilers
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
acknowledged that large commercial
packaged boilers may not be fully
assembled until they are installed at the
field site, which may preclude them
from being tested in a laboratory setting.
DOE also recognized that, as the size of
the equipment increases, testing costs
incurred to condition the incoming
water and air to the test procedure
rating conditions, as well as
management of the hot water generated
during testing, also significantly
increases. DOE therefore proposed
several provisions for its commercial
packaged boiler test procedure that
would accommodate the testing of large
units.
1. Optional Field Test
DOE proposed a field test option for
commercial packaged boilers with fuel
input rates greater than 5,000,000 Btu/
h. If electing to use this option, a
manufacturer would test the combustion
efficiency of a commercial packaged
boiler once assembled in the field in
order to certify compliance with the
applicable energy conservation
standard. As discussed in the March
2016 NOPR, DOE proposed this option
in response to industry concerns that
the DOE test procedure was difficult or
impossible to conduct for large
commercial packaged boilers. DOE
recognized that commercial packaged
boilers with high rated inputs (i.e.,
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h) may not
be fully assembled until they are
installed at the field location which may
preclude them from being tested in a
laboratory setting. The proposed field
test option would allow for compliance
certification based on testing of only one
unit, and would include exemptions for
certain set-up, ambient condition, and
water temperature requirements that
would be difficult or impossible to meet
in the field.
In response, Farrelly supported the
field testing option while several
commenters did not. (Khan, No. 31 at p.
1; ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2; Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 3; AHRI, No. 46 at
p. 6; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 2; Raypak,
No. 47 at p. 3; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.
4; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 6, 14;
Farrelly, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 165) Although Bradford White
did not agree with allowing commercial
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packaged boilers to be tested in the
field, it suggested that it is already
common practice to field test boilers
with inputs greater than 5,000,000 Btu/
h because laboratories are not able to
test them. (Bradford White, No. 39 at pp.
2–3) Burnham suggested that the
proposed optional field test violates 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B). (Burnham, No. 40
at p. 2) AHRI stated that in the field a
test cannot be conducted per ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015. (AHRI,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
144)
In response to Burnham’s suggestion
that the proposed optional field test
violates EPCA, as noted in section III.C,
where the industry-based test method
does not meet the requirements under
42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)–(3), DOE may
deviate from the industry-based test
method as necessary in order to adopt
a test procedure that results in energy
efficiency or energy use of a
representative average use cycle and
that is not unduly burdensome to
conduct. As discussed in the March
2016 NOPR, DOE received input from
multiple stakeholders responding to the
September 2013 Framework document
and November 2014 Preliminary
Analysis (Docket EERE–2013–BT–STD–
0030) that indicated the existing DOE
test procedure (referencing BTS–2000 5)
was impractical for large commercial
packaged boilers not only because of the
size limitation of manufacturer and
laboratory facilities, but also because
these commercial packaged boilers are
often not fully assembled until they are
on site for installation. In response to
the March 2016 NOPR, Weil-McLain
indicated that testing commercial
packaged boilers with rated input
10,000,000 Btu/h and higher is cost
prohibitive. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
6, 15) DOE proposed the field test
option using the combustion efficiency
measurement because such a test would
be simpler, shorter in duration, and
could be conducted in the field after a
commercial packaged boiler has been
assembled. Because ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 does not provide
for a method of test that is not unduly
burdensome to conduct for certain
commercial packaged boilers, DOE’s
proposal, which provided an optional
field test, satisfied both the
requirements found at 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2) and 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B) to
adopt a test procedure that is not
5 ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 continues to
use the same test methodology as BTS–2000 and
while some specific changes, such as an increase in
allowable steam pressure, make the test procedure
more viable for large commercial packaged boilers
it does not address the fundamental size, field
assembly, and cost issues that commenters raised.
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unduly burdensome to conduct.
Moreover, DOE solicited suggestions for
alternatives to the field test option by
which manufacturers could test large
commercial packaged boilers but did
not receive any such suggestions.
Instead, commenters agreed that the
industry standard did not provide a
method of test that was feasible and
that, for some commercial packaged
boilers, to perform the industry standard
test would be unduly burdensome. This
stakeholder input demonstrates that the
industry standard does not provide a
test method for certain large commercial
packaged boilers that is reasonably
designed to produce test results which
reflect energy efficiency, energy use,
and estimated operating costs during a
representative average use cycle and
that is not unduly burdensome to
conduct.
ABMA, Lochinvar, and Crown Boiler
stated that meeting the required room
temperature and humidity conditions
would be difficult or impossible in the
proposed field test. (ABMA, No. 38 at p.
2; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4; Crown
Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 10, 151–152) (DOE notes that
the proposed field test option in the
March 2016 NOPR did not require
ambient room temperature and relative
humidity requirements to be met.)
AHRI, Lochinvar and Raypak expressed
concern that the field test would
potentially decrease accuracy and
repeatability of the test, and AHRI and
Lochinvar suggested this is due to the
lack of tightly controlled operating
conditions. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6;
Lochinvar, No. 47 at p. 2; Raypak, No.
47 at p. 3) Lochinvar, Weil-McLain, and
AERCO suggested that the field test
option would not result in comparable
ratings between equipment because
laboratory tests would need to meet
tight operating conditions while field
tests would not. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.
2, 4, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 149; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 6,
14; AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 149–151) Weil-McLain also
suggested that a commercial packaged
boiler tested using the field test option
could meet the standard for its
equipment class but not meet the
standard when tested in a laboratory
environment using the proposed test
conditions. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
6)
As was noted in the March 2016
NOPR, DOE agrees that a field test
option will inherently be more variable
than a test conducted in a laboratory
environment. However, as DOE noted in
this preamble, the field test option will
accommodate testing of commercial
packaged boilers that currently are
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89285
difficult or impossible to test.
Manufacturers are obligated to ensure
that their equipment meets DOE
standards as measured according to the
DOE test procedure. While
manufacturers have indicated that there
are certain commercial packaged boilers
that cannot be tested using the current
DOE test procedure, they have generally
opposed the field test option and have
not put forth an alternative method of
test that would address this. DOE again
notes that, pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2) and 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B), it
is required to adopt test procedures that
are not unduly burdensome to conduct
and DOE is therefore adopting a the
field test option to provide such a test
procedure for commercial packaged
boilers with high fuel input rates (i.e.,
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h).
DOE notes that manufacturers will be
required to submit certain parameters
including water temperatures and
ambient conditions as part of the
compliance report for comparison to
future tests of the same unit or another
unit of the same basic model. A
manufacturer may continue to use the
standard laboratory method if it believes
such a test would be more
representative of the efficiency of its
equipment. Additionally, for
enforcement tests, DOE recognizes that
a field test could not meet the existing
laboratory accreditation requirements
found at 10 CFR 429.110(a)(3) and
therefore is adopting an exception in
this section specifically for field tests of
large commercial packaged boilers.
Raypak stated that with respect to the
field test, 10 CFR 429.12(a), which
requires that certification of equipment
occur before distribution in commerce,
would not be met if product is allowed
to be advertised and sold before ratings
are established. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3)
Raypak stated that DOE must forbid the
use of thermal efficiency advertising for
models using the field testing method
because testing will not have been
performed yet to qualify those metrics.
(Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3) Lochinvar and
AHRI expressed concern that with
respect to field testing commercial
packaged boilers could potentially be
sold into commerce without having a
rating beforehand. (Lochinvar, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 148;
AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 161) Weil-McLain suggested that if
field testing is allowed, each unit
should be required to be tested and the
data from a field test unit should not be
used to qualify that model for future
sales without field testing every
installation. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
15)
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In response to Raypak’s concern
regarding certification of equipment
prior to distribution in commerce, DOE
notes that in the March 2016 NOPR,
DOE proposed a provision under 10
CFR 429.60 that would allow for
certification of equipment not
previously certified within 15 days of
commissioning. This equipmentspecific provision overrides the general
provision of 429.12 requiring
certification prior to distribution in
commerce. In response to Raypak’s
suggestion that DOE should prohibit
representations of thermal efficiency
based on field testing because the field
testing would not yet have been
performed to substantiate the
representation, DOE notes that 42 U.S.C.
6314(d)(1) requires that representations
of efficiency be based on testing in
accordance with the DOE test
procedure. If a manufacturer wishes to
make representations of efficiency, the
commercial packaged boiler basic model
must first be tested, which DOE permits
through its regulations as either using
the normal laboratory test for thermal or
combustion efficiency (as applicable
pursuant to 10 CFR 431.87) or using an
alternative efficiency determination
method (AEDM). Such an AEDM could
be based on testing for the smallest
model in a basic model line and applied
to the larger models. Likewise,
representations for a commercial
packaged boiler model that has been
previously field tested (i.e., a
subsequently distributed unit of the
same basic model) could be made based
on that test data.
DOE does not agree with WeilMcLain’s suggestion that each
installation of a field tested model
would always need to be tested. If a
commercial packaged boiler basic model
is certified using the field test method,
the manufacturer is certifying that each
unit of that basic model complies with
the applicable energy conservation
standard as is the case with any basic
model that uses the laboratory method
(i.e., not field tested) of testing and
certification. DOE believes that
requiring the testing and certification of
each unit of a basic model in the field
would be unduly burdensome. If the
manufacturer is uncomfortable with its
certification due to uncertainty whether
subsequent units will comply with the
standard, the manufacturer may choose
to test each subsequent unit, but DOE
does not require it to do so.
ABMA does not support the field test
option as proposed because once a
boiler leaves a manufacturer’s shipping
dock, ownership transfers to the
purchaser of the equipment and the
boiler manufacturer has no further
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control over it. ABMA suggested that,
even if an owner is willing to allow a
field test, they are likely only willing to
allow testing during summer (nonheating) months; however, the heating
load available on the building during
the summer is insufficient to perform a
test even at night. ABMA further
indicated that installation of the
necessary equipment and
instrumentation is unlikely to be
allowed by the owner, particularly stack
thermocouple grids and flow meters.
(ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 140–141)
Similarly, Lochinvar indicated that
conducting efficiency tests requires time
and, depending on field installations,
could involve some risk of damage to
equipment. They suggested that
building inspectors will not typically
have the training to conduct the desired
tests or verify proper execution of the
test if they are providing oversight.
Additionally, Lochinvar stated that a
third-party inspector that delivers a
non-compliant result might find
themselves the subject of a lawsuit
questioning their methodology and
results. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4)
To allow for testing in factory fire test
areas ABMA suggested modifying the
definition of field test to mean a
combustion efficiency test that is
conducted in a location other than a
laboratory setting. ABMA stated that
doing so would reduce problems
associated with field testing to a mostly
manageable level. (ABMA, No. 38 at p.
2) ABMA also stated that certification
after distribution in commerce may be a
worthwhile course of action provided
that its other concerns for the field test
provisions are accounted for. (ABMA,
No. 38 at p. 3)
DOE agrees with ABMA’s suggestion
that a test performed in a factory fire test
area (i.e., a manufacturer facility or
space with fewer test capabilities than a
laboratory) could meet the requirements
of DOE’s proposed field test while
alleviating concerns regarding
ownership and access to the installed
commercial packaged boiler for testing.
The regulatory language proposed in the
March 2016 NOPR and being adopted in
this final rule allows for such testing.
AHRI suggested that DOE consider
additional modifications to the AEDM
to allow a means to certify that large
input models comply with the
applicable minimum efficiency
standard; however, AHRI did not
provide additional detail or suggest how
this might be accomplished. (AHRI, No.
46 at p. 6) Lochinvar stated that, if DOE
will allow the use of the ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 test method and
AEDMs, there should be no need for
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field testing of boilers. Lochinvar further
stated that it believes that the
combination of testing according to
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015,
conversion methodology and use of the
AEDM should provide manufacturers
adequate options to verify their boilers’
performance. Lochinvar noted that this
may require production of the smallest
products in a given family for ‘‘lab’’
testing and encouraged DOE to allow
some grace period for the production of
these units and the accompanying test
data to minimize the burden on these
manufacturers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.
4, 5) Lochinvar also noted that it
understands that the performance of any
commercial packaged boiler is to be
verified before it is introduced to
commerce and encouraged DOE to
apply the appropriate rules fairly to all
manufacturers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.
4) ACEEE commented that allowing
AEDMs for the certification of
commercial packaged boilers that are
too large for testing in a lab may be
preferable to field tests. (ACEEE, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 148)
ACEEE and ABMA also raised a concern
that the AEDM process may not be
feasible for large commercial packaged
boilers because AEDMs are based on
testing of multiple units of the same
model and that commercial packaged
boilers models with rated inputs above
5,000,000 Btu/h may only ever have one
unit produced. (ACEEE, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 156; ABMA,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
157)
DOE notes that representations based
on the amended test procedure are not
required until December 4, 2017, which
allows manufacturers time to comply
with the amended test procedure.
Additionally, DOE believes that its
provisions for AEDMs as they pertain to
commercial packaged boilers adequately
address AHRI’s and Lochinvar’s
suggestions and mitigate test burden. An
AEDM may be validated based on tests
of any individual models in a validation
class that meet or exceed the Federal
energy conservation standard regardless
of size. The tests could therefore be
performed on the smallest individual
model in a validation class and the
AEDM could then be applied to certify
the compliance of all other sizes. With
respect to ACEEE and ABMA’s concern
regarding the number of units required
for validating the AEDM, DOE notes that
only one unit for each selected basic
model (minimum two) of a validation
class is required to be tested for
comparison to the AEDM pursuant to 10
CFR 429.70(c)(2)(i).
However, as noted in the March 2016
NOPR, DOE believes that field tests of
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commercial packaged boilers would not
be a sufficient basis for AEDMs applied
to models below the 5,000,000 Btu/h
and therefore proposed that AEDMs
validated using field test data could
only be applied to commercial packaged
boilers with fuel input rates greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h. In response to the
concern expressed by ACEEE and
ABMA regarding the ability to develop
an AEDM applicable to commercial
packaged boilers with rated inputs
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, DOE notes
that manufacturers could develop the
AEDM based on testing of commercial
packaged boilers with rated inputs less
than 5,000,000 Btu/h and applying the
AEDM to larger models in that
validation class, thereby mitigating this
concern.
ABMA believes the threshold for
allowing the field test and conversion
methodology should be reduced to
2,500,000 Btu/h from 5,000,000 Btu/h to
match normal capacity breaks in
product lines. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 3)
AHRI indicated that it is feasible to
conduct the thermal efficiency test on
steam commercial packaged boilers with
rated inputs greater than 2,500,000 Btu/
h and less than or equal to 5,000,000
Btu/h. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 8) However,
Bradford White suggested that requiring
laboratory tests for commercial
packaged boilers between 2,500,000
Btu/h and 5,000,000 Btu/h would
require laboratory upgrades totaling
$300,000. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p.
2–3) Lochinvar opposes all ‘‘field
testing;’’ however, if allowed, Lochinvar
suggested the lower limit for field
constructed boilers must be no lower
than 5,000,000 Btu/h because
[commercial] packaged boilers are
widely available in this input rate and
should not be unequally tested and
rated. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4) WeilMcLain suggested that if the field test
option is kept that it only be available
to 10,000,000 Btu/h boilers and larger
because testing these boilers is cost
prohibitive. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
6, 15) Weil-McLain also indicated that
testing water and steam commercial
packaged boilers with inputs between
2,500,000 Btu/h and 5,000,000 Btu/h is
already done in many facilities. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 14)
The purpose of the field test option is
to alleviate the test burden for large
capacity commercial packaged boilers
that is largely the result of laboratory
facility limitations. As such, DOE
believes that a minimum 5,000,000 Btu/
h threshold for the field test option is
appropriate as indicated in Lochinvar’s
and AHRI’s comments, as well as WeilMcLain’s indication that laboratory
testing for commercial packaged boilers
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between 2,500,000 and 5,000,000 Btu/h
is already common. In response to
Bradford White’s indication that
incorporating commercial packaged
boilers with inputs greater than
2,500,000 Btu/h and 5,000,000 Btu/h
would impose costs, DOE does not
believe costs associated with testing
such units are prohibitive, as other
parties have suggested that such testing
is already commonly performed. In
response to ABMA’s comments that the
threshold should be lowered to
2,500,000 Btu/h, DOE does not agree
that capacity breaks in product lines is
sufficient justification for such an
allowance. In response to Weil-McLain’s
suggestion to raise the threshold to
10,000,000 Btu/h, DOE notes that the
field test is an option, not a
requirement, and that raising the
threshold to 10,000,000 Btu/h would
likely result in manufacturers and
laboratory facilities needing to make
major investment in laboratory
capabilities in order to be able to
perform laboratory tests up to such a
capacity.
2. Optional Conversion of Combustion
Efficiency to Thermal Efficiency
As an additional provision for
accommodating large commercial
packaged boilers (rated input greater
than 5,000,000 Btu/h) DOE proposed in
the March 2016 NOPR a conversion
from combustion efficiency to thermal
efficiency for steam commercial
packaged boilers. While hot water
commercial packaged boilers of the
same size must meet a Federal energy
conservation standard using the
combustion efficiency metric, steam
commercial packaged boilers must meet
a thermal efficiency standard. The
thermal efficiency test uses a more
complex set-up and instrumentation
and would be difficult to conduct in the
field. Under the proposal,
manufacturers could test a steam
commercial packaged boiler for
combustion efficiency (in a laboratory or
in the field) and convert to thermal
efficiency using an equation.
In response to this proposal, ABMA
agreed with the concept of the
conversion but did not agree that a
single number (2-percent difference
between combustion and thermal
efficiency) is applicable across a broad
range of sizes. They suggested that the
difference should be capacity dependent
and provided the following data for the
difference between combustion and
thermal efficiency: 4,185,000 Btu/h:
0.56 percent, 10,463,000 Btu/h: 0.41
percent, 31,383,000 Btu/h: 0.24 percent,
and 50,220,000 Btu/h: 0.18 percent.
Alternatively, ABMA suggested that a
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manufacturer could use size-specific
data on radiation loss. (ABMA, No. 38
at p. 3, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 87) Bradford White stated that
the 2-percent difference was not
appropriate and suggested reviewing
active products in the AHRI directory.
(Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3)
Lochinvar stated that the proposed
conversion method was appropriate;
however, Lochinvar also stated that they
did not agree with any attempt to
convert between combustion and
thermal efficiency. They further
suggested that using a fixed conversion
factor is not accurate or appropriate.
(Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4–5)
Weil-McLain stated that the 2-percent
difference between combustion and
thermal efficiency is arbitrary and will
not result in reliable thermal efficiency
results. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 8)
Weil-McLain also suggested that
manufacturers could take advantage of
the conversion by removing insulation
which would increase jacket losses and
combustion efficiency but not result in
higher thermal efficiency. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 15) They also
suggested that if thermal efficiency
cannot be directly measured or derived
based on jacket loss measurements then
it should not be the specified efficiency
method for that equipment class.
Finally, Weil-McLain stated that the
range of values for the difference
between combustion and thermal
efficiency is much larger than the 0.5
percent to 2.0-percent cited in the
March 2016 NOPR. (Weil-McLain, No.
41 at p. 15)
Relatedly, AERCO commented that, if
only the combustion efficiency test were
required for large commercial packaged
boilers, the test burden would be
manageable. They indicated that
investment in water pump and heat
dissipation equipment may be
necessary, but that running a test may
amount to $30,000 to $40,000 which is
considered reasonable when compared
to the cost of some large commercial
packaged boilers ($100,000 to $200,000).
(AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 154) ABMA indicated that there
would still be a limit to the size of
commercial packaged boilers that could
be tested even if performing only the
combustion efficiency test. (ABMA,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
154)
DOE notes that the intent of the
optional combustion to thermal
efficiency methodology is to reduce test
burden for manufacturers that have
found it difficult to test the thermal
efficiency of commercial packaged
boilers with rated inputs greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h. This is supported by
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AERCO’s comment that performing a
combustion test would be achievable for
large commercial packaged boilers.
Manufacturers have the option of
continuing to use the thermal efficiency
test if they believe it will result in a
more accurate representation of their
equipment’s efficiency. As described in
the March 2016 NOPR, DOE analyzed a
subset of the AHRI directory (as of
January 2015) 6 in order to determine a
value for the conversion; specifically,
DOE considered the difference between
rated combustion and thermal efficiency
for all steam commercial packaged
boilers with rated input larger than
5,000,000 Btu/h. DOE found 52 basic
models of steam commercial packaged
boilers with a rated input larger than
5,000,000 Btu/h and the difference
between rated combustion and thermal
efficiency ranged between 0.5 percent
and 2.0-percent. DOE acknowledges that
the range may be wider (and may
include values for which the thermal
efficiency is greater than the combustion
efficiency) for other subsets of
commercial packaged boilers or for all
commercial packaged boilers as a
whole. However, this methodology
would only be available to steam
commercial packaged boilers with rated
input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h and
therefore DOE used only that subset of
data.
Additionally, DOE used a single value
of 2.0 that represents the maximum
difference between combustion and
thermal efficiency for those commercial
packaged boilers in order to generate
conservative ratings for basic models
certified using this methodology. If
manufacturers believe their equipment
is capable of achieving a higher thermal
efficiency, they may elect to use the
thermal efficiency test rather than the
combustion efficiency test and
conversion. DOE notes that the thermal
efficiency test would be used for DOE
enforcement testing; and therefore, DOE
does not believe that manufacturers
would be likely to manipulate the test
to achieve an artificially better result as
Weil-McLain suggests.
With respect to Weil-McLain’s
suggestion to use combustion efficiency
as the metric for this equipment class,
EPCA directs DOE to consider amending
its energy conservation standards for
commercial packaged boilers each time
ASHRAE amends ASHRAE/IES
Standard 90.1. (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(A))
Pursuant to EPCA, on July 22, 2009,
DOE published a final rule adopting the
thermal efficiency metric as the energy
efficiency descriptor for eight of ten
6 Available at: https://www.ahridirectory.org/
ahridirectory/pages/home.aspx.
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equipment classes of commercial
packaged boilers in order to conform to
ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1–2007. 74
FR 36314. DOE is not reconsidering the
efficiency metric used for any
equipment class of commercial
packaged boilers at this time.
F. Hot Water Temperatures
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed modifications to the water
temperatures for hot water tests of
commercial packaged boilers. In the
current DOE test procedure (which
incorporates by reference BTS–2000),
inlet water temperature for a noncondensing commercial packaged boiler
can be between 35 °F and 80 °F and
outlet water temperature must be 180 °F
±2 °F. For a condensing commercial
packaged boiler, inlet water temperature
must be 80 °F ±5 °F and outlet water
temperature must be 180 °F ±2 °F (at
Point C in). ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, which replaced BTS–2000 and
was proposed for incorporation by
reference in the March 2016 NOPR, did
not change these temperature
requirements. These inlet and outlet
temperature requirements result in a
temperature rise across the heat
exchanger ranging from 98 °F to 147 °F
for a non-condensing commercial
packaged boiler and from 93 °F to
107 °F for a condensing commercial
packaged boiler. Also, BTS–2000 and
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 permit
recirculating loops, allowing heated
outlet water to be reintroduced into the
incoming water thereby increasing the
temperature of the inlet water entering
the commercial packaged boiler (see
further discussion in section III.F.2). As
stated in the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
identified several issues with these
temperature requirements based on
comments received in response to the
October 2013 Framework document,
February 2014 RFI, and the November
2014 Preliminary Analysis, as well as
through manufacturer interviews and a
review of the existing DOE test
procedure. The issues included:
• The current temperature rise is
unrepresentative of actual operating
conditions;
• The current temperature rise may
induce excessive stresses on some
commercial packaged boilers; and
• The presence of recirculating loops
during testing leads to significant
variability in the actual temperature rise
across the commercial packaged boiler.
DOE therefore proposed modifications
to the inlet and outlet water temperature
requirements that would result in a
consistent 40 °F nominal temperature
rise for all commercial packaged boilers.
For condensing commercial packaged
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boilers, DOE proposed an inlet
temperature of 80 °F and an outlet
temperature of 120 °F, and for noncondensing commercial packaged
boilers DOE proposed an inlet
temperature of 140 °F and an outlet
temperature of 180 °F. Additionally,
while recirculating loops could still be
used, DOE proposed that the inlet
temperature would be measured
downstream of where the loop would
reenter the incoming water stream,
immediately prior to the water entering
the commercial packaged boiler.
1. General Comments
Burnham, Weil-McLain, and the
Efficiency Advocates agreed that the
temperatures in the current test
procedure (BTS–2000, or equivalently
in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015)
were not representative of actual
installation/field conditions for
commercial packaged boilers.
(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 3; Efficiency
Advocates, No. 45 at p. 1–2; WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 7) Weil-McLain
further suggested that BTS–2000 was
not intended to simulate actual
installation conditions for the boiler and
that a 100 °F temperature rise would not
have been used in BTS–2000 otherwise.
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 17) Burnham
further stated that, even though the
water temperatures found in ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 are not
representative of those seen in the field,
this does not necessarily mean that
resulting efficiency measurements are
not representative of what would be
found in the field. (Burnham, No. 40 at
p. 3)
Bradford White, NEEA, and the
Efficiency Advocates stated that DOE’s
proposed water temperatures would
more accurately reflect operating
temperatures found in the field.
(Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3; NEEA,
No. 44 at p. 2; Efficiency Advocates, No.
45 at p. 1–2) AERCO also stated that
continuing to use the 80 °F inlet and
180 °F outlet temperatures is unrealistic
and that this should be changed even if
ratings are affected. (AERCO, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 12)
NEEA stated that, for non-condensing
commercial packaged boilers, hot water
coils that provide heating are designed
to provide a 20 °F temperature drop
across the coil with a design supply
water temperature of 180 °F on the
coldest days and 160 °F on mild days.
NEEA stated that the 20 °F temperature
drop across the coil prevents the return
water from being less than 140 °F (when
the supply water temperature is 160 °F),
which prevents condensing from
occurring, and that the 40 °F rise
proposed by DOE is more representative
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than the range used in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. For condensing
commercial packaged boilers, NEEA
stated that the 40 °F temperature rise is
also more representative of typical
conditions in a commercial building,
and that water is typically supplied to
the building at 120 °F and returned to
the commercial packaged boiler at
100 °F. (NEEA, No. 44 at pp. 1–2) The
Efficiency Advocates similarly
commented that return water for a noncondensing commercial packaged boiler
must be at or above 140 °F to prevent
condensing and possible corrosion.
(Efficiency Advocates, No. 45 at pp. 1–
2)
The Efficiency Advocates also
suggested that the specificity of DOE’s
proposed inlet and outlet temperature
requirements would improve
consistency and repeatability across
ratings and tests. (Efficiency Advocates,
No. 45 at pp. 1–2) The Efficiency
Advocates also supported the proposal
to measure the inlet water temperature
downstream of where inlet water enters
the unit such that the actual
temperature of the water entering the
commercial packaged boiler would not
be obscured. (Efficiency Advocates, No.
45 at p. 1) The CA IOUs supported
DOE’s proposal for a fixed inlet water
temperature as opposed to the 35 °F to
80 °F range currently allowed because
consumers could more confidently
compare the ratings of commercial
packaged boiler models. (CA IOUs, No.
48 at p. 2)
However, several stakeholders
including AHRI, Burnham, Raypak,
Lochinvar and Weil-McLain, suggested
that DOE’s proposed water temperatures
would impact ratings, and presented
test results that showed a range of
effects on thermal efficiency from a
decrease of up to 1.4-percent to an
increase of up to 1.8-percent. (AHRI, No.
46 at p. 3; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4;
Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4; Lochinvar, No.
43 at p. 7; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 4,
8, 10) AHRI stated that the current water
temperature conditions specified in
BTS–2000 and maintained in ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 should be
retained without change. (AHRI, No. 46
at p. 3) AHRI further stated that the
aggregate effect on ratings is irrelevant
to a commercial packaged boiler model
that just complies with the standard and
whose rating is lowered by the proposed
test procedure. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 3)
Burnham suggested that the proposed
water temperatures would trigger
manufacturers to recertify and could
result in non-compliance for some
models, while Crown Boiler and Raypak
suggested that all manufacturers would
need to retest all models. (Burnham, No.
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40 at p. 4, 5; Crown Boiler, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 10;
Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4, 6) Lochinvar
questioned why, if the amended test
procedure is not expected to change
ratings, manufacturers should be
burdened with rerating their units.
(Lochinvar, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 49) NEEA suggested that
DOE create a crosswalk to convert old
test data to new test data as a way of
reducing testing burden. (NEEA, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 34)
Burnham raised the concern that
reducing the temperature rise would
increase measurement error and
therefore the thermal efficiency error by
2.5 times.7 (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5).
The Gas Associations suggested that
DOE document specific differences in
efficiency that result from the water
temperature changes as compared to
ratings produced by ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 so that
manufacturers could evaluate the
impacts the temperature changes would
have on their specific models. (Gas
Associations, No. 42 at p. 2) The CA
IOUs suggested that test data from
Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) showed
changes in efficiency resulting from
different inlet and outlet water
temperatures, but that this testing was
done according to a different test
protocol and it remains unclear how the
changes proposed in the March 2016
NOPR will impact the efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers on the
market. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 4) More
specifically, DOE understands the
testing conducted by the CA IOUs was
conducted in accordance with the test
methodology in ASHRAE Standard
155P (currently in draft form), which is
not representative of or comparable to
DOE’s proposed method of test or the
methodology being adopted today. The
ASHRAE Standard 155P test procedure
has many differences in methodology—
namely part loading and inlet water
conditions as compared to the DOE
methodology. Thus, DOE expects the
results to be quite different and that data
should not be considered as part of the
comparison to the current Federal
method and the methodology DOE
proposed for an amended test procedure
because it is not relevant.
DOE is sensitive to concerns regarding
the impact of the test procedure
7 DOE believes that Burnham arrived at the factor
of 2.5 by dividing a 100 °F temperature rise by the
proposed 40 °F temperature rise, and that Burnham
is suggesting that the measurement error would
increase in the same proportion as the decrease in
temperature rise. DOE notes that such a scenario
would only happen in those instances where
recirculating loops are not currently used during
testing, e.g., cast iron sectional commercial
packaged boilers.
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amendments on ratings, particularly for
commercial packaged boilers that were
not previously able to use a
recirculating loop for reducing the
temperature rise across the unit, as there
was a significant difference in inlet
water temperature in the March 2016
NOPR for units not using a recirculating
loop as compared to the current test
method. (Recirculating loops are
considered in section III.F.2.) However,
DOE continues to believe that an inlet
water temperature range of 35 °F to
80 °F as found in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 is an unnecessarily large
range based on the capabilities of
current test facilities, and that lower
temperatures in that range are
particularly unrepresentative of water
temperatures found in the field. DOE
again notes its obligation under 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B) to adopt a test
procedure consistent with the amended
industry standard unless it finds that
such a procedure would not meet the
statutory requirements of 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2)–(3), namely that it may not
reflect a product’s energy efficiency or
use during a representative average use
cycle and/or is unduly burdensome to
conduct. As discussed, DOE has found
that the water temperature provisions of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 would
not produce results that reflect energy
efficiency during a representative
average use cycle because a wide range
of allowable temperatures may result in
an unrepeatable test and, in some cases,
those temperatures are far lower than
any temperatures that would ever be
experienced in the field.
In this final rule, DOE is therefore
adopting an inlet temperature
requirement of 80 °F ±5 °F for noncondensing commercial packaged
boilers that do not utilize a recirculating
loop, and the outlet temperature will
remain 180 °F ± 2 °F. (Note: this inlet
water temperature is consistent with the
existing inlet water temperature
requirement for condensing commercial
packaged boilers. See section III.F.3 for
discussion of water temperatures for
condensing commercial packaged
boilers.) This range aligns with the
existing allowable maximum
temperature of 80 °F for the inlet water
temperature but reduces the total
allowable range. DOE agrees with the
Efficiency Advocates and CA IOUs that
the March 2016 NOPR water
temperatures would improve
consistency due to their specificity,
would remove ambiguity concerning the
temperature of water entering a unit,
and would provide assurance to
consumers that commercial packaged
boilers were rated similarly. Although
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the temperatures being adopted in this
final rule are different from those
proposed, DOE believes that the final
rule will still achieve these results. DOE
believes that this final rule results in a
test procedure that is more
representative of efficiencies found in
the field by increasing the allowable
inlet water temperature and more
repeatable because of the narrower
allowable range of inlet water
temperatures, while mitigating concerns
regarding the impact on ratings. DOE
believes that the concerns regarding
impacts on ratings due to the proposed
140 °F inlet water temperature are
mitigated with the temperature
requirements it is adopting in this final
rule. Therefore, DOE does not believe it
is necessary to produce, as the Gas
Associations and NEEA suggested, a
conversion methodology between the
existing and amended test procedures.
Moreover, a manufacturer would only
need to recertify a basic model if it
determines its test results no longer
represent the efficiency of the basic
model as tested under the amended test
procedure. Such a determination should
be possible based on a review of the
water temperatures used to generate
prior test data and an understanding of
the potential effects on the resulting
efficiency.
2. Recirculating Loops
DOE noted in the March 2016 NOPR
that the presence of recirculating loops
during testing obscures the actual
temperature rise that the commercial
packaged boiler experiences. Section
8.5.1.1.1 of BTS–2000, which is
incorporated by reference in the current
DOE test procedure, states that such a
loop may be used ‘‘for tubular boilers
that require a greater flow rate to
prevent boiling.’’ In such instances, the
same section also requires that the
temperature rise through the boiler itself
not be less than 20 °F. Section 5.3.5.3 of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015, which
replaces BTS–2000, expands the use of
recirculating loops by removing the
requirement that a boiler be ‘‘tubular’’ to
use a recirculating loop, such that a
recirculating loop may be used ‘‘for
[any] boilers that require a greater flow
rate to prevent boiling.’’ In the March
2016 NOPR, DOE proposed inlet water
temperature requirements immediately
preceding the commercial packaged
boiler, thereby allowing all commercial
packaged boiler tests to use the
recirculating loop to achieve a 140 °F or
80 °F inlet water temperature for noncondensing and condensing units,
respectively. (See section III.F.3 for
discussion of water temperatures for
condensing commercial packaged
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boilers.) DOE also sought comment
specifically on the prevalence of
recirculating loops during testing. DOE
received the following feedback:
• ABMA stated that recirculating
loops are used for fire-tube type boilers.
(ABMA, No. 38 at p. 4)
• Bradford White stated that
recirculating loops are used for low
mass boilers to prevent boiling.
(Bradford White, no. 39 at p. 4)
• AHRI stated that recirculating loops
are used for water-tube type boilers that
require forced water circulation to
operate, and that the AHRI certification
program is consistent with this. (AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 3)
• Burnham stated that recirculation
loops are not used unless absolutely
necessary (though they did not indicate
what conditions would require the
recirculating loop) and indicated that
BTS–2000 only explicitly permits
recirculating loops for water-tube type
boilers. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5)
• Raypak stated that they use a
recirculating loop on all noncondensing boilers. (Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 6)
• Lochinvar stated that recirculation
loops are common on tube-type boilers
and uncommon on cast sectional boilers
but that this is not universally true.
They also stated that a recirculating
loop is needed for copper fin tube
boilers but not stainless steel tube
boilers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 7,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
43)
• Weil-McLain stated that it is not
true that most manufacturers use a
recirculation loop with sectional cast
iron boilers. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
9)
• Crown Boiler stated that they do not
use a recirculating loop in testing most
of their boilers except for those that
require a higher flow rate, and that they
believe this is characteristic of most
other manufacturers. (Crown Boiler,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
42–43)
• AERCO stated they do not use a
recirculating loop unless it is during the
winter and the water entering the
building is 40 °F to 50 °F. (AERCO,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
44)
DOE understands that Raypak
currently does not manufacture
sectional cast iron commercial packaged
boilers, and therefore their statement
that recirculating loops are only used for
their non-condensing models is
consistent with the current allowance
only for ‘‘tubular’’ or tube-type
commercial packaged boilers in the DOE
test procedure (BTS–2000, section
8.5.1.1.1). Raypak also stated that it
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specifies minimum and maximum flow
rates in its installation and operation
manuals to prevent boiling and erosion
in the tubes, and that it uses
recirculation loops to maintain these
flow rates during testing. (Raypak, No.
47 at p. 6) Burnham further suggested
that excessive stresses caused by the
current temperature rise are not a
problem because of the short duration of
the test, and that recirculation loops are
used only when necessary because they
create additional set-up complexity and
may negatively impact efficiency.
(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4–5) AHRI
suggested that the change in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 to make
recirculating loops available for all
models addresses concerns for
damaging the commercial packaged
boiler. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 3) In response
to the March 2016 NOPR, the CA IOUs
supported the proposed inlet water
temperature location because it would
remove ambiguity. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at
p. 2)
In response to the comments, DOE
continues to believe that there is
sufficient variation in test set-ups and
temperatures so as to warrant adopting
additional specifications for water
temperatures. DOE believes that the
expansion of the use of recirculating
loops to any commercial packaged
boilers as alluded to by AHRI is further
justification for moving the location of
the inlet water temperature constraint to
immediately preceding the commercial
packaged boiler inlet. The allowance for
a recirculating loop as written in ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 could result
in inlet water temperatures entering the
unit of anywhere from the temperature
of the incoming water to the test facility
(between 35 °F and 80 °F as described in
section III.F.1) to 160 °F (based on the
minimum 20 °F temperature rise in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015). DOE
concludes that such provisions would
not meet the statutory requirements of
42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)–(3) in that they
would not reflect a product’s energy
efficiency or use during a representative
average use cycle, as the wide range of
allowable temperatures can result in an
unrepeatable test; DOE is therefore
deviating from the industry standard in
this instance to add more specificity
that is needed for repeatable testing.
DOE is adopting the non-condensing
temperatures proposed in the March
2016 NOPR (140 °F inlet as measured
immediately preceding the commercial
packaged boiler and 180 °F outlet) for
those commercial packaged boilers that
use a recirculating loop as allowable by
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (i.e., to
prevent boiling). This will ensure that
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all commercial packaged boilers using a
recirculating loop during testing use the
same boiler temperature rise of 40 °F
and will remove ambiguity, increase
consistency, and provide for a more
representative test of efficiency. DOE
notes that a temperature requirement at
this location allows manufacturers and
laboratories the flexibility of either
using a recirculating loop or an external
heat source (e.g., another boiler) to
maintain the required inlet water
temperature.
3. Condensing Commercial Packaged
Boilers
Burnham suggested that DOE’s
proposed water temperatures make the
test less representative of actual
operating conditions because
condensing boilers will experience an
increase in efficiency due to the
reduction in outlet water temperature.
(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4) Raypak also
stated that the proposed condensing
temperatures are not representative of
typical temperature rises and that these
same temperatures are used in ASHRAE
Standard 155P only to provide a
‘‘boundary condition test’’ as part of the
efficiency map that that test procedure
will produce. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3)
Burnham and Crown Boiler also
suggested that non-condensing and
condensing commercial packaged
boilers are often used at the same water
temperatures (Burnham suggested this
therefore overstates the relative
efficiency of condensing commercial
packaged boilers) and Raypak stated
that condensing boilers will see water
temperatures closer to the proposed
non-condensing test temperatures and
that the March 2016 NOPR did not
address this. (Burnham, No. 40 p. 2, 4;
Crown Boiler, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 10, 57; WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 4) Burnham
suggested this violates 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(4)(B), which states DOE must
amend the test procedure as necessary
to be consistent with the amended
industry test procedure or rating
procedure unless it determines that to
do so, supported by clear and
convincing evidence, would not meet
the requirements for test procedures to
be representative of energy efficiency
during an average use cycle and to be
not unduly burdensome to conduct.
(Burnham, No. 40 p. 2, 4) Weil-McLain
suggested that, if the proposed water
temperatures are adopted, all
commercial packaged boilers (noncondensing and condensing) should be
tested at the non-condensing
temperatures but have the option to test
at the condensing temperatures (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 5) Bradford White
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also suggested that different temperature
conditions for condensing and noncondensing boilers would not result in
fair comparisons. (Bradford White, No.
39 at p. 3)
Raypak similarly suggested that
condensing boilers be tested and
certified at both proposed temperature
conditions (non-condensing and
condensing) to provide engineers,
building owners, and architects an
understanding of the true efficiency that
would be obtained; they also stated that
separate temperature ranges for
condensing and non-condensing
commercial packaged boilers would
introduce confusion in the market.
(Raypak, No. 47 at pp. 3–4, 8) AERCO
suggested rating condensing equipment
at the same water temperatures as noncondensing equipment. (AERCO, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 44–45)
PGE suggested requiring two separate
metrics for condensing commercial
packaged boilers, one for condensing
and one for non-condensing operation.
(PGE, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at pp. 55–57) However, Crown Boiler,
Lochinvar, and AHRI opposed this
concept. (Crown Boiler, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 58; Lochinvar,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
60–61; AHRI, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 59) Raypak
stated that not requiring condensing
boilers to be certified at both conditions
would give condensing boilers an unfair
advantage because they are often
installed in non-condensing
applications or experience periods of
non-condensing operation. (Raypak, No.
47 at p. 4, 8) Finally, Raypak stated that
their test results indicated an 8.5percentage point reduction in thermal
efficiency when testing a condensing
boiler at the non-condensing
temperatures as opposed to the
condensing temperatures, and that this
difference needs to be addressed in
DOE’s test procedure. (Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 4)
DOE acknowledges concerns that
condensing commercial packaged
boilers often in application do not
experience temperatures that induce
condensing operation. DOE’s proposed
water temperatures for condensing
equipment in the March 2016 NOPR
preserved the existing nominal inlet
water temperature of 80 °F but reduced
the outlet water temperature from
180 °F to 120 °F to achieve a more
realistic temperature rise of 40 °F,
consistent with the temperature rise that
was proposed for non-condensing
equipment. As noted by Raypak, these
temperatures also aligned with the
anticipated temperatures in ASHRAE
Standard 155P, which several
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commenters have recommended DOE
adopt in the future once it is published.
DOE recognizes that these temperatures
(80 °F inlet and 120 °F outlet), as
Raypak suggested, are intended to
provide a boundary condition test for
ASHRAE Standard 155P—one in which
a condensing commercial packaged
boiler is assured to fully condense due
to the average temperature between inlet
and outlet water (100 °F) being well
below the temperature at which
condensing begins to occur
(approximately 130–140 °F).
Condensing commercial packaged
boilers could therefore potentially gain
higher efficiencies under the proposed
water temperatures, and while this
would not require manufacturers to
rerate existing models, it may result in
rated efficiencies that are not achieved
in application. DOE is, therefore,
maintaining the inlet and outlet water
temperatures in the existing test
procedure for condensing commercial
packaged boilers in this final rule. DOE
notes that the existing inlet water
temperature requirement for condensing
commercial packaged boilers (80 °F ±
5 °F, maintained in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015) are repeatable
because a much smaller temperature
range is already specified. Therefore,
DOE does not believe that its concerns
regarding repeatability apply to the
condensing water temperatures and
does not find reason to deviate from the
industry standard in this instance.
4. Test Facility Water Flow Rate
Capabilities
Bradford White, AHRI, Raypak,
Lochinvar, and Weil-McLain suggested
that the reduction in the temperature
rise from 100 °F to 40 °F would reduce
the capacity of laboratory facilities or
that facility upgrades would be
necessary because of a proportional
increase in water flow rate. (Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 4; AHRI, No. 46 at
p. 3; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6; Lochinvar,
No. 43 at p. 7; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at
p. 14) AHRI suggested that this would
be most noticeable for cast-iron and oilfired boilers, which have not been tested
with a recirculating loop. (AHRI, No. 46
at p. 4) ABMA suggested that DOE’s
estimated costs in the March 2016
NOPR for a 10 million Btu/h boiler were
inadequate and that it is not abnormal
for a boiler to be three times as large.
They suggested that without an AEDM
the ratio (three times) would be applied
to the pump (equaling $9,000) and new
weigh tanks and scales in order to
accommodate a flow rate of up to 1,500
gallons per minute (gpm), as well as a
new cooling tower that could reach
$750,000. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5) AHRI
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stated that DOE incorrectly assumed
that a recirculating loop would resolve
the issue of higher water flow rates and
higher total volume necessary for the
proposed water temperatures. (AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 3–4)
In response to concerns regarding
water flow rates DOE believes that the
temperatures adopted in this final rule
mitigate the need for higher flow rates
(and therefore additional costs, as
ABMA suggests). For commercial
packaged boilers that cannot utilize a
recirculation loop, DOE is adopting a
temperature rise that is similar to what
is used currently (nominal 100 °F,
whereas the current test procedure
allows for a temperature rise between
98 °F and 147 °F) and therefore DOE
anticipates similar flow rates will be
used during testing. For commercial
packaged boilers that utilize a
recirculating loop to prevent boiling (in
keeping with ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, incorporated by reference in
this final rule), the inlet water
temperature requirement, measured
immediately preceding the commercial
packaged boiler inlet, standardizes the
temperature for these commercial
packaged boilers. Currently, this
temperature is not required to meet any
specific range. However, DOE
anticipates based on product literature
that the current use of recirculating
loops results in a similar inlet water
temperature to the 140 °F temperature
requirements adopted in this final rule,
and therefore does not result in any
substantive change to the water flow
requirements. DOE therefore does not
anticipate increased water flow rates
needed to meet the amended test
procedure, and does not believe test
laboratories will experience a reduction
in capacity.
5. Other Issues Related to Water
Temperatures
Several commenters raised other
issues associated with water
temperatures for commercial packaged
boilers. Bradford White stated that some
commercial packaged boilers may not be
capable of being tested with a 40 °F
difference between inlet and outlet
water temperatures and that they should
instead be tested with a temperature rise
as close to 40 °F as possible as allowed
by manufacturer instructions. (Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 3) AHRI and
Lochinvar stated that DOE already has
a process in place by which instructions
regarding testing of particular models
could be provided. (AHRI, No. 46 at p.
8; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 6) WeilMcLain noted that if a boiler could
previously be tested with a 100 °F
temperature rise then there is no reason
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that it could not be tested with a 40 °F
temperature rise. (Weil-McLain, No. 41
at p. 16) Raypak suggested that the
proposed test procedure would allow
manufacturers to select the temperature
rise that works best for their product
because of the proposed allowance for
manufacturer instructions to specify a
maximum temperature rise that would
be used during testing. (Raypak, No. 47
at p. 6) DOE notes that, with the
temperature requirements being adopted
in this final rule, the concerns presented
by these commenters apply only to
commercial packaged boilers that use a
recirculating loop during testing
because only such units would be
required to have a 40 °F temperature
rise.
Consistent with Weil-McLain’s
comments and based on its review of
product literature, DOE is not aware of
any commercial packaged boilers
models that could not be tested using
the 40 °F temperature rise and is
therefore adopting this temperature rise
for commercial packaged boilers that
cannot be tested using the standard
100 °F temperature rise. Manufacturers
may continue to provide supplementary
instructions pursuant to 10 CFR part
429; however, these supplementary
instructions do not supplant the
requirements of the DOE test procedure.
Manufacturers may, however, submit a
petition for waiver for any commercial
packaged boilers model that cannot be
tested to the DOE test procedure
pursuant to 10 CFR 431.401 on the
grounds that that either the basic model
contains one or more design
characteristics that prevent testing of the
basic model according to the prescribed
test procedures or cause the prescribed
test procedures to evaluate the basic
model in a manner so unrepresentative
of its true energy or water consumption
characteristics as to provide materially
inaccurate comparative data.
Multiple stakeholders, including
Bradford White, AHRI, Burnham,
Lochinvar, Raypak, and Weil-McLain
did not support DOE’s proposed
tolerance of ±1 °F for the inlet and outlet
water temperatures. (Bradford White,
No. 39 at p. 3; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
47; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5; Lochinvar,
No. 43 at p. 1; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3;
Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 5) Burnham
and Raypak suggested that the proposed
tolerances would not improve the
accuracy of efficiency measurements,
and Weil-McLain suggested that using a
tolerance of ±2 °F would not impact the
accuracy of the measurement compared
to ±1 °F because the actual temperature
measured during the test is accounted
for in the calculations for efficiency.
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(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5; Raypak, No.
47 at p. 3; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 5)
Lochinvar, Weil-McLain, and Crown
Boiler indicated that maintaining the
water temperatures over the course of a
test to within the proposed ±1 °F band
for the necessary water flow rates would
be difficult or impossible. (Lochinvar,
No. 43 at pp. 1, 7, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 48; WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 4; Crown Boiler,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
48) Bradford White suggested that the
average of the inlet and outlet water
temperatures individually be held to a
±1 °F tolerance through the test
duration, while any given reading
would have a tolerance of ±2 °F.
(Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3) AERCO
suggested allowing the temperature to
vary by more than ±1 °F but conducting
the test for 2 hours so that variations
from the target temperature will not bias
the result. (AERCO, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 51)
DOE concurs with Weil-McLain’s
assessment that the calculations for
efficiency use the actual temperature
rise measured during the test and
therefore maintaining the temperatures
within certain tolerances is less
important. DOE notes that the tolerances
instead provide an additional
verification that the system is operating
at a steady-state and provide for a
repeatable test procedure. DOE also
acknowledges that keeping the outlet
temperature of a large commercial
packaged boiler within ±1 °F may pose
technical challenges that are not
justified given the use of the measured
average temperature in the efficiency
calculations. DOE is therefore not
adopting the proposed temperature
tolerances of ±1 °F and is instead
adopting tolerances from ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015.
AERCO stated that multipoint water
temperature measurements or mixing
before a single point reading is critical
because a large source of error in
efficiency calculations is the
temperature. Measurement error can
occur because of stratification of the
water temperature. (AERCO, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 52,
172–173) DOE acknowledges that ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 incorporated
set-up changes to induce mixing at the
outlet in order to prevent stratification
and therefore reduce measurement
error. DOE is therefore adopting similar
set-up changes at the inlet of the
commercial packaged boilers in order to
reduce the error associated with inlet
water temperature measurement. Water
entering the commercial packaged boiler
must first pass through two plugged tees
in order to induce mixing, with the
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temperature measurement taking place
in the plugged end of the second tee.
G. Ambient Conditions
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed new constraints on ambient
temperature and relative humidity.
DOE’s existing test procedure limits the
humidity of the room during testing of
condensing boilers to 80-percent (10
CFR 431.86(c)(2)(ii)) and establishes
ambient room temperature
requirements. BTS–2000 (incorporated
by reference) and ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 both require that test air
temperature, as measured at the burner
inlet, be within ±5 °F of the ambient
temperature, where ambient
temperature is measured within 6 feet of
the front of the unit at mid-height.
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
prescribes an allowable ambient
temperature during the test between
30 °F and 100 °F (section 5.3.8) with the
relative humidity not exceeding 80percent in the test room or chamber
(section 5.3.9). DOE proposed to require
that ambient relative humidity at all
times be 60-percent ±5-percent and
ambient room temperature 75 °F ±5 °F
during thermal and combustion
efficiency testing of commercial
packaged boilers.8 DOE proposed the
same ambient conditions for all
commercial packaged boilers (noncondensing and condensing).
In response to the March 2016 NOPR,
ABMA, AHRI, Burnham, and Lochinvar
indicated that current testing typically
takes place in uncontrolled
environments, spaces that are not sealed
and tightly controlled with respect to
ambient conditions, or spaces that could
not be maintained within the proposed
ambient parameters for all sizes of
commercial packaged boilers. (ABMA,
No. 38 at p. 6, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 75; AHRI, No.
46 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6;
Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 8) Weil-McLain
indicated that combustion air is
typically not conditioned; that for direct
exhaust systems and direct vent or
sealed units, combustion air is provided
directly to the unit and therefore the
ambient room air is often warmer than
the air used for combustion. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 2) Because the air
is brought in from outside and is
unconditioned, several manufacturers
suggested that the proposed ambient
requirements would limit the times of
8 Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the
air. Absolute humidity is the water content of air.
Relative humidity, expressed as a percent, measures
the current absolute humidity relative to the
maximum for that temperature. Specific humidity is
a ratio of the water vapor content of the mixture to
the total air content on a mass basis.
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year during which testing could be
performed. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p.
4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; Raypak, No.
47 at p. 5; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 2)
Several commenters suggested that
the proposed ambient conditions would
result in additional test burden by
forcing manufacturers to spend
significant resources in upgrading
facilities and HVAC capabilities.
(ABMA, No. 38 at pp. 4, 6; Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40
at p. 6; CA IOUs, No. 48 at pp. 3–4;
AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 5; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 8; WeilMcLain, No. 41 at pp. 2, 14) WeilMcLain suggested that DOE understated
the costs associated with laboratory
facility upgrades. (Weil-McLain, No. 41
at p. 2) Bradford White estimated that
the cost of an environmental chamber
would be approximately $120,000;
AHRI suggested the cost could be from
$100,000 to over $1,000,000; Burnham
suggested that the cost would be
approximately $125,000 for a 20-ton
cooling capacity laboratory HVAC
system; and Raypak estimated that a
facility capable of conditioning
combustion air to support a 4,000,000
Btu/h boiler would be $500,000 to
$1,500,000. (Bradford White, No. 39 at
p. 4; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; Burnham, No.
40 at p. 6; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6)
Multiple stakeholders suggested that
DOE had not provided sufficient
evidence that tighter ambient condition
restrictions are justified. (Burnham, No.
40 at p. 6; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 2; Bradford White,
No. 39 at p. 5) ABMA acknowledged,
however, that ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 was written primarily based
on testing of smaller boilers and that it
is possible it does not account for the
sensitivity of larger boilers to certain
test conditions. (ABMA, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 82) AHRI
suggested that ambient requirements
were being considered as part of the
development of ASHRAE Standard
155P, particularly as they pertain to
jacket losses. (AHRI, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 80–81) WeilMcLain also stated that the premise that
ambient temperature limits would
improve repeatability is false, while CA
IOUs stated that a range of allowable
ambient temperatures of 30 to 100
degrees Fahrenheit (found in ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015) can result in
efficiency ratings that vary because heat
convection from the commercial
packaged boiler to the room would
increase as the ambient room
temperature decreases. (Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at p. 2; CA IOUs, No. 48 at p.
1). CA IOUs therefore supported the
ambient room temperature requirement
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89293
to be 75 °F ±5 °F and stated that it
should be achievable by most testing
facilities. However, CA IOUs also
suggested that variations in relative
humidity have little effect on efficiency
rating and therefore did not justify the
added test burden. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at
pp. 3–4) Similarly, Crown Boiler
questioned whether the limits for
relative humidity were justified, but
suggested that an allowable range of 0
to 60-percent relative humidity would
be more reasonable. (Crown Boiler,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
74–75) Raypak stated that they concur
with the conclusion reached in the
residential boiler test procedure
rulemaking that ambient temperature
and relative humidity do not have any
impact on efficiency. (Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 4) Bradford White also suggested that
the changes to the DOE test procedure
may in fact have an effect on ratings in
light of DOE’s consideration that
ambient temperature and relative
humidity have a noticeable effect on
efficiency. (Bradford White, No. 39 at
pp. 4–5, 6–7)
In light of comments received DOE is
maintaining the current maximum
ambient relative humidity of 80-percent
consistent with ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015. At this time, DOE does not
believe the added test burden of
controlling ambient humidity is
justified, given the amount of
combustion air required for commercial
packaged boilers approaching 5,000,000
Btu/h rated input (larger than this size
would be eligible for the optional field
test for which ambient relative humidity
would not be constrained). DOE is
adopting tighter restrictions for ambient
room temperature as compared to ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015, as it does
not believe that the incremental test
burden associated with maintaining
reasonable room temperatures is
excessive. However, in light of the
concerns raised about fluctuations in
test spaces, DOE is adopting a wider
range of allowable ambient room
temperatures as compared to those in
the March 2016 NOPR. For condensing
commercial packaged boilers, room
ambient temperature will be required to
be between 65 °F and 85 °F and for noncondensing commercial packaged
boilers ambient room temperature will
be required to be between 65 °F and
100 °F. DOE believes that deviating from
the ambient temperature requirements
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 is
necessary in order to satisfy its
obligation under 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(2)
to provide a test procedure that
produces results that reflect energy
efficiency that is representative of
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equipment during an average use cycle,
as the wide range of allowable ambient
temperatures (as permitted by ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015) may affect
jacket losses and would result in a less
repeatable test. DOE also believes that
these temperatures are consistent with
ASHRAE Standard 155P,9 which several
commenters have requested DOE adopt
once it is published. DOE is also
requiring that the average ambient
relative humidity and average ambient
room temperature be included in
certification reports.
Additionally, Burnham and Raypak
commented specifically that the ±2 °F
tolerance with respect to the mean
ambient temperature would be difficult
or impossible to maintain given the size
of equipment and make-up air
requirements. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6;
Raypak, No.47 at p. 5) In light of these
concerns, DOE is widening the
allowable tolerance by which the room
ambient temperature can vary with
respect to the average ambient room
temperature during the test from ±2 °F
as proposed to ±5 °F. DOE proposed
similar requirements (±2 °F variation
from average ambient room
temperature) in its test procedure NOPR
for commercial water heating
equipment, published in the Federal
Register on May 9, 2016. 81 FR 28587.
In response, Bradford White, AHRI, and
A.O. Smith (owner of Lochinvar)
supported an allowable variation of
±5 °F as opposed to ±2 °F, and Bradford
White and A.O. Smith suggested that
maintaining temperature with such
allowable variation would be achievable
without additional burden to
manufacturers. (Docket EERE–2014–BT–
TP–0008: Bradford White, No. 19 at p.
3; AHRI, No. 26 at p. 7; A. O. Smith, No.
27 at p. 18) 10 DOE notes that Bradford
White and A.O. Smith (Lochinvar)
manufacture both commercial water
heating equipment and commercial
packaged boilers, and DOE expects that
laboratory facilities are comparable for
testing both types of equipment. DOE is
therefore adopting a tolerance of ±5 °F
with respect to the average room
ambient temperature for commercial
packaged boilers.
AERCO suggested that the altitude of
a unit undergoing a field test could
impact the test result, and the CA IOUs
suggested that barometric pressure
variation has a greater impact on test
ratings than relative humidity and
possibly temperature. (AERCO, Public
9 An Advisory Public Review Draft of ASHRAE
Standard 155P was published in August 2016.
10 The rulemaking docket for the commercial
water heating equipment test procedure can be
found at: https://www.regulations.gov/
docket?D=EERE-2014-BT-TP-0008.
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18:56 Dec 08, 2016
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Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 160; CA
IOUs, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 76) DOE was not provided data that
indicate to what extent barometric
pressure affects efficiency ratings for
commercial packaged boilers. DOE has
not found it necessary to regulate the
ambient barometric pressure of test
rooms for any heating products.
Accordingly, DOE is not adopting
barometric pressure requirements in this
final rule.
H. Set-Up and Instrumentation
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed several clarifications to set-up
and instrumentation for its commercial
packaged boiler test procedure,
including steam piping configuration,
digital data acquisition, and calibration
requirements.
In general, ACEEE suggested that DOE
not specify instrumentation to the level
of detail being proposed, but rather
indicate only how DOE would test for
enforcement cases because it is the
manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure
the accuracy of its certifications.
(ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at pp. 108–109) DOE disagrees, as
manufacturers need to have test data to
assess whether a product is compliant
prior to distribution that is just as
reliable as the test data DOE uses when
bringing an enforcement case. DOE
establishes test provisions that both
DOE and manufacturers (as well as
other stakeholders) must use when
conducting an efficiency test. Although
DOE does establish separate
enforcement provisions, such provisions
typically do not establish an alternative
method of test but instead establish a
methodology to grant latitude to
manufacturers for key metrics such as
those used to determine equipment
class. Establishing a consistent test
methodology, including calibration
procedures, is fundamental to EPCA, as
it ensures that all parties have a
standardized method for assessing
compliance with standards and for
generating efficiency information for
consumers. Therefore, DOE is adopting
calibration procedures as part of its test
procedure in this final rule that all
parties must use when using the DOE
test procedure.
1. Steam Piping
In the March 2016 NOPR DOE
proposed provisions in order to clarify
steam riser and header geometry. The
proposed additional specifications were
as follows:
• No reduction in diameter shall be
made in any horizontal header piping,
as a reduction in pipe diameter in the
horizontal header prevents entrained
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water from draining properly and
typically leads to non-steady-state
operation. In the case of commercial
packaged boilers with multiple steam
risers, the cross-sectional area of the
header must be no less than 80-percent
of the summed total cross-sectional area
of the risers, and the header pipe must
be constant in diameter along its entire
length.
• The diameter of the vertical portion
of the steam condensate return pipe that
is above the manufacturer’s
recommended water level may be
reduced to no less than one half of the
header pipe diameter to ensure adequate
operation of the return loop and
draining of entrained water back into
the commercial packaged boiler.
In the event the manufacturer’s
literature does not specify necessary
height and dimension characteristics for
steam risers, headers, and return piping,
DOE also proposed the following
requirements to ensure consistent and
repeatable testing:
• The header pipe diameter must be
the same size as the commercial
packaged boiler’s steam riser (steam
take-off) pipe diameter. In the case of
commercial packaged boilers with
multiple steam risers, the crosssectional area of the header must be no
less than 80-percent of the summed total
cross-sectional area of the risers, and the
header pipe must be constant in
diameter along its entire length.
• The height measured from the top
of the header to the manufacturer’s
recommended water level must be no
less than the larger of 24 inches or 6
times the header pipe diameter.
• The distance between the vertical
steam riser (steam take-off) leading to
the water separator and the elbow
leading to the condensate return loop
must be a minimum of three (3) header
pipe diameters to prevent entrained
water from entering the separator
piping.
• If a water separator is used, piping
must pitch downward to the separator at
a rate of at least 1⁄4 inch per foot of pipe
length in order to assure proper
collection of moisture content and
steady-state operation during testing.
• A vented water seal is required in
steam moisture collection plumbing to
prevent steam from escaping through
the moisture collection plumbing.
In response, the CA IOUS supported
the modified language for steam riser
and header geometry, steam condensate
return pipe and pipe installation
requirements because they would
improve test accuracy and quality. (CA
IOUs, No. 48 at p. 3) AHRI suggested
that the test procedure should refer to
manufacturer’s installation instructions
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with regard to steam riser, header, and
return water loop requirements. (AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 8) Weil-McLain suggested
that the steam quality requirement (98percent per BTS–2000 and ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015) is sufficient and
that the proposed configuration
requirements do not reflect common
installation practices. (Weil-McLain, No.
41 at p. 7) Crown Boiler also suggested
that the geometry requirements in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 are
sufficient because pipe sizes can vary by
manufacturer and are listed in
manufacturer’s specifications. They also
suggested that the requirement for the
steam riser diameter to be half of the
diameter of the header is not needed
because there is generally no flow in the
pipe and that the size of the pipe is
sometimes determined experimentally.
(Crown Boiler, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 85)
While DOE believes that its proposed
requirements could be met in most
cases, DOE cannot anticipate all
commercial packaged boiler designs and
configurations. For commercial
packaged boiler designs for which the
proposed steam piping configurations
would not be feasible, manufacturers
would need to seek waiver or, for
commercial packaged boilers with rated
inputs greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h,
may need to use the field test where
they otherwise could have performed a
laboratory test. DOE agrees with WeilMcLain that the steam quality
requirement is sufficient for ensuring
steady operation of the commercial
packaged boiler, in conjunction with the
requirement in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 that steam pressure not
fluctuate by more than 5-percent. DOE
believes that using only the steam
quality and pressure measurement
requirements are sufficient to ensure a
repeatable test, and that the additional
burden and reduced flexibility in test
set-up are not justified by the additional
improvement in repeatability that
would result from the proposed steam
piping requirements. DOE is therefore
withdrawing these proposed steam pipe
set-up provisions.
DOE also proposed insulation
conductivity and thickness
requirements for steam piping. AHRI
commented that certifying compliance
with an R-value as opposed to thickness
and conductivity may be simpler.
(AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 90) DOE notes that the proposed
insulation requirements are taken from
ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 and
conversion to R-values would result in
fractions which may present confusion.
The proposed steam piping insulation
provisions are therefore adopted in this
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final rule for consistency with the
industry standard. The March 2016
NOPR included rows for fluid
temperatures up to 250 °F; however, this
final rule adopts the full table from
ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, which
include fluid temperatures up to 350 °F,
in order to account for superheated
steam.
2. Digital Data Acquisition
DOE proposed to require digital data
acquisition at 30-second intervals in the
March 2016 NOPR. Bradford White
supported this proposal. (Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 5) However, AHRI,
Burnham, Lochinvar, and Weil-McLain
suggested that the requirement was not
justified. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 5;
Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7; Lochinvar, No.
43 at pp. 6, 9; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at
p. 6) ABMA suggested that digital data
acquisition may have benefits. (ABMA,
No. 38 at p. 5) Multiple stakeholders,
including AHRI, ABMA, Lochinvar,
Raypak, and Weil-Mclain, also raised
concern about the cost burden of this
requirement. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 5;
ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 101; Lochinvar,
No. 43 at p. 6; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4;
Weil-McLain, No. 41 at pp. 5–6)
Burnham indicated that most
laboratories can log temperatures at 30second intervals although they may not
be able to do so with instrumentation
having the required accuracy of ± 0.2 °F.
(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7) Weil-McLain
noted that DOE did not identify a
calibration methodology for the digital
data acquisition equipment. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 5) Raypak
suggested that the data acquisition
system would require costs for a flow
meter, gas meter, flue gas analyzer, gas
chromatograph, pressure transducers,
barometric pressure and humidity
interface controls and would cost four to
five times DOE’s estimate. (Raypak, No.
47 at p. 8) Lochinvar suggested that
water temperature readings should be
digitized but that higher heating value,
barometric pressure, and relative
humidity should not be digitized.
(Lochinvar, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at pp. 102–103)
DOE believes digital data acquisition
is a valuable tool for ensuring that the
various parameters and requirements of
the test procedure are met for the
duration of the test. Temperatures vary
over the course of a test, and DOE does
not believe that 15-minute interval data
as required by ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 is sufficient for verifying that
the test procedure has been met or that
the measured efficiency has not been
influenced by variance in certain
parameters. DOE considered the cost
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89295
burden of adding digital data
acquisition in the March 2016 NOPR
and has revised its estimates in section
IV.B, and continues to believe that the
costs are not overly burdensome in
comparison to the overall cost of testing
for a manufacturer’s product line. DOE
is therefore adopting the requirement for
obtaining data digitally for
temperatures, specifically ambient room
temperature, flue gas temperature, and
water temperatures. Because DOE is not,
at this time, adopting tighter tolerances
on the ambient relative humidity, DOE
also will not require digital data
acquisition for this parameter and will
continue to use 15-minute intervals.
DOE does not believe it is necessary to
specify calibration in light of the
accuracy requirements already part of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
Weil-McLain suggested that DOE
provide details on integration and
averaging methods for each data type as
well as rules on how to treat data points
that fall outside of the requirements
when the average or integrated values
for the test are within requirements.
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 6, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 65)
AHRI similarly suggested DOE include
a table that lists which measurements
are to be averaged and which are to be
totaled over the test period. (AHRI,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp.
104–105) DOE has modified the tables
in the test procedure to clarify that any
individual digital reading falling out of
its required range per the DOE test
procedure constitutes an invalid test.
DOE is modifying the original 30-second
interval to 1-minute intervals as a means
of reducing the burden that the
constraint may pose by invalidating a
test due to one 30-second interval
reading of one parameter not being
within tolerance. Each 1-minute interval
reading for each of the parameters
required to be obtained through digital
data acquisition must therefore fall
within the specified range per the DOE
test procedure. In this final rule, DOE
has also added specificity regarding
averaging and integration for each
measurement, as applicable.
3. Calibration
DOE proposed in the March 2016
NOPR that instrumentation be
calibrated at least once per year.
Bradford White and Lochinvar
expressed support for this proposal, and
DOE did not receive any comments
objecting. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p.
5; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 9) DOE is
therefore adopting this requirement in
this final rule. Weil-McLain, however,
suggested that the proposed calibration
procedures did not address whether pre-
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test and post-test calibration is required.
For example, they suggest that it is
unclear what implications, if any, there
are if a previously calibrated instrument
is used and on the next calibration the
instrument fails or is damaged. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 18) DOE clarifies
that it is not adopting provisions by
which a test is invalidated because an
instrument fails a subsequent
calibration.
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed to require calibration of gas
chemistry instrumentation using
standard gases with purities of greater
than 99.9995 percent for all constituents
analyzed. In response, AHRI, Bradford
White, Burnham, Raypak, Lochinvar,
Weil-McLain, and Crown Boiler
suggested that the requirement was too
stringent. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 5;
Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 5;
Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7; Raypak, No. 47
at pp. 7–8; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 9;
Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 18; Crown
Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 99) Raypak noted that its
supplier, Airgas Specialty Gases, uses
ultra-high purity gases of 99.99 percent
for CO2 and 99.5 percent for CO, and
that they indicated that 99.9995 percent
purity CO2 is significantly more
expensive and the maximum available
for CO is 99.99 percent. (Raypak, No. 47
at p. 7) Lochinvar suggested that the
excessive purity proposed in the March
2016 NOPR was both prohibitively
expensive and posed significant toxicity
and flammability risks. They further
suggested that calibration references
should be 4 to 10 times more accurate
than the required accuracy of the
equipment being calibrated. (Lochinvar,
No. 43 at p. 9) Bradford White suggested
that a typical cylinder of calibration gas
costs approximately $400 and lasts
approximately 8 weeks, assuming the
analyzer is calibrated daily; they also
provided a sample gas calibration
certificate. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p.
5 and Attachment)
After further consideration, DOE
acknowledges that gas meeting the
proposed ultra-high purity gas
calibration standards may be difficult or
expensive to obtain. Additionally, DOE
recognizes that there are requirements
for the accuracy of gas chemistry
instrumentation found in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 that are being
adopted in this final rule. DOE believes
that the requirements for gas chemistry
instrumentation accuracy (specifically
±0.1 percent for CO2 and O2 testers and
the greater of ±10 ppm or ±5-percent of
reading for CO testers) are sufficient for
the purposes of the commercial
packaged boiler test procedure and that
requiring a specific calibration gas
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purity beyond the accuracy of the
instrument itself may be duplicative.
Accordingly, DOE is not adopting this
proposal.
4. Other Set-up and Instrumentation
Comments
ABMA requested that straight vent
stacks be allowed as an alternative to
the double 90-degree elbow
configuration in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 to accommodate commercial
packaged boilers with forced draft
burners firing into combustion
chambers under positive pressure. They
further stated that automated draft
control systems are used on installations
having tall stacks, thus there is typically
no dilution of flue gas in the vent
system. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2–3) DOE
agrees that such commercial packaged
boilers should be permitted to test using
straight vent stacks and has included a
provision in this final rule accordingly.
The CA IOUs suggested that the test
procedure should be revised to
eliminate ambiguity in how CO2
concentrations are measured during the
test. They indicated that during tests of
commercial packaged boilers conducted
by PGE, the CO2 concentration could
change depending on where the CO2
probe was placed in the flue gas stream.
(CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 2) DOE reviewed
the submitted data and acknowledges
that there appears to be an effect on the
CO2 measurement based on horizontal
position of the flue gas probe.
Additionally, DOE notes that there is
ambiguity, as CA IOUs suggest, in the
placement of the flue gas probe for vent
configurations like the one CA IOUs
presented in their comment.
Specifically, DOE believes the unit
tested by PGE was an outdoor
commercial packaged boiler because
there was no stack attached to the unit.
However, CA IOUs did not suggest
which position should be used in the
DOE test procedure. DOE notes that
section C2.5.2 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 specifies that sampling from
a rectangular plane be collected ‘‘using
a sampling tube located so as to obtain
an average flue gas sample.’’ DOE agrees
that this is ambiguous. DOE is therefore
adopting a requirement that three
samples be taken at evenly spaced
intervals (1⁄4, 1⁄2, and 3⁄4 of the distance
from one end) in the longer dimension
and along the centerline halfway
between the edges in the shorter
dimension of the rectangle and that the
average be calculated.
Weil-McLain noted that ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 specifies different
fuel oil analysis requirements (fuel oil
grade under ASTM D396–14a, heating
value under ASTM D240–09, hydrogen
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and carbon content under ASTM
D5291–10, and density and American
Petroleum Institute (API) gravity 11
under ASTM D396–14a) for commercial
packaged boilers than are required for
residential boilers under ASHRAE 103–
1993 annual fuel utilization efficiency
(AFUE) (e.g., gravity and viscosity uses
ASTM D396–90A and fuel oil analysis
requirements are different than for
commercial). Weil-McLain suggested
DOE correct this to allow the same fuel
oil analysis for both residential and
commercial efficiency testing. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 13) DOE reviewed
the fuel oil specifications of ASTM
D396–14a and the requirements found
in ASHRAE Standard 103–1993
(incorporated by reference for the DOE
test procedure for residential boilers
found at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B,
appendix N). While they are similar,
they are not identical and DOE could
not confirm that they would yield
similar results. Weil-McLain did not
provide any evidence that the two
methods were equivalent. Therefore,
DOE is not adopting additional
provisions for fuel oil analysis at this
time.
Weil-McLain noted that ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 allows for two
different water meter calibrating
methods, one of which does not meet
certain accuracy requirements found in
table C1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, and therefore recommends that
DOE require water meters in all cases to
meet table C1 in order to avoid
inaccurate efficiency results. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p. 13) DOE notes that
the March 2016 NOPR did not propose
to adopt section C2.7.2.2.2, which is the
alternative water meter calibration
method that Weil-Mclain referred to.
This final rule adopts only the
instrument accuracy requirements of
Table C1 in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 and not section C2.7.2.2.2 about
which Weil-McLain expressed concern.
I. Other Issues
1. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial
Packaged Boilers
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed a set of provisions for
determining the burner to be used in
testing an oil-fired commercial packaged
boiler. DOE proposed that the unit be
tested with the particular make and
model of burner certified by the
manufacturer. If multiple burners are
specified in the installation and
11 The American Petroleum Institute gravity, or
API gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a
petroleum liquid is compared to water: If its API
gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and floats on
water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks.
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2. Certification and Enforcement
Provisions
DOE proposed a provision in the
March 2016 NOPR that it would
conduct enforcement testing in both
steam mode and hot water mode for
those commercial packaged boilers
capable of producing both and both
results must demonstrate compliance
with the applicable energy conservation
standards. Lochinvar objected to the
proposal, stating that there is already a
method in place for determining hot
water commercial packaged boiler
efficiency based on the rating in steam
mode, and that the requirement would
where TF,SS,adjusted is the adjusted steadystate flue temperature used for
subsequent calculations of combustion
efficiency, TF,SS is the measured steadystate flue temperature during
combustion efficiency testing in steam
mode, Tsat is the saturated steam
temperature that corresponds to the
measured steam pressure, and 180 is the
hot water outlet temperature.
In response, Lochinvar agreed with
adopting the method and indicated that
the theory behind the correction is
sound and results should be
conservative. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.
10) Weil-McLain did not support
adopting the method because not all
boiler designs are the same and the
method may not reflect accurate ratings
for water mode. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at
p. 7) Crown Boiler suggested that the
adjustment may be unreliable, and
ABMA questioned to what extent testing
was done to develop the equation.
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add test burden. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at
p. 11) In response, DOE notes that this
is not a certification requirement for
manufacturers, but is a provision that
indicates the procedure DOE will follow
when conducting its own enforcement
testing. Namely, DOE would conduct an
enforcement test in each mode (steam
and hot water) for those commercial
packaged boilers models capable of
operating in either mode rather than
using the measured efficiency for steam
mode to determine compliance in hot
water mode. DOE would use the
appropriate result to evaluate
compliance with the respective
standards. DOE notes that this does not
add test burden for manufacturers and
is adopting this provision as part of this
final rule.
3. Part-Load Testing
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
tentatively concluded that part-load
testing was not warranted and therefore
did not propose any new test procedure
provisions towards that end. In
response, Lochinvar supported this
conclusion and, along with NEEA, the
Efficiency Advocates, and the CA IOUs,
suggested using ASHRAE Standard
155P in the future to capture part-load
performance. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.
11; NEEA, No. 44 at pp.2–3; Efficiency
Advocates, No. 45 at p. 3; CA IOUs, No.
48 at p. 5) Weil-McLain suggested that
part-load efficiency should not be
mandated, but also that it would be
prudent to regulate how part-load
efficiency is measured in order to
(Crown Boiler, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 133–135;
ABMA, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 133–135)
DOE considered data from the AHRI
directory 12 (as of May 2015) for
commercial packaged boilers with rated
inputs greater than 2,500,000 and for
which differing combustion and thermal
efficiencies were listed for the same
model (57 models). DOE found that on
average combustion efficiency in hot
water mode was approximately 0.8percent higher than that for steam and
would anticipate a similar adjustment
from the proposed methodology.
However, while several manufacturers
requested the adjustment methodology
as part of the waiver process, no data
were submitted to validate the equation.
DOE is therefore not adopting this
12 Available at: https://www.ahridirectory.org/
ahridirectory/pages/home.aspx.
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ensure comparable part-load ratings.
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 19) DOE does
not intend to develop a test procedure
at this time for the purpose of measuring
part-load efficiency. DOE believes the
ratings produced by its test procedure
provide a sufficient basis to give the
purchaser enough information when
choosing between commercial packaged
boilers models. DOE may in the future
adopt a test procedure that includes
part-load measurements.
4. Stack Temperature Adjustment
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed a calculation to adjust the
stack temperature when using steam
mode combustion efficiency ratings to
represent the combustion efficiency in
hot water mode. DOE’s existing test
procedure allows commercial packaged
boilers with fuel input rate greater than
2,500,000 Btu/h capable of producing
steam and hot water to use the
combustion efficiency as measured in
steam mode to represent the combustion
efficiency in hot water mode. 10 CFR
431.86(c)(2)(iii)(B). DOE received waiver
requests from Cleaver-Brooks, Johnston
Boiler, Superior Boiler Works, and
York-Shipley (AESYS) that asked to use
an adjustment to the stack temperature
when using this rating method in order
to more accurately reflect the
combustion efficiency of a commercial
packaged boiler operating in hot water
mode. The adjustment is given by
Equation 1:
adjustment methodology. Manufacturers
wishing to rate a basic model with a
higher combustion efficiency in hot
water mode can perform a separate
combustion efficiency test in that mode.
5. Oxygen Combustion Analyzer
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
includes a methodology for using an O2
combustion analyzer for measurements
of combustion efficiency, and DOE
proposed adopting this methodology by
incorporating by reference this industry
standard. AHRI expressed its support
for the provision because the the O2
methodology is essentially equivalent to
the CO2 methodology (required in BTS–
2000 and the current DOE test
procedure and included optionally in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015) and
noted that AHRI had completed analysis
to verify this equivalency. (AHRI, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 95)
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operation manual or in one or more
certification reports, then DOE proposed
that any of the listed burners may be
used for testing and all must be certified
to the Department.
In response, AHRI requested
additional specificity in the test
procedure for a situation in which
manufacturer’s specifications do not
prescribe a specific burner or burners,
particularly with respect to firing rate
and/or spray geometry. (AHRI, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 93–94)
DOE notes that under its proposed
regulations in the March 2016 NOPR,
manufacturers would be required to
certify the make and model of the
burner used during certification testing,
and that this make and model would be
used for testing. DOE believes this is
sufficiently clear and is adopting the
language it proposed in the March 2016
NOPR.
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DOE is adopting this provision in the
final rule.
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6. Rounding Requirements
DOE proposed to clarify its rounding
procedures by requiring that the
combustion and thermal efficiency
results be rounded to the nearest tenth
of one percent. In response, ACEEE
suggested that reporting to such a level
of precision means little to the
customer, has little justification when
considering the 5-percent tolerance on
the final rating, and instead suggested
rounding to a whole number. (ACEEE,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp.
126–128) Bradford White similarly did
not see value in rounding to the nearest
tenth of a percent and instead
recommended rounding to the nearest
percent. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6)
Lochinvar, however, supported the DOE
proposal to round to the nearest tenth of
a percent. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 10)
DOE notes that the AHRI certification
program,13 which uses BTS–2000 for
certification testing, expresses thermal
and combustion efficiency ratings to the
nearest tenth of one percent. Also, the
energy conservation standards for
commercial packaged boilers at 10 CFR
431.87 are expressed to the tenth of one
percent. DOE is therefore adopting a
provision in this final rule to clarify that
thermal and combustion efficiency
ratings are to be rounded to the nearest
tenth of one percent as was proposed in
the March 2016 NOPR. DOE notes that
an AEDM may be up to five percent off
from a single verification test result
without invalidating the AEDM or the
rating, but there is not an absolute fivepercent tolerance on ratings.
7. Waiver Requests
As mentioned in section III.I.4, DOE
received waiver requests from CleaverBrooks, Johnston Boiler, Superior Boiler
Works, and York-Shipley (AESYS). In
addition to their request to use an
adjustment to the stack temperature, the
petitioners requested the use of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015. The
petitioners noted that ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 addressed several
deficiencies in BTS–2000, particularly
with regard to the inability to test large
commercial packaged boilers at steam
pressures of 2 psi or below as required
in BTS–2000. As described in III.C, DOE
is adopting certain sections of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 in its test
procedure for commercial packaged
boilers and therefore DOE believes that
this final rule addresses the petitioners’
13 For
AHRI directory, see: https://
www.ahridirectory.org/ahridirectory/pages/cblr/
defaultSearch.aspx.
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concerns. Because the need for a waiver
has been overtaken by DOE’s adoption
of a method of test for the basic models
for which each of the petitioners sought
a waiver, DOE is denying these petitions
for waiver. Petitioners may begin using
this test procedure as of the effective
date of the final rule.
With respect to interim waivers that
have been granted,14 DOE notes that this
final rule addresses the issues presented
in those waivers and as such those
interim waivers will terminate on
December 4, 2017. 10 CFR
431.401(h)(2). Parties that have received
an interim waiver may being using this
test procedure as of the effective date of
the final rule.
IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory
Review
A. Review Under Executive Order 12866
The Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) has determined that test
procedure rulemakings do not constitute
‘‘significant regulatory actions’’ under
section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866,
Regulatory Planning and Review, 58 FR
51735 (Oct. 4, 1993). Accordingly, this
action was not subject to review under
the Executive Order by the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA) in the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB).
B. Review Under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires that when an
agency promulgates a final rule under 5
U.S.C. 553, after being required by that
section or any other law to publish a
general notice of proposed rulemaking,
the agency shall prepare a final
regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA),
unless the agency certifies that the rule
will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. As required by Executive Order
13272, ‘‘Proper Consideration of Small
Entities in Agency Rulemaking,’’ 67 FR
53461 (August 16, 2002), DOE
published procedures and policies on
February 19, 2003 to ensure that the
potential impacts of its rules on small
entities are properly considered during
the DOE rulemaking process. 68 FR
7990. DOE has made its procedures and
policies available on the Office of the
General Counsel’s Web site: https://
energy.gov/gc/office-general-counsel.
This final rule prescribes test
procedure amendments that will be
14 See Cleaver-Brooks (81 FR 22252 (April 15,
2016)), Johnston Boiler Company (81 FR 38161
(June 13, 2016)), Superior Boiler Works (81 FR
22249 (April 15, 2016)), York-Shipley Global (81 FR
22255 (April 15, 2016)).
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used to determine compliance with
energy conservation standards for
commercial packaged boilers. The
amendments (1) clarify the definitions
for commercial packaged boilers; (2)
incorporate by reference the industry
standard ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015; (3) establish provisions for
verifying rated input during
enforcement testing; (4) adopt an
optional field test and an optional
metric conversion calculation; (5)
modify the inlet water temperature
requirements for hot water tests of noncondensing boilers; (6) and establish
new ambient temperature limits.
DOE reviewed this rule under the
provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility
Act and DOE’s own procedures and
policies published on February 19,
2003. 68 FR 7990. DOE has concluded
that this rule will not have a significant
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. The factual basis for this
certification is as follows.
The Small Business Administration
(SBA) considers a business entity to be
a small business, if, together with its
affiliates, it employs less than a
threshold number of workers specified
in 13 CFR part 121. These size standards
and codes are established by the North
American Industry Classification
System (NAICS). The threshold number
for NAICS classification code 333414,
which applies to ‘‘heating equipment
(except warm air furnaces)
manufacturing’ and includes
commercial packaged boilers, is 500
employees.
To estimate the number of companies
that could be small business
manufacturers of the equipment affected
by this rulemaking, DOE conducted a
market survey using available public
information to identify potential small
manufacturers. DOE’s research involved
reviewing the DOE Compliance
Certification Database (CCD), AHRI
directory (a product database),
individual company Web sites, and
marketing research tools (e.g., Hoover’s
reports) to create a list of all domestic
small business manufacturers of
equipment affected by this rulemaking.
DOE identified 21 15 manufacturers of
commercial packaged boilers as
domestic small business manufacturers.
DOE was able to discuss the DOE test
procedures with 5 of these small
businesses prior to publication of the
March 2016 NOPR. DOE also obtained
information about small businesses and
potential impacts on small businesses
15 In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE identified 23
small businesses; however, of those 23, one small
manufacturer left the market and another is
considered large and therefore the count is now 21.
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while interviewing manufacturers in the
context of the standards rulemaking.
However, DOE did not receive any
detailed quantifications about the
incremental burden small businesses
would face as compared to larger
businesses in light of the proposed
methods.
With respect to potential costs
associated with the test procedure
amendments, DOE notes that several
amendments are clarifications or
clerical changes that will not impose
costs on small manufacturers. The
clarifications made to the definitions
relevant for commercial packaged
boilers do not modify the scope of the
test procedure nor do they impose
additional test burden. DOE is not
modifying the scope of coverage or
substantively modifying its definitions
in such a way that would result in the
need to certify compliance for
equipment for which certification is not
already required. As a result,
manufacturers that are small businesses
are not expected to have to certify
commercial packaged boilers for which
they are not already certifying
compliance.
Also, updating the referenced test
procedure to ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 is not anticipated to impose
additional costs on manufacturers.
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 is an
industry standard that replaces BTS–
2000, which is currently incorporated
by reference in the DOE test procedure.
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 uses
essentially the same test method found
in BTS–2000. While ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 removed outdated
instrumentation references from BTS–
2000, DOE does not believe
manufacturers are using
instrumentation that could not meet the
requirements found in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 also increases the
allowable steam pressure for steam tests
as compared to BTS–2000, which
accommodates testing of larger
commercial packaged boilers but does
not impose additional costs on
manufacturers, including small
manufacturers.
DOE is not adopting its proposed
provisions for certification of fuel input
rate, which had the potential of
requiring manufacturers to re-certify
previously certified commercial
packaged boilers. The provisions DOE
adopts in this final rule regarding rated
input pertain only to the process DOE
will use when conducting assessment
and enforcement testing and are for
manufacturer information only.
Therefore, these changes will pose no
additional burden to small
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manufacturers of commercial packaged
boilers.
DOE is adopting several provisions in
this final rule that may reduce the
burden associated with certifying
compliance for commercial packaged
boilers. Currently, laboratory testing for
thermal or combustion efficiency, as
applicable, is required for the
certification of all commercial packaged
boilers regardless of size. As described
in the March 2016 NOPR and in section
III.E, DOE acknowledges that some
commercial packaged boilers because of
their size may only be fully assembled
at their site of installation and therefore
the requirement to test for efficiency in
a laboratory would require a
manufacturer to assemble the unit at the
laboratory for testing, tear it down and
ship it to the site for installation, and rebuild it—a process that may be
expensive, if not impracticable. DOE is
adopting an optional field test
methodology based on the combustion
efficiency test for commercial packaged
boilers with rated input greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h as part of this final rule.
As described in the March 2016 NOPR,
the optional field test is intended to
reduce test burden as compared to the
existing DOE test procedure for thermal
efficiency. DOE has previously noted
that the combustion efficiency test is
less burdensome because of its shorter
duration and reduced instrumentation
as compared to the thermal efficiency
test. Therefore, by providing a simpler,
shorter test method that only requires a
unit to be assembled once, the optional
field test provisions are anticipated to
reduce test burden for small
manufacturers that manufacturer these
large commercial packaged boilers, as
compared to the current test procedure.
Similarly, DOE is adopting an
optional conversion calculation to
obtain a thermal efficiency rating from
a combustion efficiency test. The
calculation allows small manufacturers
to test the combustion efficiency (in a
laboratory, manufacturer facility, or in
the field) for steam commercial
packaged boilers with rated input
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h and
convert to a thermal efficiency rating.
As described regarding the field test
option, this optional calculation is
anticipated to reduce test burden by
allowing manufacturers of large
equipment to use a simpler and shorter
test (the combustion efficiency test,
either in a laboratory or in the field).
Some test procedure amendments in
this final rule may require additional
costs for manufacturers, including small
manufacturers. DOE is adopting more
specific inlet piping provisions based on
comments on the March 2016 NOPR
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that will increase the accuracy of the
inlet water temperature measurement.
The set-up change will require
additional segments of pipe and tee
connections, and a temperature sensor,
however DOE believes most if not all
manufacturers already have these items.
The set-up change may result in a longer
set-up time which DOE estimates to be
one additional hour per test. Based on
current wage information from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for a
mechanical engineering technician,16
DOE estimates the additional cost per
test (hourly labor cost multiplied by
number of hours) to be $41.
DOE is also adopting water
temperature limits in this final rule that
will reduce ambiguity in ratings and
provide for a more repeatable test. In the
March 2016 NOPR, DOE considered that
a reduction in the temperature rise
across a commercial packaged boilers
would proportionally increase the water
flow rate required. Such an increase
may have necessitated facility
improvements for manufacturer and
third-party laboratories, specifically by
installing larger pumps to meet the
increase water demand, and DOE
received several comments suggesting
this would be the case in response to the
March 2016 NOPR. ABMA suggested
that the proposed test procedure could
be particularly harmful to small entities.
ABMA indicated that the example DOE
provided for a 10 million Btu/h was
inadequate and that it is not abnormal
for a boiler to reach 3 times that size.
They suggested that without an AEDM,
the ratio would apply to the required
larger pump size, weigh tanks, scales
etc. and that applying the scaling factor
of 3 to the $3,000 pump cost in the
March 2016 NOPR would result in a
$9,000 pump. Additionally, ABMA
stated that scaling the 500 gpm flow rate
would yield 1,500 gpm requiring new
weigh tanks and scales and possibly a
new cooling tower which could reach
nearly $750,000. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5)
However, in this final rule DOE is
adopting water temperature limits that
are more closely aligned with the
current test procedure and reduce the
allowable range of inlet water
temperature for non-condensing
commercial packaged boilers. For noncondensing commercial packaged
boilers that already utilize a
recirculating loop during testing, the
amended test procedure standardizes
16 Hourly labor cost is estimated by multiplying
the hourly wage for a mechanical engineering
technician by 1.5 to account for benefits. Based on
data from the BLS, the mean hourly wage for a
mechanical engineering technician (occupation
code 17–3027) is $27.11. See: https://www.bls.gov/
oes/current/oes173027.htm#nat.
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the temperature rise across the
commercial packaged boiler which may
require slight adjustment of flow rates
compared to current tests but does not
require any additional set-up. For noncondensing commercial packaged
boilers that do not currently use a
recirculating loop, manufacturers may
choose to use a recirculating loop in
order to achieve the 80 °F ± 5 °F inlet
water temperature. DOE estimates the
additional set-up time required to be
one hour per test, and this additional
cost per test to be $41 (hourly labor cost
for mechanical engineering technician
multiplied by number of hours). For
condensing commercial packaged
boilers, DOE is not modifying the water
temperature requirements.
In the March 2016 NOPR DOE
proposed that steam tests occur at the
lowest steam pressure at which the
steam quality requirement of 98-percent
is achieved by starting at atmospheric
pressure and increasing incrementally.
In response ABMA and Weil-McLain
commented that the requirement to
incrementally increase steam pressure
would impose undue test burden.
(ABMA, No. 38 at p. 4; Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at p. 16) However, in the March
2016 NOPR DOE estimated the cost of
the time and fuel consumed for each test
to be approximately $253 based on two
additional hours of mechanical
engineering technician labor and natural
gas use for a 10 million Btu/h
commercial packaged boiler.17 DOE
continues to believe this amount is
modest in comparison to the overall cost
of product development and
certification.
With respect to ambient conditions,
based on comments received regarding
the additional burden of tightly
constraining ambient temperature and
humidity, DOE is not adopting tighter
restrictions on the ambient humidity
and is adopting a broader range of
allowable ambient temperatures as
compared with the March 2016 NOPR.
Several commenters suggested that the
proposed ambient conditions in the
March 2016 NOPR would result in
additional test burden by forcing
manufacturers to spend significant
resources in upgrading facilities and
HVAC capabilities. (ABMA, No. 38 at
pp. 4, 6; Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 4;
Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; CA IOUs, No.
48 at pp. 3–4; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4;
Raypak, No. 47 at p. 5; Lochinvar, No.
43 at p. 8; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at pp.
17 The price of natural gas is the 5-year average
(May 2009 to May 2014) obtained from the ‘‘U.S.
Price of Natural Gas Sold to Commercial
Consumers’’ from U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA) (Available at: https://
www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n3020us3m.htm).
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2, 14) Weil-McLain suggested that DOE
understated the costs associated with
laboratory facility upgrades. (WeilMcLain, No. 41 at p.2) Bradford White
estimated that the cost of an
environmental chamber would be
approximately $120,000; AHRI
suggested the cost could be from
$100,000 to over $1,000,000; Burnham
suggested that the cost would be
approximately $125,000 for a 20-ton
cooling capacity laboratory HVAC
system; and Raypak estimated that a
facility capable of conditioning
combustion air to support a 4,000,000
Btu/h boiler would be $500,000 to
$1,500,000. (Bradford White, No. 39 at
p. 4; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; Burnham, No.
40 at p. 6; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6)
Lochinvar indicated that adding the
additional water and environmental test
limitations beyond those in AHRI 1500
will have a substantial impact on all
manufacturers which will be more
significant for small manufacturers with
less well equipped labs. (Lochinvar, No.
43 at p. 11)
However, DOE is not adopting the
ambient condition requirements it
proposed in the March 2016 NOPR. For
ambient humidity, DOE is maintaining
the current 80% maximum relative
humidity requirement and is adopting a
broader range of allowable ambient
temperatures than proposed in the
March 2016 NOPR. With regard to the
ambient room temperature requirements
in this final rule, DOE notes that the
ranges of 65 °F to 100 °F for noncondensing commercial packaged
boilers and 65 °F to 85 °F for
condensing commercial packaged
boilers are intended to prevent the test
from being conducted in extreme
ambient conditions, and that these
allowable temperature ranges are typical
for building heating, ventilating, and
air-conditioning systems in normal
operating conditions. Additionally, the
temperature ranges being adopted are
consistent with those found in DOE’s
test procedure for residential boilers (10
CFR part 430 subpart B appendix N) and
in the draft version of ASHRAE
Standard 155P published in August
2016 for public review, which several
commenters have requested DOE adopt
in the future as the basis for the DOE
commercial packaged boiler test
procedure. DOE does not believe that
the ambient temperature requirements
being adopted will require facility or
equipment upgrades.
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed requiring digital data
acquisition for certain parameters in the
commercial packaged boilers test
procedure. DOE acknowledged that the
requirement would have some one-time
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costs for manufacturers that do not
currently have the necessary equipment.
ABMA stated that digital data
acquisition has its benefits, however it
may create heavy financial burden for
small manufacturers and should
therefore be optional. (ABMA, No. 38 at
p. 5) Raypak believed that the proposed
digital data acquisition was too
burdensome, particularly for small
business manufacturers who would
need to purchase data acquisition
equipment at costs substantially higher
than DOE estimates in the March 2016
NOPR. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4)
However, commenters did not present
specific cost estimates for necessary
equipment. DOE nevertheless
reexamined its estimates for digital data
acquisition and added instrumentation
that may also be necessary to meet the
requirements and the revised cost
estimates are found in Table IV.1. The
data acquisition system could be used
by the manufacturer or laboratory to test
all commercial packaged boiler models
going forward.
TABLE IV.1—ESTIMATED ONE-TIME
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DIGITAL
DATA ACQUISITION
Description
Cost
($)
Laptop ...........................................
Data Acquisition Module ...............
Data Acquisition Software ............
Instrumentation (Resistance Temperature Detectors,
Thermocouples) ........................
Initial Purchase, Installation and
Setup (40 hours laboratory
technician time × $41/hour) ......
1,500
2,000
3,000
Total ..........................................
9,140
1,000
1,640
DOE does not believe that
manufacturers are required to re-test
and re-certify existing basic models that
are already certified as complying with
DOE’s energy conservation standards as
a result of this test procedure final rule.
As part of its energy conservation
standards rulemaking for commercial
packaged boilers, DOE found that there
are 595 individual models attributed to
8 small manufacturers in the CCD.
While this results in an average of 74
individual models per small
manufacturer, DOE estimates that small
manufacturers on average certify 10
basic models (approximately 7
individual models per basic model).
Based on discussions with third-party
test laboratories, DOE estimates that a
laboratory test using a third-party
laboratory would cost a manufacturer
approximately $5,000. If a small
manufacturer were to test 7 basic
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models with a third-party laboratory,
DOE estimates that this would cost
$35,000 which represents
approximately 0.1-percent of revenue.
(Note: DOE believes this is a
conservative estimate, as most
manufacturers would use their own
laboratories for testing at a lower cost.)
For small business manufacturers that
use their own facilities and conduct
tests in-house, as shown in Table IV.1,
DOE estimates the one-time costs
associated with data acquisition to be
$9,140. DOE continues to believe these
costs are modest in comparison to small
manufacturer revenues and to the
overall cost of product development and
certification. For water tests, the
additional burden due to the inlet
piping set-up and recirculating loop
total two additional hours of mechanical
engineering technician labor or $82. For
steam tests, DOE estimated that two
additional hours of mechanical
engineering technician labor and natural
gas use would cost approximately $253.
DOE believes that these additional costs
for each test attributable to the inlet
piping set-up, recirculating loop set-up,
and steam pressure adjustment to be
modest in comparison to the overall cost
of testing.
Further, DOE notes that
manufacturers may use the AEDM
process for certifying compliance in
order to reduce burden. Manufacturers
may develop an AEDM based on test
data for smaller units in a basic model
group and apply the AEDM for larger
sizes of commercial packaged boilers.
Additionally, the field test option
adopted in this final rule provides a test
method by which a manufacturer of
large equipment (i.e. greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h rated input) can test
and certify such commercial packaged
boilers in the field if they do not have
facilities capable of meeting the
requirements of the standard laboratory
test method.
Additional compliance flexibilities
may be available for small
manufacturers through other means.
Section 504 of the Department of Energy
Organization Act, 42 U.S.C. 7194,
provides authority for the Secretary to
adjust a rule issued under EPCA in
order to prevent ‘‘special hardship,
inequity, or unfair distribution of
burdens’’ that may be imposed on that
manufacturer as a result of such rule.
Manufacturers should refer to 10 CFR
part 1003 for additional details.
For the reasons stated previously,
DOE concludes that this final rule will
not have a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small
entities, and as such has not prepared a
regulatory flexibility analysis for this
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rulemaking. DOE has provided its
certification and supporting statement
of factual basis to the Chief Counsel for
Advocacy of the SBA for review under
5 U.S.C. 605(b).
C. Review Under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995
Manufacturers of commercial
packaged boilers must certify to DOE
that their equipment complies with any
applicable energy conservation
standards. To certify compliance,
manufacturers must first obtain test data
for their equipment according to the
DOE test procedures, including any
amendments adopted for those test
procedures. DOE has established
regulations for the certification and
recordkeeping requirements for all
covered consumer products and
commercial equipment, including
commercial packaged boilers. (See
generally 10 CFR part 429.) The
collection-of-information requirement
for the certification and recordkeeping
is subject to review and approval by
OMB under the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA). This requirement has been
approved by OMB under OMB control
number 1910–1400. Public reporting
burden for the certification is estimated
to average 30 hours per manufacturer,
including the time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information.
Notwithstanding any other provision
of the law, no person is required to
respond to, nor shall any person be
subject to a penalty for failure to comply
with, a collection of information subject
to the requirements of the PRA, unless
that collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB Control Number.
D. Review Under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
In this final rule, DOE amends its test
procedure for commercial packaged
boilers. DOE has determined that this
rule falls into a class of actions that are
categorically excluded from review
under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and DOE’s implementing
regulations at 10 CFR part 1021.
Specifically, this rule amends an
existing rule without affecting the
amount, quality or distribution of
energy usage, and, therefore, will not
result in any environmental impacts.
Thus, this rulemaking is covered by
Categorical Exclusion A5 under 10 CFR
part 1021, subpart D, which applies to
any rulemaking that interprets or
amends an existing rule without
changing the environmental effect of
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that rule. Accordingly, neither an
environmental assessment nor an
environmental impact statement is
required.
E. Review Under Executive Order 13132
Executive Order 13132, ‘‘Federalism,’’
64 FR 43255 (August 4, 1999), imposes
certain requirements on agencies
formulating and implementing policies
or regulations that preempt State law or
that have Federalism implications. The
Executive Order requires agencies to
examine the constitutional and statutory
authority supporting any action that
would limit the policymaking discretion
of the States and to carefully assess the
necessity for such actions. The
Executive Order also requires agencies
to have an accountable process to
ensure meaningful and timely input by
State and local officials in the
development of regulatory policies that
have Federalism implications. On
March 14, 2000, DOE published a
statement of policy describing the
intergovernmental consultation process
it will follow in the development of
such regulations. 65 FR 13735. DOE
examined this final rule and determined
that it will not have a substantial direct
effect on the States, on the relationship
between the national government and
the States, or on the distribution of
power and responsibilities among the
various levels of government. EPCA
governs and prescribes Federal
preemption of State regulations as to
energy conservation for the products
that are the subject of this final rule.
States can petition DOE for exemption
from such preemption to the extent, and
based on criteria, set forth in EPCA. (42
U.S.C. 6297(d)) No further action is
required by Executive Order 13132.
F. Review Under Executive Order 12988
Regarding the review of existing
regulations and the promulgation of
new regulations, section 3(a) of
Executive Order 12988, ‘‘Civil Justice
Reform,’’ 61 FR 4729 (Feb. 7, 1996),
imposes on Federal agencies the general
duty to adhere to the following
requirements: (1) Eliminate drafting
errors and ambiguity; (2) write
regulations to minimize litigation; (3)
provide a clear legal standard for
affected conduct rather than a general
standard; and (4) promote simplification
and burden reduction. Section 3(b) of
Executive Order 12988 specifically
requires that Executive agencies make
every reasonable effort to ensure that the
regulation (1) clearly specifies the
preemptive effect, if any; (2) clearly
specifies any effect on existing Federal
law or regulation; (3) provides a clear
legal standard for affected conduct
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while promoting simplification and
burden reduction; (4) specifies the
retroactive effect, if any; (5) adequately
defines key terms; and (6) addresses
other important issues affecting clarity
and general draftsmanship under any
guidelines issued by the Attorney
General. Section 3(c) of Executive Order
12988 requires Executive agencies to
review regulations in light of applicable
standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b) to
determine whether they are met or it is
unreasonable to meet one or more of
them. DOE has completed the required
review and determined that, to the
extent permitted by law, this final rule
meets the relevant standards of
Executive Order 12988.
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G. Review Under the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) requires
each Federal agency to assess the effects
of Federal regulatory actions on State,
local, and Tribal governments and the
private sector. Public Law 104–4, sec.
201 (codified at 2 U.S.C. 1531). For a
regulatory action resulting in a rule that
may cause the expenditure by State,
local, and Tribal governments, in the
aggregate, or by the private sector of
$100 million or more in any one year
(adjusted annually for inflation), section
202 of UMRA requires a Federal agency
to publish a written statement that
estimates the resulting costs, benefits,
and other effects on the national
economy. (2 U.S.C. 1532(a), (b)) The
UMRA also requires a Federal agency to
develop an effective process to permit
timely input by elected officers of State,
local, and Tribal governments on a
proposed ‘‘significant intergovernmental
mandate,’’ and requires an agency plan
for giving notice and opportunity for
timely input to potentially affected
small governments before establishing
any requirements that might
significantly or uniquely affect small
governments. On March 18, 1997, DOE
published a statement of policy on its
process for intergovernmental
consultation under UMRA. 62 FR
12820; also available at https://
energy.gov/gc/office-general-counsel.
DOE examined this final rule according
to UMRA and its statement of policy
and determined that the rule contains
neither an intergovernmental mandate,
nor a mandate that may result in the
expenditure of $100 million or more in
any year, so these requirements do not
apply.
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H. Review Under the Treasury and
General Government Appropriations
Act, 1999
Section 654 of the Treasury and
General Government Appropriations
Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105–277) requires
Federal agencies to issue a Family
Policymaking Assessment for any rule
that may affect family well-being. This
final rule will not have any impact on
the autonomy or integrity of the family
as an institution. Accordingly, DOE has
concluded that it is not necessary to
prepare a Family Policymaking
Assessment.
reasonable alternatives to the action and
their expected benefits on energy
supply, distribution, and use.
This regulatory action is not a
significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866. Moreover, it
would not have a significant adverse
effect on the supply, distribution, or use
of energy, nor has it been designated as
a significant energy action by the
Administrator of OIRA. Therefore, it is
not a significant energy action, and,
accordingly, DOE has not prepared a
Statement of Energy Effects.
I. Review Under Executive Order 12630
DOE has determined, under Executive
Order 12630, ‘‘Governmental Actions
and Interference with Constitutionally
Protected Property Rights’’ 53 FR 8859
(March 18, 1988), that this regulation
will not result in any takings that might
require compensation under the Fifth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
L. Review Under Section 32 of the
Federal Energy Administration Act of
1974
J. Review Under Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act, 2001
Section 515 of the Treasury and
General Government Appropriations
Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note) provides
for agencies to review most
disseminations of information to the
public under guidelines established by
each agency pursuant to general
guidelines issued by OMB. OMB’s
guidelines were published at 67 FR
8452 (Feb. 22, 2002), and DOE’s
guidelines were published at 67 FR
62446 (Oct. 7, 2002). DOE has reviewed
this final rule under the OMB and DOE
guidelines and has concluded that it is
consistent with applicable policies in
those guidelines.
K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
Executive Order 13211, ‘‘Actions
Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use,’’ 66 FR 28355 (May
22, 2001), requires Federal agencies to
prepare and submit to OMB, a
Statement of Energy Effects for any
significant energy action. A ‘‘significant
energy action’’ is defined as any action
by an agency that promulgated or is
expected to lead to promulgation of a
final rule, and that (1) is a significant
regulatory action under Executive Order
12866, or any successor order; and (2)
is likely to have a significant adverse
effect on the supply, distribution, or use
of energy; or (3) is designated by the
Administrator of OIRA as a significant
energy action. For any significant energy
action, the agency must give a detailed
statement of any adverse effects on
energy supply, distribution, or use if the
regulation is implemented, and of
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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.
The modifications to the test
procedure for commercial packaged
boilers adopted in this final rule
incorporate testing methods contained
in certain sections of the commercial
standard ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015. DOE has evaluated this standard
and is unable to conclude whether it
fully complies with the requirements of
section 32(b) of the FEAA (i.e., whether
it was developed in a manner that fully
provides for public participation,
comment, and review). DOE has
consulted with both the Attorney
General and the Chairwoman of the FTC
about the impact on competition of
using the methods contained in this
standard and has received no comments
objecting to their use.
M. Congressional Notification
As required by 5 U.S.C. 801, DOE will
report to Congress on the promulgation
of this rule before its effective date. The
report will state that it has been
determined that the rule is not a ‘‘major
rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
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N. Description of Materials Incorporated
by Reference
431 of Chapter II of Title 10, Code of
Federal Regulations as set forth below:
In this final rule, DOE incorporates by
reference the following:
Part 429—ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, (‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015’’), ‘‘2015 Standard for
Performance Rating of Commercial
Space Heating Boilers,’’ ANSI approved
November 28, 2014: Figure C9,
Suggested Piping Arrangement for Hot
Water Boilers.
Part 431—ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, (‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015’’), ‘‘2015 Standard for
Performance Rating of Commercial
Space Heating Boilers,’’ ANSI approved
November 28, 2014: Section 3,
‘‘Definitions,’’ Section 5, ‘‘Rating
Requirements,’’ Appendix C, ‘‘Methods
of Testing for Rating Commercial Space
Heating Boilers—Normative,’’ Appendix
D, ‘‘Properties of Saturated Steam—
Normative,’’ and Appendix E,
‘‘Correction Factors for Heating Values
of Fuel Gases—Normative.’’
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 is an
industry-accepted test procedure that
provides methods, requirements, and
calculations for determining the thermal
and/or combustion efficiency of a
commercial space heating boiler. ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 is available
at: https://www.ahrinet.org/App_
Content/ahri/files/standards%20pdfs/
ANSI%20standards%20pdfs/
ANSI.AHRI_Standard_1500-2015.pdf.
PART 429—CERTIFICATION,
COMPLIANCE, AND ENFORCEMENT
FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT
V. Approval of the Office of the
Secretary
The Secretary of Energy has approved
publication of this final rule.
List of Subjects
10 CFR Part 429
Administrative practice and
procedure, Confidential business
information, Energy conservation,
Household appliances, Incorporation by
reference, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
10 CFR Part 431
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Administrative practice and
procedure, Confidential business
information, Energy conservation test
procedures, Incorporation by reference,
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Test procedures.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November
28, 2016.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy
Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, DOE amends parts 429 and
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1. The authority citation for part 429
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291–6317; 28 U.S.C.
2461 note.
2. Section 429.4 is amended by adding
paragraph (c)(2) to read as follows:
■
§ 429.4 Materials incorporated by
reference.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) * * *
(2) AHRI Standard 1500–2015,
(‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015’’),
‘‘2015 Standard for Performance Rating
of Commercial Space Heating Boilers,’’
ANSI approved November 28, 2014:
Figure C9, Suggested Piping
Arrangement for Hot Water Boilers; IBR
approved for § 429.60.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 3. Section 429.11 is amended by
revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:
§ 429.11 General sampling requirements
for selecting units to be tested.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) The minimum number of units
tested shall be no less than two, except
where:
(1) A different minimum limit is
specified in §§ 429.14 through 429.65 of
this subpart; or
(2) Only one unit of the basic model
is produced, in which case, that unit
must be tested and the test results must
demonstrate that the basic model
performs at or better than the applicable
standard(s). If one or more units of the
basic model are manufactured
subsequently, compliance with the
default sampling and representations
provisions is required.
■ 4. Section 429.60 is amended by:
■ a. Revising paragraphs (a)
introductory text and (a)(1)(i);
■ b. Adding paragraphs (a)(3) and (4);
■ c. Revising paragraph (b)(2); and
■ d. Adding paragraphs (b)(3)(iii) and
(b)(5).
The revisions and additions read as
follows:
§ 429.60
Commercial packaged boilers.
(a) Determination of represented
value. Manufacturers must determine
the represented value, which includes
the certified rating, for each basic model
of commercial packaged boilers either
by testing in accordance with § 431.86
of this chapter, in conjunction with the
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89303
applicable sampling provisions, or by
applying an AEDM.
(1) * * *
(i) If the represented value is
determined through testing, the general
requirements of § 429.11 are applicable,
except that, if the represented value is
determined through testing pursuant to
§ 431.86(c) of this chapter, the number
of units selected for testing may be one;
and
*
*
*
*
*
(3) The rated input for a basic model
reported in accordance with paragraph
(b)(2) of this section must be the
maximum rated input listed on the
nameplate and in manufacturer
literature for the commercial packaged
boiler basic model. In the case where
the nameplate and the manufacturer
literature are not identical, DOE will use
the nameplate on the unit for
determining the rated input.
(4) For a model of commercial
packaged boiler capable of supplying
either steam or hot water, representative
values for steam mode must be based on
efficiency in steam mode and
representative values for hot water
mode must be based on either the
efficiency in hot water mode or steam
mode in accordance with the test
procedure in § 431.86 of this chapter
and the provisions of this section.
(b) * * *
(2) Pursuant to § 429.12(b)(13), a
certification report must include the
following public, equipment-specific
information:
(i) If oil-fired, the manufacturer
(including brand, if applicable) and
model number of the burner;
(ii) The rated input in British thermal
units per hour (Btu/h);
(iii) The combustion efficiency in
percent (%) to the nearest tenth of one
percent or thermal efficiency in percent
(%) to the nearest one tenth of one
percent, as specified in § 431.87 of this
chapter; and
(iv) For a basic model of commercial
packaged boiler that cannot be tested
using the standard inlet temperatures
required in appendix A to subpart E of
part 431, the average inlet water
temperature measured at Point B in
Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 (incorporated by reference,
see § 429.4) at which the model was
tested.
(3) * * *
(iii) For basic models of commercial
packaged boilers that have a rated input
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, a
declaration about whether the certified
efficiency rating is based on testing
conducted pursuant to § 431.86(c) of
this chapter.
*
*
*
*
*
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(5) Any field tested pursuant to
§ 431.86(c) of this chapter basic model
of a commercial packaged boiler that
has not been previously certified
through testing or an AEDM must be
certified within 15 days of
commissioning.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 5. Section 429.70 is amended by
adding paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(D) to read as
follows:
§ 429.70 Alternative methods for
determining energy efficiency and energy
use.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) * * *
(2) * * *
(iii) * * *
(D) An AEDM that is validated based
on test results obtained from one or
more field tests (pursuant to § 431.86(c))
can only be used to certify the
performance of basic models of
commercial packaged boilers with a
certified rated input greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 6. Section 429.110 is amended by
revising paragraph (a)(3) and adding
paragraph (c)(1)(iii) to read as follows:
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
§ 429.110
Enforcement testing.
(a) * * *
(3) Testing will be conducted at a
laboratory accredited to the
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO)/International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC),
‘‘General requirements for the
competence of testing and calibration
laboratories,’’ ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E)
(incorporated by reference; see § 429.4).
If testing cannot be completed at an
independent laboratory, DOE, at its
discretion, may allow enforcement
testing at a manufacturer’s laboratory, so
long as the lab is accredited to ISO/IEC
17025:2005(E) and DOE representatives
witness the testing. In addition, for
commercial packaged boilers with rated
input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h,
DOE, at its discretion, may allow
enforcement testing of a commissioned
commercial packaged boiler in the
location in which it was commissioned
for use, pursuant to the test provisions
at § 431.86(c) of this chapter, for which
accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E)
would not be required.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) * * *
(1) * * *
(iii) Previously commissioned
commercial packaged boilers with a
rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/
h. DOE may test a sample of at least one
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unit in the location in which it was
commissioned for use.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 7. Section 429.134 is amended by
adding paragraph (m) to read as follows:
§ 429.134 Product-specific enforcement
provisions.
*
*
*
*
*
(m) Commercial packaged boilers—(1)
Verification of fuel input rate. The fuel
input rate of each tested unit will be
measured pursuant to the test
requirements of § 431.86 of this chapter.
The results of the measurement(s) will
be compared to the value of rated input
certified by the manufacturer. The
certified rated input will be considered
valid only if the measurement(s) (either
the measured fuel input rate for a single
unit sample or the average of the
measured fuel input rates for a multiple
unit sample) is within two percent of
the certified rated input.
(i) If the measured fuel input rate is
within two-percent of the certified rated
input, the certified rated input will
serve as the basis for determination of
the appropriate equipment class(es) and
the mean measured fuel input rate will
be used as the basis for calculation of
combustion and/or thermal efficiency
for the basic model.
(ii) If the measured fuel input rate for
a gas-fired commercial packaged boiler
is not within two-percent of the certified
rated input, DOE will first attempt to
increase or decrease the gas manifold
pressure within the range specified in
manufacturer’s installation and
operation manual shipped with the
commercial packaged boiler being tested
(or, if not provided in the manual, in
supplemental instructions provided by
the manufacturer pursuant to
§ 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter) to achieve
the certified rated input (within twopercent). If the fuel input rate is still not
within two-percent of the certified rated
input, DOE will attempt to increase or
decrease the gas inlet pressure within
the range specified in manufacturer’s
installation and operation manual
shipped with the commercial packaged
boiler being tested (or, if not provided
in the manual, in supplemental
instructions provided by the
manufacturer pursuant to § 429.60(b)(4))
to achieve the certified rated input
(within two-percent). If the fuel input
rate is still not within two-percent of the
certified rated input, DOE will attempt
to modify the gas inlet orifice if the unit
is equipped with one. If the fuel input
rate still is not within two percent of the
certified rated input, the mean
measured fuel input rate (either for a
single unit sample or the average of the
measured fuel input rates for a multiple
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unit sample) will serve as the basis for
determination of the appropriate
equipment class(es) and calculation of
combustion and/or thermal efficiency
for the basic model.
(iii) If the measured fuel input rate for
an oil-fired commercial packaged boiler
is not within two-percent of the certified
rated input, the mean measured fuel
input rate (either for a single unit
sample or the average of the measured
fuel input rates for a multiple unit
sample) will serve as the basis for
determination of the appropriate
equipment class(es) and calculation of
combustion and/or thermal efficiency
for the basic model.
(2) Models capable of producing both
hot water and steam. For a model of
commercial packaged boiler that is
capable of producing both hot water and
steam, DOE may measure the thermal or
combustion efficiency as applicable (see
§ 431.87 of this chapter) for steam and/
or hot water modes. DOE will evaluate
compliance based on the measured
thermal or combustion efficiency in
steam and hot water modes,
independently.
PART 431—ENERGY EFFICIENCY
PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT
8. The authority citation for part 431
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291–6317; 28 U.S.C.
2461 note.
9. Section 431.82 is amended by:
a. Revising the definitions for
‘‘Combustion efficiency,’’ and
‘‘Commercial packaged boiler;’’
■ b. Adding in alphabetical order
definitions for ‘‘Field-constructed’’ and
‘‘Fuel input rate;’’
■ c. Revising the definition for
‘‘Packaged boiler;’’
■ d. Removing the definitions for
‘‘Packaged high pressure boiler’’ and
‘‘Packaged low pressure boiler;’’ and
■ e. Adding in alphabetical order a
definition for ‘‘Rated input.’’
The revisions and additions read as
follows:
■
■
§ 431.82 Definitions concerning
commercial packaged boilers.
*
*
*
*
*
Combustion efficiency for a
commercial packaged boiler is a
measurement of how much of the fuel
input energy is converted to useful heat
in combustion and is calculated as 100percent minus percent losses due to dry
flue gas, incomplete combustion, and
moisture formed by combustion of
hydrogen, as determined with the test
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procedures prescribed under § 431.86 of
this chapter.
Commercial packaged boiler means a
packaged boiler that meets all of the
following criteria:
(1) Has rated input of 300,000 Btu/h
or greater;
(2) Is, to any significant extent,
distributed in commerce for space
conditioning and/or service water
heating in buildings but does not meet
the definition of ‘‘hot water supply
boiler’’ in this part;
(3) Does not meet the definition of
‘‘field-constructed’’ in this section; and
(4) Is designed to:
(i) Operate at a steam pressure at or
below 15 psig;
(ii) Operate at or below a water
pressure of 160 psig and water
temperature of 250 °F; or
(iii) Operate at the conditions
specified in both paragraphs (4)(i) and
(ii) of this definition.
*
*
*
*
*
Field-constructed means customdesigned equipment that requires
welding of structural components in the
field during installation. For the
purposes of this definition, welding
does not include attachment using
mechanical fasteners or brazing; any
jackets, shrouds, venting, burner, or
burner mounting hardware are not
structural components.
*
*
*
*
*
Fuel input rate for a commercial
packaged boiler means the measured
rate at which the commercial packaged
boiler uses energy and is determined
89305
using test procedures prescribed under
§ 431.86 of this chapter.
*
*
*
*
*
Packaged boiler means a boiler that is
shipped complete with heating
equipment, mechanical draft
equipment, and automatic controls and
is usually shipped in one or more
sections. If the boiler is shipped in more
than one section, the sections may be
produced by more than one
manufacturer, and may be originated or
shipped at different times and from
more than one location.
*
*
*
*
*
Rated input means the maximum rate
at which the commercial packaged
boiler has been rated to use energy as
indicated by the nameplate and in the
manual shipped with the commercial
packaged boiler.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 10. Section 431.85 is amended by
revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:
(i) Section 3—Definitions (excluding
introductory text to section 3,
introductory text to 3.2, 3.2.4, 3.2.7, 3.6,
3.12, 3.13, 3.20, 3.23, 3.24, 3.26, 3.27,
and 3.31);
(ii) Section 5—Rating Requirements,
5.3 Standard Rating Conditions:
(excluding introductory text to section
5.3, 5.3.5, 5.3.8, and 5.3.9);
(iii) Appendix C—Methods of Testing
for Rating Commercial Space Heating
Boilers—Normative, excluding C2.1,
C2.7.2.2.2, C3.1.3, C3.5–C3.7, C4.1.1.1.2,
C4.1.1.2.3, C4.1.2.1.5, C4.1.2.2.2,
C4.1.2.2.3, C4.2, C5, C7.1, C7.2.12,
C7.2.20;
(iv) Appendix D. Properties of
Saturated Steam—Normative.
(v) Appendix E. Correction Factors for
Heating Values of Fuel Gases—
Normative.
(2) [Reserved].
■ 11. Section 431.86 is revised to read
as follows:
§ 431.85 Materials incorporated by
reference.
§ 431.86 Uniform test method for the
measurement of energy efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) AHRI. Air-Conditioning, Heating,
and Refrigeration Institute, 2111 Wilson
Blvd., Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22201,
(703) 524–8800, or go to: https://
www.ahrinet.org.
(1) AHRI Standard 1500–2015,
(‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015’’),
‘‘2015 Standard for Performance Rating
of Commercial Space Heating Boilers,’’
ANSI approved November 28, 2014, IBR
approved for appendix A to subpart E as
follows:
(a) Scope. This section provides test
procedures, pursuant to the Energy
Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as
amended, which must be followed for
measuring the combustion efficiency
and/or thermal efficiency of a gas- or
oil-fired commercial packaged boiler.
(b) Testing and Calculations.
Determine the thermal efficiency or
combustion efficiency of commercial
packaged boilers by conducting the
appropriate test procedure(s) indicated
in Table 1 of this section.
TABLE 1—TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL PACKAGED BOILER EQUIPMENT CLASSES
Subcategory
Hot Water ......................
Hot Water ......................
Hot Water ......................
Hot Water ......................
Steam ............................
Steam ............................
Gas-fired .......................
Gas-fired .......................
Oil-fired .........................
Oil-fired .........................
Gas-fired (all*) ..............
Gas-fired (all*) ..............
≥300,000 and ≤2,500,000 ..........
>2,500,000 .................................
≥300,000 and ≤2,500,000 ..........
>2,500,000 .................................
≥300,000 and ≤2,500,000 ..........
>2,500,000 and ≤5,000,000 ......
>5,000,000 .................................
Thermal Efficiency ............
Combustion Efficiency ......
Thermal Efficiency ............
Combustion Efficiency ......
Thermal Efficiency ............
Thermal Efficiency ............
Thermal Efficiency ............
Steam ............................
Steam ............................
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Equipment category
Certified rated input
Btu/h
Standards efficiency metric
(§ 431.87)
Oil-fired .........................
Oil-fired .........................
≥300,000 and ≤2,500,000 ..........
>2,500,000 and ≤5,000,000 ......
>5,000,000 .................................
Thermal Efficiency ............
Thermal Efficiency ............
Thermal Efficiency ............
Test procedure
(corresponding to
standards efficiency
metric required
by § 431.87)
Appendix A, Section 2.
Appendix A, Section 3.
Appendix A, Section 2.
Appendix A, Section 3.
Appendix A, Section 2.
Appendix A, Section 2.
Appendix A, Section 2.
OR
Appendix A, Section 3 with
Section 2.4.3.2.
Appendix A, Section 2.
Appendix A, Section 2.
Appendix A, Section 2.
OR
Appendix A, Section 3.
with Section 2.4.3.2.
* Equipment classes for commercial packaged boilers as of July 22, 2009 (74 FR 36355) distinguish between gas-fired natural draft and all
other gas-fired (except natural draft).
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(c) Field Tests. The field test
provisions of appendix A may be used
only to test a unit of commercial
packaged boiler with rated input greater
than 5,000,000 Btu/h.
manufactured on or after the effective
date listed must meet the indicated
energy conservation standard.
12. Section 431.87 is revised to read
as follows:
■
§ 431.87 Energy conservation standards
and their effective dates.
(a) Each commercial packaged boiler
listed in Table 1 of this section and
TABLE 1—COMMERCIAL PACKAGED BOILER ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS
Equipment category
Subcategory
Certified rated input
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Boilers
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Boilers
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Boilers
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Boilers
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Gas-fired ............................................
Gas-fired ............................................
Oil-fired ...............................................
Oil-fired ...............................................
Gas-fired—all, except natural draft ....
Gas-fired—all, except natural draft ....
Gas-fired—natural draft .....................
Gas-fired—natural draft .....................
Oil-fired ...............................................
Oil-fired ...............................................
≥300,000 Btu/h and ≤2,500,000 Btu/h
>2,500,000 Btu/h ................................
≥300,000 Btu/h and ≤2,500,000 Btu/h
>2,500,000 Btu/h ................................
≥300,000 Btu/h and ≤2,500,000 Btu/h
>2,500,000 Btu/h ................................
≥300,000 Btu/h and ≤2,500,000 Btu/h
>2,500,000 Btu/h ................................
≥300,000 Btu/h and ≤2,500,000 Btu/h
>2,500,000 Btu/h ................................
* Where
Efficiency level—
effective date:
March 2, 2012*
80.0%
82.0%
82.0%
84.0%
79.0%
79.0%
77.0%
77.0%
81.0%
81.0%
ET.
E C.
ET.
E C.
ET.
E T.
ET.
E T.
ET.
E T.
EC is combustion efficiency and ET is thermal efficiency.
(b) Each commercial packaged boiler
listed in Table 2 of this section and
manufactured on or after the effective
date listed in Table 2 must meet the
indicated energy conservation standard.
TABLE 2—COMMERCIAL PACKAGED BOILER ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS
Equipment category
Subcategory
Certified rated input
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers ......
Gas-fired—natural draft .....................
Gas-fired—natural draft .....................
≥300,000 Btu/h and ≤2,500,000 Btu/h
>2,500,000 Btu/h ................................
* Where
79.0% ET.
79.0% ET.
ET is thermal efficiency.
13. Add appendix A to subpart E of
part 431 to read as follows:
■
Appendix A to Subpart E of Part 431—
Uniform Test Method for the
Measurement of Thermal Efficiency
and Combustion Efficiency of
Commercial Packaged Boilers
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Efficiency level—
Effective Date:
March 2, 2022*
Note: Prior to December 4, 2017,
manufacturers must make any
representations with respect to the energy
use or efficiency of commercial packaged
boilers in accordance with the results of
testing pursuant to this Appendix or the test
procedures as they appeared in 10 CFR
431.86 revised as of January 1, 2016. On and
after December 4, 2017, manufacturers must
make any representations with respect to
energy use or efficiency in accordance with
the results of testing pursuant to this
appendix.
1. Definitions.
For purposes of this appendix, the
Department of Energy incorporates by
reference the definitions established in
section 3 of the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) and Air-Conditioning,
Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI)
Standard 1500, ‘‘2015 Standard for
Performance Rating of Commercial Space
Heating Boilers,’’ beginning with 3.1 and
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Jkt 241001
ending with 3.35 (incorporated by reference,
see § 431.85; hereafter ‘‘ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015’’), excluding the introductory text
to section 3, the introductory text to section
3.2, ‘‘Boiler’’; 3.2.4, ‘‘Heating Boiler’’; 3.2.7,
‘‘Packaged Boiler’’; 3.6, ‘‘Combustion
Efficiency’’; 3.12, ‘‘Efficiency, Combustion’’;
3.13, ‘‘Efficiency, Thermal’’; 3.20, ‘‘Gross
Output’’; 3.23, ‘‘Input Rating’’; 3.24, ‘‘Net
Rating’’; 3.26, ‘‘Published Rating’’; 3.26.1,
‘‘Standard Rating’’; 3.27, ‘‘Rating
Conditions’’; 3.27.1, ‘‘Standard Rating
Conditions’’; and 3.31, ‘‘Thermal Efficiency.’’
In cases where there is a conflict, the
language of the test procedure in this
appendix takes precedence over ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015.
1.1. In all incorporated sections of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015, references to the
manufacturer’s ‘‘specifications,’’
‘‘recommendations,’’ ‘‘directions,’’ or
‘‘requests’’ mean the manufacturer’s
instructions in the installation and operation
manual shipped with the commercial
packaged boiler being tested or in
supplemental instructions provided by the
manufacturer pursuant to § 429.60(b)(4) of
this chapter. For parameters or
considerations not specified in this
appendix, refer to the manual shipped with
the commercial packaged boiler. Should the
manual shipped with the commercial
packaged boiler not provide the necessary
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information, refer to the supplemental
instructions for the basic model pursuant to
§ 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter. The
supplemental instructions provided pursuant
to § 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter do not
replace or alter any requirements in this
appendix nor do they override the manual
shipped with the commercial packaged
boiler. In cases where these supplemental
instructions conflict with any instructions or
provisions provided in the manual shipped
with the commercial packaged boiler, use the
manual shipped with the commercial
packaged boiler.
1.2. Unless otherwise noted, in all
incorporated sections of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015, the term ‘‘boiler’’
means a commercial packaged boiler as
defined in § 431.82.
1.3. Unless otherwise noted, in all
incorporated sections of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015, the term ‘‘input rating’’
means ‘‘rated input’’ as defined in § 431.82.
2. Thermal Efficiency Test.
2.1. Test Setup.
2.1.1. Instrumentation. Use
instrumentation meeting the minimum
requirements found in Table C1 of Appendix
C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
(incorporated by reference, see § 431.85).
2.1.2. Data collection and sampling.
Record all test data in accordance with Table
2.1 and Table 2.2. Do not use Section C5 and
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
Table C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015.
TABLE 2.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING—Continued
TABLE 2.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING
Additional
instruction
Item recorded
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Date of Test ...............................
Manufacturer ..............................
Commercial Packaged Boiler
Model Number.
Burner Model Number & Manufacturer.
Nozzle description and oil pressure.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Oil Analysis—H, C, API Gravity,
lb/gal and Btu/lb.
Gas Manifold Pressure ..............
None.
None.
None.
Gas line pressure at meter ........
None.
Gas temperature ........................
None.
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TABLE 2.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING—Continued
Additional
instruction
Item recorded
None.
Record at start
and end of test.
Measurement
may be made
manually.
Measurement
may be made
manually.
Sfmt 4700
89307
Item recorded
Barometric Pressure (Steam
and Natural Gas Only).
Gas Heating Value, Btu/ft 3* ......
Additional
instruction
Measurement
may be made
manually.
Record at start
and end of test.
* Multiplied by correction factors, as applicable, in
accordance with Appendix E of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
Table 2.2. Data to be Recorded During Testing
Required Data Recording
Item Recorded
Digital
Acquisition
Required?
Every 1
Minute
Time, minutes/seconds
Yes
Yes
Average
During Test
Period
X
Pressure in Firebox, in
H2 0 (if required per
Section C3.4 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015)
Flue Gas Smoke Spot
Reading (oil)
Every 15
Minutes
X
No
X
X
No
X
X
Room Air Temperature
Yes
Fuel Weight or Volume, lb
(gas)
(oil) or
Yes
Test Air Temperature, °F
Yes
Draft in Vent, in H20 (oil
and non-atmospheric gas)
No
X
X
Flue Gas C0 2 or 0 2, %
No
X
X
Flue Gas CO, ppm
No
At Least Start
and End
X
Relative Humidity,%
No
X
X
No
At Least Start
and End
No
X
fe
:::!!:
<(
UJ
IVl
Separator water
weight, lb
Steam Pressure,
in Hg
Steam
Temperature, °F (if
used)
Condensate
collected, or water
fed, lb
Outlet Water
Temperature, °F
Yes
a::
UJ
~
s
X
X
X
Yes
X
Yes
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
No
Inlet Water
Temperature at
Points A and B of
Figure 9 of
ANSI/AHRI
Standard 15002015 as applicable,
X
X
No
Water fed, lb
X
X
X
X
OF
2.1.3. Instrument Calibration. Instruments
must be calibrated at least once per year and
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a calibration record, containing at least the
date of calibration and the method of
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calibration, must be kept as part of the data
E:\FR\FM\09DER3.SGM
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Total
During
Test
Period
X
Flue Gas Temperature, °F
For Use in Calculations
(Section 2.4) As
Applicable
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
89309
2.1.4.1.3.1. For the purposes of confirming
steady-state operation during the ‘‘Warm-Up
Period,’’ the measurement period must be 15
minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section
C7.2.3.1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 must be 0.25 hours to
determine fuel input rate.
2.1.4.1.3.2. For the purposes of
determining thermal efficiency during the
‘‘Test Period,’’ the measurement period and
tT are as specified in sections 2.3.4 and 2.3.5
of this appendix.
2.1.4.2 For tests of gas-fired commercial
packaged boilers, install a volumetric gas
meter meeting the accuracy requirements of
Table C1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 upstream of the gas inlet
port of the commercial packaged boiler.
Record the accumulated gas volume
consumed for each applicable measurement
period. Use Equation C7.2.3.2. of Appendix
C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 to
calculate fuel input rate.
2.1.4.2.1. The applicable measurement
period for the purposes of determining fuel
input rate must be as specified in section
2.1.4.2.1.1. of this appendix for the ‘‘WarmUp Period’’ and 2.1.4.2.1.2. of this appendix
for the ‘‘Test Period.’’
2.1.4.2.1.1. For the purposes of confirming
steady-state operation during the ‘‘Warm-Up
Period,’’ the measurement period must be 15
minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section
C7.2.3.1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 must be 0.25 hours to
determine fuel input rate.
2.1.4.2.1.2. For the purposes of
determining thermal efficiency during the
‘‘Test Period,’’ the measurement period and
tT are as specified in sections 2.3.4 and 2.3.5
of this appendix.
2.1.4.3 In addition to the provisions of
Section C2.2.1.2 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, vent gases may alternatively be
discharged vertically into a straight stack
section without elbows. R–7 minimum
insulation must extend 6 stack diameters
above the flue collar, the thermocouple grid
must be located at a vertical distance of 3
stack diameters above the flue collar, and the
sampling tubes for flue gases must be
installed within 1 stack diameter beyond the
thermocouple grid. If dilution air is
introduced into the flue gases before the
plane of the thermocouple and flue gas
sampling points, utilize an alternate plane of
thermocouple grid and flue gas sampling
point located downstream from the heat
exchanger and upstream from the point of
dilution air introduction.
2.1.5. Additional Requirements for
Outdoor Commercial Packaged Boilers. If the
manufacturer provides more than one
outdoor venting arrangement, the outdoor
commercial packaged boiler (as defined in
Section 3.2.6 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015; incorporated by reference, see § 431.85)
must be tested with the shortest total venting
arrangement as measured by adding the
straight lengths of venting supplied with the
equipment. If the manufacturer does not
provide an outdoor venting arrangement,
install the outdoor commercial packaged
boiler venting consistent with the procedure
specified in Section C2.2 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
2.1.6. Additional Requirements for Steam
Tests. In addition to the provisions of Section
C2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 (incorporated by reference, see
§ 431.85), the following requirements apply
for steam tests.
2.1.6.1. Insulate all steam piping from the
commercial packaged boiler to the steam
separator, and extend insulation at least one
foot (1 ft.) beyond the steam separator, using
insulation meeting the requirements
specified in Table 2.3 of this appendix.
2.1.6.2. A temperature sensing device must
be installed in the insulated steam piping
prior to the water separator if the commercial
packaged boiler produces superheated steam.
2.1.6.3. Water entrained in the steam and
water condensing within the steam piping
must be collected and used to calculate the
quality of steam during the ‘‘Test Period.’’
Steam condensate must be collected and
measured using either a cumulative
(totalizing) flow rate or by measuring the
mass of the steam condensate.
Instrumentation used to determine the
amount of steam condensate must meet the
requirements identified in Table C1 in
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015.
2.1.7. Additional Requirements for Water
Tests. In addition to the provisions of section
C2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 (incorporated by reference, see
§ 431.85), the following requirements apply
for water tests.
2.1.7.1. Insulate all water piping between
the commercial packaged boiler and the
location of the temperature measuring
equipment, including one foot (1 ft.) beyond
the sensor, using insulation meeting the
requirements specified in Table 2.3 of this
appendix.
2.1.7.2. Install a temperature measuring
device at Point B of Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI
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underlying each basic model certification,
pursuant to § 429.71 of this chapter.
2.1.4. Test Setup and Apparatus. Set up
the commercial packaged boiler for thermal
efficiency testing according to the provisions
of Section C2 (except section C2.1) of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 (incorporated by reference, see
§ 431.85).
2.1.4.1. For tests of oil-fired commercial
packaged boilers, determine the weight of
fuel consumed using one of the methods
specified in the following sections 2.1.4.1.1.
or 2.1.4.1.2. of this appendix:
2.1.4.1.1. If using a scale, determine the
weight of fuel consumed as the difference
between the weight of the oil vessel before
and after each measurement period, as
specified in sections 2.1.4.1.3.1. or
2.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix, determined
using a scale meeting the accuracy
requirements of Table C1 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
2.1.4.1.2. If using a flow meter, first
determine the volume of fuel consumed as
the total volume over the applicable
measurement period as specified in
2.1.4.1.3.1. or 2.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix
and as measured by a flow meter meeting the
accuracy requirements of Table C1 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 upstream of the oil inlet port of the
commercial packaged boiler. Then determine
the weight of fuel consumed by multiplying
the total volume of fuel over the applicable
measurement period by the density of oil as
determined pursuant to C3.2.1.1.3. of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015.
2.1.4.1.3. The applicable measurement
period for the purposes of determining fuel
input rate must be as specified in section
2.1.4.1.3.1. of this appendix for the ‘‘WarmUp Period’’ or section 2.1.4.1.3.2. of this
appendix for the ‘‘Test Period.’’
89310
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
Standard 1500–2015 (incorporated by
reference, see § 431.85). Water entering the
commercial packaged boiler must first enter
the run of a tee and exit from the top outlet
of the tee. The remaining connection of the
tee must be plugged. Measure the inlet water
temperature at Point B in the run of a second
tee located 12 ± 2 pipe diameters
downstream from the first tee and no more
than the greater of 12 inches or 6 pipe
diameters from the inlet of the commercial
packaged boiler. The temperature measuring
device shall extend into the water flow at the
point of exit from the side outlet of the
second tee. All inlet piping between the
temperature measuring device and the inlet
of the commercial packaged boilers must be
wrapped with R–7 insulation.
2.1.7.3. Do not use Section C2.7.2.2.2 or its
subsections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 for water meter calibration.
2.1.8. Flue Gas Sampling. In section C2.5.2
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, replace the last sentence with the
following: When taking flue gas samples from
a rectangular plane, collect samples at 1⁄4, 1⁄2,
and 3⁄4 the distance from one side of the
rectangular plane in the longer dimension
and along the centerline midway between the
edges of the plane in the shorter dimension
and use the average of the three samples. The
tolerance in each dimension for each
measurement location is ± 1 inch.
2.2. Test Conditions.
2.2.1. General. Use the test conditions from
Section 5 and Section C3 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
(incorporated by reference, see § 431.85) for
thermal efficiency testing but do not use the
following sections:
(1) 5.3 Introductory text
(2) 5.3.5 (and subsections; see sections 2.2.3.
and 2.2.4. of this appendix)
(3) 5.3.8 (see section 2.2.5. of this appendix)
(4) 5.3.9 (see section 2.2.6. of this appendix)
(5) C3.1.3 (and subsections)
(6) C3.5 (including Table C2; see section
2.2.7. of this appendix)
(7) C3.6 (see section 2.2.5. of this appendix)
(8) C3.7 (see section 2.2.6. of this appendix)
2.2.2. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial
Packaged Boilers. In addition to section C3.3
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, the following applies: For oilfired commercial packaged boilers, test the
unit with the particular make and model of
burner as certified (or to be certified) by the
manufacturer. If multiple burners are
specified in the certification report for that
basic model, then use any of the listed
burners for testing.
2.2.3. Water Temperatures. Maintain the
outlet temperature measured at Point C in
Figure C9 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 at 180 °F ± 2 °F and
maintain the inlet temperature measured at
Point B at 80 °F ± 5 °F during the ‘‘Warmup Period’’ and ‘‘Test Period’’ as indicated by
1-minute interval data pursuant to Table 2.2
of this appendix. Each reading must meet
these temperature requirements. Use the inlet
temperature and flow rate measured at Point
B in Figure C9 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 for calculation of
thermal efficiency.
2.2.4 Exceptions to Water Temperature
Requirements. For commercial packaged
boilers that require a higher flow rate than
that resulting from the water temperature
requirements of sections 2.2.3 of this
appendix to prevent boiling, use a
recirculating loop and maintain the inlet
temperature at Point B of Figure C9 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 at 140 °F ± 5 °F during the ‘‘Warmup Period’’ and ‘‘Test Period’’ as indicated by
1-minute interval data pursuant to Table 2.2
of this appendix. Each reading must meet
these temperature requirements. Use the inlet
temperature and flow rate measured at Point
A in Figure C9 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 for calculation of
thermal efficiency.
2.2.5 Air Temperature. For tests of noncondensing boilers, maintain ambient room
temperature between 65 °F and 100 °F at all
times during the ‘‘Warm-up Period’’ and
‘‘Test Period’’ (as described in Section C4 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015) as indicated by 1-minute interval data
pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix. For
tests of condensing boilers, maintain ambient
room temperature between 65 °F and 85 °F
at all times during the ‘‘Warm-up Period’’
and ‘‘Test Period’’ (as described in Section
C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015) as indicated by 1-minute interval
data pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix.
The ambient room temperature may not
differ by more than ± 5 °F from the average
ambient room temperature during the entire
‘‘Test Period’’ at any reading. Measure the
room ambient temperature within 6 feet of
the front of the unit at mid height. The test
air temperature, measured at the air inlet of
the commercial packaged boiler, must be
within ± 5 °F of the room ambient
temperature when recorded at the 1-minute
interval defined by Table 2.2 of this
appendix.
2.2.6. Ambient Humidity. For condensing
boilers, maintain ambient room relative
humidity below 80-percent at all times
during both the ‘‘Warm-up Period’’ and ‘‘Test
Period’’ (as described in Section C4 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015) pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix.
Measure the ambient humidity in the same
location as ambient air temperature in
section 2.2.5 of this appendix.
2.2.7. Flue Gas Temperature. The flue gas
temperature during the test must not vary
from the flue gas temperature measured at
the start of the Test Period (as defined in
Section C4 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015) when recorded at the interval defined
in Table 2.2 of this appendix by more than
the limits prescribed in Table 2.4 of this
appendix.
TABLE 2.4—FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE VARIATION LIMITS DURING TEST PERIOD
Non-condensing
Gas ...............................................
Light Oil ........................................
Heavy Oil .....................................
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Fuel type
± 2 percent .........................................................................................
± 2 percent.
Greater of ± 3 percent and ± 5 °F.
2.3. Test Method.
2.3.1. General. Conduct the thermal
efficiency test as prescribed in Section C4
‘‘Test Procedure’’ of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (incorporated by
reference, see § 431.85) excluding sections:
(1) C4.1.1.1.2 (see section 2.3.1.1 of this
appendix)
(2) C4.1.1.2.3 (see 2.3.4 of this appendix)
(3) C4.1.2.1.5 (see section 2.3.2. of this
appendix)
(4) C4.1.2.2.2
(5) C4.1.2.2.3 (see 2.3.5 of this appendix)
(6) C4.2
(7) C4.2.1
(8) C4.2.2
2.3.1.1. Adjust oil or non-atmospheric gas
to produce the required firebox pressure and
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Jkt 241001
Condensing
CO2 or O2 concentration in the flue gas, as
described in Section 5.3.1 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. Conduct steam tests
with steam pressure at the pressure specified
in the manufacturer literature shipped with
the commercial packaged boiler or in the
manufacturer’s supplemental testing
instructions pursuant to § 429.60(b)(4) of this
chapter, but not exceeding 15 psig. If no
pressure is specified in the manufacturer
literature shipped with the commercial
packaged boiler or in the manufacturer’s
supplemental testing instructions (pursuant
to § 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter), or if a range
of operating pressures is specified, conduct
testing at a steam pressure equal to
atmospheric pressure. If necessary to
maintain steam quality as required by
Section 5.3.7 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
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Greater of ± 3 percent and ± 5 °F
2015, increase steam pressure in 1 psig
increments by throttling with a valve beyond
the separator until the test is completed and
the steam quality requirements have been
satisfied, but do not increase the steam
pressure to greater than 15 psig.
2.3.2. Water Test Steady-State. Ensure that
a steady-state is reached by confirming that
three consecutive readings have been
recorded at 15-minute intervals pursuant to
Table 2.2 of this appendix that indicate that
the measured fuel input rate is within ± 2percent of the rated input. Water
temperatures must meet the conditions
specified in sections 2.2.3 and 2.2.4 of this
appendix as applicable.
2.3.3. Condensate Collection for
Condensing Commercial Packaged Boilers.
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mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Collect condensate in a covered vessel so as
to prevent evaporation.
2.3.4. Steam Test Duration. Replace
Section C4.1.1.2.3 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 with the following: The test
period is one hour in duration if the steam
condensate is measured or two hours if
feedwater is measured. The test period must
end with a 15-minute reading (steam
condensate or feedwater and separator
weight reading) pursuant to Table 2.2 of this
appendix. When feedwater is measured, the
water line at the end of the test must be
within 0.25 inches of the starting level.
2.3.5. Water Test Duration. Replace Section
C4.1.2.2.3 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
Jkt 241001
2015 with the following: The test period is
one hour for condensing commercial
packaged boilers and 30 minutes for noncondensing commercial packaged boilers,
and ends with a 15-minute interval reading
pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix.
2.4. Calculations.
2.4.1. General. To determine the thermal
efficiency of commercial packaged boilers,
use the variables in section C6 of Appendix
C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015 and
calculation procedure for the thermal
efficiency test specified in section C7.2 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, excluding sections C7.2.12 and
C7.2.20.
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89311
2.4.2. Use of Steam Properties Table. If the
average measured temperature of the steam is
higher than the value in Table D1 in
Appendix D of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 that corresponds to the average
measured steam pressure, then use Table 2.5
of this appendix to determine the latent heat
of superheated steam in (Btu/lb). Use linear
interpolation for determining the latent heat
of steam in Btu/lb if the measured steam
pressure is between two values listed in
Table D1 in Appendix D of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 or in Table 2.5 of this
appendix.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
Table 2.5. Latent Heat (Btullb) of Superheated Steam.
Average Measured
Steam Pressure
I!!!
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
13
1155.1
1164.7
1174.3
1183.8
1193.2
1202.6
1212.0
1221.4
14
1154.6
1164.4
1174.0
1183.5
1193.0
1202.4
1211.8
1221.2
14.696
1154.4
1164.2
1173.8
1183.3
1192.8
1202.3
1211.7
1221.1
15
1154.3
1164.1
1173.7
1183.2
1192.8
1202.2
1211.7
1221.1
16
1153.8
1163.7
1173.4
1183.0
1192.5
1202.0
1211.5
1220.9
17
1153.4
1163.4
1173.1
1182.7
1192.3
1201.8
1211.3
1220.7
18
1163.0
1172.8
1182.5
1192.1
1201.6
1211.1
1220.6
19
1162.7
1172.5
1182.2
1191.9
1201.4
1210.9
1220.4
20
1162.3
1172.2
1182.0
1191.6
1201.2
1210.8
1220.3
21
1162.0
1171.9
1181.7
1191.4
1201.0
1210.6
1220.1
22
1161.6
1171.6
1181.4
1191.2
1200.8
1210.4
1219.9
23
1161.2
1171.3
1181.2
1190.9
1200.6
1210.2
1219.8
24
1171.0
1180.9
1190.7
1200.4
1210.0
1219.6
25
1170.7
1180.6
1190.5
1200.2
1209.8
1219.4
26
1170.4
1180.4
1190.2
1200.0
1209.7
1219.3
27
1170.1
1180.1
1190.0
1199.8
1209.5
1219.1
28
1169.7
1179.8
1189.8
1199.6
1209.3
1218.9
29
1169.4
1179.6
1189.5
1199.3
1209.1
1218.8
30
1169.1
1179.3
1189.3
1199.1
1208.9
1218.6
31
Absolute Pressure
1168.8
1179.0
1189.0
Temperature
1198.9
1208.7
1218.4
OF
440
460
480
500
600
1230.8
1240.2
1249.5
1258.9
1268.4
1277.8
1287.3
1334.9
1230.6
1240.0
1249.4
1258.8
1268.3
1277.7
1287.2
1334.8
14.696
1230.5
1239.9
1249.3
1258.8
1268.2
1277.6
1287.1
1334.8
15
1230.5
1239.9
1249.3
1258.7
1268.2
1277.6
1287.1
1334.8
16
1230.3
1239.8
1249.2
1258.6
1268.0
1277.5
1287.0
1334.7
17
1230.2
1239.6
1249.1
1258.5
1267.9
1277.4
1286.9
1334.6
18
1230.0
1239.5
1248.9
1258.4
1267.8
1277.3
1286.8
1334.6
19
1229.9
1239.4
1248.8
1258.3
1267.7
1277.2
1286.7
1334.5
20
1229.7
1239.2
1248.7
1258.2
1267.6
1277.1
1286.6
1334.4
21
1229.6
1239.1
1248.6
1258.1
1267.5
1277.0
1286.5
1334.4
22
1229.5
1239.0
1248.4
1257.9
1267.4
1276.9
1286.4
1334.3
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
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09DER3
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420
14
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400
13
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
380
2.4.3. Alternative Thermal Efficiency
Calculation for Large Steam Commercial
Packaged Boilers. To determine the thermal
efficiency of commercial packaged boilers
with a fuel input rate greater than 5,000,000
Btu/h according to the steam test pursuant to
Section C4.1.1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015, either:
2.4.3.1. Calculate the thermal efficiency of
commercial packaged boiler models in steam
mode in accordance with the provisions of
section 2.4.1 of this appendix, or
2.4.3.2. Measure and calculate combustion
efficiency Effyss in steam mode according to
Section 3. Combustion Efficiency Test of this
appendix and convert to thermal efficiency
using the following equation:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
Jkt 241001
EffyT = Effyss ¥ 2.0
where EffyT is the thermal efficiency and
EFFYss is the combustion efficiency as
defined in C6 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015. The combustion efficiency Effyss is as
calculated in Section C7.2.14 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015.
2.4.4. Rounding. Round the final thermal
efficiency value to nearest one tenth of one
percent.
3. Combustion Efficiency Test.
3.1. Test Setup.
3.1.1. Instrumentation. Use
instrumentation meeting the minimum
requirements found in Table C1 of ANSI/
PO 00000
Frm 00039
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89313
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (incorporated by
reference, see § 431.85).
3.1.2. Data collection and sampling.
Record all test data in accordance with Table
3.1 and Table 3.2 of this appendix. Do not
use Section C5 and Table C4 of Appendix C
in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
TABLE 3.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING
Item recorded
Date of Test ..............
Manufacturer .............
E:\FR\FM\09DER3.SGM
09DER3
Additional instruction
None.
None.
ER09DE16.026</GPH>
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89314
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
TABLE 3.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING—Continued
Item recorded
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Commercial Packaged Boiler Model
Number.
Burner Model Number
& Manufacturer.
Nozzle description
and oil pressure.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
TABLE 3.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING—Continued
Item recorded
Additional instruction
Oil Analysis—H, C,
API Gravity, lb/gal
and Btu/lb.
Gas Manifold Pressure.
Gas line pressure at
meter.
Gas temperature .......
None.
None.
None.
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
Jkt 241001
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 4701
Additional instruction
None.
Record at start and
end of test.
Measurement may be
made manually.
Measurement may be
made manually.
Sfmt 4700
TABLE 3.1—DATA TO BE RECORDED
BEFORE TESTING—Continued
Item recorded
Additional instruction
Barometric Pressure
(Steam and Natural
Gas Only).
Gas Heating Value,
Btu/ft 3 *.
Measurement may be
made manually.
Record at start and
end of test.
* Multiplied by correction factors, as applicable, in accordance with Appendix E of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
E:\FR\FM\09DER3.SGM
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89315
Table 3.2. Data to be Recorded During Testing
Required Data Recording
Item Recorded
Digital
Acquisition
Required?
Every 1
Minute
Time, minutes/seconds
Yes
Yes
X
Pressure in Firebox, in
H20 (if required per
Section C3.4 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015)
Flue Gas Smoke Spot
Reading (oil)
Every 15
Minutes
Average
During Test
Period
X
No
X
X
No
X
X
X
X
Room Air Temperature
Yes
Fuel Weight or Volume, lb
(oil) or ft 3 (gas)
Yes
Test Air Temperature, °F
Yes
Draft in Vent, in H20 (oil
and non-atmospheric gas)
No
X
X
Flue Gas C0 2 or 02, %
No
X
X
Flue Gas CO, ppm
No
At Least Start
and End
X
Relative Humidity,%
No
X
X
No
At Least Start
and End
No
X
UJ
IVl
Separator water
weight, lb
Steam Pressure,
in Hg
Steam
Temperature, °F (if
used)
Condensate
collected, or water
fed, lb
Outlet Water
Temperature, °F
Yes
Yes
UJ
I<(
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
s
X
Yes
3.1.3. Instrument Calibration. Instruments
must be calibrated at least once per year and
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
Jkt 241001
Frm 00041
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
a calibration record, containing at least the
date of calibration and the method of
PO 00000
X
X
No
Inlet Water
Temperature at
Points A and B of
Figure 9 of
ANSI/AHRI
Standard 15002015 as applicable,
OF
X
X
No
Water fed, lb
c::
X
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4700
calibration, must be kept as part of the data
E:\FR\FM\09DER3.SGM
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ER09DE16.027</GPH>
~
<(
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Total
During
Test
Period
X
Flue Gas Temperature, °F
For Use in Calculations
(Section 3.4), As
Applicable
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89316
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
underlying each basic model certification,
pursuant to § 429.71 of this chapter.
3.1.4. Test Setup and Apparatus. Set up
the commercial packaged boiler for
combustion efficiency testing according to
the provisions of Section C2 (except section
C2.1) of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015.
3.1.4.1. For tests of oil-fired commercial
packaged boilers, determine the weight of
fuel consumed using one of the methods
specified in sections 3.1.4.1.1. or 3.1.4.1.2. of
this appendix:
3.1.4.1.1. If using a scale, determine the
weight of fuel consumed as the difference
between the weight of the oil vessel before
and after each measurement period, as
specified in sections 3.1.4.1.3.1. or
3.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix, determined
using a scale meeting the accuracy
requirements of Table C1 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015.
3.1.4.1.2. If using a flow meter, first
determine the volume of fuel consumed as
the total volume over the applicable
measurement period, as specified in sections
3.1.4.1.3.1. or 3.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix,
and as measured by a flow meter meeting the
accuracy requirements of Table C1 of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 upstream of the
oil inlet port of the commercial packaged
boiler. Then determine the weight of fuel
consumed by multiplying the total volume of
fuel over the applicable measurement period
by the density of oil, in pounds per gallon,
as determined pursuant to Section C3.2.1.1.3.
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
3.1.4.1.3. The applicable measurement
period for the purposes of determining fuel
input rate must be as specified in section
3.1.4.1.3.1. of this appendix for the ‘‘WarmUp Period’’ or 3.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix
for the ‘‘Test Period.’’
3.1.4.1.3.1. For the purposes of confirming
steady-state operation during the ‘‘Warm-Up
Period,’’ the measurement period must be 15
minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section
C7.2.3.1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
must be 0.25 hours to determine fuel input
rate.
3.1.4.1.3.2. For the purposes of
determining combustion efficiency during
the ‘‘Test Period,’’ the measurement period
and tT are 0.5 hours pursuant to section
3.3.1.1. of this appendix.
3.1.4.2 For tests of gas-fired commercial
packaged boilers, install a volumetric gas
meter meeting the accuracy requirements of
Table C1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
upstream of the gas inlet port of the
commercial packaged boiler. Record the
accumulated gas volume consumed for each
applicable measurement period. Use
Equation C7.2.3.2. of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 to calculate fuel input rate.
3.1.4.2.1. The applicable measurement
period for the purposes of determining fuel
input rate must be as specified in section
3.1.4.2.1.1. of this appendix for the ‘‘WarmUp Period’’ and 3.1.4.2.1.2. of this appendix
for the ‘‘Test Period.’’
3.1.4.2.1.1. For the purposes of confirming
steady-state operation during the ‘‘Warm-Up
Period,’’ the measurement period must be 15
minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section
C7.2.3.1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
Jkt 241001
must be 0.25 hour to determine fuel input
rate.
3.1.4.2.1.2. For the purposes of
determining combustion efficiency during
the ‘‘Test Period,’’ the measurement period
and tT are 0.5 hour pursuant to section
3.3.1.1. of this appendix.
3.1.4.3. In addition to the provisions of
Section C2.2.1.2 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, vent gases may alternatively be
discharged vertically into a straight stack
section without elbows. R–7 minimum
insulation must extend 6 stack diameters
above the flue collar, the thermocouple grid
must be located at a vertical distance of 3
stack diameters above the flue collar, and the
sampling tubes for flue gases must be
installed within 1 stack diameter beyond the
thermocouple grid. If dilution air is
introduced into the flue gases before the
plane of the thermocouple and flue gas
sampling points, utilize an alternate plane of
thermocouple grid and flue gas sampling
point located downstream from the heat
exchanger and upstream from the point of
dilution air introduction.
3.1.5. Additional Requirements for
Outdoor Commercial Packaged Boilers. If the
manufacturer provides more than one
outdoor venting arrangement, the outdoor
commercial packaged boiler (as defined in
section 3.2.6 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.85)
must be tested with the shortest total venting
arrangement as measured by adding the
straight lengths of venting supplied with the
equipment. If the manufacturer does not
provide an outdoor venting arrangement,
install the outdoor commercial packaged
boiler venting consistent with the procedure
specified in Section C2.2 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
3.1.6. Additional Requirements for Field
Tests.
3.1.6.1 Field tests are exempt from the
requirements of Section C2.2 of Appendix C
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015. Measure
the flue gas temperature according to Section
C2.5.1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 and the thermocouple
grids identified in Figure C12 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015, with the following
modification: the thermocouple grid may be
staggered vertically by up to 1.5 inches to
allow the use of instrumented rods to be
inserted through holes drilled in the venting.
3.1.6.2. Field tests are exempt from the
requirements of Section C2.6.3 of Appendix
C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015.
3.1.7. Additional Requirements for Water
Tests. In addition to the provisions of Section
C2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015 (incorporated by reference, see
§ 431.85) the following requirements apply
for water tests:
3.1.7.1. Insulate all water piping between
the commercial packaged boiler and the
location of the temperature measuring
equipment, including one foot (1 ft.) beyond
the sensor, using insulation meeting the
requirements specified in Table 2.3 of this
appendix.
3.1.7.2. Install a temperature measuring
device at Point B of Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. Water entering the
commercial packaged boiler must first enter
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4700
the run of a tee and exit from the top outlet
of the tee. The remaining connection of the
tee must be plugged. Measure the inlet water
temperature at Point B in the run of a second
tee located 12 ± 2 pipe diameters
downstream from the first tee and no more
than the greater of 12 inches or 6 pipe
diameters from the inlet of the commercial
packaged boiler. The temperature measuring
device shall extend into the water flow at the
point of exit from the side outlet of the
second tee. All inlet piping between the
temperature measuring device and the inlet
of the commercial packaged boilers must be
wrapped with R–7 insulation. Field tests
must also measure the inlet water
temperature at Point B in Figure C9, however
they are not required to use the temperature
measurement piping described in this section
3.1.7. of this appendix.
3.1.7.3. Do not use Section C2.7.2.2.2 or its
subsections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 for water meter calibration.
3.1.8. Flue Gas Sampling. In section C2.5.2
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, replace the last sentence with the
following: When taking flue gas samples from
a rectangular plane, collect samples at 1⁄4, 1⁄2,
and 3⁄4 the distance from one side of the
rectangular plane in the longer dimension
and along the centerline midway between the
edges of the plane in the shorter dimension
and use the average of the three samples. The
tolerance in each dimension for each
measurement location is ± 1 inch.
3.2. Test Conditions.
3.2.1. General. Use the test conditions from
Sections 5 and C3 of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (incorporated by
reference; see § 431.85) for combustion
efficiency testing but do not use the
following sections:
(1) 5.3 Introductory text
(2) 5.3.5 (and subsections; see sections 3.2.3,
3.2.3.1, and 3.2.3.2 of this appendix)
(3) 5.3.7 (excluded for field tests only)
(4) 5.3.8 (see section 3.2.4 of this appendix)
(5) 5.3.9 (see section 3.2.5 of this appendix)
(6) C3.1.3 (and subsections)
(7) C3.5 (including Table C2; see section 3.2.6
of this appendix)
(8) C3.6 (see section 3.2.4 of this appendix)
(9) C3.7 (see section 3.2.5 of this appendix)
3.2.2. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial
Packaged Boilers. In addition to Section C3.3
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500–2015, the following applies: for oilfired commercial packaged boilers, test the
unit with the particular make and model of
burner as certified (or to be certified) by the
manufacturer. If multiple burners are
specified in the certification report for that
basic model, then use any of the listed
burners for testing.
3.2.3. Water Temperatures. Maintain the
outlet temperature measured at Point C in
Figure C9 at 180 °F ± 2 °F and maintain the
inlet temperature measured at Point B at
80 °F ± 5 °F during the ‘‘Warm-up Period’’
and ‘‘Test Period’’ as indicated by 1-minute
interval data pursuant to Table 3.2 of this
appendix. Each reading must meet these
temperature requirements. Field tests are
exempt from this requirement and instead
must comply with the requirements of
section 3.2.3.1 of this appendix.
E:\FR\FM\09DER3.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
3.2.3.1. For field tests, the inlet
temperature measured at Point A and Point
B in Figure C9 and the outlet temperature
measured and Point C in Figure C9 of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 must be recorded
in the data underlying that model’s
certification pursuant to § 429.71 of this
chapter, and the difference between the inlet
(measured at Point B) and outlet temperature
(measured at Point C) must not be less than
20 °F at any point during the ‘‘Warm-up
Period’’ and ‘‘Test Period,’’ after stabilization
has been achieved, as indicated by 1-minute
interval data pursuant to Table 3.2 of this
appendix.
3.2.3.2 For commercial packaged boilers
that require a higher flow rate than that
resulting from the water temperature
requirements of sections 3.2.3 of this
appendix to prevent boiling, use a
recirculating loop and maintain the inlet
temperature at Point B of Figure C9 of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 at 140 °F ± 5 °F
during the ‘‘Warm-up Period’’ and ‘‘Test
Period’’ as indicated by 1-minute interval
data pursuant to Table 3.2 of this appendix.
Each reading must meet these temperature
requirements.
3.2.4. Air Temperature. For tests of noncondensing boilers (except during field tests),
maintain ambient room temperature between
65 °F and 100 °F at all times during the
‘‘Warm-up Period’’ and ‘‘Test Period’’ (as
described in Section C4 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015) as
indicated by 1-minute interval data pursuant
to Table 3.2 of this appendix. For tests of
condensing boilers (except during field tests),
maintain ambient room temperature between
65 °F and 85 °F at all times during the
‘‘Warm-up Period’’ and ‘‘Test Period’’ (as
described in Section C4 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015) as
indicated by 1-minute interval data pursuant
to Table 3.2 of this appendix. The ambient
room temperature may not differ by more
than ± 5 °F from the average ambient room
temperature during the entire ‘‘Test Period’’
at any 1-minute interval reading. Measure the
room ambient temperature within 6 feet of
the front of the unit at mid height. The test
air temperature, measured at the air inlet of
the commercial packaged boiler, must be
within ± 5 °F of the room ambient
temperature when recorded at the 1-minute
interval defined by Table 3.2 of this
89317
appendix. For field tests, record the ambient
room temperature at 1-minute intervals in
accordance with Table 3.2 of this appendix.
3.2.5. Ambient Humidity. For condensing
boilers (except during field tests), maintain
ambient room relative humidity below 80percent relative humidity at all times during
both the ‘‘Warm-up Period’’ and ‘‘Test
Period’’ (as described in Section C4 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015) pursuant to Table 3.2 of this appendix.
Measure the ambient humidity in the same
location as ambient air temperature. For field
tests of condensing boilers, record the
ambient room relative humidity in
accordance with Table 3.2 of this appendix.
3.2.6. Flue Gas Temperature. The flue gas
temperature during the test must not vary
from the flue gas temperature measured at
the start of the Test Period (as defined in
Section C4 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015) when recorded at the interval defined
in Table 3.2 by more than the limits
prescribed in Table 3.3 of this appendix. For
field tests, flue gas temperature does not need
to be within the limits in Table 3.3 of this
appendix but must be recorded at the interval
specified in Table 3.2 of this appendix.
TABLE 3.3—FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE VARIATION LIMITS DURING TEST PERIOD
Non-condensing
Gas ...............................................
Light Oil ........................................
Heavy Oil .....................................
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with RULES3
Fuel type
± 2 percent .........................................................................................
± 2 percent.
Greater of ± 3 percent and ± 5 °F.
3.3. Test Method.
3.3.1. General. Conduct the combustion
efficiency test using the test method
prescribed in Section C4 ‘‘Test Procedure’’ of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 excluding sections:
(1) C4.1.1.1.2 (see section 3.3.1.2 of this
appendix)
(2) C4.1.1.2.3
(3) C4.1.2.1.5 (see section 3.3.2 of this
appendix)
(4) C4.1.2.2.2
(5) C4.1.2.2.3
(6) C4.2
(7) C4.2.1
(8) C4.2.2
3.3.1.1. The duration of the ‘‘Test Period’’
for combustion efficiency outlined in
sections C4.1.1.2 of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015 (incorporated by
reference, see § 431.85) and C4.1.2.2 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–
2015 is 30 minutes. For condensing
commercial packaged boilers, condensate
must be collected for the 30 minute Test
Period.
3.3.1.2. Adjust oil or non-atmospheric gas
to produce the required firebox pressure and
CO2 or O2 concentration in the flue gas, as
described in section 5.3.1 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015. Conduct steam tests
with steam pressure at the pressure specified
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Dec 08, 2016
Jkt 241001
Condensing
in the manufacturer literature shipped with
the commercial packaged boiler or in the
manufacturer’s supplemental testing
instructions pursuant to § 429.60(b)(4) of this
chapter, but not exceeding 15 psig. If no
pressure is specified in the manufacturer
literature shipped with the commercial
packaged boiler or in the manufacturer’s
supplemental testing instructions (pursuant
to § 429.60(b)(4)) of this chapter, or if a range
of operating pressures is specified, conduct
testing at a steam pressure equal to
atmospheric pressure. If necessary to
maintain steam quality as required by section
5.3.7 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500–2015,
increase steam pressure in 1 psig increments
by throttling with a valve beyond the
separator until the test is completed and the
steam quality requirements have been
satisfied, but do not increase the steam
pressure to greater than 15 psig.
3.3.2. Water Test Steady-State. Ensure that
a steady-state is reached by confirming that
three consecutive readings have been
recorded at 15-minute intervals that indicate
that the measured fuel input rate is within
± 2-percent of the rated input. Water
temperatures must meet the conditions
specified in sections 3.2.3, 3.2.3.1, and
3.2.3.2 of this appendix as applicable.
3.3.3. Procedure for the Measurement of
Condensate for a Condensing Commercial
PO 00000
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Fmt 4701
Sfmt 9990
Greater of ± 3 percent and ± 5 °F.
Packaged Boiler. Collect flue condensate
using a covered vessel so as to prevent
evaporation. Measure the condensate from
the flue gas during the ‘‘Test Period.’’ Flue
condensate mass must be measured within 5
minutes after the end of the ‘‘Test Period’’
(defined in C4.1.1.2 and C4.1.2.2 of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500–2015) to prevent
evaporation loss from the sample. Determine
the mass of flue condensate for the ‘‘Test
Period’’ by subtracting the tare container
weight from the total weight of the container
and flue condensate measured at the end of
the ’’Warm-up Period.’’
3.4. Calculations.
3.4.1. General. To determine the
combustion efficiency of commercial
packaged boilers, use the variables in Section
C6 and calculation procedure for the
combustion efficiency test specified in
Section C7.3 of Appendix C (including the
specified subsections of C7.2) of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500–2015 (incorporated by
reference, see § 431.85).
3.4.2. Rounding. Round the final
combustion efficiency value to nearest one
tenth of a percent.
[FR Doc. 2016–29081 Filed 12–6–16; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
E:\FR\FM\09DER3.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 237 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 89276-89317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29081]
[[Page 89275]]
Vol. 81
Friday,
No. 237
December 9, 2016
Part III
Department of Energy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CFR Parts 429 and 431
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Commercial Packaged
Boilers; Final Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 237 / Friday, December 9, 2016 /
Rules and Regulations
[[Page 89276]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Parts 429 and 431
[Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006]
RIN 1904-AD16
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Commercial
Packaged Boilers
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: On March 17, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued
a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) to amend the test procedure for
commercial packaged boilers. That proposed rulemaking serves as the
basis for the final rule. DOE incorporates by reference certain
sections of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Air-
Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard
1500, ``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space
Heating Boilers.'' In addition, this final rule incorporates amendments
that clarify the coverage for field-constructed commercial packaged
boilers and the applicability of DOE's test procedure and standards for
this category of commercial packaged boilers, provide an optional field
test for commercial packaged boilers with rated input greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h, provide a conversion method to calculate thermal
efficiency based on combustion efficiency testing for steam commercial
packaged boilers with rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, modify
the inlet water temperatures during tests of hot water commercial
packaged boilers, establish limits on the ambient temperature during
testing, and standardize terminology and provisions for ``rated input''
and ``fuel input rate.'' DOE originally published this final rule in
the Federal Register on November 10, 2016, however that document
contained errors and is being withdrawn on December 7, 2016. This is a
republication of the final rule that replaces the version published on
November 10, 2016 in its entirety.
DATES: The effective date of this rule is January 9, 2017. The final
rule changes will be mandatory for representations related to energy
efficiency or energy use starting December 4, 2017. The incorporation
by reference of certain publications listed in this rule is approved by
the Director of the Federal Register on January 9, 2017.
ADDRESSES: 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 https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006. The docket Web page
will contain simple instructions on how to access all documents,
including public comments, in the docket.
For further information on how to review the docket, contact the
Appliance and Equipment Standards Program staff at (202) 586-6636 or by
email: ApplianceStandardsQuestions@ee.doe.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Raba, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington,
DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-8654. Email:
ApplianceStandardsQuestions@ee.doe.gov.
Mr. Peter Cochran, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9496. Email: Peter.Cochran@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule incorporates by reference
into 10 CFR parts 429 and 431 the testing methods contained in the
following commercial standard:
Part 429--ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, (``ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015''), ``Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating Boilers,''
ANSI approved November 28, 2014: Figure C9, Suggested Piping
Arrangement for Hot Water Boilers.
Part 431--ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, (``ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015''), ``Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating Boilers,''
Section 3 ``Definitions,'' Section 5 ``Rating Requirements,'' Appendix
C ``Methods of Testing for Rating Commercial Space Heating Boilers--
Normative,'' Appendix D ``Properties of Saturated Steam--Normative,''
and Appendix E ``Correction Factors for Heating Values of Fuel Gases--
Normative,'' ANSI approved November 28, 2014.
Copies of AHRI standards may be purchased from the Air-
Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, 2111 Wilson Blvd.,
Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22201, or by visiting https://www.ahrinet.org/site/686/Standards/HVACR-Industry-Standards/Search-Standards.
See section IV.N for additional information about this standard.
Table of Contents
I. Authority and Background
A. Authority
B. Background
II. Synopsis of the Final Rule
III. Discussion
A. Scope and Definitions
1. Definition of Commercial Packaged Boiler
2. Field-Constructed Commercial Packaged Boilers
3. Other Definitions
B. General Comments
C. Adoption of Certain Sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
D. Fuel Input Rate Certification and Enforcement
E. Testing of Large Commercial Packaged Boilers
1. Optional Field Test
2. Optional Conversion of Combustion Efficiency to Thermal
Efficiency
F. Hot Water Temperatures
1. General Comments
2. Recirculating Loops
3. Condensing Commercial Packaged Boilers
4. Test Facility Water Flow Rate Capabilities
5. Other Issues Related to Water Temperatures
G. Ambient Conditions
H. Set-Up and Instrumentation
1. Steam Piping
2. Digital Data Acquisition
3. Calibration
4. Other Set-Up and Instrumentation Comments
I. Other Issues
1. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial Packaged Boilers
2. Certification and Enforcement Provisions
3. Part-Load Testing
4. Stack Temperature Adjustment
5. Oxygen Combustion Analyzer
6. Rounding Requirements
7. Waiver Requests
IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review
A. Review Under Executive Order 12866
B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act
C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
E. Review Under Executive Order 13132
F. Review Under Executive Order 12988
G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government
Appropriations Act, 1999
I. Review Under Executive Order 12630
J. Review Under Treasury and General Government Appropriations
Act, 2001
K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
[[Page 89277]]
L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal Energy Administration
Act of 1974
M. Congressional Notification
N. Description of Materials Incorporated by Reference
V. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
I. Authority and Background
Packaged boilers are included in the list of ``covered equipment''
for which the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is authorized to
establish and amend energy conservation standards and test procedures.
(42 U.S.C. 6311(1)(J)) DOE's energy conservation standards and test
procedure for commercial packaged boilers, a subset of packaged
boilers, are currently prescribed at 10 CFR 431.87 and 10 CFR 431.86,
respectively. The following sections discuss DOE's authority to
establish test procedures for commercial packaged boilers and relevant
background information regarding DOE's consideration of test procedures
for this equipment.
A. Authority
Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (42
U.S.C. 6291, et seq.; ``EPCA'' or, ``the Act'') \1\ sets forth a
variety of provisions designed to improve energy efficiency. Part C of
title III, which for editorial reasons was redesignated as Part A-1
upon incorporation into the U.S. Code (42 U.S.C. 6311-6317, as
codified), establishes the ``Energy Conservation Program for Certain
Industrial Equipment.'' The covered industrial equipment includes
packaged boilers, the subject of this document. (42 U.S.C. 6311(1)(J))
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\1\ All references to EPCA refer to the statute as amended
through the Energy Efficiency Improvement act of 2015, Public Law
114-11 (April 30, 2015).
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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 to
determine whether the products comply with any relevant standards
promulgated under EPCA.
Under 42 U.S.C. 6314, EPCA sets forth the criteria and procedures
DOE must follow when prescribing or amending test procedures for
covered equipment. EPCA provides that any test procedures prescribed or
amended under this section shall be reasonably designed to produce test
results which measure energy efficiency, energy use or estimated annual
operating cost of covered equipment during a representative average use
cycle or period of use and shall not be unduly burdensome to conduct.
(42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2))
In addition, if DOE determines that a test procedure amendment is
warranted, it must publish a proposed test procedure and offer the
public an opportunity to present oral and written comments on it. (42
U.S.C. 6314(b)) 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 the covered equipment as
determined under the existing test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(C))
With respect to commercial packaged boilers, EPCA requires DOE to
use industry test procedures developed or recognized by the Air-
Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) or the
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE), as referenced in ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, ``Energy
Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.'' (42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(A)) Further, if such an industry test procedure is
amended, DOE is required to amend its test procedure to be consistent
with the amended industry test procedure, unless it determines, by rule
published in the Federal Register and supported by clear and convincing
evidence, that the amended test procedure would be unduly burdensome to
conduct or would not produce test results that reflect the energy
efficiency, energy use, and estimated operating costs of that equipment
during a representative average use cycle. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B))
EPCA also requires that, at least once every 7 years, DOE evaluate
test procedures for each type of covered equipment, including
commercial packaged boilers, to determine whether amended test
procedures would more accurately or fully comply with the requirements
for test procedures to not be unduly burdensome to conduct and be
reasonably designed to produce test results that reflect energy
efficiency, energy use, and estimated operating costs during a
representative average use cycle. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(1)(A)) DOE last
reviewed the test procedures for commercial packaged boilers on July
22, 2009. 74 FR 36312. Therefore, DOE is required to re-evaluate the
test procedures no later than July 22, 2016, and this rulemaking has
been undertaken in fulfillment of that requirement. As the industry
standard for commercial packaged boilers was recently updated, this
rulemaking will also fulfill DOE's statutory obligations to make its
test procedure consistent with the applicable industry test procedure.
Prior to December 4, 2017, manufacturers must make any
representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers in accordance with the results of testing
pursuant to the new appendix A to subpart E of part 431 or the existing
test procedure, as it appeared in 10 CFR 431.86, revised as of January
1, 2016. On or after December 4, 2017, manufacturers must make any
representations with respect to energy use or efficiency in accordance
with the results of testing pursuant to appendix A to subpart E of part
431.
B. Background
On September 3, 2013, DOE initiated a test procedure and energy
conservation standards rulemaking for commercial packaged boilers and
published a notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework
document (September 2013 Framework document). 78 FR 54197. Both in the
September 2013 Framework document and during the October 1, 2013 public
meeting, DOE solicited public comments, data, and information on all
aspects of, and any issues or problems with, the existing DOE test
procedure, including whether the test procedure was in need of updates
or revisions. DOE also received comments on the test procedure in
response to the notice of availability of the preliminary technical
support document (TSD) for the standards rulemaking, which was
published in the Federal Register on November 20, 2014 (November 2014
Preliminary Analysis). 79 FR 69066.
Additionally, on February 20, 2014, DOE published in the Federal
Register a request for information (February 2014 RFI) seeking comments
on the existing DOE test procedure for commercial packaged boilers,
which incorporates by reference Hydronics Institute (HI)/AHRI Standard
BTS-2000 (Rev 06.07), ``Method to Determine Efficiency of Commercial
Space Heating Boilers'' (BTS-2000). 79 FR 9643. BTS-2000 provides test
procedures for measuring steady-state combustion and thermal efficiency
of a gas-fired or oil-fired commercial packaged boiler capable of
producing hot water and/or steam and operating at full load only. In
the February 2014 RFI, DOE requested comments, information, and data
about
[[Page 89278]]
a number of issues, including (1) part-load testing and part-load
efficiency rating, (2) typical inlet and outlet water temperatures for
hot water commercial packaged boilers, (3) the steam pressure for steam
commercial packaged boilers operating at full load, and (4) design
characteristics of commercial packaged boilers that are difficult to
test under the existing DOE test procedure.
On April 29, 2015, AHRI, together with the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI), published the ``2015 Standard for
Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating Boilers'' (ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015). ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 states ``this
standard supersedes AHRI Hydronics Institute Standard BTS-2000 Rev.
06.07'' in the front matter of the document. On May 29, 2015, AHRI
submitted a request directly to DOE to update the incorporation by
reference in the DOE test procedure to reference the new ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015. (Docket EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006, AHRI, No. 29 at p. 1)
\2\
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\2\ A notation in this form provides a reference for information
that is in Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006, which is maintained at
https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006.
The references are arranged as follows: (commenter name, comment
docket ID number, page of that document). This particular notation
refers to a comment from AHRI on p. 1 of document number 29 in the
docket.
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Subsequently, DOE published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR)
on March 17, 2016, in the Federal Register (hereafter March 2016 NOPR).
81 FR 14642. DOE proposed to incorporate by reference relevant sections
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 as a replacement for BTS-2000 in the
DOE test procedure as well as several modifications to its test
procedure that are not captured in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. The
additional proposed amendments included the following:
Clarifying the coverage of field-constructed commercial
packaged boilers under DOE's regulations;
Incorporating an optional field test for commercial
packaged boilers with fuel input rate greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h;
Incorporating an optional conversion method to calculate
thermal efficiency based on the combustion efficiency test for steam
commercial packaged boilers with fuel input rate greater than 5,000,000
Btu/h;
Modifying the inlet and outlet water temperatures required
during tests of hot water commercial packaged boilers to be more
repeatable and representative of field conditions;
Modifying setup and instrumentation requirements to remove
ambiguity;
Requiring additional limits on the room ambient
temperature and ambient humidity during testing; and
Standardizing terminology and provisions in regulatory
text related to ``fuel input rate.''
In this final rule, DOE is replacing BTS-2000 with the updated
industry standard, ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, as the basis for the
DOE test procedure. DOE is also adopting certain proposals from the
March 2016 NOPR and has modified some proposals from the March 2016
NOPR in light of comments received. Section III contains a more
detailed discussion of the basis for transitioning to the commercial
packaged boiler test procedures outlined in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 as well as the additional amendments being adopted.
DOE originally published this final rule on November 10, 2016 in
the Federal Register. 81 FR 79224. However, the published version
contained errors, and DOE has therefore withdrawn that notice. This
version of the final rule replaces the originally published version in
its entirety. DOE notes that the effective date for the original
version of the final rule was December 12, 2016. As a result of this
republication, the effective date of the final test procedure is now
January 9, 2017. In addition, DOE has updated the compliance date for
the final test procedure as a result of this republication. As
indicated in section I.A, manufacturers will be required to make any
representations of energy efficiency using the amended test procedure
on or after December 4, 2017.
DOE emphasizes that the original published version of the final
rule was not yet effective at the time of this republication, and that
DOE has updated the compliance date of the final test procedure as a
result of the republication. In addition, following the publication of
the March 2016 NOPR, DOE provided a total of 75 days for interested
parties to comment on DOE's proposed amendments to the commercial
packaged boiler test procedure and held a public meeting on April 4,
2016 to present and seek further comment on the proposal. (In light of
the comment period already provided, DOE is not providing an additional
comment period at this time.) All manufacturers have the same amount of
time to prepare for use of the final test procedure (360 days) under
the republication as they had under the original final rule that DOE
has withdrawn. To the extent that some manufacturers may have already
begun preparations needed for use of the new test procedure, in advance
of the original effective date, they are in no worse position given the
extension of the compliance date. For these reasons, DOE does not
anticipate that the withdrawal and republication of the final rule
would impose any additional burden on interested parties. Contra
Utility Solid Waste Activities Group v. EPA, 236 F.3d 749
(2001)(holding that EPA's action did not amount to harmless error).
II. Synopsis of the Final Rule
In this final rule, DOE amends subpart E of 10 CFR part 431 as
follows:
Clarifies definitions regarding commercial packaged
boilers;
Incorporates by reference certain provisions of the
current revision to the applicable industry standard: ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 ``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial
Space Heating Boilers;''
Provides an optional field test and an optional conversion
calculation from combustion to thermal efficiency for commercial
packaged boilers with rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h;
Modifies the inlet water temperature requirements for
commercial packaged boilers;
Reduces the allowable range for ambient room temperature
during testing; and
Requires digital data acquisition for certain parameters.
The final rule also amends 10 CFR part 429 to clarify certification
and enforcement procedures, specifically to provide for the
verification of rated input and to accommodate certification based on
the optional field test.
III. Discussion
The following sections address the products within the scope of
this rulemaking, the test procedure amendments, other test procedure
considerations, test burden, measured energy efficiency, and changes to
certification and enforcement provisions.
Table III.1 presents the list of interested parties that submitted
written comments in response to the March 2016 NOPR.
[[Page 89279]]
Table III.1--Interested Parties Providing Written Comment in Response to
the March 2016 NOPR
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Document Docket ID No. Name Acronym
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36, 46................. Air-Conditioning, Heating, AHRI.
& Refrigeration Institute.
38..................... American Boiler ABMA.
Manufacturers Association.
42..................... American Gas Association Gas Associations
and American Public Gas (AGA and APGA).
Association.
45..................... Appliance Standards Efficiency
Awareness Project, Advocates (ASAP,
Alliance to Save Energy, ASE, ACEEE, and
American Council for an NRDC).
Energy-Efficient Economy,
and Natural Resources
Defense Council.
39..................... Bradford White Corporation Bradford White.
40..................... Burnham Holdings, Inc..... Burnham.
48..................... California Investor Owned CA IOUs.
Utilities.
35..................... Council of Industrial CIBO.
Boiler Owners.
43..................... Lochinvar, LLC............ Lochinvar.
44..................... Northwest Energy NEEA.
Efficiency Alliance.
47..................... Raypak, Inc............... Raypak.
31..................... Tahir Khan................ Khan.
41..................... Weil-McLain............... Weil-McLain.
33..................... Veritatis................. Veritatis.
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Interested parties provided comments on a range of issues,
including both issues raised by DOE for comment, as well as other
issues related to the proposed changes to the test procedure. The
issues on which DOE received comments, as well as DOE's responses to
those comments and the resulting changes to the test procedure
proposals presented in the March 2016 NOPR, are discussed in the
subsequent sections. A parenthetical reference at the end of a comment
quotation or paraphrase provides the location of the item in the public
record.
A. Scope and Definitions
In this final rule, DOE adopts several new definitions that help
further clarify the scope and applicability of DOE's commercial
packaged boiler test procedure. DOE notes that these amendments to
DOE's definitions at 10 CFR 431.82 also apply to DOE's energy
conservation standards for commercial packaged boilers.
1. Definition of Commercial Packaged Boiler
While EPCA authorizes DOE to establish, subject to certain
criteria, test procedures and energy conservation standards for
packaged boilers, to date, DOE has only established test procedures and
standards for commercial packaged boilers, a subset of packaged
boilers. In 2004, DOE published a final rule (October 2004 final rule)
establishing definitions, test procedures, and energy conservation
standards for commercial packaged boilers. 69 FR 61949 (Oct. 21, 2004).
In the October 2004 final rule, DOE defined ``commercial packaged
boiler'' as a type of packaged low pressure boiler that is industrial
equipment with a capacity (fuel input rate) of 300,000 Btu per hour
(Btu/h) or more which, to any significant extent, is distributed in
commerce: (1) For heating or space conditioning applications in
buildings; or (2) for service water heating in buildings but does not
meet the definition of ``hot water supply boiler.'' 69 FR 61949, 61960.
DOE also defined ``packaged low pressure boiler'' as a packaged boiler
that is: (1) A steam boiler designed to operate at or below a steam
pressure of 15 psig; or (2) a hot water commercial packaged boiler
designed to operate at or below a water pressure of 160 psig and a
temperature of 250 [deg]F; or (3) a boiler that is designed to be
capable of supplying either steam or hot water, and designed to operate
under the conditions in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this definition. 69
FR 61949, 61960.
DOE notes that, because commercial packaged boilers are currently
defined as a subset of packaged low pressure boilers, commercial
packaged boilers are also defined by the pressure and temperature
criteria established in the definition of a ``packaged low pressure
boiler.'' Consequently, DOE proposed in the March 2016 NOPR a
definition of ``commercial packaged boiler'' that explicitly includes
the pressure and temperature criteria established by the ``packaged low
pressure boiler'' definition, and to remove its definitions for
``packaged low pressure boiler'' and ``packaged high pressure boiler''
as those definitions would no longer be necessary. DOE stated that it
believed such a modification would clarify the characteristics of the
equipment to which DOE's test procedure and energy conservation
standards apply.
In response to the March 2016 NOPR, AHRI and Bradford White
supported DOE's proposals to modify its commercial packaged boiler
definition and to remove the extraneous definitions. (Bradford White,
No. 39 at p. 2; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 8) No commenters in response to the
March 2016 NOPR raised concerns over the proposal. DOE therefore adopts
these proposed changes in this final rule.
DOE's amended definition for commercial packaged boilers also
includes exclusionary language for field-constructed equipment
(discussed in section III.A.2) as was proposed in the March 2016 NOPR.
This exclusion was previously part of DOE's definition for the broader
``packaged boiler'' definition.
Burnham suggested that the scope of regulated commercial boilers
should be limited to sizes that can be reasonably tested in a
laboratory and that, in spite of backsliding concerns, to do so would
acknowledge practical concerns and previous rulemaking error (Burnham,
No. 40 at p. 8). In response, DOE notes that the scope of coverage and
original energy conservation standards were established by EPCA, not by
a DOE rulemaking. 42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(4). Because the scope of coverage
has never included a capacity limit, DOE must have a test procedure in
place for all commercial packaged boilers for manufacturers to be able
to certify their equipment as complying with the energy conservation
standards. DOE reiterates that to establish such a rated input limit
for covered equipment with existing standards would violate the anti-
backsliding provisions of EPCA found at 42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(B)(iii)(I)
for those equipment larger than the limit. Additionally, both BTS-2000
(incorporated by reference in the existing DOE test procedure) and
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (being incorporated by reference in this
final rule) include in their scope any
[[Page 89280]]
commercial packaged boiler with rated input of 300,000 Btu/h or
greater.
2. Field-Constructed Commercial Packaged Boilers
EPCA establishes the statutory authority by which DOE may regulate
``packaged boilers'' and defines a ``packaged boiler'' as a boiler that
is shipped complete with heating equipment, mechanical draft equipment,
and automatic controls; usually shipped in one or more sections. (42
U.S.C. 6311(11)(B)) In adopting the EPCA definition for a ``packaged
boiler,'' DOE amended the definition to: (1) Include language to
address the various ways in which packaged boilers are distributed in
commerce; and (2) explicitly exclude custom-designed, field-constructed
boilers. 69 FR 61949, 61952. ``Custom-designed, field-constructed''
boilers were excluded because DOE believed the statutory standards for
``packaged boilers'' were not intended to apply to these boiler
systems, which generally require alteration, cutting, drilling,
threading, welding or similar tasks by the installer. As a result, DOE
defined a ``packaged boiler'' as a boiler that is shipped complete with
heating equipment, mechanical draft equipment and automatic controls;
usually shipped in one or more sections and does not include a boiler
that is custom designed and field constructed. If the boiler is shipped
in more than one section, the sections may be produced by more than one
manufacturer, and may be originated or shipped at different times and
from more than one location. 10 CFR 431.82. As noted in section
III.A.1, DOE is moving this exclusion from the definition for
``packaged boiler'' to the definition for ``commercial packaged
boiler'' in order to clarify the applicability of its regulations.
In order to further clarify the difference between field-
constructed commercial packaged boilers (which are excluded from DOE's
commercial packaged boiler regulations) and field-assembled commercial
packaged boilers (which are subject to DOE's regulations), DOE proposed
the following definition for ``field-constructed'' in the March 2016
NOPR:
Field-constructed means custom-designed equipment that requires
welding of structural components in the field during installation; for
the purposes of this definition, welding does not include attachment
using mechanical fasteners or brazing; any jackets, shrouds, venting,
burner, or burner mounting hardware are not structural components.
DOE noted in the March 2016 NOPR that it considered structural
components include heat exchanger sections, flue tube bundles and
internal heat exchanger surfaces, external piping to one or more heat
exchanger sections or locations, and the mechanical supporting
structure the heat exchanger rests upon in the case where a support
structure is not provided with the commercial packaged boiler. DOE
further noted that welding does not include attachment using mechanical
fasteners or brazing; and any jackets, shrouds, venting, burner, or
burner mounting hardware are not structural components. Conversely, DOE
stated that a field-assembled commercial packaged boiler can be
assembled in the field without the welding of structural components, as
previously listed.
DOE received several comments pertaining to the proposed definition
for ``field-constructed'' in response to the March 2016 NOPR. Bradford
White expressed support for the proposed definition. (Bradford White,
No. 39 at p. 2) Lochinvar suggested that because DOE is proposing a
field test that would be limited to commercial packaged boilers with
fuel input rates greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h that the same rated input
limit be included in the definition for field-constructed commercial
packaged boilers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 2) NEEA and Lochinvar also
suggested that the definition for field-constructed should mean custom
designed equipment that requires American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) code stamped with the ``H'' (heating) or ``R''
(repair) designator welding in the field during installation. (NEEA,
No. 44 at p.2; Lochinvar, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 21)
DOE notes that the field-constructed exemption for commercial
packaged boilers applies to field-constructed equipment of any size;
the field test methodology accommodates those commercial packaged
boilers that are not field-constructed (and therefore not exempt from
DOE regulations) and the size of which makes testing in a laboratory
setting exceptionally difficult or cost-prohibitive. Therefore DOE is
not adopting a size limitation in its definition for field-constructed
as it pertains to commercial packaged boilers. With respect to
Lochinvar's suggestion that the ASME code for welding could be used to
limit the scope of what is considered ``field-constructed,'' DOE does
not believe the ASME stamp requirements are applied equally across all
jurisdictions, making it a poor indicator that a unit meets the field-
constructed definition. Therefore, DOE will not define field-
constructed to include a requirement that the ASME stamps designators
for welding be used as a means of delineating field-constructed
commercial packaged boilers.
DOE reiterates that field-assembled equipment is covered, is
required to be tested using the DOE test procedure, and is required to
comply with the existing energy conservation standards and
certification requirements.
3. Other Definitions
DOE also received comments regarding other commercial packaged
boilers definitions proposed in the March 2016 NOPR. In the March 2016
NOPR, DOE proposed to modify its definition for combustion efficiency.
The current definition states that combustion efficiency for a
commercial packaged boiler ``is determined using test procedures
prescribed under Sec. 431.86 and is equal to 100 percent minus percent
flue loss (percent flue loss is based on input fuel energy).'' 10 CFR
431.82. As noted in the March 2016 NOPR, this definition does not
sufficiently describe what the metric represents, and therefore DOE
proposed to define combustion efficiency for a commercial packaged
boiler as ``a measurement of how much of the fuel input energy is
converted to useful heat in combustion and is calculated as 100-percent
minus flue loss, as determined with the test procedures prescribed
under Sec. 431.86.''
CIBO, AERCO, and the Gas Associations suggested that DOE's proposed
definition for combustion efficiency conflicted with the definition
found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 and that the definition found in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 should be retained. (CIBO, No. 35 at p.2;
Gas Associations, No. 42 at p. 2; AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 129-131) AERCO suggested that the DOE's proposed definition
does not exclude jacket losses but that the definition in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 does. (AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at
p. 129-131) CIBO also suggested that DOE's definition for ``combustion
efficiency'' should use the higher heating value of the fuel in the
calculation in order to account for water vapor produced during
combustion.
In response, DOE notes that its combustion efficiency definition
(both current and proposed) defines combustion efficiency as being
measured under the DOE test procedure whereas industry definitions for
the term do not. DOE believes that specifying in the definition that
[[Page 89281]]
combustion efficiency is determined using the test procedures
prescribed under Sec. 431.86 makes clear that where DOE uses the term
in its regulations it is referring to the metric as determined by DOE's
test procedure. The rest of the definition provides description of what
combustion efficiency represents and DOE believes this descriptive
portion of the proposed definition is consistent with industry
definitions. In this final rule, however, DOE has modified the
descriptive portion of the definition to be consistent with that found
in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. Specifically, DOE's definition now
describes the combustion efficiency as being 100 percent minus the
percent losses due to dry flue gas, incomplete combustion, and moisture
formed by combustion of hydrogen. In response to CIBO's comment with
respect to using a higher heating value, DOE notes that DOE's test
method and calculations for combustion efficiency incorporate by
reference the pertinent sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015,
specifically sections C7.2 and C7.3, which take into account the higher
heating value of the fuel. Section C7.2.16 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 uses the measured value for QIN which is calculated
using the higher heating value of the fuel.
The Efficiency Advocates suggested that DOE clarify the distinction
between condensing and non-condensing boilers to ensure that proper
test conditions are used for any tested commercial packaged boiler.
(Efficiency Advocates, No. 45 at pp. 2-3) In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE
proposed to incorporate by reference the definitions for these terms as
found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. DOE notes that section 3.2.2 in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by reference in this final
rule) states that a condensing boiler means a ``[commercial packaged]
boiler which will, during the laboratory tests prescribed in this
standard, condense part of the water vapor in the flue gases and which
is equipped with a means of collecting and draining this condensate
from the heat exchange section.'' Section 3.2.5 states that a non-
condensing commercial packaged boiler means a ``[commercial packaged]
boiler that is not a condensing [commercial packaged] boiler.'' DOE
believes that the definition for condensing commercial packaged boiler
found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is sufficient for distinguishing
from non-condensing commercial packaged boilers.
To further remove ambiguity, DOE is also not incorporating by
reference definitions in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 that conflict
with DOE definitions, including the terms ``boiler,'' ``heating
boiler,'' and ``packaged boiler.'' DOE notes that the scope of coverage
for its test procedure is commercial packaged boilers as described in
section III.A and these definitions in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
would cause ambiguity in DOE regulations. In the March 2016 NOPR and in
this final rule, DOE includes language in its test procedure that
clarifies that in all sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 that are
incorporated by reference, the term ``boiler'' means a commercial
packaged boiler as defined in 10 CFR 431.82. Also in the March 2016
NOPR and in this final rule, DOE includes language in the test
procedure that where there is a conflict between DOE definitions and
those found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, DOE definitions take
precedence. To remove additional cases of conflict, DOE is also not
incorporating by reference ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 definitions for
``combustion efficiency,'' ``thermal efficiency,'' ``gross output,''
``ratings,'' or ``rating conditions.''
B. General Comments
AHRI, Burnham, Raypak, and the Gas Associations suggested that DOE
suspend the energy conservation standards rulemaking (Docket EERE-2013-
BT-STD-0030) until after the test procedure is finalized. (AHRI, No. 46
at p. 9, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 11; Burnham, No. 39 at
p. 1; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 1; Gas Associations, No. 42 at p. 1) The Gas
Associations suggested that impacts on ratings originating from the
test procedure amendments must be known with certainty prior to
submitting comments on the standards NOPR and that stakeholders must
know with certainty that the test procedure is technically correct,
provides for the repeatability of ratings, and can be performed without
any excessive burden on the manufacturer/test facility. (Gas
Associations, No. 42 at p. 1) Weil-McLain suggested that DOE violated
the process rule at 10 CFR part 430, subpart C, Appendix A, and the
EPCA requirement at 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(3). (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
11) Weil-McLain also suggested that simultaneous standards and test
procedure rulemakings for commercial packaged boilers as well as
changes to equipment classes could cause serious harm to industry,
manufacturers, contractors, and consumers. They further stated that the
simultaneous impact of increasing standards and lowering of ratings due
to the changing test procedure will render product models unavailable,
possibly resulting in building owners/consumers and contractors having
to consider more expensive alternatives. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 9)
In response to the comment from Weil-McClain, 42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(3)
is a provision under Part A of EPCA, ``Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products Other than Automobiles,'' that generally prohibits
the Secretary from prescribing a new or amended standard for a covered
consumer product if a test procedure has not been prescribed for that
consumer product. The test procedure provision is also generally
applicable to the ``Energy Conservation Program for Certain Industrial
Equipment,'' with several exceptions, including packaged boilers, the
subject of this rulemaking. (42 U.S.C. 6311(a)). Nevertheless, DOE
already has a test procedure in effect for commercial packaged boilers
and this rulemaking would not result in a lapse in effectiveness during
which standards would be amended without having a test procedure in
place. With regard to the Process Rule, DOE developed the Process Rule
to establish procedures, interpretations and policies to guide DOE in
the consideration and promulgation of new or revised appliance
efficiency standards for consumer products under EPCA. 10 CFR part 430,
subpart C, Appendix A. However, this approach is considered guidance
that DOE generally follows, but from which DOE may deviate as
necessary. See paragraph 14 of 10 CFR part 430, subpart C, Appendix A.
In general, DOE does not believe that the timing of the test
procedure and standards rulemakings has negatively impacted
stakeholders' ability to provide meaningful comment on this test
procedure rulemaking. The March 2016 NOPR included an update to the
latest industry standard (i.e., ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015), which
was developed by a consensus-based AHRI process and was released in
April 2015. Further, in May 2015 AHRI petitioned DOE to replace BTS-
2000 with ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 in the DOE test procedure for
commercial packaged boilers. (AHRI, No. 29 at p. 1) DOE understands
that industry was involved in developing and has experience with the
changes adopted in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. Further, DOE believes
that the proposals in the March 2016 NOPR were largely consistent with
the test methodology found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. In response
to the March 2016 NOPR, stakeholders provided detailed, insightful
comments on all aspects of the proposal, including those proposals not
derived from the ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. This
[[Page 89282]]
demonstrates that industry was able to carefully consider DOE's
proposed test procedure and how it compared to the current Federal test
procedure.
C. Adoption of Certain Sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
The existing DOE test procedure for commercial packaged boilers
incorporates by reference BTS-2000 to determine the steady-state
efficiency of steam or hot water commercial packaged boilers while
operating at full load. As described in section I, on April 29, 2015,
AHRI published a new ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (ANSI approved
November 28, 2014), which supersedes BTS-2000. On May 29, 2015, AHRI
submitted a request directly to DOE to update the incorporation by
reference in the DOE test procedure to reference the new ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015. (Docket EERE-2014-BT-TP-0006, AHRI, No. 29 at p. 1)
DOE noted that several of the changes incorporated into ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 were also suggested by interested parties in public
comments responding to DOE's September 2013 Framework document,
November 2014 Preliminary Analysis, and February 2014 RFI. Consistent
with the requirement under 42 U.S.C. 6314(4)(B) that DOE amend the
commercial packaged boilers test procedure to be consistent with the
updated industry test procedure, DOE proposed to adopt certain sections
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 in the March 2016 NOPR, as well as
certain modifications that DOE determined were necessary to meet the
statutory requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3).
Several parties responding to the March 2016 NOPR expressed support
for adopting ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 1; AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 2; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 1-3, 9; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 1-2;
Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.1; Gas Associations; No. 42 at p. 2; NEEA, No.
44 at p. 1; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 13; ABMA, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 12; Crown Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 36) However, multiple parties did not agree with DOE's
additional proposals and modifications or suggested that DOE's
proposals meant that DOE was not adopting ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 2; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 1-3, 9; Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 1-2; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p.1; Gas Associations; No. 42 at p. 2;
Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 13) AHRI, Burnham, and Raypak suggested that
DOE had not provided clear and convincing evidence pursuant to 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B) that its proposed changes in addition to ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 were necessary. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 2; Burnham, No.
40 at p. 1-3, 9; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 1-2)
As described in section I.A, with respect to commercial packaged
boilers, EPCA directs DOE to use industry test methods as referenced in
ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, ``Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-
Rise Residential Buildings.'' (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(A)) If and when
such an industry test procedure is amended, EPCA requires that DOE
amend its test procedure as necessary to be consistent with the amended
industry test method unless it determines, by rule published in the
Federal Register and supported by clear and convincing evidence, that
the amended test procedure would be unduly burdensome to conduct or
would not produce test results that reflect the energy efficiency,
energy use, and estimated operating costs of that equipment during a
representative average use cycle. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2), (3) and
(4)(B))
DOE does not agree with commenters' interpretations of the relevant
statutory provisions at issue. Under 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B), when DOE
is triggered by the amendment of an industry test method applicable to
ASHRAE equipment, the Secretary is directed to undertake an assessment
of that industry test method to determine whether amendments to the
Federal test procedure are ``necessary'' to be ``consistent'' with the
amended industry test method. (There may be cases where the industry
standard-setting organization reviews its method and puts out a new
version with minimal or no changes, in which case it may not be
necessary for DOE to amend its own test procedure.) The term
``consistent'' does not equate to ``identical,'' so Congress envisioned
that some differentiation from the industry standard may be necessary.
However, in the event DOE determines that a more significant deviation
from the industry test method is needed (i.e., a change that would not
be ``consistent'' with the industry method), the Secretary must
determine by rule published in the Federal Register and supported by
clear and convincing evidence that a Federal test procedure consistent
with the industry test method would not meet the requirements of 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(2) and (3). It is only in the latter case that the clear
and convincing evidence standard would apply.
In DOE's experience, industry standard-setting bodies typically
undertake a thorough and professional approach to revising their test
procedures. However, DOE must remain cognizant of its statutory duty to
ensure that the Federal test method be consistent with the industry
test method while meeting other statutory requirements at 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(2)-(3) (including that the procedure produces test results that
reflect the energy efficiency, energy use, and estimated operating
costs of that equipment during a representative average use cycle and
is not unduly burdensome to conduct). To the extent that DOE identifies
provisions of the relevant industry test method that would produce
inaccurate, inconsistent, or unrepeatable results, as demonstrated by
DOE's testing or analysis, such results would be unlikely to reflect a
product's representative average energy efficiency or energy use. Such
findings would demonstrate that the industry test procedure would not
meet the statutory requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3) without
alteration, thereby justifying DOE's decision to modify the industry
test procedure (or in certain instances, even to deviate from the
industry test procedure entirely, in which case the clear and
convincing evidence standard would apply). That is why DOE usually
adopts certain sections of industry test methods rather than adopting
industry methods wholesale and adjusts the industry test methods as
needed to satisfy the aforementioned statutory requirements. Such is
the case here, where DOE is adopting amended test procedures that are
largely consistent with the industry test methods (parts of which are
incorporated by reference), but that also include several deviations
from those industry test methods. The modifications adopted in this
final rule are intended to clarify the test method to ensure consistent
application, improve repeatability, make the test method more
representative of the energy efficiency during a representative average
use cycle, and/or ensure that the test procedure is not unduly
burdensome to conduct.
Assuming that DOE requires clear and convincing evidence for its
amendments to industry standards in this final rule, DOE believes its
findings fully satisfy that threshold. To explain that conclusion, DOE
articulates how it understands the ``clear and convincing evidence''
concept to operate in the context of DOE's establishing of test
procedures. A rulemaking procedure is unlike the context of litigation,
where ``clear and convincing'' means that the evidence must ``place in
the ultimate factfinder an abiding conviction that the truth'' of its
conclusions is ``highly
[[Page 89283]]
probable.'' \3\ Nonetheless, DOE fully recognizes that whenever it must
have ``clear and convincing evidence'' pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6314(a),
it needs a higher degree of confidence in its conclusions than would be
required under the ``preponderance'' standard that ordinarily applies
in agency rulemaking. In such matters, the administrative record, taken
as a whole, must justify DOE in a strong conviction that its
conclusions are highly likely to be correct.\4\
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\3\ Colorado v. New Mexico, 467 U.S. 310, 316 (1984).
\4\ Because a test procedure rulemaking is not a litigation, the
differences warrant some differences in how the ``clear and
convincing evidence'' threshold operates. DOE both develops the
record and reviews it to make findings. Also, as an agency tasked
with setting policy, DOE is ordinarily expected to use its technical
judgment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For purposes of establishing test procedures under 42 U.S.C.
6314(a), ``clear and convincing evidence'' can include the same sorts
of evidence that DOE would use in any other rulemaking. But DOE will
conclude it has ``clear and convincing evidence'' only when it is
strongly convinced that it is highly likely to have reached appropriate
findings. With respect to the findings discussed in this rulemaking,
DOE does have that strong conviction.
Consistent with this authority, DOE is adopting a test procedure
that is generally consistent with the industry-based test procedure and
in some instances contains deviations from the industry test procedure
consistent with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3) and in
satisfaction of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B). The justification and evidence
supporting each provision adopted in this final rule are described in
the sections that follow.
D. Fuel Input Rate Certification and Enforcement
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed to standardize its terminology
by introducing a definition for ``fuel input rate'' and proposed
provisions for measuring and certifying the value for each basic model.
Specifically, DOE proposed a procedure for determining the fuel input
rate, which would be certified to DOE, by using the mean of measured
values rounded to the nearest 1,000 Btu/h. DOE believed it was
necessary to make this clarification because the fuel input rate
determines the division of equipment classes and therefore the
applicable Federal energy conservation standards for commercial
packaged boilers.
Bradford White recommended using the term ``rated input'' instead
of ``fuel input rate.'' (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6) AHRI suggested
DOE drop its proposed definition and requirements for fuel input rate.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6) Lochinvar indicated that the boiler industry is
not confused by the terms used for input rate and would be harmed by
the DOE's proposed definition (and more significantly) use of the terms
for input rate. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 10)
AHRI, Burnham and Lochinvar stated that the maximum rated input is
determined as part of the safety certification process, that this
process occurs before efficiency testing, and that the safety
certification agency requires that the maximum rated input for which
the boiler is certified is used on the nameplate. (AHRI, No. 46 at p.
6; Burnham, No. 40 p. 7; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 10) AHRI stated that
the manufacturer's first requirement is to design a model that will
comply with all the safety standards and codes applicable to that
boiler model, and that part of this design phase is establishing the
maximum input rate of the boiler. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 7) They also
stated that manufacturers do not conduct efficiency tests until they
are certain of the model's compliance with the applicable safety
requirements, and that manufacturers therefore cannot wait until their
efficiency tests to determine the model's input rating. (AHRI, No. 46
at p. 7) AHRI stated that with respect to efficiency testing the role
of the maximum input rating is to assure that the unit is set up to
fire at the rate at which the model was designed to operate. (AHRI, No.
46 at p. 6) Lochinvar indicated that the input rate of a commercial
packaged boiler is more likely to fall slightly below that found on the
nameplate so as not to exceed its safety certification. (Lochinvar,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 117) Raypak also did not
support DOE's proposed approach for the fuel input rate because the
rated input is first established during safety certification testing,
specifically in accordance with ANSI/CSA Z21.13 ``Gas-Fired Low
Pressure Steam and Hot Water Boilers.'' Raypak further suggested DOE
accept the fuel input rate from this process for its certification
reports as is currently done. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 7)
DOE proposed a certification procedure for fuel input rate in the
March 2016 NOPR to standardize and clarify the method by which the fuel
input rate for a basic model is determined. However, in light of
comments received, DOE recognizes the precedence of the safety
certification process during the design and development of commercial
packaged boilers, particularly with respect to determining the rated
input for a commercial packaged boiler. DOE acknowledges that in
general manufacturers subject each model to testing witnessed or
performed by safety certification organizations that ensure a
commercial packaged boiler model fires on rate over a range of
operating conditions and ignitions. DOE also acknowledges that once the
safety certification body has verified the fuel input rate of a
commercial packaged boiler, the manufacturer is often obligated to use
that rate on the nameplate of the commercial packaged boiler and the
accompanying product literature, and that rate has been the rate used
when certifying compliance to DOE.
Lochinvar stated that since the test method and efficiency metric
change with the classification of the boiler, it makes sense that a
fixed rating such as ``rated input'' would be used to determine the
test that should be run. Lochinvar further commented that the DOE
proposal to use the tested input rate to determine the product class
creates a paradox where the necessary test is not determined until the
test is done. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 10)
AHRI suggested that the proposed definition for input rate would
assure that the input rate of a model would change every time the
efficiency test is conducted and that it also creates a paradox where
the test to be conducted is based on its equipment class but that the
equipment class is not determined until the test is conducted. (AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 7) AHRI suggested that comparable models that could meet
the same design load of a prospective customer would have different
fuel input rates under DOE's proposal and that this creates a
distinction without a difference. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 7) Burnham stated
that under the proposed rule the manufacturer could be required to
claim two slightly different inputs for the boiler--one for safety
certification and one for meeting DOE requirements--and that this is
burdensome and will create confusion in the field. (Burnham, No. 40 at
p. 7) Burnham suggested that a boiler could fall into different
standards categories depending on, for example, the higher heating
value of the fuel used on the day the unit is tested. (Burnham, No. 40
at p. 7)
In light of the safety certification process, DOE is not adopting
its proposed certification provisions for the fuel input rate.
Manufacturers must use the rated input for the basic model as
determined through the safety certification process, which results in
the maximum rated input listed on the
[[Page 89284]]
nameplate and in manufacturer literature for the basic model. Based on
the suggestions made by Bradford White, DOE will adopt the term ``rated
input'' to mean the maximum rate at which a commercial packaged boiler
has been rated to use energy as indicated by the nameplate or in the
manual shipped with the commercial packaged boiler, and will adopt
``fuel input rate'' to mean the rate at which any particular commercial
packaged boiler uses energy and is determined using test procedures
prescribed under Sec. 431.86.
DOE also proposed in the March 2016 NOPR a set of enforcement
provisions to confirm that the fuel input rate of a commercial packaged
boiler being tested matched the certified value for rated input for the
basic model. DOE proposed these provisions to clarify its process for
determining compliance, specifically for determining the equipment
class and therefore applicable standard for a commercial packaged
boiler if it did not fire on rate (within 2-percent of the certified
rated input value). In the case that a commercial packaged boiler did
not fire on rate, DOE proposed the following steps:
DOE will attempt to adjust the gas pressure in order to
increase or decrease the fuel input rate as necessary;
If still not on rate, DOE will then attempt to modify the
gas inlet orifice (e.g., drill) accordingly;
If still not on rate, DOE will use the measured fuel input
rate when determining equipment class and the associated combustion
and/or thermal efficiency standard level for the basic model.
In response, Bradford White recommended that the following steps be
taken: the manifold pressure is adjusted; followed by changing the gas
pressure, if necessary; and lastly, modify the gas orifice(s).
(Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6) Bradford White also suggested that DOE
should consult with the manufacturer on how to achieve desired
conditions if adjustments do not allow a model to operate within 2-
percent of its rated input. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6) Similarly,
AHRI suggested that if, during testing, a unit cannot be put on rate
and the input rate that is achieved in that situation would put the
model in a different equipment class, DOE should ask the manufacturer
for the documentation that confirms that the nameplate input rate is
the value certified by the testing agency which certified the model's
compliance with the applicable safety standards. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 7)
Raypak opposed the proposal that DOE attempt to modify gas inlet
orifices when the fuel input rate of a boiler is not within 2-percent
of the certified value because several of its commercial packaged
boilers use zero-governor technology that use a nozzle instead of an
orifice. The nozzle cannot simply be drilled to gain more gas flow, and
drilling would damage the nozzle. Raypak suggested that DOE consult
manufacturer's instructions and input before attempting to adjust the
input rate. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 7)
DOE agrees with Bradford White that adjusting the manifold pressure
of a commercial packaged boiler could bring the measured fuel input
rate of a unit to within 2-percent of the rated input during testing.
DOE notes that its proposed regulatory text stated that it would modify
``gas pressure'' without specifying inlet or manifold, though both
modifications would be attempted. In this final rule, DOE further
specifies that it would attempt to alter both the manifold pressure and
inlet pressure in order to bring the measured fuel input rate to within
2-percent of the rated input. In response to Raypak's comments, DOE
agrees that manufacturer's instructions should first be consulted and
therefore is adopting additional language to clarify that this would
occur before any attempts at adjustments to the commercial packaged
boiler or test set-up are made. DOE also notes, however, that the
proposed language stated that DOE would attempt each modification as
specified in the test procedure. That language is being adopted in this
final rule and DOE will therefore use its expertise and discretion in
attempting each modification as may be required to bring the measured
fuel input rate of a gas-fired unit to within 2-percent of rated input.
If a commercial packaged boiler uses a nozzle rather than an orifice,
DOE would not attempt to drill the nozzle as the provision clearly
states that only a gas inlet orifice would be drilled (if the unit is
equipped with one). DOE also clarifies that this set of attempts to
bring a tested unit on rate apply only to gas-fired commercial packaged
boilers, and that DOE would not attempt modifications for oil-fired
equipment.
Raypak suggested that rounding fuel input rates to the nearest
1,000 Btu/h will create confusion and uncertainty. (Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 7) Bradford White disagreed with the proposal that a model's
measured input is to be rounded to the nearest 1,000 Btu/h and does not
see a value in rounding the input. The model, if not already, must be
adjusted to achieve its rated input 2-percent. (Bradford
White, No. 39 at p. 6) DOE notes that the provision requiring rounding
fuel input rates to the nearest 1,000 Btu/h was associated with the
proposed certification process for fuel input rate and is not being
adopted in this final rule. Raypak's and Bradford White's concerns are
therefore now moot.
E. Testing of Large Commercial Packaged Boilers
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE acknowledged that large commercial
packaged boilers may not be fully assembled until they are installed at
the field site, which may preclude them from being tested in a
laboratory setting. DOE also recognized that, as the size of the
equipment increases, testing costs incurred to condition the incoming
water and air to the test procedure rating conditions, as well as
management of the hot water generated during testing, also
significantly increases. DOE therefore proposed several provisions for
its commercial packaged boiler test procedure that would accommodate
the testing of large units.
1. Optional Field Test
DOE proposed a field test option for commercial packaged boilers
with fuel input rates greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h. If electing to use
this option, a manufacturer would test the combustion efficiency of a
commercial packaged boiler once assembled in the field in order to
certify compliance with the applicable energy conservation standard. As
discussed in the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed this option in response
to industry concerns that the DOE test procedure was difficult or
impossible to conduct for large commercial packaged boilers. DOE
recognized that commercial packaged boilers with high rated inputs
(i.e., greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h) may not be fully assembled until
they are installed at the field location which may preclude them from
being tested in a laboratory setting. The proposed field test option
would allow for compliance certification based on testing of only one
unit, and would include exemptions for certain set-up, ambient
condition, and water temperature requirements that would be difficult
or impossible to meet in the field.
In response, Farrelly supported the field testing option while
several commenters did not. (Khan, No. 31 at p. 1; ABMA, No. 38 at p.
2; Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6; Burnham, No.
40 at p. 2; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4; Weil-
McLain, No. 41 at p. 6, 14; Farrelly, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 165) Although Bradford White did not agree with allowing
commercial
[[Page 89285]]
packaged boilers to be tested in the field, it suggested that it is
already common practice to field test boilers with inputs greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h because laboratories are not able to test them.
(Bradford White, No. 39 at pp. 2-3) Burnham suggested that the proposed
optional field test violates 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B). (Burnham, No. 40
at p. 2) AHRI stated that in the field a test cannot be conducted per
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. (AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 144)
In response to Burnham's suggestion that the proposed optional
field test violates EPCA, as noted in section III.C, where the
industry-based test method does not meet the requirements under 42
U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3), DOE may deviate from the industry-based test
method as necessary in order to adopt a test procedure that results in
energy efficiency or energy use of a representative average use cycle
and that is not unduly burdensome to conduct. As discussed in the March
2016 NOPR, DOE received input from multiple stakeholders responding to
the September 2013 Framework document and November 2014 Preliminary
Analysis (Docket EERE-2013-BT-STD-0030) that indicated the existing DOE
test procedure (referencing BTS-2000 \5\) was impractical for large
commercial packaged boilers not only because of the size limitation of
manufacturer and laboratory facilities, but also because these
commercial packaged boilers are often not fully assembled until they
are on site for installation. In response to the March 2016 NOPR, Weil-
McLain indicated that testing commercial packaged boilers with rated
input 10,000,000 Btu/h and higher is cost prohibitive. (Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at p. 6, 15) DOE proposed the field test option using the
combustion efficiency measurement because such a test would be simpler,
shorter in duration, and could be conducted in the field after a
commercial packaged boiler has been assembled. Because ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 does not provide for a method of test that is not
unduly burdensome to conduct for certain commercial packaged boilers,
DOE's proposal, which provided an optional field test, satisfied both
the requirements found at 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2) and 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(4)(B) to adopt a test procedure that is not unduly burdensome
to conduct. Moreover, DOE solicited suggestions for alternatives to the
field test option by which manufacturers could test large commercial
packaged boilers but did not receive any such suggestions. Instead,
commenters agreed that the industry standard did not provide a method
of test that was feasible and that, for some commercial packaged
boilers, to perform the industry standard test would be unduly
burdensome. This stakeholder input demonstrates that the industry
standard does not provide a test method for certain large commercial
packaged boilers that is reasonably designed to produce test results
which reflect energy efficiency, energy use, and estimated operating
costs during a representative average use cycle and that is not unduly
burdensome to conduct.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 continues to use the same test
methodology as BTS-2000 and while some specific changes, such as an
increase in allowable steam pressure, make the test procedure more
viable for large commercial packaged boilers it does not address the
fundamental size, field assembly, and cost issues that commenters
raised.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABMA, Lochinvar, and Crown Boiler stated that meeting the required
room temperature and humidity conditions would be difficult or
impossible in the proposed field test. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2;
Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4; Crown Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 10, 151-152) (DOE notes that the proposed field test option in
the March 2016 NOPR did not require ambient room temperature and
relative humidity requirements to be met.) AHRI, Lochinvar and Raypak
expressed concern that the field test would potentially decrease
accuracy and repeatability of the test, and AHRI and Lochinvar
suggested this is due to the lack of tightly controlled operating
conditions. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6; Lochinvar, No. 47 at p. 2; Raypak,
No. 47 at p. 3) Lochinvar, Weil-McLain, and AERCO suggested that the
field test option would not result in comparable ratings between
equipment because laboratory tests would need to meet tight operating
conditions while field tests would not. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 2, 4,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 149; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
6, 14; AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 149-151) Weil-
McLain also suggested that a commercial packaged boiler tested using
the field test option could meet the standard for its equipment class
but not meet the standard when tested in a laboratory environment using
the proposed test conditions. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 6)
As was noted in the March 2016 NOPR, DOE agrees that a field test
option will inherently be more variable than a test conducted in a
laboratory environment. However, as DOE noted in this preamble, the
field test option will accommodate testing of commercial packaged
boilers that currently are difficult or impossible to test.
Manufacturers are obligated to ensure that their equipment meets DOE
standards as measured according to the DOE test procedure. While
manufacturers have indicated that there are certain commercial packaged
boilers that cannot be tested using the current DOE test procedure,
they have generally opposed the field test option and have not put
forth an alternative method of test that would address this. DOE again
notes that, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2) and 42 U.S.C.
6314(a)(4)(B), it is required to adopt test procedures that are not
unduly burdensome to conduct and DOE is therefore adopting a the field
test option to provide such a test procedure for commercial packaged
boilers with high fuel input rates (i.e., greater than 5,000,000 Btu/
h).
DOE notes that manufacturers will be required to submit certain
parameters including water temperatures and ambient conditions as part
of the compliance report for comparison to future tests of the same
unit or another unit of the same basic model. A manufacturer may
continue to use the standard laboratory method if it believes such a
test would be more representative of the efficiency of its equipment.
Additionally, for enforcement tests, DOE recognizes that a field test
could not meet the existing laboratory accreditation requirements found
at 10 CFR 429.110(a)(3) and therefore is adopting an exception in this
section specifically for field tests of large commercial packaged
boilers.
Raypak stated that with respect to the field test, 10 CFR
429.12(a), which requires that certification of equipment occur before
distribution in commerce, would not be met if product is allowed to be
advertised and sold before ratings are established. (Raypak, No. 47 at
p. 3) Raypak stated that DOE must forbid the use of thermal efficiency
advertising for models using the field testing method because testing
will not have been performed yet to qualify those metrics. (Raypak, No.
47 at p. 3) Lochinvar and AHRI expressed concern that with respect to
field testing commercial packaged boilers could potentially be sold
into commerce without having a rating beforehand. (Lochinvar, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 148; AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 161) Weil-McLain suggested that if field testing is
allowed, each unit should be required to be tested and the data from a
field test unit should not be used to qualify that model for future
sales without field testing every installation. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at
p. 15)
[[Page 89286]]
In response to Raypak's concern regarding certification of
equipment prior to distribution in commerce, DOE notes that in the
March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed a provision under 10 CFR 429.60 that
would allow for certification of equipment not previously certified
within 15 days of commissioning. This equipment-specific provision
overrides the general provision of 429.12 requiring certification prior
to distribution in commerce. In response to Raypak's suggestion that
DOE should prohibit representations of thermal efficiency based on
field testing because the field testing would not yet have been
performed to substantiate the representation, DOE notes that 42 U.S.C.
6314(d)(1) requires that representations of efficiency be based on
testing in accordance with the DOE test procedure. If a manufacturer
wishes to make representations of efficiency, the commercial packaged
boiler basic model must first be tested, which DOE permits through its
regulations as either using the normal laboratory test for thermal or
combustion efficiency (as applicable pursuant to 10 CFR 431.87) or
using an alternative efficiency determination method (AEDM). Such an
AEDM could be based on testing for the smallest model in a basic model
line and applied to the larger models. Likewise, representations for a
commercial packaged boiler model that has been previously field tested
(i.e., a subsequently distributed unit of the same basic model) could
be made based on that test data.
DOE does not agree with Weil-McLain's suggestion that each
installation of a field tested model would always need to be tested. If
a commercial packaged boiler basic model is certified using the field
test method, the manufacturer is certifying that each unit of that
basic model complies with the applicable energy conservation standard
as is the case with any basic model that uses the laboratory method
(i.e., not field tested) of testing and certification. DOE believes
that requiring the testing and certification of each unit of a basic
model in the field would be unduly burdensome. If the manufacturer is
uncomfortable with its certification due to uncertainty whether
subsequent units will comply with the standard, the manufacturer may
choose to test each subsequent unit, but DOE does not require it to do
so.
ABMA does not support the field test option as proposed because
once a boiler leaves a manufacturer's shipping dock, ownership
transfers to the purchaser of the equipment and the boiler manufacturer
has no further control over it. ABMA suggested that, even if an owner
is willing to allow a field test, they are likely only willing to allow
testing during summer (non-heating) months; however, the heating load
available on the building during the summer is insufficient to perform
a test even at night. ABMA further indicated that installation of the
necessary equipment and instrumentation is unlikely to be allowed by
the owner, particularly stack thermocouple grids and flow meters.
(ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 140-141)
Similarly, Lochinvar indicated that conducting efficiency tests
requires time and, depending on field installations, could involve some
risk of damage to equipment. They suggested that building inspectors
will not typically have the training to conduct the desired tests or
verify proper execution of the test if they are providing oversight.
Additionally, Lochinvar stated that a third-party inspector that
delivers a non[hyphen]compliant result might find themselves the
subject of a lawsuit questioning their methodology and results.
(Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4)
To allow for testing in factory fire test areas ABMA suggested
modifying the definition of field test to mean a combustion efficiency
test that is conducted in a location other than a laboratory setting.
ABMA stated that doing so would reduce problems associated with field
testing to a mostly manageable level. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2) ABMA also
stated that certification after distribution in commerce may be a
worthwhile course of action provided that its other concerns for the
field test provisions are accounted for. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 3)
DOE agrees with ABMA's suggestion that a test performed in a
factory fire test area (i.e., a manufacturer facility or space with
fewer test capabilities than a laboratory) could meet the requirements
of DOE's proposed field test while alleviating concerns regarding
ownership and access to the installed commercial packaged boiler for
testing. The regulatory language proposed in the March 2016 NOPR and
being adopted in this final rule allows for such testing.
AHRI suggested that DOE consider additional modifications to the
AEDM to allow a means to certify that large input models comply with
the applicable minimum efficiency standard; however, AHRI did not
provide additional detail or suggest how this might be accomplished.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 6) Lochinvar stated that, if DOE will allow the use
of the ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 test method and AEDMs, there should
be no need for field testing of boilers. Lochinvar further stated that
it believes that the combination of testing according to ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015, conversion methodology and use of the AEDM should
provide manufacturers adequate options to verify their boilers'
performance. Lochinvar noted that this may require production of the
smallest products in a given family for ``lab'' testing and encouraged
DOE to allow some grace period for the production of these units and
the accompanying test data to minimize the burden on these
manufacturers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4, 5) Lochinvar also noted that
it understands that the performance of any commercial packaged boiler
is to be verified before it is introduced to commerce and encouraged
DOE to apply the appropriate rules fairly to all manufacturers.
(Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4) ACEEE commented that allowing AEDMs for the
certification of commercial packaged boilers that are too large for
testing in a lab may be preferable to field tests. (ACEEE, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 148) ACEEE and ABMA also raised a
concern that the AEDM process may not be feasible for large commercial
packaged boilers because AEDMs are based on testing of multiple units
of the same model and that commercial packaged boilers models with
rated inputs above 5,000,000 Btu/h may only ever have one unit
produced. (ACEEE, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 156; ABMA,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 157)
DOE notes that representations based on the amended test procedure
are not required until December 4, 2017, which allows manufacturers
time to comply with the amended test procedure. Additionally, DOE
believes that its provisions for AEDMs as they pertain to commercial
packaged boilers adequately address AHRI's and Lochinvar's suggestions
and mitigate test burden. An AEDM may be validated based on tests of
any individual models in a validation class that meet or exceed the
Federal energy conservation standard regardless of size. The tests
could therefore be performed on the smallest individual model in a
validation class and the AEDM could then be applied to certify the
compliance of all other sizes. With respect to ACEEE and ABMA's concern
regarding the number of units required for validating the AEDM, DOE
notes that only one unit for each selected basic model (minimum two) of
a validation class is required to be tested for comparison to the AEDM
pursuant to 10 CFR 429.70(c)(2)(i).
However, as noted in the March 2016 NOPR, DOE believes that field
tests of
[[Page 89287]]
commercial packaged boilers would not be a sufficient basis for AEDMs
applied to models below the 5,000,000 Btu/h and therefore proposed that
AEDMs validated using field test data could only be applied to
commercial packaged boilers with fuel input rates greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h. In response to the concern expressed by ACEEE and ABMA
regarding the ability to develop an AEDM applicable to commercial
packaged boilers with rated inputs greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, DOE
notes that manufacturers could develop the AEDM based on testing of
commercial packaged boilers with rated inputs less than 5,000,000 Btu/h
and applying the AEDM to larger models in that validation class,
thereby mitigating this concern.
ABMA believes the threshold for allowing the field test and
conversion methodology should be reduced to 2,500,000 Btu/h from
5,000,000 Btu/h to match normal capacity breaks in product lines.
(ABMA, No. 38 at p. 3) AHRI indicated that it is feasible to conduct
the thermal efficiency test on steam commercial packaged boilers with
rated inputs greater than 2,500,000 Btu/h and less than or equal to
5,000,000 Btu/h. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 8) However, Bradford White
suggested that requiring laboratory tests for commercial packaged
boilers between 2,500,000 Btu/h and 5,000,000 Btu/h would require
laboratory upgrades totaling $300,000. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 2-
3) Lochinvar opposes all ``field testing;'' however, if allowed,
Lochinvar suggested the lower limit for field constructed boilers must
be no lower than 5,000,000 Btu/h because [commercial] packaged boilers
are widely available in this input rate and should not be unequally
tested and rated. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4) Weil-McLain suggested
that if the field test option is kept that it only be available to
10,000,000 Btu/h boilers and larger because testing these boilers is
cost prohibitive. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 6, 15) Weil-McLain also
indicated that testing water and steam commercial packaged boilers with
inputs between 2,500,000 Btu/h and 5,000,000 Btu/h is already done in
many facilities. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 14)
The purpose of the field test option is to alleviate the test
burden for large capacity commercial packaged boilers that is largely
the result of laboratory facility limitations. As such, DOE believes
that a minimum 5,000,000 Btu/h threshold for the field test option is
appropriate as indicated in Lochinvar's and AHRI's comments, as well as
Weil-McLain's indication that laboratory testing for commercial
packaged boilers between 2,500,000 and 5,000,000 Btu/h is already
common. In response to Bradford White's indication that incorporating
commercial packaged boilers with inputs greater than 2,500,000 Btu/h
and 5,000,000 Btu/h would impose costs, DOE does not believe costs
associated with testing such units are prohibitive, as other parties
have suggested that such testing is already commonly performed. In
response to ABMA's comments that the threshold should be lowered to
2,500,000 Btu/h, DOE does not agree that capacity breaks in product
lines is sufficient justification for such an allowance. In response to
Weil-McLain's suggestion to raise the threshold to 10,000,000 Btu/h,
DOE notes that the field test is an option, not a requirement, and that
raising the threshold to 10,000,000 Btu/h would likely result in
manufacturers and laboratory facilities needing to make major
investment in laboratory capabilities in order to be able to perform
laboratory tests up to such a capacity.
2. Optional Conversion of Combustion Efficiency to Thermal Efficiency
As an additional provision for accommodating large commercial
packaged boilers (rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h) DOE
proposed in the March 2016 NOPR a conversion from combustion efficiency
to thermal efficiency for steam commercial packaged boilers. While hot
water commercial packaged boilers of the same size must meet a Federal
energy conservation standard using the combustion efficiency metric,
steam commercial packaged boilers must meet a thermal efficiency
standard. The thermal efficiency test uses a more complex set-up and
instrumentation and would be difficult to conduct in the field. Under
the proposal, manufacturers could test a steam commercial packaged
boiler for combustion efficiency (in a laboratory or in the field) and
convert to thermal efficiency using an equation.
In response to this proposal, ABMA agreed with the concept of the
conversion but did not agree that a single number (2-percent difference
between combustion and thermal efficiency) is applicable across a broad
range of sizes. They suggested that the difference should be capacity
dependent and provided the following data for the difference between
combustion and thermal efficiency: 4,185,000 Btu/h: 0.56 percent,
10,463,000 Btu/h: 0.41 percent, 31,383,000 Btu/h: 0.24 percent, and
50,220,000 Btu/h: 0.18 percent. Alternatively, ABMA suggested that a
manufacturer could use size-specific data on radiation loss. (ABMA, No.
38 at p. 3, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 87) Bradford White
stated that the 2-percent difference was not appropriate and suggested
reviewing active products in the AHRI directory. (Bradford White, No.
39 at p. 3) Lochinvar stated that the proposed conversion method was
appropriate; however, Lochinvar also stated that they did not agree
with any attempt to convert between combustion and thermal efficiency.
They further suggested that using a fixed conversion factor is not
accurate or appropriate. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 4-5)
Weil-McLain stated that the 2-percent difference between combustion
and thermal efficiency is arbitrary and will not result in reliable
thermal efficiency results. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 8) Weil-McLain
also suggested that manufacturers could take advantage of the
conversion by removing insulation which would increase jacket losses
and combustion efficiency but not result in higher thermal efficiency.
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 15) They also suggested that if thermal
efficiency cannot be directly measured or derived based on jacket loss
measurements then it should not be the specified efficiency method for
that equipment class. Finally, Weil-McLain stated that the range of
values for the difference between combustion and thermal efficiency is
much larger than the 0.5 percent to 2.0-percent cited in the March 2016
NOPR. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 15)
Relatedly, AERCO commented that, if only the combustion efficiency
test were required for large commercial packaged boilers, the test
burden would be manageable. They indicated that investment in water
pump and heat dissipation equipment may be necessary, but that running
a test may amount to $30,000 to $40,000 which is considered reasonable
when compared to the cost of some large commercial packaged boilers
($100,000 to $200,000). (AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
154) ABMA indicated that there would still be a limit to the size of
commercial packaged boilers that could be tested even if performing
only the combustion efficiency test. (ABMA, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 154)
DOE notes that the intent of the optional combustion to thermal
efficiency methodology is to reduce test burden for manufacturers that
have found it difficult to test the thermal efficiency of commercial
packaged boilers with rated inputs greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h. This
is supported by
[[Page 89288]]
AERCO's comment that performing a combustion test would be achievable
for large commercial packaged boilers. Manufacturers have the option of
continuing to use the thermal efficiency test if they believe it will
result in a more accurate representation of their equipment's
efficiency. As described in the March 2016 NOPR, DOE analyzed a subset
of the AHRI directory (as of January 2015) \6\ in order to determine a
value for the conversion; specifically, DOE considered the difference
between rated combustion and thermal efficiency for all steam
commercial packaged boilers with rated input larger than 5,000,000 Btu/
h. DOE found 52 basic models of steam commercial packaged boilers with
a rated input larger than 5,000,000 Btu/h and the difference between
rated combustion and thermal efficiency ranged between 0.5 percent and
2.0-percent. DOE acknowledges that the range may be wider (and may
include values for which the thermal efficiency is greater than the
combustion efficiency) for other subsets of commercial packaged boilers
or for all commercial packaged boilers as a whole. However, this
methodology would only be available to steam commercial packaged
boilers with rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h and therefore DOE
used only that subset of data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Available at: https://www.ahridirectory.org/ahridirectory/pages/home.aspx.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, DOE used a single value of 2.0 that represents the
maximum difference between combustion and thermal efficiency for those
commercial packaged boilers in order to generate conservative ratings
for basic models certified using this methodology. If manufacturers
believe their equipment is capable of achieving a higher thermal
efficiency, they may elect to use the thermal efficiency test rather
than the combustion efficiency test and conversion. DOE notes that the
thermal efficiency test would be used for DOE enforcement testing; and
therefore, DOE does not believe that manufacturers would be likely to
manipulate the test to achieve an artificially better result as Weil-
McLain suggests.
With respect to Weil-McLain's suggestion to use combustion
efficiency as the metric for this equipment class, EPCA directs DOE to
consider amending its energy conservation standards for commercial
packaged boilers each time ASHRAE amends ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1. (42
U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(A)) Pursuant to EPCA, on July 22, 2009, DOE published
a final rule adopting the thermal efficiency metric as the energy
efficiency descriptor for eight of ten equipment classes of commercial
packaged boilers in order to conform to ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2007.
74 FR 36314. DOE is not reconsidering the efficiency metric used for
any equipment class of commercial packaged boilers at this time.
F. Hot Water Temperatures
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed modifications to the water
temperatures for hot water tests of commercial packaged boilers. In the
current DOE test procedure (which incorporates by reference BTS-2000),
inlet water temperature for a non-condensing commercial packaged boiler
can be between 35[emsp14][deg]F and 80[emsp14][deg]F and outlet water
temperature must be 180[emsp14][deg]F 2[emsp14][deg]F. For
a condensing commercial packaged boiler, inlet water temperature must
be 80[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F and outlet water
temperature must be 180[emsp14][deg]F 2[emsp14][deg]F (at
Point C in). ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, which replaced BTS-2000 and
was proposed for incorporation by reference in the March 2016 NOPR, did
not change these temperature requirements. These inlet and outlet
temperature requirements result in a temperature rise across the heat
exchanger ranging from 98[emsp14][deg]F to 147[emsp14][deg]F for a non-
condensing commercial packaged boiler and from 93[emsp14][deg]F to
107[emsp14][deg]F for a condensing commercial packaged boiler. Also,
BTS-2000 and ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 permit recirculating loops,
allowing heated outlet water to be reintroduced into the incoming water
thereby increasing the temperature of the inlet water entering the
commercial packaged boiler (see further discussion in section III.F.2).
As stated in the March 2016 NOPR, DOE identified several issues with
these temperature requirements based on comments received in response
to the October 2013 Framework document, February 2014 RFI, and the
November 2014 Preliminary Analysis, as well as through manufacturer
interviews and a review of the existing DOE test procedure. The issues
included:
The current temperature rise is unrepresentative of actual
operating conditions;
The current temperature rise may induce excessive stresses
on some commercial packaged boilers; and
The presence of recirculating loops during testing leads
to significant variability in the actual temperature rise across the
commercial packaged boiler.
DOE therefore proposed modifications to the inlet and outlet water
temperature requirements that would result in a consistent
40[emsp14][deg]F nominal temperature rise for all commercial packaged
boilers. For condensing commercial packaged boilers, DOE proposed an
inlet temperature of 80[emsp14][deg]F and an outlet temperature of
120[emsp14][deg]F, and for non-condensing commercial packaged boilers
DOE proposed an inlet temperature of 140[emsp14][deg]F and an outlet
temperature of 180[emsp14][deg]F. Additionally, while recirculating
loops could still be used, DOE proposed that the inlet temperature
would be measured downstream of where the loop would reenter the
incoming water stream, immediately prior to the water entering the
commercial packaged boiler.
1. General Comments
Burnham, Weil-McLain, and the Efficiency Advocates agreed that the
temperatures in the current test procedure (BTS-2000, or equivalently
in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015) were not representative of actual
installation/field conditions for commercial packaged boilers.
(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 3; Efficiency Advocates, No. 45 at p. 1-2; Weil-
McLain, No. 41 at p. 7) Weil-McLain further suggested that BTS-2000 was
not intended to simulate actual installation conditions for the boiler
and that a 100[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise would not have been used
in BTS-2000 otherwise. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 17) Burnham further
stated that, even though the water temperatures found in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 are not representative of those seen in the field,
this does not necessarily mean that resulting efficiency measurements
are not representative of what would be found in the field. (Burnham,
No. 40 at p. 3)
Bradford White, NEEA, and the Efficiency Advocates stated that
DOE's proposed water temperatures would more accurately reflect
operating temperatures found in the field. (Bradford White, No. 39 at
p. 3; NEEA, No. 44 at p. 2; Efficiency Advocates, No. 45 at p. 1-2)
AERCO also stated that continuing to use the 80[emsp14][deg]F inlet and
180[emsp14][deg]F outlet temperatures is unrealistic and that this
should be changed even if ratings are affected. (AERCO, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 12) NEEA stated that, for non-condensing
commercial packaged boilers, hot water coils that provide heating are
designed to provide a 20[emsp14][deg]F temperature drop across the coil
with a design supply water temperature of 180[emsp14][deg]F on the
coldest days and 160[emsp14][deg]F on mild days. NEEA stated that the
20[emsp14][deg]F temperature drop across the coil prevents the return
water from being less than 140[emsp14][deg]F (when the supply water
temperature is 160[emsp14][deg]F), which prevents condensing from
occurring, and that the 40[emsp14][deg]F rise proposed by DOE is more
representative
[[Page 89289]]
than the range used in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. For condensing
commercial packaged boilers, NEEA stated that the 40[emsp14][deg]F
temperature rise is also more representative of typical conditions in a
commercial building, and that water is typically supplied to the
building at 120[emsp14][deg]F and returned to the commercial packaged
boiler at 100[emsp14][deg]F. (NEEA, No. 44 at pp. 1-2) The Efficiency
Advocates similarly commented that return water for a non-condensing
commercial packaged boiler must be at or above 140[emsp14][deg]F to
prevent condensing and possible corrosion. (Efficiency Advocates, No.
45 at pp. 1-2)
The Efficiency Advocates also suggested that the specificity of
DOE's proposed inlet and outlet temperature requirements would improve
consistency and repeatability across ratings and tests. (Efficiency
Advocates, No. 45 at pp. 1-2) The Efficiency Advocates also supported
the proposal to measure the inlet water temperature downstream of where
inlet water enters the unit such that the actual temperature of the
water entering the commercial packaged boiler would not be obscured.
(Efficiency Advocates, No. 45 at p. 1) The CA IOUs supported DOE's
proposal for a fixed inlet water temperature as opposed to the
35[emsp14][deg]F to 80[emsp14][deg]F range currently allowed because
consumers could more confidently compare the ratings of commercial
packaged boiler models. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 2)
However, several stakeholders including AHRI, Burnham, Raypak,
Lochinvar and Weil-McLain, suggested that DOE's proposed water
temperatures would impact ratings, and presented test results that
showed a range of effects on thermal efficiency from a decrease of up
to 1.4-percent to an increase of up to 1.8-percent. (AHRI, No. 46 at p.
3; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4; Lochinvar, No. 43
at p. 7; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 4, 8, 10) AHRI stated that the
current water temperature conditions specified in BTS-2000 and
maintained in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 should be retained without
change. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 3) AHRI further stated that the aggregate
effect on ratings is irrelevant to a commercial packaged boiler model
that just complies with the standard and whose rating is lowered by the
proposed test procedure. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 3) Burnham suggested that
the proposed water temperatures would trigger manufacturers to
recertify and could result in non-compliance for some models, while
Crown Boiler and Raypak suggested that all manufacturers would need to
retest all models. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4, 5; Crown Boiler, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 10; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4, 6)
Lochinvar questioned why, if the amended test procedure is not expected
to change ratings, manufacturers should be burdened with rerating their
units. (Lochinvar, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 49) NEEA
suggested that DOE create a crosswalk to convert old test data to new
test data as a way of reducing testing burden. (NEEA, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 34) Burnham raised the concern that reducing
the temperature rise would increase measurement error and therefore the
thermal efficiency error by 2.5 times.\7\ (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ DOE believes that Burnham arrived at the factor of 2.5 by
dividing a 100[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise by the proposed
40[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise, and that Burnham is suggesting
that the measurement error would increase in the same proportion as
the decrease in temperature rise. DOE notes that such a scenario
would only happen in those instances where recirculating loops are
not currently used during testing, e.g., cast iron sectional
commercial packaged boilers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gas Associations suggested that DOE document specific
differences in efficiency that result from the water temperature
changes as compared to ratings produced by ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
so that manufacturers could evaluate the impacts the temperature
changes would have on their specific models. (Gas Associations, No. 42
at p. 2) The CA IOUs suggested that test data from Pacific Gas and
Electric (PGE) showed changes in efficiency resulting from different
inlet and outlet water temperatures, but that this testing was done
according to a different test protocol and it remains unclear how the
changes proposed in the March 2016 NOPR will impact the efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers on the market. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 4)
More specifically, DOE understands the testing conducted by the CA IOUs
was conducted in accordance with the test methodology in ASHRAE
Standard 155P (currently in draft form), which is not representative of
or comparable to DOE's proposed method of test or the methodology being
adopted today. The ASHRAE Standard 155P test procedure has many
differences in methodology--namely part loading and inlet water
conditions as compared to the DOE methodology. Thus, DOE expects the
results to be quite different and that data should not be considered as
part of the comparison to the current Federal method and the
methodology DOE proposed for an amended test procedure because it is
not relevant.
DOE is sensitive to concerns regarding the impact of the test
procedure amendments on ratings, particularly for commercial packaged
boilers that were not previously able to use a recirculating loop for
reducing the temperature rise across the unit, as there was a
significant difference in inlet water temperature in the March 2016
NOPR for units not using a recirculating loop as compared to the
current test method. (Recirculating loops are considered in section
III.F.2.) However, DOE continues to believe that an inlet water
temperature range of 35[emsp14][deg]F to 80[emsp14][deg]F as found in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is an unnecessarily large range based on
the capabilities of current test facilities, and that lower
temperatures in that range are particularly unrepresentative of water
temperatures found in the field. DOE again notes its obligation under
42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B) to adopt a test procedure consistent with the
amended industry standard unless it finds that such a procedure would
not meet the statutory requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3), namely
that it may not reflect a product's energy efficiency or use during a
representative average use cycle and/or is unduly burdensome to
conduct. As discussed, DOE has found that the water temperature
provisions of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 would not produce results
that reflect energy efficiency during a representative average use
cycle because a wide range of allowable temperatures may result in an
unrepeatable test and, in some cases, those temperatures are far lower
than any temperatures that would ever be experienced in the field.
In this final rule, DOE is therefore adopting an inlet temperature
requirement of 80[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F for non-
condensing commercial packaged boilers that do not utilize a
recirculating loop, and the outlet temperature will remain
180[emsp14][deg]F 2[emsp14][deg]F. (Note: this inlet water
temperature is consistent with the existing inlet water temperature
requirement for condensing commercial packaged boilers. See section
III.F.3 for discussion of water temperatures for condensing commercial
packaged boilers.) This range aligns with the existing allowable
maximum temperature of 80[emsp14][deg]F for the inlet water temperature
but reduces the total allowable range. DOE agrees with the Efficiency
Advocates and CA IOUs that the March 2016 NOPR water temperatures would
improve consistency due to their specificity, would remove ambiguity
concerning the temperature of water entering a unit, and would provide
assurance to consumers that commercial packaged boilers were rated
similarly. Although
[[Page 89290]]
the temperatures being adopted in this final rule are different from
those proposed, DOE believes that the final rule will still achieve
these results. DOE believes that this final rule results in a test
procedure that is more representative of efficiencies found in the
field by increasing the allowable inlet water temperature and more
repeatable because of the narrower allowable range of inlet water
temperatures, while mitigating concerns regarding the impact on
ratings. DOE believes that the concerns regarding impacts on ratings
due to the proposed 140[emsp14][deg]F inlet water temperature are
mitigated with the temperature requirements it is adopting in this
final rule. Therefore, DOE does not believe it is necessary to produce,
as the Gas Associations and NEEA suggested, a conversion methodology
between the existing and amended test procedures. Moreover, a
manufacturer would only need to recertify a basic model if it
determines its test results no longer represent the efficiency of the
basic model as tested under the amended test procedure. Such a
determination should be possible based on a review of the water
temperatures used to generate prior test data and an understanding of
the potential effects on the resulting efficiency.
2. Recirculating Loops
DOE noted in the March 2016 NOPR that the presence of recirculating
loops during testing obscures the actual temperature rise that the
commercial packaged boiler experiences. Section 8.5.1.1.1 of BTS-2000,
which is incorporated by reference in the current DOE test procedure,
states that such a loop may be used ``for tubular boilers that require
a greater flow rate to prevent boiling.'' In such instances, the same
section also requires that the temperature rise through the boiler
itself not be less than 20[emsp14][deg]F. Section 5.3.5.3 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015, which replaces BTS-2000, expands the use of
recirculating loops by removing the requirement that a boiler be
``tubular'' to use a recirculating loop, such that a recirculating loop
may be used ``for [any] boilers that require a greater flow rate to
prevent boiling.'' In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed inlet water
temperature requirements immediately preceding the commercial packaged
boiler, thereby allowing all commercial packaged boiler tests to use
the recirculating loop to achieve a 140[emsp14][deg]F or
80[emsp14][deg]F inlet water temperature for non-condensing and
condensing units, respectively. (See section III.F.3 for discussion of
water temperatures for condensing commercial packaged boilers.) DOE
also sought comment specifically on the prevalence of recirculating
loops during testing. DOE received the following feedback:
ABMA stated that recirculating loops are used for fire-
tube type boilers. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 4)
Bradford White stated that recirculating loops are used
for low mass boilers to prevent boiling. (Bradford White, no. 39 at p.
4)
AHRI stated that recirculating loops are used for water-
tube type boilers that require forced water circulation to operate, and
that the AHRI certification program is consistent with this. (AHRI, No.
46 at p. 3)
Burnham stated that recirculation loops are not used
unless absolutely necessary (though they did not indicate what
conditions would require the recirculating loop) and indicated that
BTS-2000 only explicitly permits recirculating loops for water-tube
type boilers. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5)
Raypak stated that they use a recirculating loop on all
non-condensing boilers. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6)
Lochinvar stated that recirculation loops are common on
tube-type boilers and uncommon on cast sectional boilers but that this
is not universally true. They also stated that a recirculating loop is
needed for copper fin tube boilers but not stainless steel tube
boilers. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 7, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 43)
Weil-McLain stated that it is not true that most
manufacturers use a recirculation loop with sectional cast iron
boilers. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 9)
Crown Boiler stated that they do not use a recirculating
loop in testing most of their boilers except for those that require a
higher flow rate, and that they believe this is characteristic of most
other manufacturers. (Crown Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34
at p. 42-43)
AERCO stated they do not use a recirculating loop unless
it is during the winter and the water entering the building is
40[emsp14][deg]F to 50[emsp14][deg]F. (AERCO, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 44)
DOE understands that Raypak currently does not manufacture
sectional cast iron commercial packaged boilers, and therefore their
statement that recirculating loops are only used for their non-
condensing models is consistent with the current allowance only for
``tubular'' or tube-type commercial packaged boilers in the DOE test
procedure (BTS-2000, section 8.5.1.1.1). Raypak also stated that it
specifies minimum and maximum flow rates in its installation and
operation manuals to prevent boiling and erosion in the tubes, and that
it uses recirculation loops to maintain these flow rates during
testing. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6) Burnham further suggested that
excessive stresses caused by the current temperature rise are not a
problem because of the short duration of the test, and that
recirculation loops are used only when necessary because they create
additional set-up complexity and may negatively impact efficiency.
(Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4-5) AHRI suggested that the change in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 to make recirculating loops available for all models
addresses concerns for damaging the commercial packaged boiler. (AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 3) In response to the March 2016 NOPR, the CA IOUs
supported the proposed inlet water temperature location because it
would remove ambiguity. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 2)
In response to the comments, DOE continues to believe that there is
sufficient variation in test set-ups and temperatures so as to warrant
adopting additional specifications for water temperatures. DOE believes
that the expansion of the use of recirculating loops to any commercial
packaged boilers as alluded to by AHRI is further justification for
moving the location of the inlet water temperature constraint to
immediately preceding the commercial packaged boiler inlet. The
allowance for a recirculating loop as written in ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 could result in inlet water temperatures entering the unit of
anywhere from the temperature of the incoming water to the test
facility (between 35[emsp14][deg]F and 80[emsp14][deg]F as described in
section III.F.1) to 160[emsp14][deg]F (based on the minimum
20[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015). DOE
concludes that such provisions would not meet the statutory
requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)-(3) in that they would not reflect
a product's energy efficiency or use during a representative average
use cycle, as the wide range of allowable temperatures can result in an
unrepeatable test; DOE is therefore deviating from the industry
standard in this instance to add more specificity that is needed for
repeatable testing. DOE is adopting the non-condensing temperatures
proposed in the March 2016 NOPR (140[emsp14][deg]F inlet as measured
immediately preceding the commercial packaged boiler and
180[emsp14][deg]F outlet) for those commercial packaged boilers that
use a recirculating loop as allowable by ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
(i.e., to prevent boiling). This will ensure that
[[Page 89291]]
all commercial packaged boilers using a recirculating loop during
testing use the same boiler temperature rise of 40[emsp14][deg]F and
will remove ambiguity, increase consistency, and provide for a more
representative test of efficiency. DOE notes that a temperature
requirement at this location allows manufacturers and laboratories the
flexibility of either using a recirculating loop or an external heat
source (e.g., another boiler) to maintain the required inlet water
temperature.
3. Condensing Commercial Packaged Boilers
Burnham suggested that DOE's proposed water temperatures make the
test less representative of actual operating conditions because
condensing boilers will experience an increase in efficiency due to the
reduction in outlet water temperature. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 4) Raypak
also stated that the proposed condensing temperatures are not
representative of typical temperature rises and that these same
temperatures are used in ASHRAE Standard 155P only to provide a
``boundary condition test'' as part of the efficiency map that that
test procedure will produce. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3)
Burnham and Crown Boiler also suggested that non-condensing and
condensing commercial packaged boilers are often used at the same water
temperatures (Burnham suggested this therefore overstates the relative
efficiency of condensing commercial packaged boilers) and Raypak stated
that condensing boilers will see water temperatures closer to the
proposed non-condensing test temperatures and that the March 2016 NOPR
did not address this. (Burnham, No. 40 p. 2, 4; Crown Boiler, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 10, 57; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 4)
Burnham suggested this violates 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(B), which states
DOE must amend the test procedure as necessary to be consistent with
the amended industry test procedure or rating procedure unless it
determines that to do so, supported by clear and convincing evidence,
would not meet the requirements for test procedures to be
representative of energy efficiency during an average use cycle and to
be not unduly burdensome to conduct. (Burnham, No. 40 p. 2, 4) Weil-
McLain suggested that, if the proposed water temperatures are adopted,
all commercial packaged boilers (non-condensing and condensing) should
be tested at the non-condensing temperatures but have the option to
test at the condensing temperatures (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 5)
Bradford White also suggested that different temperature conditions for
condensing and non-condensing boilers would not result in fair
comparisons. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3)
Raypak similarly suggested that condensing boilers be tested and
certified at both proposed temperature conditions (non-condensing and
condensing) to provide engineers, building owners, and architects an
understanding of the true efficiency that would be obtained; they also
stated that separate temperature ranges for condensing and non-
condensing commercial packaged boilers would introduce confusion in the
market. (Raypak, No. 47 at pp. 3-4, 8) AERCO suggested rating
condensing equipment at the same water temperatures as non-condensing
equipment. (AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 44-45) PGE
suggested requiring two separate metrics for condensing commercial
packaged boilers, one for condensing and one for non-condensing
operation. (PGE, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 55-57)
However, Crown Boiler, Lochinvar, and AHRI opposed this concept. (Crown
Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 58; Lochinvar, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 60-61; AHRI, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 59) Raypak stated that not requiring
condensing boilers to be certified at both conditions would give
condensing boilers an unfair advantage because they are often installed
in non-condensing applications or experience periods of non-condensing
operation. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4, 8) Finally, Raypak stated that
their test results indicated an 8.5-percentage point reduction in
thermal efficiency when testing a condensing boiler at the non-
condensing temperatures as opposed to the condensing temperatures, and
that this difference needs to be addressed in DOE's test procedure.
(Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4)
DOE acknowledges concerns that condensing commercial packaged
boilers often in application do not experience temperatures that induce
condensing operation. DOE's proposed water temperatures for condensing
equipment in the March 2016 NOPR preserved the existing nominal inlet
water temperature of 80[emsp14][deg]F but reduced the outlet water
temperature from 180[emsp14][deg]F to 120[emsp14][deg]F to achieve a
more realistic temperature rise of 40[emsp14][deg]F, consistent with
the temperature rise that was proposed for non-condensing equipment. As
noted by Raypak, these temperatures also aligned with the anticipated
temperatures in ASHRAE Standard 155P, which several commenters have
recommended DOE adopt in the future once it is published. DOE
recognizes that these temperatures (80[emsp14][deg]F inlet and
120[emsp14][deg]F outlet), as Raypak suggested, are intended to provide
a boundary condition test for ASHRAE Standard 155P--one in which a
condensing commercial packaged boiler is assured to fully condense due
to the average temperature between inlet and outlet water
(100[emsp14][deg]F) being well below the temperature at which
condensing begins to occur (approximately 130-140[emsp14][deg]F).
Condensing commercial packaged boilers could therefore potentially gain
higher efficiencies under the proposed water temperatures, and while
this would not require manufacturers to rerate existing models, it may
result in rated efficiencies that are not achieved in application. DOE
is, therefore, maintaining the inlet and outlet water temperatures in
the existing test procedure for condensing commercial packaged boilers
in this final rule. DOE notes that the existing inlet water temperature
requirement for condensing commercial packaged boilers
(80[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F, maintained in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015) are repeatable because a much smaller temperature
range is already specified. Therefore, DOE does not believe that its
concerns regarding repeatability apply to the condensing water
temperatures and does not find reason to deviate from the industry
standard in this instance.
4. Test Facility Water Flow Rate Capabilities
Bradford White, AHRI, Raypak, Lochinvar, and Weil-McLain suggested
that the reduction in the temperature rise from 100[emsp14][deg]F to
40[emsp14][deg]F would reduce the capacity of laboratory facilities or
that facility upgrades would be necessary because of a proportional
increase in water flow rate. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 4; AHRI, No.
46 at p. 3; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 7; Weil-
McLain, No. 41 at p. 14) AHRI suggested that this would be most
noticeable for cast-iron and oil-fired boilers, which have not been
tested with a recirculating loop. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4) ABMA suggested
that DOE's estimated costs in the March 2016 NOPR for a 10 million Btu/
h boiler were inadequate and that it is not abnormal for a boiler to be
three times as large. They suggested that without an AEDM the ratio
(three times) would be applied to the pump (equaling $9,000) and new
weigh tanks and scales in order to accommodate a flow rate of up to
1,500 gallons per minute (gpm), as well as a new cooling tower that
could reach $750,000. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5) AHRI
[[Page 89292]]
stated that DOE incorrectly assumed that a recirculating loop would
resolve the issue of higher water flow rates and higher total volume
necessary for the proposed water temperatures. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 3-4)
In response to concerns regarding water flow rates DOE believes
that the temperatures adopted in this final rule mitigate the need for
higher flow rates (and therefore additional costs, as ABMA suggests).
For commercial packaged boilers that cannot utilize a recirculation
loop, DOE is adopting a temperature rise that is similar to what is
used currently (nominal 100[emsp14][deg]F, whereas the current test
procedure allows for a temperature rise between 98[emsp14][deg]F and
147[emsp14][deg]F) and therefore DOE anticipates similar flow rates
will be used during testing. For commercial packaged boilers that
utilize a recirculating loop to prevent boiling (in keeping with ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015, incorporated by reference in this final rule),
the inlet water temperature requirement, measured immediately preceding
the commercial packaged boiler inlet, standardizes the temperature for
these commercial packaged boilers. Currently, this temperature is not
required to meet any specific range. However, DOE anticipates based on
product literature that the current use of recirculating loops results
in a similar inlet water temperature to the 140[emsp14][deg]F
temperature requirements adopted in this final rule, and therefore does
not result in any substantive change to the water flow requirements.
DOE therefore does not anticipate increased water flow rates needed to
meet the amended test procedure, and does not believe test laboratories
will experience a reduction in capacity.
5. Other Issues Related to Water Temperatures
Several commenters raised other issues associated with water
temperatures for commercial packaged boilers. Bradford White stated
that some commercial packaged boilers may not be capable of being
tested with a 40[emsp14][deg]F difference between inlet and outlet
water temperatures and that they should instead be tested with a
temperature rise as close to 40[emsp14][deg]F as possible as allowed by
manufacturer instructions. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3) AHRI and
Lochinvar stated that DOE already has a process in place by which
instructions regarding testing of particular models could be provided.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 8; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 6) Weil-McLain noted
that if a boiler could previously be tested with a 100[emsp14][deg]F
temperature rise then there is no reason that it could not be tested
with a 40[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
16) Raypak suggested that the proposed test procedure would allow
manufacturers to select the temperature rise that works best for their
product because of the proposed allowance for manufacturer instructions
to specify a maximum temperature rise that would be used during
testing. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6) DOE notes that, with the temperature
requirements being adopted in this final rule, the concerns presented
by these commenters apply only to commercial packaged boilers that use
a recirculating loop during testing because only such units would be
required to have a 40[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise.
Consistent with Weil-McLain's comments and based on its review of
product literature, DOE is not aware of any commercial packaged boilers
models that could not be tested using the 40[emsp14][deg]F temperature
rise and is therefore adopting this temperature rise for commercial
packaged boilers that cannot be tested using the standard
100[emsp14][deg]F temperature rise. Manufacturers may continue to
provide supplementary instructions pursuant to 10 CFR part 429;
however, these supplementary instructions do not supplant the
requirements of the DOE test procedure. Manufacturers may, however,
submit a petition for waiver for any commercial packaged boilers model
that cannot be tested to the DOE test procedure pursuant to 10 CFR
431.401 on the grounds that that either the basic model contains one or
more design characteristics that prevent testing of the basic model
according to the prescribed test procedures or cause the prescribed
test procedures to evaluate the basic model in a manner so
unrepresentative of its true energy or water consumption
characteristics as to provide materially inaccurate comparative data.
Multiple stakeholders, including Bradford White, AHRI, Burnham,
Lochinvar, Raypak, and Weil-McLain did not support DOE's proposed
tolerance of 1[emsp14][deg]F for the inlet and outlet water
temperatures. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 3; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 47; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 5;
Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 1; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3; Weil-McLain, No. 41
at p. 5) Burnham and Raypak suggested that the proposed tolerances
would not improve the accuracy of efficiency measurements, and Weil-
McLain suggested that using a tolerance of 2[emsp14][deg]F
would not impact the accuracy of the measurement compared to 1[emsp14][deg]F because the actual temperature measured during
the test is accounted for in the calculations for efficiency. (Burnham,
No. 40 at p. 5; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 3; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 5)
Lochinvar, Weil-McLain, and Crown Boiler indicated that maintaining the
water temperatures over the course of a test to within the proposed
1[emsp14][deg]F band for the necessary water flow rates
would be difficult or impossible. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at pp. 1, 7,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 48; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.
4; Crown Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 48) Bradford
White suggested that the average of the inlet and outlet water
temperatures individually be held to a 1[emsp14][deg]F
tolerance through the test duration, while any given reading would have
a tolerance of 2[emsp14][deg]F. (Bradford White, No. 39 at
p. 3) AERCO suggested allowing the temperature to vary by more than
1[emsp14][deg]F but conducting the test for 2 hours so that
variations from the target temperature will not bias the result.
(AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 51)
DOE concurs with Weil-McLain's assessment that the calculations for
efficiency use the actual temperature rise measured during the test and
therefore maintaining the temperatures within certain tolerances is
less important. DOE notes that the tolerances instead provide an
additional verification that the system is operating at a steady-state
and provide for a repeatable test procedure. DOE also acknowledges that
keeping the outlet temperature of a large commercial packaged boiler
within 1[emsp14][deg]F may pose technical challenges that
are not justified given the use of the measured average temperature in
the efficiency calculations. DOE is therefore not adopting the proposed
temperature tolerances of 1[emsp14][deg]F and is instead
adopting tolerances from ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
AERCO stated that multipoint water temperature measurements or
mixing before a single point reading is critical because a large source
of error in efficiency calculations is the temperature. Measurement
error can occur because of stratification of the water temperature.
(AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 52, 172-173) DOE
acknowledges that ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 incorporated set-up
changes to induce mixing at the outlet in order to prevent
stratification and therefore reduce measurement error. DOE is therefore
adopting similar set-up changes at the inlet of the commercial packaged
boilers in order to reduce the error associated with inlet water
temperature measurement. Water entering the commercial packaged boiler
must first pass through two plugged tees in order to induce mixing,
with the
[[Page 89293]]
temperature measurement taking place in the plugged end of the second
tee.
G. Ambient Conditions
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed new constraints on ambient
temperature and relative humidity. DOE's existing test procedure limits
the humidity of the room during testing of condensing boilers to 80-
percent (10 CFR 431.86(c)(2)(ii)) and establishes ambient room
temperature requirements. BTS-2000 (incorporated by reference) and
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 both require that test air temperature, as
measured at the burner inlet, be within 5[emsp14][deg]F of
the ambient temperature, where ambient temperature is measured within 6
feet of the front of the unit at mid-height. ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 prescribes an allowable ambient temperature during the test
between 30[emsp14][deg]F and 100[emsp14][deg]F (section 5.3.8) with the
relative humidity not exceeding 80-percent in the test room or chamber
(section 5.3.9). DOE proposed to require that ambient relative humidity
at all times be 60-percent 5-percent and ambient room
temperature 75[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F during thermal
and combustion efficiency testing of commercial packaged boilers.\8\
DOE proposed the same ambient conditions for all commercial packaged
boilers (non-condensing and condensing).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Absolute
humidity is the water content of air. Relative humidity, expressed
as a percent, measures the current absolute humidity relative to the
maximum for that temperature. Specific humidity is a ratio of the
water vapor content of the mixture to the total air content on a
mass basis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In response to the March 2016 NOPR, ABMA, AHRI, Burnham, and
Lochinvar indicated that current testing typically takes place in
uncontrolled environments, spaces that are not sealed and tightly
controlled with respect to ambient conditions, or spaces that could not
be maintained within the proposed ambient parameters for all sizes of
commercial packaged boilers. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 6, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 75; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40 at
p. 6; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 8) Weil-McLain indicated that combustion
air is typically not conditioned; that for direct exhaust systems and
direct vent or sealed units, combustion air is provided directly to the
unit and therefore the ambient room air is often warmer than the air
used for combustion. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 2) Because the air is
brought in from outside and is unconditioned, several manufacturers
suggested that the proposed ambient requirements would limit the times
of year during which testing could be performed. (Bradford White, No.
39 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 5; Weil-
McLain, No. 41 at p. 2)
Several commenters suggested that the proposed ambient conditions
would result in additional test burden by forcing manufacturers to
spend significant resources in upgrading facilities and HVAC
capabilities. (ABMA, No. 38 at pp. 4, 6; Bradford White, No. 39 at p.
4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; CA IOUs, No. 48 at pp. 3-4; AHRI, No. 46 at
p. 4; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 5; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 8; Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at pp. 2, 14) Weil-McLain suggested that DOE understated the
costs associated with laboratory facility upgrades. (Weil-McLain, No.
41 at p. 2) Bradford White estimated that the cost of an environmental
chamber would be approximately $120,000; AHRI suggested the cost could
be from $100,000 to over $1,000,000; Burnham suggested that the cost
would be approximately $125,000 for a 20-ton cooling capacity
laboratory HVAC system; and Raypak estimated that a facility capable of
conditioning combustion air to support a 4,000,000 Btu/h boiler would
be $500,000 to $1,500,000. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 4; AHRI, No.
46 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 6)
Multiple stakeholders suggested that DOE had not provided
sufficient evidence that tighter ambient condition restrictions are
justified. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at p. 2; Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 5) ABMA acknowledged,
however, that ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 was written primarily based
on testing of smaller boilers and that it is possible it does not
account for the sensitivity of larger boilers to certain test
conditions. (ABMA, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 82) AHRI
suggested that ambient requirements were being considered as part of
the development of ASHRAE Standard 155P, particularly as they pertain
to jacket losses. (AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 80-
81) Weil-McLain also stated that the premise that ambient temperature
limits would improve repeatability is false, while CA IOUs stated that
a range of allowable ambient temperatures of 30 to 100 degrees
Fahrenheit (found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015) can result in
efficiency ratings that vary because heat convection from the
commercial packaged boiler to the room would increase as the ambient
room temperature decreases. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 2; CA IOUs, No.
48 at p. 1). CA IOUs therefore supported the ambient room temperature
requirement to be 75[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F and
stated that it should be achievable by most testing facilities.
However, CA IOUs also suggested that variations in relative humidity
have little effect on efficiency rating and therefore did not justify
the added test burden. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at pp. 3-4) Similarly, Crown
Boiler questioned whether the limits for relative humidity were
justified, but suggested that an allowable range of 0 to 60-percent
relative humidity would be more reasonable. (Crown Boiler, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 74-75) Raypak stated that they concur
with the conclusion reached in the residential boiler test procedure
rulemaking that ambient temperature and relative humidity do not have
any impact on efficiency. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4) Bradford White also
suggested that the changes to the DOE test procedure may in fact have
an effect on ratings in light of DOE's consideration that ambient
temperature and relative humidity have a noticeable effect on
efficiency. (Bradford White, No. 39 at pp. 4-5, 6-7)
In light of comments received DOE is maintaining the current
maximum ambient relative humidity of 80-percent consistent with ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015. At this time, DOE does not believe the added
test burden of controlling ambient humidity is justified, given the
amount of combustion air required for commercial packaged boilers
approaching 5,000,000 Btu/h rated input (larger than this size would be
eligible for the optional field test for which ambient relative
humidity would not be constrained). DOE is adopting tighter
restrictions for ambient room temperature as compared to ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015, as it does not believe that the incremental test
burden associated with maintaining reasonable room temperatures is
excessive. However, in light of the concerns raised about fluctuations
in test spaces, DOE is adopting a wider range of allowable ambient room
temperatures as compared to those in the March 2016 NOPR. For
condensing commercial packaged boilers, room ambient temperature will
be required to be between 65[emsp14][deg]F and 85[emsp14][deg]F and for
non-condensing commercial packaged boilers ambient room temperature
will be required to be between 65[emsp14][deg]F and 100[emsp14][deg]F.
DOE believes that deviating from the ambient temperature requirements
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is necessary in order to satisfy its
obligation under 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(4)(2) to provide a test procedure
that produces results that reflect energy efficiency that is
representative of
[[Page 89294]]
equipment during an average use cycle, as the wide range of allowable
ambient temperatures (as permitted by ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015) may
affect jacket losses and would result in a less repeatable test. DOE
also believes that these temperatures are consistent with ASHRAE
Standard 155P,\9\ which several commenters have requested DOE adopt
once it is published. DOE is also requiring that the average ambient
relative humidity and average ambient room temperature be included in
certification reports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ An Advisory Public Review Draft of ASHRAE Standard 155P was
published in August 2016.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, Burnham and Raypak commented specifically that the
2[emsp14][deg]F tolerance with respect to the mean ambient
temperature would be difficult or impossible to maintain given the size
of equipment and make-up air requirements. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6;
Raypak, No.47 at p. 5) In light of these concerns, DOE is widening the
allowable tolerance by which the room ambient temperature can vary with
respect to the average ambient room temperature during the test from
2[emsp14][deg]F as proposed to 5[emsp14][deg]F.
DOE proposed similar requirements (2[emsp14][deg]F
variation from average ambient room temperature) in its test procedure
NOPR for commercial water heating equipment, published in the Federal
Register on May 9, 2016. 81 FR 28587. In response, Bradford White,
AHRI, and A.O. Smith (owner of Lochinvar) supported an allowable
variation of 5[emsp14][deg]F as opposed to 2[emsp14][deg]F, and Bradford White and A.O. Smith suggested that
maintaining temperature with such allowable variation would be
achievable without additional burden to manufacturers. (Docket EERE-
2014-BT-TP-0008: Bradford White, No. 19 at p. 3; AHRI, No. 26 at p. 7;
A. O. Smith, No. 27 at p. 18) \10\ DOE notes that Bradford White and
A.O. Smith (Lochinvar) manufacture both commercial water heating
equipment and commercial packaged boilers, and DOE expects that
laboratory facilities are comparable for testing both types of
equipment. DOE is therefore adopting a tolerance of 5[emsp14][deg]F with respect to the average room ambient
temperature for commercial packaged boilers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ The rulemaking docket for the commercial water heating
equipment test procedure can be found at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2014-BT-TP-0008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AERCO suggested that the altitude of a unit undergoing a field test
could impact the test result, and the CA IOUs suggested that barometric
pressure variation has a greater impact on test ratings than relative
humidity and possibly temperature. (AERCO, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 160; CA IOUs, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 76)
DOE was not provided data that indicate to what extent barometric
pressure affects efficiency ratings for commercial packaged boilers.
DOE has not found it necessary to regulate the ambient barometric
pressure of test rooms for any heating products. Accordingly, DOE is
not adopting barometric pressure requirements in this final rule.
H. Set-Up and Instrumentation
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed several clarifications to set-
up and instrumentation for its commercial packaged boiler test
procedure, including steam piping configuration, digital data
acquisition, and calibration requirements.
In general, ACEEE suggested that DOE not specify instrumentation to
the level of detail being proposed, but rather indicate only how DOE
would test for enforcement cases because it is the manufacturer's
responsibility to ensure the accuracy of its certifications. (ACEEE,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 108-109) DOE disagrees, as
manufacturers need to have test data to assess whether a product is
compliant prior to distribution that is just as reliable as the test
data DOE uses when bringing an enforcement case. DOE establishes test
provisions that both DOE and manufacturers (as well as other
stakeholders) must use when conducting an efficiency test. Although DOE
does establish separate enforcement provisions, such provisions
typically do not establish an alternative method of test but instead
establish a methodology to grant latitude to manufacturers for key
metrics such as those used to determine equipment class. Establishing a
consistent test methodology, including calibration procedures, is
fundamental to EPCA, as it ensures that all parties have a standardized
method for assessing compliance with standards and for generating
efficiency information for consumers. Therefore, DOE is adopting
calibration procedures as part of its test procedure in this final rule
that all parties must use when using the DOE test procedure.
1. Steam Piping
In the March 2016 NOPR DOE proposed provisions in order to clarify
steam riser and header geometry. The proposed additional specifications
were as follows:
No reduction in diameter shall be made in any horizontal
header piping, as a reduction in pipe diameter in the horizontal header
prevents entrained water from draining properly and typically leads to
non-steady-state operation. In the case of commercial packaged boilers
with multiple steam risers, the cross-sectional area of the header must
be no less than 80-percent of the summed total cross-sectional area of
the risers, and the header pipe must be constant in diameter along its
entire length.
The diameter of the vertical portion of the steam
condensate return pipe that is above the manufacturer's recommended
water level may be reduced to no less than one half of the header pipe
diameter to ensure adequate operation of the return loop and draining
of entrained water back into the commercial packaged boiler.
In the event the manufacturer's literature does not specify
necessary height and dimension characteristics for steam risers,
headers, and return piping, DOE also proposed the following
requirements to ensure consistent and repeatable testing:
The header pipe diameter must be the same size as the
commercial packaged boiler's steam riser (steam take-off) pipe
diameter. In the case of commercial packaged boilers with multiple
steam risers, the cross-sectional area of the header must be no less
than 80-percent of the summed total cross-sectional area of the risers,
and the header pipe must be constant in diameter along its entire
length.
The height measured from the top of the header to the
manufacturer's recommended water level must be no less than the larger
of 24 inches or 6 times the header pipe diameter.
The distance between the vertical steam riser (steam take-
off) leading to the water separator and the elbow leading to the
condensate return loop must be a minimum of three (3) header pipe
diameters to prevent entrained water from entering the separator
piping.
If a water separator is used, piping must pitch downward
to the separator at a rate of at least \1/4\ inch per foot of pipe
length in order to assure proper collection of moisture content and
steady-state operation during testing.
A vented water seal is required in steam moisture
collection plumbing to prevent steam from escaping through the moisture
collection plumbing.
In response, the CA IOUS supported the modified language for steam
riser and header geometry, steam condensate return pipe and pipe
installation requirements because they would improve test accuracy and
quality. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 3) AHRI suggested that the test
procedure should refer to manufacturer's installation instructions
[[Page 89295]]
with regard to steam riser, header, and return water loop requirements.
(AHRI, No. 46 at p. 8) Weil-McLain suggested that the steam quality
requirement (98-percent per BTS-2000 and ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015)
is sufficient and that the proposed configuration requirements do not
reflect common installation practices. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 7)
Crown Boiler also suggested that the geometry requirements in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 are sufficient because pipe sizes can vary by
manufacturer and are listed in manufacturer's specifications. They also
suggested that the requirement for the steam riser diameter to be half
of the diameter of the header is not needed because there is generally
no flow in the pipe and that the size of the pipe is sometimes
determined experimentally. (Crown Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at p. 85)
While DOE believes that its proposed requirements could be met in
most cases, DOE cannot anticipate all commercial packaged boiler
designs and configurations. For commercial packaged boiler designs for
which the proposed steam piping configurations would not be feasible,
manufacturers would need to seek waiver or, for commercial packaged
boilers with rated inputs greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, may need to use
the field test where they otherwise could have performed a laboratory
test. DOE agrees with Weil-McLain that the steam quality requirement is
sufficient for ensuring steady operation of the commercial packaged
boiler, in conjunction with the requirement in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 that steam pressure not fluctuate by more than 5-percent. DOE
believes that using only the steam quality and pressure measurement
requirements are sufficient to ensure a repeatable test, and that the
additional burden and reduced flexibility in test set-up are not
justified by the additional improvement in repeatability that would
result from the proposed steam piping requirements. DOE is therefore
withdrawing these proposed steam pipe set-up provisions.
DOE also proposed insulation conductivity and thickness
requirements for steam piping. AHRI commented that certifying
compliance with an R-value as opposed to thickness and conductivity may
be simpler. (AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 90) DOE
notes that the proposed insulation requirements are taken from ASHRAE/
IES Standard 90.1 and conversion to R-values would result in fractions
which may present confusion. The proposed steam piping insulation
provisions are therefore adopted in this final rule for consistency
with the industry standard. The March 2016 NOPR included rows for fluid
temperatures up to 250[emsp14][deg]F; however, this final rule adopts
the full table from ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, which include fluid
temperatures up to 350[emsp14][deg]F, in order to account for
superheated steam.
2. Digital Data Acquisition
DOE proposed to require digital data acquisition at 30-second
intervals in the March 2016 NOPR. Bradford White supported this
proposal. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 5) However, AHRI, Burnham,
Lochinvar, and Weil-McLain suggested that the requirement was not
justified. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 5; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7; Lochinvar,
No. 43 at pp. 6, 9; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 6) ABMA suggested that
digital data acquisition may have benefits. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5)
Multiple stakeholders, including AHRI, ABMA, Lochinvar, Raypak, and
Weil-Mclain, also raised concern about the cost burden of this
requirement. (AHRI, No. 46 at p. 5; ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5, Public
Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 101; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 6;
Raypak, No. 47 at p. 4; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at pp. 5-6)
Burnham indicated that most laboratories can log temperatures at
30-second intervals although they may not be able to do so with
instrumentation having the required accuracy of
0.2[emsp14][deg]F. (Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7) Weil-McLain noted that DOE
did not identify a calibration methodology for the digital data
acquisition equipment. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 5) Raypak suggested
that the data acquisition system would require costs for a flow meter,
gas meter, flue gas analyzer, gas chromatograph, pressure transducers,
barometric pressure and humidity interface controls and would cost four
to five times DOE's estimate. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 8) Lochinvar
suggested that water temperature readings should be digitized but that
higher heating value, barometric pressure, and relative humidity should
not be digitized. (Lochinvar, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp.
102-103)
DOE believes digital data acquisition is a valuable tool for
ensuring that the various parameters and requirements of the test
procedure are met for the duration of the test. Temperatures vary over
the course of a test, and DOE does not believe that 15-minute interval
data as required by ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is sufficient for
verifying that the test procedure has been met or that the measured
efficiency has not been influenced by variance in certain parameters.
DOE considered the cost burden of adding digital data acquisition in
the March 2016 NOPR and has revised its estimates in section IV.B, and
continues to believe that the costs are not overly burdensome in
comparison to the overall cost of testing for a manufacturer's product
line. DOE is therefore adopting the requirement for obtaining data
digitally for temperatures, specifically ambient room temperature, flue
gas temperature, and water temperatures. Because DOE is not, at this
time, adopting tighter tolerances on the ambient relative humidity, DOE
also will not require digital data acquisition for this parameter and
will continue to use 15-minute intervals. DOE does not believe it is
necessary to specify calibration in light of the accuracy requirements
already part of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
Weil-McLain suggested that DOE provide details on integration and
averaging methods for each data type as well as rules on how to treat
data points that fall outside of the requirements when the average or
integrated values for the test are within requirements. (Weil-McLain,
No. 41 at p. 6, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 65) AHRI
similarly suggested DOE include a table that lists which measurements
are to be averaged and which are to be totaled over the test period.
(AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 104-105) DOE has
modified the tables in the test procedure to clarify that any
individual digital reading falling out of its required range per the
DOE test procedure constitutes an invalid test. DOE is modifying the
original 30-second interval to 1-minute intervals as a means of
reducing the burden that the constraint may pose by invalidating a test
due to one 30-second interval reading of one parameter not being within
tolerance. Each 1-minute interval reading for each of the parameters
required to be obtained through digital data acquisition must therefore
fall within the specified range per the DOE test procedure. In this
final rule, DOE has also added specificity regarding averaging and
integration for each measurement, as applicable.
3. Calibration
DOE proposed in the March 2016 NOPR that instrumentation be
calibrated at least once per year. Bradford White and Lochinvar
expressed support for this proposal, and DOE did not receive any
comments objecting. (Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 5; Lochinvar, No. 43
at p. 9) DOE is therefore adopting this requirement in this final rule.
Weil-McLain, however, suggested that the proposed calibration
procedures did not address whether pre-
[[Page 89296]]
test and post-test calibration is required. For example, they suggest
that it is unclear what implications, if any, there are if a previously
calibrated instrument is used and on the next calibration the
instrument fails or is damaged. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 18) DOE
clarifies that it is not adopting provisions by which a test is
invalidated because an instrument fails a subsequent calibration.
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed to require calibration of gas
chemistry instrumentation using standard gases with purities of greater
than 99.9995 percent for all constituents analyzed. In response, AHRI,
Bradford White, Burnham, Raypak, Lochinvar, Weil-McLain, and Crown
Boiler suggested that the requirement was too stringent. (AHRI, No. 46
at p. 5; Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 5; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 7;
Raypak, No. 47 at pp. 7-8; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 9; Weil-McLain, No.
41 at p. 18; Crown Boiler, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p. 99)
Raypak noted that its supplier, Airgas Specialty Gases, uses ultra-high
purity gases of 99.99 percent for CO2 and 99.5 percent for
CO, and that they indicated that 99.9995 percent purity CO2
is significantly more expensive and the maximum available for CO is
99.99 percent. (Raypak, No. 47 at p. 7) Lochinvar suggested that the
excessive purity proposed in the March 2016 NOPR was both prohibitively
expensive and posed significant toxicity and flammability risks. They
further suggested that calibration references should be 4 to 10 times
more accurate than the required accuracy of the equipment being
calibrated. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 9) Bradford White suggested that a
typical cylinder of calibration gas costs approximately $400 and lasts
approximately 8 weeks, assuming the analyzer is calibrated daily; they
also provided a sample gas calibration certificate. (Bradford White,
No. 39 at p. 5 and Attachment)
After further consideration, DOE acknowledges that gas meeting the
proposed ultra-high purity gas calibration standards may be difficult
or expensive to obtain. Additionally, DOE recognizes that there are
requirements for the accuracy of gas chemistry instrumentation found in
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 that are being adopted in this final rule.
DOE believes that the requirements for gas chemistry instrumentation
accuracy (specifically 0.1 percent for CO2 and
O2 testers and the greater of 10 ppm or 5-percent of reading for CO testers) are sufficient for the
purposes of the commercial packaged boiler test procedure and that
requiring a specific calibration gas purity beyond the accuracy of the
instrument itself may be duplicative. Accordingly, DOE is not adopting
this proposal.
4. Other Set-up and Instrumentation Comments
ABMA requested that straight vent stacks be allowed as an
alternative to the double 90-degree elbow configuration in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 to accommodate commercial packaged boilers with
forced draft burners firing into combustion chambers under positive
pressure. They further stated that automated draft control systems are
used on installations having tall stacks, thus there is typically no
dilution of flue gas in the vent system. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 2-3) DOE
agrees that such commercial packaged boilers should be permitted to
test using straight vent stacks and has included a provision in this
final rule accordingly.
The CA IOUs suggested that the test procedure should be revised to
eliminate ambiguity in how CO2 concentrations are measured
during the test. They indicated that during tests of commercial
packaged boilers conducted by PGE, the CO2 concentration
could change depending on where the CO2 probe was placed in
the flue gas stream. (CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 2) DOE reviewed the
submitted data and acknowledges that there appears to be an effect on
the CO2 measurement based on horizontal position of the flue
gas probe. Additionally, DOE notes that there is ambiguity, as CA IOUs
suggest, in the placement of the flue gas probe for vent configurations
like the one CA IOUs presented in their comment. Specifically, DOE
believes the unit tested by PGE was an outdoor commercial packaged
boiler because there was no stack attached to the unit. However, CA
IOUs did not suggest which position should be used in the DOE test
procedure. DOE notes that section C2.5.2 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 specifies that sampling from a rectangular plane be collected
``using a sampling tube located so as to obtain an average flue gas
sample.'' DOE agrees that this is ambiguous. DOE is therefore adopting
a requirement that three samples be taken at evenly spaced intervals
(\1/4\, \1/2\, and \3/4\ of the distance from one end) in the longer
dimension and along the centerline halfway between the edges in the
shorter dimension of the rectangle and that the average be calculated.
Weil-McLain noted that ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 specifies
different fuel oil analysis requirements (fuel oil grade under ASTM
D396-14a, heating value under ASTM D240-09, hydrogen and carbon content
under ASTM D5291-10, and density and American Petroleum Institute (API)
gravity \11\ under ASTM D396-14a) for commercial packaged boilers than
are required for residential boilers under ASHRAE 103-1993 annual fuel
utilization efficiency (AFUE) (e.g., gravity and viscosity uses ASTM
D396-90A and fuel oil analysis requirements are different than for
commercial). Weil-McLain suggested DOE correct this to allow the same
fuel oil analysis for both residential and commercial efficiency
testing. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 13) DOE reviewed the fuel oil
specifications of ASTM D396-14a and the requirements found in ASHRAE
Standard 103-1993 (incorporated by reference for the DOE test procedure
for residential boilers found at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix
N). While they are similar, they are not identical and DOE could not
confirm that they would yield similar results. Weil-McLain did not
provide any evidence that the two methods were equivalent. Therefore,
DOE is not adopting additional provisions for fuel oil analysis at this
time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ The American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API gravity,
is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to
water: If its API gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and
floats on water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weil-McLain noted that ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 allows for two
different water meter calibrating methods, one of which does not meet
certain accuracy requirements found in table C1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015, and therefore recommends that DOE require water meters in
all cases to meet table C1 in order to avoid inaccurate efficiency
results. (Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 13) DOE notes that the March 2016
NOPR did not propose to adopt section C2.7.2.2.2, which is the
alternative water meter calibration method that Weil-Mclain referred
to. This final rule adopts only the instrument accuracy requirements of
Table C1 in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 and not section C2.7.2.2.2
about which Weil-McLain expressed concern.
I. Other Issues
1. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial Packaged Boilers
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed a set of provisions for
determining the burner to be used in testing an oil-fired commercial
packaged boiler. DOE proposed that the unit be tested with the
particular make and model of burner certified by the manufacturer. If
multiple burners are specified in the installation and
[[Page 89297]]
operation manual or in one or more certification reports, then DOE
proposed that any of the listed burners may be used for testing and all
must be certified to the Department.
In response, AHRI requested additional specificity in the test
procedure for a situation in which manufacturer's specifications do not
prescribe a specific burner or burners, particularly with respect to
firing rate and/or spray geometry. (AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript,
No. 34 at pp. 93-94) DOE notes that under its proposed regulations in
the March 2016 NOPR, manufacturers would be required to certify the
make and model of the burner used during certification testing, and
that this make and model would be used for testing. DOE believes this
is sufficiently clear and is adopting the language it proposed in the
March 2016 NOPR.
2. Certification and Enforcement Provisions
DOE proposed a provision in the March 2016 NOPR that it would
conduct enforcement testing in both steam mode and hot water mode for
those commercial packaged boilers capable of producing both and both
results must demonstrate compliance with the applicable energy
conservation standards. Lochinvar objected to the proposal, stating
that there is already a method in place for determining hot water
commercial packaged boiler efficiency based on the rating in steam
mode, and that the requirement would add test burden. (Lochinvar, No.
43 at p. 11) In response, DOE notes that this is not a certification
requirement for manufacturers, but is a provision that indicates the
procedure DOE will follow when conducting its own enforcement testing.
Namely, DOE would conduct an enforcement test in each mode (steam and
hot water) for those commercial packaged boilers models capable of
operating in either mode rather than using the measured efficiency for
steam mode to determine compliance in hot water mode. DOE would use the
appropriate result to evaluate compliance with the respective
standards. DOE notes that this does not add test burden for
manufacturers and is adopting this provision as part of this final
rule.
3. Part-Load Testing
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE tentatively concluded that part-load
testing was not warranted and therefore did not propose any new test
procedure provisions towards that end. In response, Lochinvar supported
this conclusion and, along with NEEA, the Efficiency Advocates, and the
CA IOUs, suggested using ASHRAE Standard 155P in the future to capture
part-load performance. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 11; NEEA, No. 44 at
pp.2-3; Efficiency Advocates, No. 45 at p. 3; CA IOUs, No. 48 at p. 5)
Weil-McLain suggested that part-load efficiency should not be mandated,
but also that it would be prudent to regulate how part-load efficiency
is measured in order to ensure comparable part-load ratings. (Weil-
McLain, No. 41 at p. 19) DOE does not intend to develop a test
procedure at this time for the purpose of measuring part-load
efficiency. DOE believes the ratings produced by its test procedure
provide a sufficient basis to give the purchaser enough information
when choosing between commercial packaged boilers models. DOE may in
the future adopt a test procedure that includes part-load measurements.
4. Stack Temperature Adjustment
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed a calculation to adjust the
stack temperature when using steam mode combustion efficiency ratings
to represent the combustion efficiency in hot water mode. DOE's
existing test procedure allows commercial packaged boilers with fuel
input rate greater than 2,500,000 Btu/h capable of producing steam and
hot water to use the combustion efficiency as measured in steam mode to
represent the combustion efficiency in hot water mode. 10 CFR
431.86(c)(2)(iii)(B). DOE received waiver requests from Cleaver-Brooks,
Johnston Boiler, Superior Boiler Works, and York-Shipley (AESYS) that
asked to use an adjustment to the stack temperature when using this
rating method in order to more accurately reflect the combustion
efficiency of a commercial packaged boiler operating in hot water mode.
The adjustment is given by Equation 1:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09DE16.022
where TF,SS,adjusted is the adjusted steady-state flue
temperature used for subsequent calculations of combustion efficiency,
TF,SS is the measured steady-state flue temperature during
combustion efficiency testing in steam mode, Tsat is the
saturated steam temperature that corresponds to the measured steam
pressure, and 180 is the hot water outlet temperature.
In response, Lochinvar agreed with adopting the method and
indicated that the theory behind the correction is sound and results
should be conservative. (Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 10) Weil-McLain did
not support adopting the method because not all boiler designs are the
same and the method may not reflect accurate ratings for water mode.
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 7) Crown Boiler suggested that the
adjustment may be unreliable, and ABMA questioned to what extent
testing was done to develop the equation. (Crown Boiler, Public Meeting
Transcript, No. 34 at p. 133-135; ABMA, Public Meeting Transcript, No.
34 at p. 133-135)
DOE considered data from the AHRI directory \12\ (as of May 2015)
for commercial packaged boilers with rated inputs greater than
2,500,000 and for which differing combustion and thermal efficiencies
were listed for the same model (57 models). DOE found that on average
combustion efficiency in hot water mode was approximately 0.8-percent
higher than that for steam and would anticipate a similar adjustment
from the proposed methodology. However, while several manufacturers
requested the adjustment methodology as part of the waiver process, no
data were submitted to validate the equation. DOE is therefore not
adopting this adjustment methodology. Manufacturers wishing to rate a
basic model with a higher combustion efficiency in hot water mode can
perform a separate combustion efficiency test in that mode.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Available at: https://www.ahridirectory.org/ahridirectory/pages/home.aspx.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Oxygen Combustion Analyzer
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 includes a methodology for using an
O2 combustion analyzer for measurements of combustion
efficiency, and DOE proposed adopting this methodology by incorporating
by reference this industry standard. AHRI expressed its support for the
provision because the the O2 methodology is essentially
equivalent to the CO2 methodology (required in BTS-2000 and
the current DOE test procedure and included optionally in ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015) and noted that AHRI had completed analysis to
verify this equivalency. (AHRI, Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at p.
95)
[[Page 89298]]
DOE is adopting this provision in the final rule.
6. Rounding Requirements
DOE proposed to clarify its rounding procedures by requiring that
the combustion and thermal efficiency results be rounded to the nearest
tenth of one percent. In response, ACEEE suggested that reporting to
such a level of precision means little to the customer, has little
justification when considering the 5-percent tolerance on the final
rating, and instead suggested rounding to a whole number. (ACEEE,
Public Meeting Transcript, No. 34 at pp. 126-128) Bradford White
similarly did not see value in rounding to the nearest tenth of a
percent and instead recommended rounding to the nearest percent.
(Bradford White, No. 39 at p. 6) Lochinvar, however, supported the DOE
proposal to round to the nearest tenth of a percent. (Lochinvar, No. 43
at p. 10)
DOE notes that the AHRI certification program,\13\ which uses BTS-
2000 for certification testing, expresses thermal and combustion
efficiency ratings to the nearest tenth of one percent. Also, the
energy conservation standards for commercial packaged boilers at 10 CFR
431.87 are expressed to the tenth of one percent. DOE is therefore
adopting a provision in this final rule to clarify that thermal and
combustion efficiency ratings are to be rounded to the nearest tenth of
one percent as was proposed in the March 2016 NOPR. DOE notes that an
AEDM may be up to five percent off from a single verification test
result without invalidating the AEDM or the rating, but there is not an
absolute five-percent tolerance on ratings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ For AHRI directory, see: https://www.ahridirectory.org/ahridirectory/pages/cblr/defaultSearch.aspx.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Waiver Requests
As mentioned in section III.I.4, DOE received waiver requests from
Cleaver-Brooks, Johnston Boiler, Superior Boiler Works, and York-
Shipley (AESYS). In addition to their request to use an adjustment to
the stack temperature, the petitioners requested the use of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015. The petitioners noted that ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 addressed several deficiencies in BTS-2000, particularly with
regard to the inability to test large commercial packaged boilers at
steam pressures of 2 psi or below as required in BTS-2000. As described
in III.C, DOE is adopting certain sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 in its test procedure for commercial packaged boilers and
therefore DOE believes that this final rule addresses the petitioners'
concerns. Because the need for a waiver has been overtaken by DOE's
adoption of a method of test for the basic models for which each of the
petitioners sought a waiver, DOE is denying these petitions for waiver.
Petitioners may begin using this test procedure as of the effective
date of the final rule.
With respect to interim waivers that have been granted,\14\ DOE
notes that this final rule addresses the issues presented in those
waivers and as such those interim waivers will terminate on December 4,
2017. 10 CFR 431.401(h)(2). Parties that have received an interim
waiver may being using this test procedure as of the effective date of
the final rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ See Cleaver-Brooks (81 FR 22252 (April 15, 2016)), Johnston
Boiler Company (81 FR 38161 (June 13, 2016)), Superior Boiler Works
(81 FR 22249 (April 15, 2016)), York-Shipley Global (81 FR 22255
(April 15, 2016)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review
A. Review Under Executive Order 12866
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has determined that test
procedure rulemakings do not constitute ``significant regulatory
actions'' under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory
Planning and Review, 58 FR 51735 (Oct. 4, 1993). Accordingly, this
action was not subject to review under the Executive Order by the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires that
when an agency promulgates a final rule under 5 U.S.C. 553, after being
required by that section or any other law to publish a general notice
of proposed rulemaking, the agency shall prepare a final regulatory
flexibility analysis (FRFA), unless the agency certifies that the rule
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities. As required by Executive Order 13272, ``Proper
Consideration of Small Entities in Agency Rulemaking,'' 67 FR 53461
(August 16, 2002), DOE published procedures and policies on February
19, 2003 to ensure that the potential impacts of its rules on small
entities are properly considered during the DOE rulemaking process. 68
FR 7990. DOE has made its procedures and policies available on the
Office of the General Counsel's Web site: https://energy.gov/gc/office-general-counsel.
This final rule prescribes test procedure amendments that will be
used to determine compliance with energy conservation standards for
commercial packaged boilers. The amendments (1) clarify the definitions
for commercial packaged boilers; (2) incorporate by reference the
industry standard ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015; (3) establish
provisions for verifying rated input during enforcement testing; (4)
adopt an optional field test and an optional metric conversion
calculation; (5) modify the inlet water temperature requirements for
hot water tests of non-condensing boilers; (6) and establish new
ambient temperature limits.
DOE reviewed this rule under the provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act and DOE's own procedures and policies published on
February 19, 2003. 68 FR 7990. DOE has concluded that this rule will
not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small
entities. The factual basis for this certification is as follows.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) considers a business entity
to be a small business, if, together with its affiliates, it employs
less than a threshold number of workers specified in 13 CFR part 121.
These size standards and codes are established by the North American
Industry Classification System (NAICS). The threshold number for NAICS
classification code 333414, which applies to ``heating equipment
(except warm air furnaces) manufacturing' and includes commercial
packaged boilers, is 500 employees.
To estimate the number of companies that could be small business
manufacturers of the equipment affected by this rulemaking, DOE
conducted a market survey using available public information to
identify potential small manufacturers. DOE's research involved
reviewing the DOE Compliance Certification Database (CCD), AHRI
directory (a product database), individual company Web sites, and
marketing research tools (e.g., Hoover's reports) to create a list of
all domestic small business manufacturers of equipment affected by this
rulemaking. DOE identified 21 \15\ manufacturers of commercial packaged
boilers as domestic small business manufacturers. DOE was able to
discuss the DOE test procedures with 5 of these small businesses prior
to publication of the March 2016 NOPR. DOE also obtained information
about small businesses and potential impacts on small businesses
[[Page 89299]]
while interviewing manufacturers in the context of the standards
rulemaking. However, DOE did not receive any detailed quantifications
about the incremental burden small businesses would face as compared to
larger businesses in light of the proposed methods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE identified 23 small businesses;
however, of those 23, one small manufacturer left the market and
another is considered large and therefore the count is now 21.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With respect to potential costs associated with the test procedure
amendments, DOE notes that several amendments are clarifications or
clerical changes that will not impose costs on small manufacturers. The
clarifications made to the definitions relevant for commercial packaged
boilers do not modify the scope of the test procedure nor do they
impose additional test burden. DOE is not modifying the scope of
coverage or substantively modifying its definitions in such a way that
would result in the need to certify compliance for equipment for which
certification is not already required. As a result, manufacturers that
are small businesses are not expected to have to certify commercial
packaged boilers for which they are not already certifying compliance.
Also, updating the referenced test procedure to ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 is not anticipated to impose additional costs on
manufacturers. ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is an industry standard
that replaces BTS-2000, which is currently incorporated by reference in
the DOE test procedure. ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 uses essentially
the same test method found in BTS-2000. While ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015 removed outdated instrumentation references from BTS-2000, DOE
does not believe manufacturers are using instrumentation that could not
meet the requirements found in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 also increases the allowable steam pressure for
steam tests as compared to BTS-2000, which accommodates testing of
larger commercial packaged boilers but does not impose additional costs
on manufacturers, including small manufacturers.
DOE is not adopting its proposed provisions for certification of
fuel input rate, which had the potential of requiring manufacturers to
re-certify previously certified commercial packaged boilers. The
provisions DOE adopts in this final rule regarding rated input pertain
only to the process DOE will use when conducting assessment and
enforcement testing and are for manufacturer information only.
Therefore, these changes will pose no additional burden to small
manufacturers of commercial packaged boilers.
DOE is adopting several provisions in this final rule that may
reduce the burden associated with certifying compliance for commercial
packaged boilers. Currently, laboratory testing for thermal or
combustion efficiency, as applicable, is required for the certification
of all commercial packaged boilers regardless of size. As described in
the March 2016 NOPR and in section III.E, DOE acknowledges that some
commercial packaged boilers because of their size may only be fully
assembled at their site of installation and therefore the requirement
to test for efficiency in a laboratory would require a manufacturer to
assemble the unit at the laboratory for testing, tear it down and ship
it to the site for installation, and re-build it--a process that may be
expensive, if not impracticable. DOE is adopting an optional field test
methodology based on the combustion efficiency test for commercial
packaged boilers with rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h as part
of this final rule. As described in the March 2016 NOPR, the optional
field test is intended to reduce test burden as compared to the
existing DOE test procedure for thermal efficiency. DOE has previously
noted that the combustion efficiency test is less burdensome because of
its shorter duration and reduced instrumentation as compared to the
thermal efficiency test. Therefore, by providing a simpler, shorter
test method that only requires a unit to be assembled once, the
optional field test provisions are anticipated to reduce test burden
for small manufacturers that manufacturer these large commercial
packaged boilers, as compared to the current test procedure.
Similarly, DOE is adopting an optional conversion calculation to
obtain a thermal efficiency rating from a combustion efficiency test.
The calculation allows small manufacturers to test the combustion
efficiency (in a laboratory, manufacturer facility, or in the field)
for steam commercial packaged boilers with rated input greater than
5,000,000 Btu/h and convert to a thermal efficiency rating. As
described regarding the field test option, this optional calculation is
anticipated to reduce test burden by allowing manufacturers of large
equipment to use a simpler and shorter test (the combustion efficiency
test, either in a laboratory or in the field).
Some test procedure amendments in this final rule may require
additional costs for manufacturers, including small manufacturers. DOE
is adopting more specific inlet piping provisions based on comments on
the March 2016 NOPR that will increase the accuracy of the inlet water
temperature measurement. The set-up change will require additional
segments of pipe and tee connections, and a temperature sensor, however
DOE believes most if not all manufacturers already have these items.
The set-up change may result in a longer set-up time which DOE
estimates to be one additional hour per test. Based on current wage
information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for a mechanical
engineering technician,\16\ DOE estimates the additional cost per test
(hourly labor cost multiplied by number of hours) to be $41.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ Hourly labor cost is estimated by multiplying the hourly
wage for a mechanical engineering technician by 1.5 to account for
benefits. Based on data from the BLS, the mean hourly wage for a
mechanical engineering technician (occupation code 17-3027) is
$27.11. See: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes173027.htm#nat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOE is also adopting water temperature limits in this final rule
that will reduce ambiguity in ratings and provide for a more repeatable
test. In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE considered that a reduction in the
temperature rise across a commercial packaged boilers would
proportionally increase the water flow rate required. Such an increase
may have necessitated facility improvements for manufacturer and third-
party laboratories, specifically by installing larger pumps to meet the
increase water demand, and DOE received several comments suggesting
this would be the case in response to the March 2016 NOPR. ABMA
suggested that the proposed test procedure could be particularly
harmful to small entities. ABMA indicated that the example DOE provided
for a 10 million Btu/h was inadequate and that it is not abnormal for a
boiler to reach 3 times that size. They suggested that without an AEDM,
the ratio would apply to the required larger pump size, weigh tanks,
scales etc. and that applying the scaling factor of 3 to the $3,000
pump cost in the March 2016 NOPR would result in a $9,000 pump.
Additionally, ABMA stated that scaling the 500 gpm flow rate would
yield 1,500 gpm requiring new weigh tanks and scales and possibly a new
cooling tower which could reach nearly $750,000. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5)
However, in this final rule DOE is adopting water temperature limits
that are more closely aligned with the current test procedure and
reduce the allowable range of inlet water temperature for non-
condensing commercial packaged boilers. For non-condensing commercial
packaged boilers that already utilize a recirculating loop during
testing, the amended test procedure standardizes
[[Page 89300]]
the temperature rise across the commercial packaged boiler which may
require slight adjustment of flow rates compared to current tests but
does not require any additional set-up. For non-condensing commercial
packaged boilers that do not currently use a recirculating loop,
manufacturers may choose to use a recirculating loop in order to
achieve the 80[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F inlet water
temperature. DOE estimates the additional set-up time required to be
one hour per test, and this additional cost per test to be $41 (hourly
labor cost for mechanical engineering technician multiplied by number
of hours). For condensing commercial packaged boilers, DOE is not
modifying the water temperature requirements.
In the March 2016 NOPR DOE proposed that steam tests occur at the
lowest steam pressure at which the steam quality requirement of 98-
percent is achieved by starting at atmospheric pressure and increasing
incrementally. In response ABMA and Weil-McLain commented that the
requirement to incrementally increase steam pressure would impose undue
test burden. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 4; Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p. 16)
However, in the March 2016 NOPR DOE estimated the cost of the time and
fuel consumed for each test to be approximately $253 based on two
additional hours of mechanical engineering technician labor and natural
gas use for a 10 million Btu/h commercial packaged boiler.\17\ DOE
continues to believe this amount is modest in comparison to the overall
cost of product development and certification.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ The price of natural gas is the 5-year average (May 2009 to
May 2014) obtained from the ``U.S. Price of Natural Gas Sold to
Commercial Consumers'' from U.S. Energy Information Administration
(EIA) (Available at: https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n3020us3m.htm).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With respect to ambient conditions, based on comments received
regarding the additional burden of tightly constraining ambient
temperature and humidity, DOE is not adopting tighter restrictions on
the ambient humidity and is adopting a broader range of allowable
ambient temperatures as compared with the March 2016 NOPR. Several
commenters suggested that the proposed ambient conditions in the March
2016 NOPR would result in additional test burden by forcing
manufacturers to spend significant resources in upgrading facilities
and HVAC capabilities. (ABMA, No. 38 at pp. 4, 6; Bradford White, No.
39 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; CA IOUs, No. 48 at pp. 3-4; AHRI,
No. 46 at p. 4; Raypak, No. 47 at p. 5; Lochinvar, No. 43 at p. 8;
Weil-McLain, No. 41 at pp. 2, 14) Weil-McLain suggested that DOE
understated the costs associated with laboratory facility upgrades.
(Weil-McLain, No. 41 at p.2) Bradford White estimated that the cost of
an environmental chamber would be approximately $120,000; AHRI
suggested the cost could be from $100,000 to over $1,000,000; Burnham
suggested that the cost would be approximately $125,000 for a 20-ton
cooling capacity laboratory HVAC system; and Raypak estimated that a
facility capable of conditioning combustion air to support a 4,000,000
Btu/h boiler would be $500,000 to $1,500,000. (Bradford White, No. 39
at p. 4; AHRI, No. 46 at p. 4; Burnham, No. 40 at p. 6; Raypak, No. 47
at p. 6) Lochinvar indicated that adding the additional water and
environmental test limitations beyond those in AHRI 1500 will have a
substantial impact on all manufacturers which will be more significant
for small manufacturers with less well equipped labs. (Lochinvar, No.
43 at p. 11)
However, DOE is not adopting the ambient condition requirements it
proposed in the March 2016 NOPR. For ambient humidity, DOE is
maintaining the current 80% maximum relative humidity requirement and
is adopting a broader range of allowable ambient temperatures than
proposed in the March 2016 NOPR. With regard to the ambient room
temperature requirements in this final rule, DOE notes that the ranges
of 65[emsp14][deg]F to 100[emsp14][deg]F for non-condensing commercial
packaged boilers and 65[emsp14][deg]F to 85[emsp14][deg]F for
condensing commercial packaged boilers are intended to prevent the test
from being conducted in extreme ambient conditions, and that these
allowable temperature ranges are typical for building heating,
ventilating, and air-conditioning systems in normal operating
conditions. Additionally, the temperature ranges being adopted are
consistent with those found in DOE's test procedure for residential
boilers (10 CFR part 430 subpart B appendix N) and in the draft version
of ASHRAE Standard 155P published in August 2016 for public review,
which several commenters have requested DOE adopt in the future as the
basis for the DOE commercial packaged boiler test procedure. DOE does
not believe that the ambient temperature requirements being adopted
will require facility or equipment upgrades.
In the March 2016 NOPR, DOE proposed requiring digital data
acquisition for certain parameters in the commercial packaged boilers
test procedure. DOE acknowledged that the requirement would have some
one-time costs for manufacturers that do not currently have the
necessary equipment. ABMA stated that digital data acquisition has its
benefits, however it may create heavy financial burden for small
manufacturers and should therefore be optional. (ABMA, No. 38 at p. 5)
Raypak believed that the proposed digital data acquisition was too
burdensome, particularly for small business manufacturers who would
need to purchase data acquisition equipment at costs substantially
higher than DOE estimates in the March 2016 NOPR. (Raypak, No. 47 at p.
4) However, commenters did not present specific cost estimates for
necessary equipment. DOE nevertheless reexamined its estimates for
digital data acquisition and added instrumentation that may also be
necessary to meet the requirements and the revised cost estimates are
found in Table IV.1. The data acquisition system could be used by the
manufacturer or laboratory to test all commercial packaged boiler
models going forward.
Table IV.1--Estimated One-Time Costs Associated With Digital Data
Acquisition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description Cost ($)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laptop....................................................... 1,500
Data Acquisition Module...................................... 2,000
Data Acquisition Software.................................... 3,000
Instrumentation (Resistance Temperature Detectors, 1,000
Thermocouples)..............................................
Initial Purchase, Installation and Setup (40 hours laboratory 1,640
technician time x $41/hour).................................
----------
Total...................................................... 9,140
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOE does not believe that manufacturers are required to re-test and
re-certify existing basic models that are already certified as
complying with DOE's energy conservation standards as a result of this
test procedure final rule. As part of its energy conservation standards
rulemaking for commercial packaged boilers, DOE found that there are
595 individual models attributed to 8 small manufacturers in the CCD.
While this results in an average of 74 individual models per small
manufacturer, DOE estimates that small manufacturers on average certify
10 basic models (approximately 7 individual models per basic model).
Based on discussions with third-party test laboratories, DOE estimates
that a laboratory test using a third-party laboratory would cost a
manufacturer approximately $5,000. If a small manufacturer were to test
7 basic
[[Page 89301]]
models with a third-party laboratory, DOE estimates that this would
cost $35,000 which represents approximately 0.1-percent of revenue.
(Note: DOE believes this is a conservative estimate, as most
manufacturers would use their own laboratories for testing at a lower
cost.)
For small business manufacturers that use their own facilities and
conduct tests in-house, as shown in Table IV.1, DOE estimates the one-
time costs associated with data acquisition to be $9,140. DOE continues
to believe these costs are modest in comparison to small manufacturer
revenues and to the overall cost of product development and
certification. For water tests, the additional burden due to the inlet
piping set-up and recirculating loop total two additional hours of
mechanical engineering technician labor or $82. For steam tests, DOE
estimated that two additional hours of mechanical engineering
technician labor and natural gas use would cost approximately $253. DOE
believes that these additional costs for each test attributable to the
inlet piping set-up, recirculating loop set-up, and steam pressure
adjustment to be modest in comparison to the overall cost of testing.
Further, DOE notes that manufacturers may use the AEDM process for
certifying compliance in order to reduce burden. Manufacturers may
develop an AEDM based on test data for smaller units in a basic model
group and apply the AEDM for larger sizes of commercial packaged
boilers. Additionally, the field test option adopted in this final rule
provides a test method by which a manufacturer of large equipment (i.e.
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h rated input) can test and certify such
commercial packaged boilers in the field if they do not have facilities
capable of meeting the requirements of the standard laboratory test
method.
Additional compliance flexibilities may be available for small
manufacturers through other means. Section 504 of the Department of
Energy Organization Act, 42 U.S.C. 7194, provides authority for the
Secretary to adjust a rule issued under EPCA in order to prevent
``special hardship, inequity, or unfair distribution of burdens'' that
may be imposed on that manufacturer as a result of such rule.
Manufacturers should refer to 10 CFR part 1003 for additional details.
For the reasons stated previously, DOE concludes that this final
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities, and as such has not prepared a regulatory
flexibility analysis for this rulemaking. DOE has provided its
certification and supporting statement of factual basis to the Chief
Counsel for Advocacy of the SBA for review under 5 U.S.C. 605(b).
C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
Manufacturers of commercial packaged boilers must certify to DOE
that their equipment complies with any applicable energy conservation
standards. To certify compliance, manufacturers must first obtain test
data for their equipment according to the DOE test procedures,
including any amendments adopted for those test procedures. DOE has
established regulations for the certification and recordkeeping
requirements for all covered consumer products and commercial
equipment, including commercial packaged boilers. (See generally 10 CFR
part 429.) The collection-of-information requirement for the
certification and recordkeeping is subject to review and approval by
OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This requirement has been
approved by OMB under OMB control number 1910-1400. Public reporting
burden for the certification is estimated to average 30 hours per
manufacturer, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB Control Number.
D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
In this final rule, DOE amends its test procedure for commercial
packaged boilers. DOE has determined that this rule falls into a class
of actions that are categorically excluded from review under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
DOE's implementing regulations at 10 CFR part 1021. Specifically, this
rule amends an existing rule without affecting the amount, quality or
distribution of energy usage, and, therefore, will not result in any
environmental impacts. Thus, this rulemaking is covered by Categorical
Exclusion A5 under 10 CFR part 1021, subpart D, which applies to any
rulemaking that interprets or amends an existing rule without changing
the environmental effect of that rule. Accordingly, neither an
environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is
required.
E. Review Under Executive Order 13132
Executive Order 13132, ``Federalism,'' 64 FR 43255 (August 4,
1999), imposes certain requirements on agencies formulating and
implementing policies or regulations that preempt State law or that
have Federalism implications. The Executive Order requires agencies to
examine the constitutional and statutory authority supporting any
action that would limit the policymaking discretion of the States and
to carefully assess the necessity for such actions. The Executive Order
also requires agencies to have an accountable process to ensure
meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the
development of regulatory policies that have Federalism implications.
On March 14, 2000, DOE published a statement of policy describing the
intergovernmental consultation process it will follow in the
development of such regulations. 65 FR 13735. DOE examined this final
rule and determined that it will not have a substantial direct effect
on the States, on the relationship between the national government and
the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among
the various levels of government. EPCA governs and prescribes Federal
preemption of State regulations as to energy conservation for the
products that are the subject of this final rule. States can petition
DOE for exemption from such preemption to the extent, and based on
criteria, set forth in EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 6297(d)) No further action is
required by Executive Order 13132.
F. Review Under Executive Order 12988
Regarding the review of existing regulations and the promulgation
of new regulations, section 3(a) of Executive Order 12988, ``Civil
Justice Reform,'' 61 FR 4729 (Feb. 7, 1996), imposes on Federal
agencies the general duty to adhere to the following requirements: (1)
Eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity; (2) write regulations to
minimize litigation; (3) provide a clear legal standard for affected
conduct rather than a general standard; and (4) promote simplification
and burden reduction. Section 3(b) of Executive Order 12988
specifically requires that Executive agencies make every reasonable
effort to ensure that the regulation (1) clearly specifies the
preemptive effect, if any; (2) clearly specifies any effect on existing
Federal law or regulation; (3) provides a clear legal standard for
affected conduct
[[Page 89302]]
while promoting simplification and burden reduction; (4) specifies the
retroactive effect, if any; (5) adequately defines key terms; and (6)
addresses other important issues affecting clarity and general
draftsmanship under any guidelines issued by the Attorney General.
Section 3(c) of Executive Order 12988 requires Executive agencies to
review regulations in light of applicable standards in sections 3(a)
and 3(b) to determine whether they are met or it is unreasonable to
meet one or more of them. DOE has completed the required review and
determined that, to the extent permitted by law, this final rule meets
the relevant standards of Executive Order 12988.
G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA)
requires each Federal agency to assess the effects of Federal
regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal governments and the
private sector. Public Law 104-4, sec. 201 (codified at 2 U.S.C. 1531).
For a regulatory action resulting in a rule that may cause the
expenditure by State, local, and Tribal governments, in the aggregate,
or by the private sector of $100 million or more in any one year
(adjusted annually for inflation), section 202 of UMRA requires a
Federal agency to publish a written statement that estimates the
resulting costs, benefits, and other effects on the national economy.
(2 U.S.C. 1532(a), (b)) The UMRA also requires a Federal agency to
develop an effective process to permit timely input by elected officers
of State, local, and Tribal governments on a proposed ``significant
intergovernmental mandate,'' and requires an agency plan for giving
notice and opportunity for timely input to potentially affected small
governments before establishing any requirements that might
significantly or uniquely affect small governments. On March 18, 1997,
DOE published a statement of policy on its process for
intergovernmental consultation under UMRA. 62 FR 12820; also available
at https://energy.gov/gc/office-general-counsel. DOE examined this final
rule according to UMRA and its statement of policy and determined that
the rule contains neither an intergovernmental mandate, nor a mandate
that may result in the expenditure of $100 million or more in any year,
so these requirements do not apply.
H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act,
1999
Section 654 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations
Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105-277) requires Federal agencies to issue a Family
Policymaking Assessment for any rule that may affect family well-being.
This final rule will not have any impact on the autonomy or integrity
of the family as an institution. Accordingly, DOE has concluded that it
is not necessary to prepare a Family Policymaking Assessment.
I. Review Under Executive Order 12630
DOE has determined, under Executive Order 12630, ``Governmental
Actions and Interference with Constitutionally Protected Property
Rights'' 53 FR 8859 (March 18, 1988), that this regulation will not
result in any takings that might require compensation under the Fifth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
J. Review Under Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act,
2001
Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations
Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note) provides for agencies to review most
disseminations of information to the public under guidelines
established by each agency pursuant to general guidelines issued by
OMB. OMB's guidelines were published at 67 FR 8452 (Feb. 22, 2002), and
DOE's guidelines were published at 67 FR 62446 (Oct. 7, 2002). DOE has
reviewed this final rule under the OMB and DOE guidelines and has
concluded that it is consistent with applicable policies in those
guidelines.
K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
Executive Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use,'' 66 FR 28355
(May 22, 2001), requires Federal agencies to prepare and submit to OMB,
a Statement of Energy Effects for any significant energy action. A
``significant energy action'' is defined as any action by an agency
that promulgated or is expected to lead to promulgation of a final
rule, and that (1) is a significant regulatory action under Executive
Order 12866, or any successor order; and (2) is likely to have a
significant adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of
energy; or (3) is designated by the Administrator of OIRA as a
significant energy action. For any significant energy action, the
agency must give a detailed statement of any adverse effects on energy
supply, distribution, or use if the regulation is implemented, and of
reasonable alternatives to the action and their expected benefits on
energy supply, distribution, and use.
This regulatory action is not a significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866. Moreover, it would not have a significant
adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy, nor has
it been designated as a significant energy action by the Administrator
of OIRA. Therefore, it is not a significant energy action, and,
accordingly, DOE has not prepared a Statement of Energy Effects.
L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal Energy Administration Act of
1974
Under section 301 of the 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.
The modifications to the test procedure for commercial packaged
boilers adopted in this final rule incorporate testing methods
contained in certain sections of the commercial standard ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015. DOE has evaluated this standard and is unable to
conclude whether it fully complies with the requirements of section
32(b) of the FEAA (i.e., whether it was developed in a manner that
fully provides for public participation, comment, and review). DOE has
consulted with both the Attorney General and the Chairwoman of the FTC
about the impact on competition of using the methods contained in this
standard and has received no comments objecting to their use.
M. Congressional Notification
As required by 5 U.S.C. 801, DOE will report to Congress on the
promulgation of this rule before its effective date. The report will
state that it has been determined that the rule is not a ``major rule''
as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
[[Page 89303]]
N. Description of Materials Incorporated by Reference
In this final rule, DOE incorporates by reference the following:
Part 429--ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, (``ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015''), ``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space
Heating Boilers,'' ANSI approved November 28, 2014: Figure C9,
Suggested Piping Arrangement for Hot Water Boilers.
Part 431--ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, (``ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015''), ``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space
Heating Boilers,'' ANSI approved November 28, 2014: Section 3,
``Definitions,'' Section 5, ``Rating Requirements,'' Appendix C,
``Methods of Testing for Rating Commercial Space Heating Boilers--
Normative,'' Appendix D, ``Properties of Saturated Steam--Normative,''
and Appendix E, ``Correction Factors for Heating Values of Fuel Gases--
Normative.''
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is an industry-accepted test procedure
that provides methods, requirements, and calculations for determining
the thermal and/or combustion efficiency of a commercial space heating
boiler. ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is available at: https://www.ahrinet.org/App_Content/ahri/files/standards%20pdfs/ANSI%20standards%20pdfs/ANSI.AHRI_Standard_1500-2015.pdf.
V. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
The Secretary of Energy has approved publication of this final
rule.
List of Subjects
10 CFR Part 429
Administrative practice and procedure, Confidential business
information, Energy conservation, Household appliances, Incorporation
by reference, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
10 CFR Part 431
Administrative practice and procedure, Confidential business
information, Energy conservation test procedures, Incorporation by
reference, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Test procedures.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 28, 2016.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, DOE amends parts 429 and
431 of Chapter II of Title 10, 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; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.
0
2. Section 429.4 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(2) to read as
follows:
Sec. 429.4 Materials incorporated by reference.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(2) AHRI Standard 1500-2015, (``ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015''),
``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating
Boilers,'' ANSI approved November 28, 2014: Figure C9, Suggested Piping
Arrangement for Hot Water Boilers; IBR approved for Sec. 429.60.
* * * * *
0
3. Section 429.11 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as
follows:
Sec. 429.11 General sampling requirements for selecting units to be
tested.
* * * * *
(b) The minimum number of units tested shall be no less than two,
except where:
(1) A different minimum limit is specified in Sec. Sec. 429.14
through 429.65 of this subpart; or
(2) Only one unit of the basic model is produced, in which case,
that unit must be tested and the test results must demonstrate that the
basic model performs at or better than the applicable standard(s). If
one or more units of the basic model are manufactured subsequently,
compliance with the default sampling and representations provisions is
required.
0
4. Section 429.60 is amended by:
0
a. Revising paragraphs (a) introductory text and (a)(1)(i);
0
b. Adding paragraphs (a)(3) and (4);
0
c. Revising paragraph (b)(2); and
0
d. Adding paragraphs (b)(3)(iii) and (b)(5).
The revisions and additions read as follows:
Sec. 429.60 Commercial packaged boilers.
(a) Determination of represented value. Manufacturers must
determine the represented value, which includes the certified rating,
for each basic model of commercial packaged boilers either by testing
in accordance with Sec. 431.86 of this chapter, in conjunction with
the applicable sampling provisions, or by applying an AEDM.
(1) * * *
(i) If the represented value is determined through testing, the
general requirements of Sec. 429.11 are applicable, except that, if
the represented value is determined through testing pursuant to Sec.
431.86(c) of this chapter, the number of units selected for testing may
be one; and
* * * * *
(3) The rated input for a basic model reported in accordance with
paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be the maximum rated input listed
on the nameplate and in manufacturer literature for the commercial
packaged boiler basic model. In the case where the nameplate and the
manufacturer literature are not identical, DOE will use the nameplate
on the unit for determining the rated input.
(4) For a model of commercial packaged boiler capable of supplying
either steam or hot water, representative values for steam mode must be
based on efficiency in steam mode and representative values for hot
water mode must be based on either the efficiency in hot water mode or
steam mode in accordance with the test procedure in Sec. 431.86 of
this chapter and the provisions of this section.
(b) * * *
(2) Pursuant to Sec. 429.12(b)(13), a certification report must
include the following public, equipment-specific information:
(i) If oil-fired, the manufacturer (including brand, if applicable)
and model number of the burner;
(ii) The rated input in British thermal units per hour (Btu/h);
(iii) The combustion efficiency in percent (%) to the nearest tenth
of one percent or thermal efficiency in percent (%) to the nearest one
tenth of one percent, as specified in Sec. 431.87 of this chapter; and
(iv) For a basic model of commercial packaged boiler that cannot be
tested using the standard inlet temperatures required in appendix A to
subpart E of part 431, the average inlet water temperature measured at
Point B in Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by
reference, see Sec. 429.4) at which the model was tested.
(3) * * *
(iii) For basic models of commercial packaged boilers that have a
rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, a declaration about whether
the certified efficiency rating is based on testing conducted pursuant
to Sec. 431.86(c) of this chapter.
* * * * *
[[Page 89304]]
(5) Any field tested pursuant to Sec. 431.86(c) of this chapter
basic model of a commercial packaged boiler that has not been
previously certified through testing or an AEDM must be certified
within 15 days of commissioning.
* * * * *
0
5. Section 429.70 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(2)(iii)(D) to read
as follows:
Sec. 429.70 Alternative methods for determining energy efficiency and
energy use.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(2) * * *
(iii) * * *
(D) An AEDM that is validated based on test results obtained from
one or more field tests (pursuant to Sec. 431.86(c)) can only be used
to certify the performance of basic models of commercial packaged
boilers with a certified rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h.
* * * * *
0
6. Section 429.110 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(3) and adding
paragraph (c)(1)(iii) to read as follows:
Sec. 429.110 Enforcement testing.
(a) * * *
(3) Testing will be conducted at a laboratory accredited to the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ``General requirements for the
competence of testing and calibration laboratories,'' ISO/IEC
17025:2005(E) (incorporated by reference; see Sec. 429.4). If testing
cannot be completed at an independent laboratory, DOE, at its
discretion, may allow enforcement testing at a manufacturer's
laboratory, so long as the lab is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E)
and DOE representatives witness the testing. In addition, for
commercial packaged boilers with rated input greater than 5,000,000
Btu/h, DOE, at its discretion, may allow enforcement testing of a
commissioned commercial packaged boiler in the location in which it was
commissioned for use, pursuant to the test provisions at Sec.
431.86(c) of this chapter, for which accreditation to ISO/IEC
17025:2005(E) would not be required.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(1) * * *
(iii) Previously commissioned commercial packaged boilers with a
rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h. DOE may test a sample of at
least one unit in the location in which it was commissioned for use.
* * * * *
0
7. Section 429.134 is amended by adding paragraph (m) to read as
follows:
Sec. 429.134 Product-specific enforcement provisions.
* * * * *
(m) Commercial packaged boilers--(1) Verification of fuel input
rate. The fuel input rate of each tested unit will be measured pursuant
to the test requirements of Sec. 431.86 of this chapter. The results
of the measurement(s) will be compared to the value of rated input
certified by the manufacturer. The certified rated input will be
considered valid only if the measurement(s) (either the measured fuel
input rate for a single unit sample or the average of the measured fuel
input rates for a multiple unit sample) is within two percent of the
certified rated input.
(i) If the measured fuel input rate is within two-percent of the
certified rated input, the certified rated input will serve as the
basis for determination of the appropriate equipment class(es) and the
mean measured fuel input rate will be used as the basis for calculation
of combustion and/or thermal efficiency for the basic model.
(ii) If the measured fuel input rate for a gas-fired commercial
packaged boiler is not within two-percent of the certified rated input,
DOE will first attempt to increase or decrease the gas manifold
pressure within the range specified in manufacturer's installation and
operation manual shipped with the commercial packaged boiler being
tested (or, if not provided in the manual, in supplemental instructions
provided by the manufacturer pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of this
chapter) to achieve the certified rated input (within two-percent). If
the fuel input rate is still not within two-percent of the certified
rated input, DOE will attempt to increase or decrease the gas inlet
pressure within the range specified in manufacturer's installation and
operation manual shipped with the commercial packaged boiler being
tested (or, if not provided in the manual, in supplemental instructions
provided by the manufacturer pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4)) to achieve
the certified rated input (within two-percent). If the fuel input rate
is still not within two-percent of the certified rated input, DOE will
attempt to modify the gas inlet orifice if the unit is equipped with
one. If the fuel input rate still is not within two percent of the
certified rated input, the mean measured fuel input rate (either for a
single unit sample or the average of the measured fuel input rates for
a multiple unit sample) will serve as the basis for determination of
the appropriate equipment class(es) and calculation of combustion and/
or thermal efficiency for the basic model.
(iii) If the measured fuel input rate for an oil-fired commercial
packaged boiler is not within two-percent of the certified rated input,
the mean measured fuel input rate (either for a single unit sample or
the average of the measured fuel input rates for a multiple unit
sample) will serve as the basis for determination of the appropriate
equipment class(es) and calculation of combustion and/or thermal
efficiency for the basic model.
(2) Models capable of producing both hot water and steam. For a
model of commercial packaged boiler that is capable of producing both
hot water and steam, DOE may measure the thermal or combustion
efficiency as applicable (see Sec. 431.87 of this chapter) for steam
and/or hot water modes. DOE will evaluate compliance based on the
measured thermal or combustion efficiency in steam and hot water modes,
independently.
PART 431--ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL AND
INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
0
8. The authority citation for part 431 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291-6317; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.
0
9. Section 431.82 is amended by:
0
a. Revising the definitions for ``Combustion efficiency,'' and
``Commercial packaged boiler;''
0
b. Adding in alphabetical order definitions for ``Field-constructed''
and ``Fuel input rate;''
0
c. Revising the definition for ``Packaged boiler;''
0
d. Removing the definitions for ``Packaged high pressure boiler'' and
``Packaged low pressure boiler;'' and
0
e. Adding in alphabetical order a definition for ``Rated input.''
The revisions and additions read as follows:
Sec. 431.82 Definitions concerning commercial packaged boilers.
* * * * *
Combustion efficiency for a commercial packaged boiler is a
measurement of how much of the fuel input energy is converted to useful
heat in combustion and is calculated as 100-percent minus percent
losses due to dry flue gas, incomplete combustion, and moisture formed
by combustion of hydrogen, as determined with the test
[[Page 89305]]
procedures prescribed under Sec. 431.86 of this chapter.
Commercial packaged boiler means a packaged boiler that meets all
of the following criteria:
(1) Has rated input of 300,000 Btu/h or greater;
(2) Is, to any significant extent, distributed in commerce for
space conditioning and/or service water heating in buildings but does
not meet the definition of ``hot water supply boiler'' in this part;
(3) Does not meet the definition of ``field-constructed'' in this
section; and
(4) Is designed to:
(i) Operate at a steam pressure at or below 15 psig;
(ii) Operate at or below a water pressure of 160 psig and water
temperature of 250[emsp14][deg]F; or
(iii) Operate at the conditions specified in both paragraphs (4)(i)
and (ii) of this definition.
* * * * *
Field-constructed means custom-designed equipment that requires
welding of structural components in the field during installation. For
the purposes of this definition, welding does not include attachment
using mechanical fasteners or brazing; any jackets, shrouds, venting,
burner, or burner mounting hardware are not structural components.
* * * * *
Fuel input rate for a commercial packaged boiler means the measured
rate at which the commercial packaged boiler uses energy and is
determined using test procedures prescribed under Sec. 431.86 of this
chapter.
* * * * *
Packaged boiler means a boiler that is shipped complete with
heating equipment, mechanical draft equipment, and automatic controls
and is usually shipped in one or more sections. If the boiler is
shipped in more than one section, the sections may be produced by more
than one manufacturer, and may be originated or shipped at different
times and from more than one location.
* * * * *
Rated input means the maximum rate at which the commercial packaged
boiler has been rated to use energy as indicated by the nameplate and
in the manual shipped with the commercial packaged boiler.
* * * * *
0
10. Section 431.85 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as
follows:
Sec. 431.85 Materials incorporated by reference.
* * * * *
(b) AHRI. Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute,
2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22201, (703) 524-8800, or
go to: https://www.ahrinet.org.
(1) AHRI Standard 1500-2015, (``ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015''),
``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating
Boilers,'' ANSI approved November 28, 2014, IBR approved for appendix A
to subpart E as follows:
(i) Section 3--Definitions (excluding introductory text to section
3, introductory text to 3.2, 3.2.4, 3.2.7, 3.6, 3.12, 3.13, 3.20, 3.23,
3.24, 3.26, 3.27, and 3.31);
(ii) Section 5--Rating Requirements, 5.3 Standard Rating
Conditions: (excluding introductory text to section 5.3, 5.3.5, 5.3.8,
and 5.3.9);
(iii) Appendix C--Methods of Testing for Rating Commercial Space
Heating Boilers--Normative, excluding C2.1, C2.7.2.2.2, C3.1.3, C3.5-
C3.7, C4.1.1.1.2, C4.1.1.2.3, C4.1.2.1.5, C4.1.2.2.2, C4.1.2.2.3, C4.2,
C5, C7.1, C7.2.12, C7.2.20;
(iv) Appendix D. Properties of Saturated Steam--Normative.
(v) Appendix E. Correction Factors for Heating Values of Fuel
Gases--Normative.
(2) [Reserved].
0
11. Section 431.86 is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 431.86 Uniform test method for the measurement of energy
efficiency of commercial packaged boilers.
(a) Scope. This section provides test procedures, pursuant to the
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended, which must be
followed for measuring the combustion efficiency and/or thermal
efficiency of a gas- or oil-fired commercial packaged boiler.
(b) Testing and Calculations. Determine the thermal efficiency or
combustion efficiency of commercial packaged boilers by conducting the
appropriate test procedure(s) indicated in Table 1 of this section.
Table 1--Test Requirements for Commercial Packaged Boiler Equipment Classes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Test procedure
(corresponding to
Certified rated Standards standards
Equipment category Subcategory input Btu/h efficiency metric efficiency metric
(Sec. 431.87) required by Sec.
431.87)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Water....................... Gas-fired......... >=300,000 and Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
<=2,500,000. Section 2.
Hot Water....................... Gas-fired......... >2,500,000........ Combustion Appendix A,
Efficiency. Section 3.
Hot Water....................... Oil-fired......... >=300,000 and Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
<=2,500,000. Section 2.
Hot Water....................... Oil-fired......... >2,500,000........ Combustion Appendix A,
Efficiency. Section 3.
Steam........................... Gas-fired (all*).. >=300,000 and Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
<=2,500,000. Section 2.
Steam........................... Gas-fired (all*).. >2,500,000 and Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
<=5,000,000. Section 2.
>5,000,000........ Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
Section 2.
OR
Appendix A,
Section 3 with
Section 2.4.3.2.
Steam........................... Oil-fired......... >=300,000 and Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
<=2,500,000. Section 2.
Steam........................... Oil-fired......... >2,500,000 and Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
<=5,000,000. Section 2.
>5,000,000........ Thermal Efficiency Appendix A,
Section 2.
OR
Appendix A,
Section 3. with
Section 2.4.3.2.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\*\ Equipment classes for commercial packaged boilers as of July 22, 2009 (74 FR 36355) distinguish between gas-
fired natural draft and all other gas-fired (except natural draft).
[[Page 89306]]
(c) Field Tests. The field test provisions of appendix A may be
used only to test a unit of commercial packaged boiler with rated input
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h.
0
12. Section 431.87 is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 431.87 Energy conservation standards and their effective dates.
(a) Each commercial packaged boiler listed in Table 1 of this
section and manufactured on or after the effective date listed must
meet the indicated energy conservation standard.
Table 1--Commercial Packaged Boiler Energy Conservation Standards
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Efficiency level-- effective
Equipment category Subcategory Certified rated input date: March 2, 2012*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Gas-fired............ >=300,000 Btu/h and 80.0% ET.
Boilers. <=2,500,000 Btu/h.
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Gas-fired............ >2,500,000 Btu/h..... 82.0% EC.
Boilers.
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Oil-fired............ >=300,000 Btu/h and 82.0% ET.
Boilers. <=2,500,000 Btu/h.
Hot Water Commercial Packaged Oil-fired............ >2,500,000 Btu/h..... 84.0% EC.
Boilers.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Gas-fired--all, >=300,000 Btu/h and 79.0% ET.
except natural draft. <=2,500,000 Btu/h.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Gas-fired--all, >2,500,000 Btu/h..... 79.0% ET.
except natural draft.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Gas-fired--natural >=300,000 Btu/h and 77.0% ET.
draft. <=2,500,000 Btu/h.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Gas-fired--natural >2,500,000 Btu/h..... 77.0% ET.
draft.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Oil-fired............ >=300,000 Btu/h and 81.0% ET.
<=2,500,000 Btu/h.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Oil-fired............ >2,500,000 Btu/h..... 81.0% ET.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\*\ Where EC is combustion efficiency and ET is thermal efficiency.
(b) Each commercial packaged boiler listed in Table 2 of this
section and manufactured on or after the effective date listed in Table
2 must meet the indicated energy conservation standard.
Table 2--Commercial Packaged Boiler Energy Conservation Standards
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Efficiency level-- Effective
Equipment category Subcategory Certified rated input Date: March 2, 2022*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Gas-fired--natural >=300,000 Btu/h and 79.0% ET.
draft. <=2,500,000 Btu/h.
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. Gas-fired--natural >2,500,000 Btu/h..... 79.0% ET.
draft.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\*\ Where ET is thermal efficiency.
0
13. Add appendix A to subpart E of part 431 to read as follows:
Appendix A to Subpart E of Part 431-- Uniform Test Method for the
Measurement of Thermal Efficiency and Combustion Efficiency of
Commercial Packaged Boilers
Note: Prior to December 4, 2017, manufacturers must make any
representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers in accordance with the results of
testing pursuant to this Appendix or the test procedures as they
appeared in 10 CFR 431.86 revised as of January 1, 2016. On and
after December 4, 2017, manufacturers must make any representations
with respect to energy use or efficiency in accordance with the
results of testing pursuant to this appendix.
1. Definitions.
For purposes of this appendix, the Department of Energy
incorporates by reference the definitions established in section 3
of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Air-
Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard
1500, ``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space
Heating Boilers,'' beginning with 3.1 and ending with 3.35
(incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85; hereafter ``ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015''), excluding the introductory text to section 3,
the introductory text to section 3.2, ``Boiler''; 3.2.4, ``Heating
Boiler''; 3.2.7, ``Packaged Boiler''; 3.6, ``Combustion
Efficiency''; 3.12, ``Efficiency, Combustion''; 3.13, ``Efficiency,
Thermal''; 3.20, ``Gross Output''; 3.23, ``Input Rating''; 3.24,
``Net Rating''; 3.26, ``Published Rating''; 3.26.1, ``Standard
Rating''; 3.27, ``Rating Conditions''; 3.27.1, ``Standard Rating
Conditions''; and 3.31, ``Thermal Efficiency.'' In cases where there
is a conflict, the language of the test procedure in this appendix
takes precedence over ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
1.1. In all incorporated sections of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015, references to the manufacturer's ``specifications,''
``recommendations,'' ``directions,'' or ``requests'' mean the
manufacturer's instructions in the installation and operation manual
shipped with the commercial packaged boiler being tested or in
supplemental instructions provided by the manufacturer pursuant to
Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter. For parameters or considerations
not specified in this appendix, refer to the manual shipped with the
commercial packaged boiler. Should the manual shipped with the
commercial packaged boiler not provide the necessary information,
refer to the supplemental instructions for the basic model pursuant
to Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter. The supplemental instructions
provided pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter do not
replace or alter any requirements in this appendix nor do they
override the manual shipped with the commercial packaged boiler. In
cases where these supplemental instructions conflict with any
instructions or provisions provided in the manual shipped with the
commercial packaged boiler, use the manual shipped with the
commercial packaged boiler.
1.2. Unless otherwise noted, in all incorporated sections of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, the term ``boiler'' means a commercial
packaged boiler as defined in Sec. 431.82.
1.3. Unless otherwise noted, in all incorporated sections of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, the term ``input rating'' means
``rated input'' as defined in Sec. 431.82.
2. Thermal Efficiency Test.
2.1. Test Setup.
2.1.1. Instrumentation. Use instrumentation meeting the minimum
requirements found in Table C1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85).
2.1.2. Data collection and sampling. Record all test data in
accordance with Table 2.1 and Table 2.2. Do not use Section C5 and
[[Page 89307]]
Table C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
Table 2.1--Data To Be Recorded Before Testing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item recorded Additional instruction
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of Test.............................. None.
Manufacturer.............................. None.
Commercial Packaged Boiler Model Number... None.
Burner Model Number & Manufacturer........ None.
Nozzle description and oil pressure....... None.
Oil Analysis--H, C, API Gravity, lb/gal None.
and Btu/lb.
Gas Manifold Pressure..................... Record at start and end of
test.
Gas line pressure at meter................ Measurement may be made
manually.
Gas temperature........................... Measurement may be made
manually.
Barometric Pressure (Steam and Natural Gas Measurement may be made
Only). manually.
Gas Heating Value, Btu/ft \3\*............ Record at start and end of
test.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Multiplied by correction factors, as applicable, in accordance with
Appendix E of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
[[Page 89308]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09DE16.023
2.1.3. Instrument Calibration. Instruments must be calibrated at
least once per year and a calibration record, containing at least
the date of calibration and the method of calibration, must be kept
as part of the data
[[Page 89309]]
underlying each basic model certification, pursuant to Sec. 429.71
of this chapter.
2.1.4. Test Setup and Apparatus. Set up the commercial packaged
boiler for thermal efficiency testing according to the provisions of
Section C2 (except section C2.1) of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85).
2.1.4.1. For tests of oil-fired commercial packaged boilers,
determine the weight of fuel consumed using one of the methods
specified in the following sections 2.1.4.1.1. or 2.1.4.1.2. of this
appendix:
2.1.4.1.1. If using a scale, determine the weight of fuel
consumed as the difference between the weight of the oil vessel
before and after each measurement period, as specified in sections
2.1.4.1.3.1. or 2.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix, determined using a
scale meeting the accuracy requirements of Table C1 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
2.1.4.1.2. If using a flow meter, first determine the volume of
fuel consumed as the total volume over the applicable measurement
period as specified in 2.1.4.1.3.1. or 2.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix
and as measured by a flow meter meeting the accuracy requirements of
Table C1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 upstream of
the oil inlet port of the commercial packaged boiler. Then determine
the weight of fuel consumed by multiplying the total volume of fuel
over the applicable measurement period by the density of oil as
determined pursuant to C3.2.1.1.3. of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015.
2.1.4.1.3. The applicable measurement period for the purposes of
determining fuel input rate must be as specified in section
2.1.4.1.3.1. of this appendix for the ``Warm-Up Period'' or section
2.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix for the ``Test Period.''
2.1.4.1.3.1. For the purposes of confirming steady-state
operation during the ``Warm-Up Period,'' the measurement period must
be 15 minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section C7.2.3.1
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 must be 0.25 hours to
determine fuel input rate.
2.1.4.1.3.2. For the purposes of determining thermal efficiency
during the ``Test Period,'' the measurement period and tT
are as specified in sections 2.3.4 and 2.3.5 of this appendix.
2.1.4.2 For tests of gas-fired commercial packaged boilers,
install a volumetric gas meter meeting the accuracy requirements of
Table C1 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 upstream of
the gas inlet port of the commercial packaged boiler. Record the
accumulated gas volume consumed for each applicable measurement
period. Use Equation C7.2.3.2. of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 to calculate fuel input rate.
2.1.4.2.1. The applicable measurement period for the purposes of
determining fuel input rate must be as specified in section
2.1.4.2.1.1. of this appendix for the ``Warm-Up Period'' and
2.1.4.2.1.2. of this appendix for the ``Test Period.''
2.1.4.2.1.1. For the purposes of confirming steady-state
operation during the ``Warm-Up Period,'' the measurement period must
be 15 minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section C7.2.3.1
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 must be 0.25 hours to
determine fuel input rate.
2.1.4.2.1.2. For the purposes of determining thermal efficiency
during the ``Test Period,'' the measurement period and tT
are as specified in sections 2.3.4 and 2.3.5 of this appendix.
2.1.4.3 In addition to the provisions of Section C2.2.1.2 of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, vent gases may alternatively be
discharged vertically into a straight stack section without elbows.
R-7 minimum insulation must extend 6 stack diameters above the flue
collar, the thermocouple grid must be located at a vertical distance
of 3 stack diameters above the flue collar, and the sampling tubes
for flue gases must be installed within 1 stack diameter beyond the
thermocouple grid. If dilution air is introduced into the flue gases
before the plane of the thermocouple and flue gas sampling points,
utilize an alternate plane of thermocouple grid and flue gas
sampling point located downstream from the heat exchanger and
upstream from the point of dilution air introduction.
2.1.5. Additional Requirements for Outdoor Commercial Packaged
Boilers. If the manufacturer provides more than one outdoor venting
arrangement, the outdoor commercial packaged boiler (as defined in
Section 3.2.6 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015; incorporated by
reference, see Sec. 431.85) must be tested with the shortest total
venting arrangement as measured by adding the straight lengths of
venting supplied with the equipment. If the manufacturer does not
provide an outdoor venting arrangement, install the outdoor
commercial packaged boiler venting consistent with the procedure
specified in Section C2.2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015.
2.1.6. Additional Requirements for Steam Tests. In addition to
the provisions of Section C2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85), the
following requirements apply for steam tests.
2.1.6.1. Insulate all steam piping from the commercial packaged
boiler to the steam separator, and extend insulation at least one
foot (1 ft.) beyond the steam separator, using insulation meeting
the requirements specified in Table 2.3 of this appendix.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09DE16.024
2.1.6.2. A temperature sensing device must be installed in the
insulated steam piping prior to the water separator if the
commercial packaged boiler produces superheated steam.
2.1.6.3. Water entrained in the steam and water condensing
within the steam piping must be collected and used to calculate the
quality of steam during the ``Test Period.'' Steam condensate must
be collected and measured using either a cumulative (totalizing)
flow rate or by measuring the mass of the steam condensate.
Instrumentation used to determine the amount of steam condensate
must meet the requirements identified in Table C1 in Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
2.1.7. Additional Requirements for Water Tests. In addition to
the provisions of section C2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85), the
following requirements apply for water tests.
2.1.7.1. Insulate all water piping between the commercial
packaged boiler and the location of the temperature measuring
equipment, including one foot (1 ft.) beyond the sensor, using
insulation meeting the requirements specified in Table 2.3 of this
appendix.
2.1.7.2. Install a temperature measuring device at Point B of
Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI
[[Page 89310]]
Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85).
Water entering the commercial packaged boiler must first enter the
run of a tee and exit from the top outlet of the tee. The remaining
connection of the tee must be plugged. Measure the inlet water
temperature at Point B in the run of a second tee located 12 2 pipe diameters downstream from the first tee and no more
than the greater of 12 inches or 6 pipe diameters from the inlet of
the commercial packaged boiler. The temperature measuring device
shall extend into the water flow at the point of exit from the side
outlet of the second tee. All inlet piping between the temperature
measuring device and the inlet of the commercial packaged boilers
must be wrapped with R-7 insulation.
2.1.7.3. Do not use Section C2.7.2.2.2 or its subsections of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 for water meter calibration.
2.1.8. Flue Gas Sampling. In section C2.5.2 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, replace the last sentence with the
following: When taking flue gas samples from a rectangular plane,
collect samples at \1/4\, \1/2\, and \3/4\ the distance from one
side of the rectangular plane in the longer dimension and along the
centerline midway between the edges of the plane in the shorter
dimension and use the average of the three samples. The tolerance in
each dimension for each measurement location is 1 inch.
2.2. Test Conditions.
2.2.1. General. Use the test conditions from Section 5 and
Section C3 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
(incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85) for thermal efficiency
testing but do not use the following sections:
(1) 5.3 Introductory text
(2) 5.3.5 (and subsections; see sections 2.2.3. and 2.2.4. of this
appendix)
(3) 5.3.8 (see section 2.2.5. of this appendix)
(4) 5.3.9 (see section 2.2.6. of this appendix)
(5) C3.1.3 (and subsections)
(6) C3.5 (including Table C2; see section 2.2.7. of this appendix)
(7) C3.6 (see section 2.2.5. of this appendix)
(8) C3.7 (see section 2.2.6. of this appendix)
2.2.2. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial Packaged Boilers. In
addition to section C3.3 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015, the following applies: For oil-fired commercial packaged
boilers, test the unit with the particular make and model of burner
as certified (or to be certified) by the manufacturer. If multiple
burners are specified in the certification report for that basic
model, then use any of the listed burners for testing.
2.2.3. Water Temperatures. Maintain the outlet temperature
measured at Point C in Figure C9 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 at 180[emsp14] [deg]F 2[emsp14] [deg]F and
maintain the inlet temperature measured at Point B at 80[emsp14]
[deg]F 5[emsp14] [deg]F during the ``Warm-up Period''
and ``Test Period'' as indicated by 1-minute interval data pursuant
to Table 2.2 of this appendix. Each reading must meet these
temperature requirements. Use the inlet temperature and flow rate
measured at Point B in Figure C9 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 for calculation of thermal efficiency.
2.2.4 Exceptions to Water Temperature Requirements. For
commercial packaged boilers that require a higher flow rate than
that resulting from the water temperature requirements of sections
2.2.3 of this appendix to prevent boiling, use a recirculating loop
and maintain the inlet temperature at Point B of Figure C9 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 at 140[emsp14] [deg]F
5[emsp14] [deg]F during the ``Warm-up Period'' and
``Test Period'' as indicated by 1-minute interval data pursuant to
Table 2.2 of this appendix. Each reading must meet these temperature
requirements. Use the inlet temperature and flow rate measured at
Point A in Figure C9 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
for calculation of thermal efficiency.
2.2.5 Air Temperature. For tests of non-condensing boilers,
maintain ambient room temperature between 65[emsp14] [deg]F and
100[emsp14] [deg]F at all times during the ``Warm-up Period'' and
``Test Period'' (as described in Section C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015) as indicated by 1-minute interval data
pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix. For tests of condensing
boilers, maintain ambient room temperature between 65[emsp14] [deg]F
and 85[emsp14] [deg]F at all times during the ``Warm-up Period'' and
``Test Period'' (as described in Section C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015) as indicated by 1-minute interval data
pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix. The ambient room temperature
may not differ by more than 5[emsp14] [deg]F from the
average ambient room temperature during the entire ``Test Period''
at any reading. Measure the room ambient temperature within 6 feet
of the front of the unit at mid height. The test air temperature,
measured at the air inlet of the commercial packaged boiler, must be
within 5[emsp14] [deg]F of the room ambient temperature
when recorded at the 1-minute interval defined by Table 2.2 of this
appendix.
2.2.6. Ambient Humidity. For condensing boilers, maintain
ambient room relative humidity below 80-percent at all times during
both the ``Warm-up Period'' and ``Test Period'' (as described in
Section C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015) pursuant
to Table 2.2 of this appendix. Measure the ambient humidity in the
same location as ambient air temperature in section 2.2.5 of this
appendix.
2.2.7. Flue Gas Temperature. The flue gas temperature during the
test must not vary from the flue gas temperature measured at the
start of the Test Period (as defined in Section C4 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015) when recorded at the interval defined in Table
2.2 of this appendix by more than the limits prescribed in Table 2.4
of this appendix.
Table 2.4--Flue Gas Temperature Variation Limits During Test Period
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuel type Non-condensing Condensing
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gas.............................. 2 percent... Greater of 3 percent and
5 [deg]F
Light Oil........................ 2 percent...
Heavy Oil........................ Greater of 3
percent and
5 [deg]F.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.3. Test Method.
2.3.1. General. Conduct the thermal efficiency test as
prescribed in Section C4 ``Test Procedure'' of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec.
431.85) excluding sections:
(1) C4.1.1.1.2 (see section 2.3.1.1 of this appendix)
(2) C4.1.1.2.3 (see 2.3.4 of this appendix)
(3) C4.1.2.1.5 (see section 2.3.2. of this appendix)
(4) C4.1.2.2.2
(5) C4.1.2.2.3 (see 2.3.5 of this appendix)
(6) C4.2
(7) C4.2.1
(8) C4.2.2
2.3.1.1. Adjust oil or non-atmospheric gas to produce the
required firebox pressure and CO2 or O2
concentration in the flue gas, as described in Section 5.3.1 of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. Conduct steam tests with steam
pressure at the pressure specified in the manufacturer literature
shipped with the commercial packaged boiler or in the manufacturer's
supplemental testing instructions pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of
this chapter, but not exceeding 15 psig. If no pressure is specified
in the manufacturer literature shipped with the commercial packaged
boiler or in the manufacturer's supplemental testing instructions
(pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of this chapter), or if a range of
operating pressures is specified, conduct testing at a steam
pressure equal to atmospheric pressure. If necessary to maintain
steam quality as required by Section 5.3.7 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015, increase steam pressure in 1 psig increments by
throttling with a valve beyond the separator until the test is
completed and the steam quality requirements have been satisfied,
but do not increase the steam pressure to greater than 15 psig.
2.3.2. Water Test Steady-State. Ensure that a steady-state is
reached by confirming that three consecutive readings have been
recorded at 15-minute intervals pursuant to Table 2.2 of this
appendix that indicate that the measured fuel input rate is within
2-percent of the rated input. Water temperatures must
meet the conditions specified in sections 2.2.3 and 2.2.4 of this
appendix as applicable.
2.3.3. Condensate Collection for Condensing Commercial Packaged
Boilers.
[[Page 89311]]
Collect condensate in a covered vessel so as to prevent evaporation.
2.3.4. Steam Test Duration. Replace Section C4.1.1.2.3 of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015 with the following: The test period is one
hour in duration if the steam condensate is measured or two hours if
feedwater is measured. The test period must end with a 15-minute
reading (steam condensate or feedwater and separator weight reading)
pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix. When feedwater is measured,
the water line at the end of the test must be within 0.25 inches of
the starting level.
2.3.5. Water Test Duration. Replace Section C4.1.2.2.3 of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015 with the following: The test period is one
hour for condensing commercial packaged boilers and 30 minutes for
non-condensing commercial packaged boilers, and ends with a 15-
minute interval reading pursuant to Table 2.2 of this appendix.
2.4. Calculations.
2.4.1. General. To determine the thermal efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers, use the variables in section C6 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 and calculation procedure
for the thermal efficiency test specified in section C7.2 of
Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, excluding sections
C7.2.12 and C7.2.20.
2.4.2. Use of Steam Properties Table. If the average measured
temperature of the steam is higher than the value in Table D1 in
Appendix D of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 that corresponds to the
average measured steam pressure, then use Table 2.5 of this appendix
to determine the latent heat of superheated steam in (Btu/lb). Use
linear interpolation for determining the latent heat of steam in
Btu/lb if the measured steam pressure is between two values listed
in Table D1 in Appendix D of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 or in
Table 2.5 of this appendix.
[[Page 89312]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09DE16.025
[[Page 89313]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09DE16.026
2.4.3. Alternative Thermal Efficiency Calculation for Large
Steam Commercial Packaged Boilers. To determine the thermal
efficiency of commercial packaged boilers with a fuel input rate
greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h according to the steam test pursuant to
Section C4.1.1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, either:
2.4.3.1. Calculate the thermal efficiency of commercial packaged
boiler models in steam mode in accordance with the provisions of
section 2.4.1 of this appendix, or
2.4.3.2. Measure and calculate combustion efficiency
Effyss in steam mode according to Section 3. Combustion
Efficiency Test of this appendix and convert to thermal efficiency
using the following equation:
EffyT = Effyss - 2.0
where EffyT is the thermal efficiency and
EFFYss is the combustion efficiency as defined in C6 of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. The combustion efficiency
Effyss is as calculated in Section C7.2.14 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015.
2.4.4. Rounding. Round the final thermal efficiency value to
nearest one tenth of one percent.
3. Combustion Efficiency Test.
3.1. Test Setup.
3.1.1. Instrumentation. Use instrumentation meeting the minimum
requirements found in Table C1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015
(incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85).
3.1.2. Data collection and sampling. Record all test data in
accordance with Table 3.1 and Table 3.2 of this appendix. Do not use
Section C5 and Table C4 of Appendix C in ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015.
Table 3.1--Data To Be Recorded Before Testing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item recorded Additional instruction
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of Test.............................. None.
Manufacturer.............................. None.
[[Page 89314]]
Commercial Packaged Boiler Model Number... None.
Burner Model Number & Manufacturer........ None.
Nozzle description and oil pressure....... None.
Oil Analysis--H, C, API Gravity, lb/gal None.
and Btu/lb.
Gas Manifold Pressure..................... Record at start and end of
test.
Gas line pressure at meter................ Measurement may be made
manually.
Gas temperature........................... Measurement may be made
manually.
Barometric Pressure (Steam and Natural Gas Measurement may be made
Only). manually.
Gas Heating Value, Btu/ft \3\ *........... Record at start and end of
test.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Multiplied by correction factors, as applicable, in accordance with
Appendix E of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
[[Page 89315]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09DE16.027
3.1.3. Instrument Calibration. Instruments must be calibrated at
least once per year and a calibration record, containing at least
the date of calibration and the method of calibration, must be kept
as part of the data
[[Page 89316]]
underlying each basic model certification, pursuant to Sec. 429.71
of this chapter.
3.1.4. Test Setup and Apparatus. Set up the commercial packaged
boiler for combustion efficiency testing according to the provisions
of Section C2 (except section C2.1) of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015.
3.1.4.1. For tests of oil-fired commercial packaged boilers,
determine the weight of fuel consumed using one of the methods
specified in sections 3.1.4.1.1. or 3.1.4.1.2. of this appendix:
3.1.4.1.1. If using a scale, determine the weight of fuel
consumed as the difference between the weight of the oil vessel
before and after each measurement period, as specified in sections
3.1.4.1.3.1. or 3.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix, determined using a
scale meeting the accuracy requirements of Table C1 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015.
3.1.4.1.2. If using a flow meter, first determine the volume of
fuel consumed as the total volume over the applicable measurement
period, as specified in sections 3.1.4.1.3.1. or 3.1.4.1.3.2. of
this appendix, and as measured by a flow meter meeting the accuracy
requirements of Table C1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 upstream of
the oil inlet port of the commercial packaged boiler. Then determine
the weight of fuel consumed by multiplying the total volume of fuel
over the applicable measurement period by the density of oil, in
pounds per gallon, as determined pursuant to Section C3.2.1.1.3. of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
3.1.4.1.3. The applicable measurement period for the purposes of
determining fuel input rate must be as specified in section
3.1.4.1.3.1. of this appendix for the ``Warm-Up Period'' or
3.1.4.1.3.2. of this appendix for the ``Test Period.''
3.1.4.1.3.1. For the purposes of confirming steady-state
operation during the ``Warm-Up Period,'' the measurement period must
be 15 minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section C7.2.3.1
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 must be 0.25 hours to determine fuel
input rate.
3.1.4.1.3.2. For the purposes of determining combustion
efficiency during the ``Test Period,'' the measurement period and
tT are 0.5 hours pursuant to section 3.3.1.1. of this
appendix.
3.1.4.2 For tests of gas-fired commercial packaged boilers,
install a volumetric gas meter meeting the accuracy requirements of
Table C1 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 upstream of the gas inlet
port of the commercial packaged boiler. Record the accumulated gas
volume consumed for each applicable measurement period. Use Equation
C7.2.3.2. of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 to calculate fuel input
rate.
3.1.4.2.1. The applicable measurement period for the purposes of
determining fuel input rate must be as specified in section
3.1.4.2.1.1. of this appendix for the ``Warm-Up Period'' and
3.1.4.2.1.2. of this appendix for the ``Test Period.''
3.1.4.2.1.1. For the purposes of confirming steady-state
operation during the ``Warm-Up Period,'' the measurement period must
be 15 minutes and tT in Equation C2 in Section C7.2.3.1
of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 must be 0.25 hour to determine fuel
input rate.
3.1.4.2.1.2. For the purposes of determining combustion
efficiency during the ``Test Period,'' the measurement period and
tT are 0.5 hour pursuant to section 3.3.1.1. of this
appendix.
3.1.4.3. In addition to the provisions of Section C2.2.1.2 of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, vent gases may alternatively be
discharged vertically into a straight stack section without elbows.
R-7 minimum insulation must extend 6 stack diameters above the flue
collar, the thermocouple grid must be located at a vertical distance
of 3 stack diameters above the flue collar, and the sampling tubes
for flue gases must be installed within 1 stack diameter beyond the
thermocouple grid. If dilution air is introduced into the flue gases
before the plane of the thermocouple and flue gas sampling points,
utilize an alternate plane of thermocouple grid and flue gas
sampling point located downstream from the heat exchanger and
upstream from the point of dilution air introduction.
3.1.5. Additional Requirements for Outdoor Commercial Packaged
Boilers. If the manufacturer provides more than one outdoor venting
arrangement, the outdoor commercial packaged boiler (as defined in
section 3.2.6 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by
reference, see Sec. 431.85) must be tested with the shortest total
venting arrangement as measured by adding the straight lengths of
venting supplied with the equipment. If the manufacturer does not
provide an outdoor venting arrangement, install the outdoor
commercial packaged boiler venting consistent with the procedure
specified in Section C2.2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015.
3.1.6. Additional Requirements for Field Tests.
3.1.6.1 Field tests are exempt from the requirements of Section
C2.2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. Measure the flue
gas temperature according to Section C2.5.1 of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015 and the thermocouple grids identified in
Figure C12 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, with the following
modification: the thermocouple grid may be staggered vertically by
up to 1.5 inches to allow the use of instrumented rods to be
inserted through holes drilled in the venting.
3.1.6.2. Field tests are exempt from the requirements of Section
C2.6.3 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015.
3.1.7. Additional Requirements for Water Tests. In addition to
the provisions of Section C2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85) the
following requirements apply for water tests:
3.1.7.1. Insulate all water piping between the commercial
packaged boiler and the location of the temperature measuring
equipment, including one foot (1 ft.) beyond the sensor, using
insulation meeting the requirements specified in Table 2.3 of this
appendix.
3.1.7.2. Install a temperature measuring device at Point B of
Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. Water entering the
commercial packaged boiler must first enter the run of a tee and
exit from the top outlet of the tee. The remaining connection of the
tee must be plugged. Measure the inlet water temperature at Point B
in the run of a second tee located 12 2 pipe diameters
downstream from the first tee and no more than the greater of 12
inches or 6 pipe diameters from the inlet of the commercial packaged
boiler. The temperature measuring device shall extend into the water
flow at the point of exit from the side outlet of the second tee.
All inlet piping between the temperature measuring device and the
inlet of the commercial packaged boilers must be wrapped with R-7
insulation. Field tests must also measure the inlet water
temperature at Point B in Figure C9, however they are not required
to use the temperature measurement piping described in this section
3.1.7. of this appendix.
3.1.7.3. Do not use Section C2.7.2.2.2 or its subsections of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 for water meter calibration.
3.1.8. Flue Gas Sampling. In section C2.5.2 of Appendix C of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015, replace the last sentence with the
following: When taking flue gas samples from a rectangular plane,
collect samples at \1/4\, \1/2\, and \3/4\ the distance from one
side of the rectangular plane in the longer dimension and along the
centerline midway between the edges of the plane in the shorter
dimension and use the average of the three samples. The tolerance in
each dimension for each measurement location is 1 inch.
3.2. Test Conditions.
3.2.1. General. Use the test conditions from Sections 5 and C3
of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by
reference; see Sec. 431.85) for combustion efficiency testing but
do not use the following sections:
(1) 5.3 Introductory text
(2) 5.3.5 (and subsections; see sections 3.2.3, 3.2.3.1, and 3.2.3.2
of this appendix)
(3) 5.3.7 (excluded for field tests only)
(4) 5.3.8 (see section 3.2.4 of this appendix)
(5) 5.3.9 (see section 3.2.5 of this appendix)
(6) C3.1.3 (and subsections)
(7) C3.5 (including Table C2; see section 3.2.6 of this appendix)
(8) C3.6 (see section 3.2.4 of this appendix)
(9) C3.7 (see section 3.2.5 of this appendix)
3.2.2. Burners for Oil-Fired Commercial Packaged Boilers. In
addition to Section C3.3 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-
2015, the following applies: for oil-fired commercial packaged
boilers, test the unit with the particular make and model of burner
as certified (or to be certified) by the manufacturer. If multiple
burners are specified in the certification report for that basic
model, then use any of the listed burners for testing.
3.2.3. Water Temperatures. Maintain the outlet temperature
measured at Point C in Figure C9 at 180[emsp14][deg]F
2[emsp14][deg]F and maintain the inlet temperature measured at Point
B at 80[emsp14][deg]F 5[emsp14][deg]F during the
``Warm-up Period'' and ``Test Period'' as indicated by 1-minute
interval data pursuant to Table 3.2 of this appendix. Each reading
must meet these temperature requirements. Field tests are exempt
from this requirement and instead must comply with the requirements
of section 3.2.3.1 of this appendix.
[[Page 89317]]
3.2.3.1. For field tests, the inlet temperature measured at
Point A and Point B in Figure C9 and the outlet temperature measured
and Point C in Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 must be
recorded in the data underlying that model's certification pursuant
to Sec. 429.71 of this chapter, and the difference between the
inlet (measured at Point B) and outlet temperature (measured at
Point C) must not be less than 20[emsp14][deg]F at any point during
the ``Warm-up Period'' and ``Test Period,'' after stabilization has
been achieved, as indicated by 1-minute interval data pursuant to
Table 3.2 of this appendix.
3.2.3.2 For commercial packaged boilers that require a higher
flow rate than that resulting from the water temperature
requirements of sections 3.2.3 of this appendix to prevent boiling,
use a recirculating loop and maintain the inlet temperature at Point
B of Figure C9 of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 at 140[emsp14][deg]F
5[emsp14][deg]F during the ``Warm-up Period'' and
``Test Period'' as indicated by 1-minute interval data pursuant to
Table 3.2 of this appendix. Each reading must meet these temperature
requirements.
3.2.4. Air Temperature. For tests of non-condensing boilers
(except during field tests), maintain ambient room temperature
between 65[emsp14][deg]F and 100[emsp14][deg]F at all times during
the ``Warm-up Period'' and ``Test Period'' (as described in Section
C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015) as indicated by 1-
minute interval data pursuant to Table 3.2 of this appendix. For
tests of condensing boilers (except during field tests), maintain
ambient room temperature between 65[emsp14][deg]F and
85[emsp14][deg]F at all times during the ``Warm-up Period'' and
``Test Period'' (as described in Section C4 of Appendix C of ANSI/
AHRI Standard 1500-2015) as indicated by 1-minute interval data
pursuant to Table 3.2 of this appendix. The ambient room temperature
may not differ by more than 5[emsp14][deg]F from the
average ambient room temperature during the entire ``Test Period''
at any 1-minute interval reading. Measure the room ambient
temperature within 6 feet of the front of the unit at mid height.
The test air temperature, measured at the air inlet of the
commercial packaged boiler, must be within
5[emsp14][deg]F of the room ambient temperature when recorded at the
1-minute interval defined by Table 3.2 of this appendix. For field
tests, record the ambient room temperature at 1-minute intervals in
accordance with Table 3.2 of this appendix.
3.2.5. Ambient Humidity. For condensing boilers (except during
field tests), maintain ambient room relative humidity below 80-
percent relative humidity at all times during both the ``Warm-up
Period'' and ``Test Period'' (as described in Section C4 of Appendix
C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015) pursuant to Table 3.2 of this
appendix. Measure the ambient humidity in the same location as
ambient air temperature. For field tests of condensing boilers,
record the ambient room relative humidity in accordance with Table
3.2 of this appendix.
3.2.6. Flue Gas Temperature. The flue gas temperature during the
test must not vary from the flue gas temperature measured at the
start of the Test Period (as defined in Section C4 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015) when recorded at the interval defined in Table
3.2 by more than the limits prescribed in Table 3.3 of this
appendix. For field tests, flue gas temperature does not need to be
within the limits in Table 3.3 of this appendix but must be recorded
at the interval specified in Table 3.2 of this appendix.
Table 3.3--Flue Gas Temperature Variation Limits During Test Period
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuel type Non-condensing Condensing
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gas.............................. 2 percent... Greater of 3 percent and
5 [deg]F.
Light Oil........................ 2 percent...
Heavy Oil........................ Greater of 3
percent and
5 [deg]F.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.3. Test Method.
3.3.1. General. Conduct the combustion efficiency test using the
test method prescribed in Section C4 ``Test Procedure'' of Appendix
C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 excluding sections:
(1) C4.1.1.1.2 (see section 3.3.1.2 of this appendix)
(2) C4.1.1.2.3
(3) C4.1.2.1.5 (see section 3.3.2 of this appendix)
(4) C4.1.2.2.2
(5) C4.1.2.2.3
(6) C4.2
(7) C4.2.1
(8) C4.2.2
3.3.1.1. The duration of the ``Test Period'' for combustion
efficiency outlined in sections C4.1.1.2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 431.85) and
C4.1.2.2 of Appendix C of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 is 30
minutes. For condensing commercial packaged boilers, condensate must
be collected for the 30 minute Test Period.
3.3.1.2. Adjust oil or non-atmospheric gas to produce the
required firebox pressure and CO2 or O2
concentration in the flue gas, as described in section 5.3.1 of
ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015. Conduct steam tests with steam
pressure at the pressure specified in the manufacturer literature
shipped with the commercial packaged boiler or in the manufacturer's
supplemental testing instructions pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4) of
this chapter, but not exceeding 15 psig. If no pressure is specified
in the manufacturer literature shipped with the commercial packaged
boiler or in the manufacturer's supplemental testing instructions
(pursuant to Sec. 429.60(b)(4)) of this chapter, or if a range of
operating pressures is specified, conduct testing at a steam
pressure equal to atmospheric pressure. If necessary to maintain
steam quality as required by section 5.3.7 of ANSI/AHRI Standard
1500-2015, increase steam pressure in 1 psig increments by
throttling with a valve beyond the separator until the test is
completed and the steam quality requirements have been satisfied,
but do not increase the steam pressure to greater than 15 psig.
3.3.2. Water Test Steady-State. Ensure that a steady-state is
reached by confirming that three consecutive readings have been
recorded at 15-minute intervals that indicate that the measured fuel
input rate is within 2-percent of the rated input.
Water temperatures must meet the conditions specified in sections
3.2.3, 3.2.3.1, and 3.2.3.2 of this appendix as applicable.
3.3.3. Procedure for the Measurement of Condensate for a
Condensing Commercial Packaged Boiler. Collect flue condensate using
a covered vessel so as to prevent evaporation. Measure the
condensate from the flue gas during the ``Test Period.'' Flue
condensate mass must be measured within 5 minutes after the end of
the ``Test Period'' (defined in C4.1.1.2 and C4.1.2.2 of ANSI/AHRI
Standard 1500-2015) to prevent evaporation loss from the sample.
Determine the mass of flue condensate for the ``Test Period'' by
subtracting the tare container weight from the total weight of the
container and flue condensate measured at the end of the ''Warm-up
Period.''
3.4. Calculations.
3.4.1. General. To determine the combustion efficiency of
commercial packaged boilers, use the variables in Section C6 and
calculation procedure for the combustion efficiency test specified
in Section C7.3 of Appendix C (including the specified subsections
of C7.2) of ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 (incorporated by reference,
see Sec. 431.85).
3.4.2. Rounding. Round the final combustion efficiency value to
nearest one tenth of a percent.
[FR Doc. 2016-29081 Filed 12-6-16; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
