Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies (Standby Mode and Off Mode) and for Multiple-Voltage External Power Supplies, 48054-48083 [E8-18576]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EERE–2008–BT–TP–0004]
RIN 1904–AB75
Energy Conservation Program: Test
Procedures for Battery Chargers and
External Power Supplies (Standby
Mode and Off Mode) and for MultipleVoltage External Power Supplies
Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking
and public meeting.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy
(DOE) proposes to amend its test
procedures for battery chargers and
external power supplies to include
provisions for measuring standby mode
and off mode energy consumption, as
directed by the Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007. DOE also
proposes to add a test procedure for
measuring the energy consumption of
multiple-voltage external power
supplies. In addition, DOE proposes to
make revisions to the single-voltage
external power supply test procedure.
DOE also proposes to extend the current
certification reporting requirements to
the Class A external power supplies for
which Congress established energy
efficiency standards in the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Finally, DOE announces a public
meeting to receive comment on this
proposal and the issues presented in
this notice.
DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting
in Washington, DC, on Friday,
September 12, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. to discuss the test procedure
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR).
DOE must receive requests to speak at
this public meeting no later than 4 p.m.,
Friday, August 29, 2008. DOE must
receive a signed original and an
electronic copy of statements to be given
at the public meeting no later than 4
p.m., Friday, September 5, 2008.
DOE will accept comments, data, and
information regarding the NOPR
(proposed rule) until October 29, 2008.
See section IV, ‘‘Public Participation,’’
of this proposed rule for details.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be
held at the U.S. Department of Energy,
Forrestal Building, Room 1E–245, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121. (Please
note that foreign nationals participating
in the public meeting are subject to
advance security screening procedures
which may take up to 30 days. If a
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foreign national wishes to participate in
the workshop, please inform DOE as
soon as possible by contacting Ms.
Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945 so
that the necessary procedures can be
completed.)
Any comments submitted must
identify the NOPR on Test Procedures
for Battery Chargers and External Power
Supplies, and provide the docket
number EERE–2008–BT–TP–0004 and/
or Regulation Identifier Number (RIN)
1904–AB75. Comments may be
submitted using any of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• E-mail:
BC&EPS_Test_Proc@ee.doe.gov. Include
the docket number EERE–2008–BT–TP–
0004 and/or RIN 1904–AB75 in the
subject line of the message.
• Postal Mail: Mrs. Brenda Edwards,
U.S. Department of Energy, Building
Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121. Please
submit one signed paper original.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Mrs. Brenda
Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy,
Building Technologies Program, 6th
Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW.,
Washington, DC 20024. Telephone:
(202) 586–2945. Please submit one
signed paper original.
For detailed instructions on
submitting comments and additional
information on the rulemaking process,
see section IV, ‘‘Public Participation,’’ of
this document.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, visit the U.S.
Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950
L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC
20024, (202) 586–2945, between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Please call Ms.
Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945 for
additional information about visiting
the Resource Room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Victor Petrolati, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies Program, EE–2J, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–4549. E-mail:
Victor.Petrolati@ee.doe.gov.
Ms. Francine Pinto or Mr. Michael
Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office
of the General Counsel, GC–72, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585. Telephone:
(202) 586–9507. E-mail:
Francine.Pinto@hq.doe.gov or
Michael.Kido@hq.doe.gov.
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For information on how to submit or
review public comments and on how to
participate in the public meeting,
contact Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
Building Technologies Program, EE–2J,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–2945. E-mail:
Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background and Legal Authority
II. Summary of the Proposal
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
B. Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supplies
C. External Power Supply Definitions
D. Single-Voltage External Power Supply
Test Procedure Amendments
E. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage
External Power Supplies
F. Submission of Certification Test Data to
DOE
III. Discussion
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
1. Battery Chargers
i. Definitions
ii. Test Method
2. External Power Supplies
i. Definitions
ii. Test Method
B. Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supplies
1. Test Apparatus and General Instructions
i. Measurement Resolution and
Uncertainty
ii. AC Source Voltage Requirement
iii. AC Source Distortion Requirement
iv. Test Lead Loss Measurement
2. Test Measurement
i. Power Measurement Stability
Requirement
ii. Loading Conditions
iii. Proportional Allocation
iv. Minimum Output Current Requirement
v. No-Load Mode Testing
C. External Power Supply Test Procedure
Definitions
1. Revisions to Existing Definitions
2. New Definitions
D. Single-Voltage External Power Supply
Test Procedure Amendments
1. Measurement Resolution and
Uncertainty
2. AC Source Voltage Requirement
3. AC Source Distortion Requirement
4. Test Lead Loss Measurement
5. Power Measurement Stability
Requirement
E. Switch-Selectable Voltage External
Power Supplies
F. Submission of Certification Test Data to
DOE
1. Background
i. Definition of ‘‘Basic Model’’
ii. Definition of ‘‘Covered Product’’
iii. Sampling Plan
iv. Test Procedures
v. Enforcement Provisions
2. Alternative Reporting Methodology
Under Consideration
IV. Public Participation
A. Attendance at Public Meeting
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B. Procedure for Submitting Requests to
Speak
C. Conduct of Public Meeting
D. Submission of Comments
E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment
1. Standby Mode and Off Mode
2. Definitions in the Test Procedures
3. Measurement Resolution and
Uncertainty
4. AC Source Voltage Requirements
5. Test Lead Loss Measurement
6. Power Measurement Stability
Requirements
7. Loading Conditions for Multiple-Voltage
External Power Supplies
8. Single-Voltage External Power Supply
Test Procedure
9. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage
External Power Supplies
10. Submission of Certification Test Data to
DOE
V. 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
D. Review Under the National
Environmental Policy Act
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 the Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act, 2001
K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal
Energy Administration Act of 1974
VI. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
I. Background and Legal Authority
Title III of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (EPCA) (42 U.S.C.
6291, et seq.) sets forth a variety of
provisions designed to improve energy
efficiency. Part A of Title III (42 U.S.C.
6291–6309) establishes the ‘‘Energy
Conservation Program for Consumer
Products Other Than Automobiles.’’ The
consumer and commercial products
currently subject to this program
(hereinafter referred to as ‘‘covered
products’’) include battery chargers and
external power supplies (collectively
referred to as ‘‘BCEPS’’). Manufacturers
of covered products are required to use
the relevant DOE test procedures to
certify compliance with the energy
conservation standards adopted under
EPCA. The statutory provisions of
particular relevance to today’s notice of
proposed rulemaking (NOPR) are
discussed immediately below.
Section 323(b) of EPCA authorizes
DOE to amend or establish new test
procedures as appropriate for each of
the covered products. (42 U.S.C.
6293(b)) This section provides that
‘‘[a]ny test procedures prescribed or
amended under this section shall be
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reasonably designed to produce test
results which measure energy
efficiency, energy use, water use (in the
case of showerheads, faucets, water
closets and urinals), or estimated annual
operating cost of a covered product
during a representative average use
cycle or period of use, as determined by
the Secretary [of Energy], and shall not
be unduly burdensome to conduct.’’ (42
U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) In addition, EPCA
states that DOE ‘‘shall determine, in the
rulemaking carried out with respect to
prescribing such procedure, to what
extent, if any, the proposed test
procedure would alter the measured
energy efficiency, measured energy use,
or measured water use of any covered
product as determined under the
existing test procedure.’’ (42 U.S.C.
6293(e)(1))
Of particular relevance to the present
rulemaking, section 135 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), Public Law
109–58, amended sections 321 and 325
of EPCA by providing definitions for
battery chargers and external power
supplies and directing the Secretary to
prescribe ‘‘definitions and test
procedures for the power use of battery
chargers and external power supplies.’’
(42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(A)) DOE complied
with this requirement by publishing the
test procedure final rule, 71 FR 71340,
on December 8, 2006, which included
definitions and test procedures for
battery chargers and external power
supplies. DOE codified a test procedure
for battery chargers in Appendix Y to
subpart B of part 430 in Title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
(‘‘Uniform Test Method for Measuring
the Energy Consumption of Battery
Chargers’’) (hereinafter referred to as
‘‘Appendix Y’’) and a test procedure for
external power supplies in Appendix Z
to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430
(‘‘Uniform Test Method for Measuring
the Energy Consumption of External
Power Supplies’’) (hereinafter referred
to as ‘‘Appendix Z’’).
DOE published a subsequent notice of
public meeting and availability of
documentation for public review on
December 29, 2006. 71 FR 78389. This
public meeting was called a ‘‘Scoping
Workshop’’ and focused on DOE’s plans
for developing energy conservation
standards for battery chargers and
external power supplies. The Scoping
Workshop was held at DOE’s Forrestal
Building in Washington, DC, on January
24, 2007. Information pertaining to the
Scoping Workshop is available at
https://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
appliance_standards/residential/
battery_external.html .
On December 19, 2007, the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007
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(EISA), Public Law 110–140, amended
sections 321, 323, and 325 of EPCA with
regard to external power supplies and
battery chargers. Section 301 of EISA
amended section 321 of EPCA, by
modifying some of the definitions
pertaining to external power supplies.
EPACT had amended EPCA to define an
external power supply as ‘‘an external
power supply circuit that is used to
convert household electric current into
DC current or lower-voltage AC current
to operate a consumer product’’ 1 (42
U.S.C. 6291(36)(A)) but section 301 of
EISA further amended this definition by
creating a subset of external power
supplies called Class A External Power
Supplies. EISA defined this subset as
those external power supplies that, in
addition to meeting several other
requirements common to all external
power supplies,2 are ‘‘able to convert to
only 1 AC or DC output voltage at a
time’’ and that have ‘‘nameplate output
power that is less than or equal to 250
watts.’’ (42 U.S.C. 6291(36)(C)(i))
Section 301 also amended EPCA to
establish minimum standards for these
products, effective July 1, 2008, see 42
U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)(A), and directed DOE
to publish a final rule by July 1, 2011
to determine whether these energy
conservation standards for external
power supplies should be amended. (42
U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)(D))
Further, section 309 of EISA amended
EPCA by directing DOE to issue a final
rule by July 1, 2011 that prescribes
energy conservation standards for
battery chargers or classes of battery
chargers or determine that no energy
conservation standard is technologically
feasible and economically justified for
battery chargers. (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(II)) DOE plans to bundle
this battery charger rulemaking
proceeding with the requirement to
evaluate amendments to the energy
conservation standards for external
1 The terms ‘‘AC’’ and ‘‘DC’’ refer to the polarity
(i.e., direction) and amplitude of current and
voltage associated with electrical power. For
example, mains power, that which is found in a
household wall socket, is alternating current, or
‘‘AC’’, and it varies in amplitude and reverses
polarity. In contrast, the power supplied by a
battery or solar cell is direct current, or ‘‘DC,’’
which is constant in both amplitude and polarity.
2 The full EISA definition of a class A external
power supply includes a device that ‘‘(I) is designed
to convert line voltage AC input into lower voltage
AC or DC output; (II) is able to convert to only 1
AC or DC output voltage at a time; (III) is sold with,
or intended to be used with, a separate end-use
product that constitutes the primary load; (IV) is
contained in a separate physical enclosure from the
end-use product; (V) is connected to the end-use
product via a removable or hard-wired male/female
electrical connection, cable, cord, or other wiring;
and (VI) has nameplate output power that is less
than or equal to 250 watts.’’ (42 U.S.C.
6291(36)(C)(i))
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power supplies mentioned above, since
both must be completed by July 1, 2011.
See EISA, section 301(c).
In addition, section 309 of EISA
amended section 325(u)(1)(E) of EPCA,
instructing DOE to issue ‘‘a final rule
that determines whether energy
conservation standards shall be issued
for external power supplies or classes of
external power supplies.’’ (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(I)) DOE, however,
cannot conduct a determination analysis
on whether it should issue conservation
standards for a product for which
standards have already been set by
Congress in section 301(c) of EISA (i.e.,
Class A external power supplies).
Furthermore, section 325(u)(1)(E) of
EPCA, as amended by EISA, directs
DOE to complete this determination
analysis ‘‘No later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this subsection.’’
(42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(I)) This
subsection, however, is a result of
EPACT, which was signed into law on
August 8, 2005. Interpreting this
subsection strictly as amended by EISA
would place the determination analysis
final rule issue date on August 8, 2007,
almost four months prior to the passage
of EISA.
To resolve these inconsistencies, DOE
interprets the ‘‘date of enactment of this
subsection’’ (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(I))
as the date of passage of EISA, namely
December 19, 2007. In this context, DOE
interprets sections 301 and 309 of EISA
jointly as a requirement to determine, by
December 19, 2009, whether energy
conservation standards shall be issued
for non-Class A external power
supplies. Examples of non-Class A
external power supplies include those
with a nameplate output power rating
greater than 250 watts (W) and those
able to convert to more than one AC or
DC output voltage at the same time (i.e.,
multiple-voltage external power
supplies). These non-Class A external
power supplies appear to constitute a
significant group of products, powering
applications such as radio transceivers,
video game consoles, and printers.
Although the current DOE external
power supply test procedure (Appendix
Z) can test high-power external power
supplies, it cannot accommodate
external power supplies that convert to
more than one output voltage
simultaneously. Therefore, in today’s
notice, DOE proposes to amend its test
procedure to allow for the testing of
multiple-voltage external power
supplies.
EISA also amended section 325 of
EPCA to establish definitions for active
mode, standby mode, and off mode and
directs DOE to amend its existing test
procedures by December 31, 2008 for
both battery chargers and external
power supplies to measure the energy
consumed in standby mode and off
mode. See EISA, section 310. It also
authorizes the Department to amend, by
rule, any of the definitions for active,
standby, and off mode so long as the
Department takes into consideration the
most current versions of Standards
62301 (‘‘Household Electrical
Appliances—Measurement of Standby
Power’’) and 62087 (‘‘Methods of
Measurement for the Power
Consumption of Audio, Video and
Related Equipment’’) of the
International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC). (See EPCA Sec.
325(gg)(2)(A) and 42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(2)(A)). Consistent with this
authority, today’s NOPR proposes
amended definitions for these terms that
take into consideration IEC Standards
62031 and 62087 and adapt the
definitions to how consumers use
battery chargers and external power
supplies.
Finally, in light of Congress’s
establishment of energy efficiency
standards for Class A external power
supplies, DOE proposes to extend the
certification reporting requirements of
42 U.S.C. 6296, which are promulgated
at 10 CFR 430.62, to cover these
products. This extension is consistent
with current requirements for
manufacturers of covered products and
would continue to use the existing
requirements and form found in 10 CFR
part 430, subpart F, appendix A.3
DOE plans to publish a final rule by
December 31, 2008, the statutory
deadline for a final rule amending the
test procedure, to measure energy
consumption in off mode and standby
mode for battery chargers and external
power supplies. (42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(2)(B)) Because of this deadline,
the sections of this proposal concerning
standby mode and off mode are of
highest priority. If commenters clearly
indicate that further evaluation of the
other issues presented in this NOPR is
needed, these issues will be addressed
in a separate rulemaking. This approach
would avoid delaying the standby mode
and off mode test procedure final rule.
For each of the various items
discussed below, DOE invites
stakeholder comments on these
proposed amendments to the
Department’s test procedures.
II. Summary of the Proposal
In this NOPR, DOE proposes to
modify the current test procedures for
battery chargers and external power
supplies to achieve the following
objectives:
(1) Address the statutory requirement
to expand test procedures to incorporate
measurement of standby mode and off
mode energy consumption;
(2) Expand the external power supply
test procedure to accommodate certain
non-Class A external power supplies
that DOE will evaluate in the
determination analysis;
(3) Revise and adopt definitions
pertaining to testing of external power
supplies for increased clarity;
(4) Incorporate certain technical
changes and clarifications to the test
procedure for single-voltage external
power supplies to improve the accuracy
and practicability of the test procedure;
and
(5) Incorporate requirements for the
submission of certification test data
pertaining to external power supplies
subject to minimum efficiency
standards effective July 1, 2008.
Table 1 lists the sections of 10 CFR
part 430 affected by the amendments
proposed in this NOPR. The left column
in Table 1 cites the locations in the CFR
where DOE proposes changes, which are
listed in the right column.
TABLE 1—SUMMARY OF CHANGES PROPOSED IN THIS NOPR AND AFFECTED SECTIONS OF 10 CFR PART 430
Existing section in 10 CFR part 430
Summary of proposed modifications
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Section 430.22 of subpart B—Reference Sources ..................................
3 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
previously approved the collection of this
information on September 27, 2007. See Notice of
Office of Management and Budget Action, OMB
Control No. 1910–1400, available at https://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. The
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• Inserts new technical references.
supporting statement accompanying DOE’s request
for an extension of its clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act to collect this
information identifies the potential inclusion of
additional respondents as a result of changes
introduced by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. See
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DOE Supporting Statement for Paperwork
Reduction Act Submission, OMB Control Number
1910–1400 (May 31, 2007). Battery charger and
external power supply manufacturers were part of
this new group of potential respondents.
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TABLE 1—SUMMARY OF CHANGES PROPOSED IN THIS NOPR AND AFFECTED SECTIONS OF 10 CFR PART 430—
Continued
Existing section in 10 CFR part 430
Summary of proposed modifications
Section 430.23 of subpart B—Test procedures for the measurement of
energy and water consumption.
• Modifies ‘(aa) battery charger’ and ‘(bb) external power supply’ to include energy consumption in standby mode and off mode.
Appendix Y to subpart B of part 430—Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Battery Chargers:
1. Scope ............................................................................................
2. Definitions ......................................................................................
3. Test Apparatus and General Instructions .....................................
4. Test Measurement ........................................................................
Appendix Z to subpart B of part 430—Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of External Power Supplies:
1. Scope ............................................................................................
2. Definitions ......................................................................................
3. Test Apparatus and General Instructions .....................................
•
•
•
•
•
No change.
Modifies the definition for standby mode.
Inserts a definition for off mode.
No change.
Inserts procedures to measure energy consumption in standby mode
and off mode.
• Modifies scope to encompass all types of energy consumption of external power supplies.
• Modifies existing definitions for:
Æ Active mode.
Æ Active mode efficiency.
Æ No-load mode.
Æ Total harmonic distortion.
Æ True power factor.
• Inserts new definitions for:
Æ Active power.
Æ Ambient temperature.
Æ Apparent power.
Æ Instantaneous power.
Æ Minimum output current.
Æ Multiple-voltage external power supply.
Æ Nameplate input frequency.
Æ Nameplate input voltage.
Æ Nameplate output current.
Æ Nameplate output power.
Æ Nameplate output voltage.
Æ Off mode.
Æ Output bus.
Æ Standby mode.
Æ Switch-selectable single-voltage external power supply.
Æ Unit under test.
• Divides section 3 into 3(a) for single-voltage EPSs and 3(b) for multiple-voltage EPSs.
• Maintains the existing test procedure for single-voltage EPSs in 3(a).
Æ Considers adopting slightly revised requirements in 3(a), to be consistent with proposal in 3(b).
• Inserts 3(b) for multiple-voltage external power supplies with requirements based on other established test procedures.
• Demarcates 4(a) for single-voltage external power supplies.
Æ Maintains existing procedure for active mode and standby mode
measurements.
Æ Inserts new procedure for measuring off mode.
• Inserts 4(b) for multiple-voltage external power supplies.
Æ Inserts new procedures for measuring active mode, standby mode,
and off mode.
Section 430.62 of subpart F—Submission of Data ..................................
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4. Test Measurement ........................................................................
• Inserts submission requirement for active mode efficiency and noload power consumption data for Class A external power supplies.
In developing today’s proposed test
procedure amendments, DOE examined
IEC Standard 62301 4 and the ENERGY
STAR test procedures for battery
4 IEC 62301 ‘‘Household Electrical Appliances—
Measurement of Standby Power,’’ International
Electrotechnical Commission, First edition, June
2005.
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charging systems,5 external power
5 ‘‘Test Methodology for Determining the Energy
Performance of Battery Charging Systems,’’
Environmental Protection Agency, December 2005.
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supplies,6 and internal power supplies.7
6 ‘‘Test Method for Calculating the Energy
Efficiency of Single-Voltage External Ac-Dc and AcAc Power Supplies,’’ California Energy Commission
Public Interest Energy Research Program, August
11, 2004.
7 ‘‘Proposed Test Protocol for Calculating the
Energy Efficiency of Internal Ac-Dc Power
Supplies,’’ Revision 6.2, California Energy
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These industry references were either
statutorily mandated (as in the case of
IEC Standard 62301), or were developed
in a publicly-consultative process and
adopted by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) for the purpose
of testing performance characteristics of
these same products to determine their
qualification for the ENERGY STAR
program. Consistent with EISA’s
requirements, DOE also considered the
requirements of IEC Standard 62087,
which addresses the methods to
measure the power consumption of
audio, video and related equipment.
Since this IEC Standard focuses only on
audio, video, and related equipment
that tends to incorporate internal power
supplies, DOE found the scope of IEC
Standard 62087 to be too narrow for the
purposes of evaluating standby mode
and off mode test procedures for battery
chargers and external power supplies,
which are used with a large variety of
products beyond audio and video
equipment, such as telecommunications
devices and computers. DOE therefore
concludes that this standard’s
provisions are not germane in assisting
the Department with developing
standby mode and off mode test
procedures for the products covered in
today’s NOPR. As to Standard 62301
and the ENERGY STAR test procedures,
DOE considered the impact of each
proposed change to ensure that these
revisions would not result in test
procedures that are unduly burdensome
to conduct.
DOE also examined whether the
proposed amendments to its test
procedures would significantly change
the measured power consumption or
efficiency of the battery charger or
external power supply. This issue is
particularly important for external
power supplies because EISA amended
section 325 of EPCA to establish
minimum efficiency standards for
external power supplies that took effect
on July 1, 2008. As explained in greater
detail later, DOE believes that today’s
proposed amendments neither alter the
measured energy efficiency of the tested
products nor do they add any additional
burden on the industry to implement
because the proposed changes only
provide additional clarifications to the
test procedures for devices that have an
on-off switch. Thus, DOE proposes to
amend its test procedures in the manner
discussed in the following sections.
DOE welcomes comments on all
aspects of this proposal.
Commission Public Interest Energy Research
Program, November 2007.
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A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
Section 310 of EISA amended section
325(gg) of EPCA by directing DOE to
amend its test procedures to incorporate
a measure of standby mode and off
mode energy consumption if feasible.
(42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)) Section 310 also
inserted definitions for off mode and
standby mode, which affected EPCA
sections 325(gg)(1)(A)(ii) and (iii). These
definitions, however, as fully explained
in the later discussion, do not apply
appropriately to all battery chargers and
external power supplies. For instance,
under the definition for standby mode
for battery chargers, it is unclear
whether a battery charger is in standby
mode when a thermal sensor triggers a
cooling fan. Consequently, these
definitions would create confusion in
how certain features contained in these
products should be treated during
testing.
In today’s notice, DOE proposes to (1)
adapt the definitions of standby mode
and off mode that would more
appropriately apply to battery chargers
and external power supplies, and (2)
revise the test procedures for battery
chargers and external power supplies to
measure standby mode and off mode
energy consumption.
For battery chargers, DOE proposes to
define standby mode as the condition in
which the charger is connected to the
main electricity supply and no battery is
installed in the charger. For external
power supplies, DOE proposes to define
standby mode as the condition in which
the power supply is connected to the
main electricity supply and the output
is not connected to any consumer
product. Additionally, if the battery
charger or external power supply has
any on-off switches, DOE proposes that
all switches be turned on during the
measurement of energy consumption in
standby mode.
For off mode, DOE proposes that this
condition apply only to battery chargers
and external power supplies equipped
with on-off switches. For these
products, DOE proposes that off mode
power consumption be measured as the
power consumed while all switches are
turned off. A detailed discussion of the
proposed definitions and test
procedures for standby and off mode
follows in section III.A, below.
B. Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supplies
Section 309 of EISA amended section
325 of EPCA to direct DOE to conduct
a determination analysis for external
power supplies not subject to the Class
A external power supply standard. This
broad group includes external power
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supplies with multiple simultaneous
outputs at more than one voltage. DOE
is not aware of any existing test
procedure developed specifically to
measure the efficiency or energy
consumption of multiple-voltage
external power supplies. To help in
developing such a procedure, DOE
reviewed related test procedures
currently in use. As a result, today’s
proposed rule is based on two California
Energy Commission (CEC) test
procedures, the ‘‘Test Method for
Calculating the Energy Efficiency of
Single-Voltage External Ac-Dc and AcAc Power Supplies,’’ August 11, 2004
(hereinafter called the ‘‘CEC EPS Test
Procedure’’), and the ‘‘Proposed Test
Protocol for Calculating the Energy
Efficiency of Internal Ac-Dc Power
Supplies, Revision 6.2,’’ November 2007
(hereinafter called the ‘‘CEC IPS Test
Procedure’’).
DOE’s proposed amendment follows
the structure of the CEC EPS Test
Procedure but incorporates language
addressing test methods from both CEC
test procedures. As part of this
amendment, DOE is also proposing new
language necessary for testing multiplevoltage external power supplies and
certain test method changes to improve
the overall accuracy and practicability
of the procedure. Incorporating this
amendment into the external power
supply test procedure would enable
DOE to evaluate power consumption for
multiple-voltage external power
supplies in all modes of operation:
Active mode, no-load mode (i.e.,
‘‘standby mode’’), and off mode. A
detailed discussion of DOE’s proposed
test procedure for multiple-voltage
external power supplies can be found in
section III.B, below.
C. External Power Supply Definitions
In light of the EISA amendments to
EPCA, DOE reviewed the relevant
portions of 10 CFR part 430 and
determined that amending some of the
definitions in part 430 would help
improve the clarity of the external
power supply test procedure. To
achieve this goal, DOE proposes to
update certain definitions in Appendix
Z based on CEC’s test procedures for
external and internal power supplies,
IEC Standard 62301, Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) Standard 1515–2000,8 and IEEE
Standard 100.9 More specifically, DOE
8 IEEE 1515–2000. ‘‘IEEE Recommended Practice
for Electronic Power Subsystems: Parameter
Definitions, Test Conditions, and Test Methods,’’
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
March 2000.
9 IEEE 100. ‘‘The IEEE Standard Dictionary of
Electrical and Electronics Terms’’ Institute of
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proposes modifications to the current
definitions of ‘‘active mode,’’ ‘‘active
mode efficiency,’’ ‘‘no-load mode,’’
‘‘total harmonic distortion,’’ and ‘‘true
power factor.’’ In addition, today’s
notice proposes to add definitions for
‘‘active power,’’ ‘‘ambient temperature,’’
‘‘apparent power,’’ ‘‘instantaneous
power,’’ ‘‘minimum output current,’’
‘‘multiple-voltage external power
supply,’’ ‘‘nameplate input frequency,’’
‘‘nameplate input voltage,’’ ‘‘nameplate
output current,’’ ‘‘nameplate output
power,’’ ‘‘nameplate output voltage,’’
‘‘off mode,’’ ‘‘output bus,’’ ‘‘switchselectable single-voltage external power
supply,’’ ‘‘standby mode,’’ and ‘‘unit
under test.’’ A detailed discussion of
these proposed modified and new
definitions follows in section III.C,
below.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
D. Single-Voltage External Power
Supply Test Procedure Amendments
DOE is also considering making
limited changes to the test procedure for
single-voltage external power supplies.
Specifically, DOE would revise the test
conditions (section 3 of Appendix Z) to
account for the limitations of test
equipment and laboratory conditions.
DOE believes that these changes would
reduce the testing burden and would
not negatively affect the accuracy or
repeatability of measurement results.
DOE is also considering making a
revision to the test measurement
procedure (section 4 of Appendix Z) to
amend the test measurements to require
increased stability before conducting
power measurements. Increased
stability before conducting power
measurements will enhance the
accuracy and repeatability of the
measurements. Specific descriptions of
the changes under consideration, as
well as additional discussion, can be
found in section III.D, below.
E. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage
External Power Supplies
Finally, DOE proposes to clarify in
today’s notice the method by which
single-voltage external power supplies
that incorporate a switch-selectable
output voltage should be tested because
the scope of the current test procedure
includes switch-selectable EPSs, but the
test procedure does not sufficiently
specify how to test them. For these
external power supplies, DOE proposes
that testing be conducted twice: First
with the output voltage set to the
minimum voltage and second with the
output voltage set to the maximum
voltage. Under DOE’s proposed
Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Sixth Edition,
1999.
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procedure, an external power supply
with a switch-selectable output voltage
would be considered in compliance
with an energy efficiency standard
when it meets or exceeds the minimum
requirements at both its lowest and
highest selectable output voltages.
DOE proposes this approach for two
reasons. First, the efficiency of a switchselectable external power supply is
highest at the highest output voltage
setting and lowest at the lowest setting.
Measuring the efficiency at the two
voltage extremes bounds the range of
possible efficiencies of the device such
that the efficiency at any other voltage
setting would fall between these two
measurements. Second, this proposal is
consistent with how other countries,
including New Zealand and Australia,10
are considering requiring the testing of
switch-selectable single-voltage external
power supplies.
F. Submission of Certification Test Data
to DOE
As part of the overall national
regulatory program, manufacturers of
covered and regulated products must
report to DOE that the products they
manufacture are in compliance with the
applicable energy conservation
standards. EISA established standards
for Class A external power supplies that
took effect on July 1, 2008. Given that
development, DOE must now establish
the certification and enforcement
procedures that manufacturers of these
covered products would follow.
DOE proposed certification and
enforcement procedures for battery
chargers and external power supplies on
July 25, 2006. 71 FR 42178. While some
of the provisions from that proposal
remain pending, DOE finalized two
aspects of that NOPR on December 8,
2006: (1) Definitions in 10 CFR 430.2 of
‘‘basic model’’ and ‘‘covered product’’
as they apply to battery chargers and
external power supplies and (2) test
procedures for measuring the energy
efficiency of battery chargers (Appendix
Y) and external power supplies
(Appendix Z). 71 FR 71340.
Also in the July 25, 2006 notice, DOE
proposed a sampling plan for battery
chargers and external power supplies to
be codified under 10 CFR 430.24, ‘‘Units
to be tested.’’ 71 FR at 42204. The
sampling plan would provide
manufacturers with guidance on
selecting units from their production
run of covered products, to test those
samples and demonstrate compliance
with the new standard.
10 DOE is not aware of any other countries that
specifically address the testing of switch-selectable
external power supplies.
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EISA amended section 325(u) of
EPCA by establishing minimum
efficiency standards for ‘‘Class A’’
external power supplies. (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(6)) Previously, DOE had no
reporting requirements for either battery
chargers or external power supplies
since there was no Federal standard in
place for either product because
EPACT’s amendments (Pub. L. 109–58,
section 135(c)(4)) to EPCA directed DOE
only to determine whether to adopt
energy conservation standards for
battery chargers and external power
supplies. Consistent with the EISA
amendment and the requirements
already contained in 10 CFR part 430,
DOE proposes that manufacturers of
Class A external power supplies report
the active mode efficiency (as a
percentage) and the no-load mode
power consumption (in watts) of these
products to DOE. This proposal is
discussed further in section III.F.
III. Discussion
As noted above, Congressional
directives and the need to incorporate
definitions used in test procedures to
improve the current test procedures
employed by DOE serve as the primary
reasons for this NOPR. Each element
that DOE proposes to modify in today’s
notice to satisfy the new statutory
requirements from EISA is discussed in
detail below.
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
DOE developed today’s proposed
amendments to the battery charger and
external power supply test procedures
to satisfy the standby mode and off
mode requirements in EPCA, as
amended by EISA. Section 310(3) of
EISA amended section 325 of EPCA by
inserting new subsection (gg) (42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)) to require that DOE amend its
test procedures for battery chargers and
external power supplies to include
measurements of standby mode and off
mode energy consumption. Congress
authorized DOE to amend these
definitions so long as the Department
took into consideration the most current
versions of IEC standards 62301 and
62087 when amending the definitions.
DOE test procedures are based on CEC
and ENERGY STAR test procedures,
both of which reference IEC 62301.
Thus, in addition to directly considering
IEC 62301, DOE also considered the
standard indirectly, as parts of it were
used in other test procedures. Section
310(3) also provided definitions of off
mode and standby mode that modified
EPCA sections 325(gg)(1)(A)(ii) and (iii).
As is explained later below, these
definitions, however, are not
appropriate when applied to battery
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chargers and external power supplies
because of potential confusion in how to
treat particular features that may be
contained in these products.
Under EISA, DOE is required to
amend its test procedures to measure
standby mode and off mode for both
battery chargers and external power
supplies by December 31, 2008.
Consequently, consistent with the
authority granted by Congress, DOE is
modifying the definitions for these
terms and the proposed amendments in
this notice would (1) adopt appropriate
definitions of standby mode and off
mode that provide a better fit for these
products, and (2) revise the test methods
for measuring energy consumption in
these two modes as needed to
incorporate them into DOE’s test
procedures. These proposed revisions to
the test procedures would apply to both
battery chargers and external power
supplies and are discussed below.
1. Battery Chargers
DOE adopted a test procedure for
battery chargers (Appendix Y) in a final
rule published on December 8, 2006. 71
FR at 71368. DOE’s test procedure
measures the energy consumed by
battery chargers in battery maintenance
mode and standby mode (also called noload mode) and combines these two
measured quantities into a single energy
ratio. Although both the current DOE
test procedure and EISA define the term
‘‘standby mode’’ in the context of
battery chargers, as discussed below, the
definitions are different. Furthermore,
applying the definition of ‘‘off mode’’
contained in EISA to battery chargers
requires modification to ensure that all
modes of battery charger use are tested
by DOE’s test procedure. The revisions
proposed in today’s notice would help
ensure that DOE’s test procedures
sufficiently cover the appropriate
elements of both modes of use.
Accordingly, DOE proposes to revise the
definitions of standby mode and off
mode as applied to battery chargers.
i. Definitions
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
Standby Mode
In its 2006 final rule, DOE defined
‘‘standby mode’’ as ‘‘the mode of
operation when the battery charger is
connected to the main electricity supply
and the battery is not connected to the
charger.’’ 71 FR at 71368. In layman’s
terms, standby mode is the state of an
appliance when it is not performing its
primary function—in the case of battery
chargers, that function would be
maintaining a fully charged battery or
recharging a discharged battery. This
definition was adapted from the
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December 2005 ENERGY STAR
Eligibility Criteria for Products with
Battery Charging Systems, which
defines standby mode, in part, as ‘‘the
condition in which no battery is present
in the charger, or where the battery is
integral to a product, the product is not
attached to the charger, but the charger
is plugged in and drawing power.’’ The
ENERGY STAR definition also notes
that standby mode ‘‘represents the
lowest power consumption mode which
cannot be switched off (influenced) by
the user and that may persist for an
indefinite time when an appliance is
connected to the main electricity supply
and used in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.’’ This part
of the definition is derived from the
definition of standby power found in
IEC Standard 62301.11
In contrast, section 310(3) of EISA
defined ‘‘standby mode’’ as
the condition in which an energy-using
product—(I) is connected to a main power
source; and (II) offers 1 or more of the
following user-oriented or protective
functions: (aa) To facilitate the activation or
deactivation of other functions (including
active mode) by remote switch (including
remote control), internal sensor, or timer. (bb)
Continuous functions, including information
or status displays (including clocks) or
sensor-based functions.
DOE believes that Congress drafted
this definition to be applicable to a
diverse population of energy-using
appliances and equipment, including
clothes washers and microwave ovens,
as well as battery chargers and external
power supplies.
However, after carefully examining
this definition and considering its
impact with respect to battery chargers,
DOE believes that applying this
definition without modification to these
products would be problematic because
it would create confusion in how certain
features contained in these products
should be treated during testing. For
instance, under this definition, it is
unclear whether a battery indicator light
would constitute a user-oriented
function or a status display. Similarly,
the definition provides no guidance as
to whether a cooling fan would
constitute a protective function or a
sensor-based function if triggered by a
thermal sensor. Such ambiguities would
create confusion among the public,
including manufacturers, in
11 IEC Standard 62301 defines standby power as
the ‘‘lowest power consumption mode which
cannot be switched off (influenced) by the user and
that may persist for an indefinite time when an
appliance is connected to the main electricity
supply and used in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.’’ IEC Standard 62301,
section 3.1.
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understanding the scope of coverage of
these definitions and in determining
which product designs would be
affected by these definitions.
Because of the vagueness of this
definition, DOE is concerned about
problems that both the public and the
industry would likely encounter if the
EISA definition of standby mode were
adopted verbatim for battery chargers.
Therefore, DOE is exercising its
authority under section 325 of EPCA, as
amended by section 310(3) of EISA, to
amend the definitions of the modes, as
they apply to this particular product, by
rule. (EPCA 325(gg)(1)(B); 42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(1)(B)) In so doing, DOE has
considered IEC Standard 62301 in
revising the definition of standby mode
by reviewing the standard and
incorporating appropriate parts of IEC
62301 into the proposed amendments.
In today’s notice, DOE proposes
inserting the following definition of
‘‘standby mode’’ for battery chargers
into Appendix Y, section 2.j: ‘‘the
condition in which (1) the battery
charger is connected to the main
electricity supply; (2) the battery is not
connected to the charger; and (3) for
battery chargers with manual on-off
switches, all switches are turned on.’’
DOE believes this definition is
appropriate because it provides clarity
of application to test technicians and is
consistent with the IEC Standard 62301
and ENERGY STAR definitions of
standby mode.
In proposing a procedure to
incorporate standby mode, which
section 310 of EISA directed DOE to
include in its energy efficiency
evaluation, DOE examined its current
procedure, which is based on the
ENERGY STAR test procedure. The
ENERGY STAR test procedure focuses
on measuring the energy used during
standby mode and battery maintenance
mode, which means that DOE’s current
battery charger procedure already
accounts for energy consumption in
standby mode and satisfies section 310
of EISA. As a result, today’s proposal
satisfies the conditions set by Congress
that permit the Secretary to modify this
definition to make it applicable to
battery chargers. DOE’s proposal also
clarifies how to measure energy
consumption for battery chargers that
incorporate on-off switches and is
consistent with the IEC Standard 62301
and ENERGY STAR definitions of
standby mode for this product.
DOE understands that there are at
least three types of battery-charged
consumer products: (1) Those that are
stand-alone chargers which operate with
removable batteries such as professional
power tools and certain digital cameras;
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(2) those that have the battery affixed
into the product so that it is not
removed for charging such as an electric
toothbrush or hand-held vacuum
cleaner; and (3) those that incorporate
all the charging circuitry and battery
into the product and have only a
detachable power cord. For a product
with a non-detachable battery (category
2, above) to be placed into standby
mode according to the above proposed
definition, the product itself must be
disconnected from the portion of the
charger apparatus connected to the main
electricity supply (i.e., the wall socket)
to ensure that the battery is
disconnected from the charger. For
example, to place a cordless telephone
in standby mode, one would remove the
handset (which contains the battery)
from its charging cradle while keeping
the cradle connected to the main
electricity supply. This example of
standby mode for this product would
still be appropriate even if some of the
battery charging circuitry resided in the
telephone handset (instead of the
cradle), because that standby mode
would represent a typical use scenario
for a consumer. The end user would
continue to operate the device in the
same manner, regardless of whether the
charging circuit is located in the
product or its charging cradle.
In instances where all of the charging
and power conversion circuitry resides
in the product (category 3, above), the
product is connected to the main
electricity supply by a detachable AC
power cord. During standby mode, the
AC power cord is the only part of this
battery charging system that would
remain connected to the main electricity
supply. By itself, the cord consumes no
power; therefore, the standby mode
power consumption for this category of
products would be zero watts. In the
case of consumer products for which all
of the charging and power conversion
circuitry resides in the product, and
where the AC power cord is not
detachable, no component of the
product remains connected to the main
electricity supply during standby mode.
Thus, standby mode power
consumption is undefined or
inapplicable to this group of products.
However, DOE is not concerned about
this exclusion of permanently corded
non-removable battery operated
products from any standby mode power
consumption standard, because it
believes very few or no current products
feature both a non-detachable battery
and non-detachable AC power cord.
Further, DOE believes that this category
will not grow in the future because a
non-detachable AC power cord
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decreases the portability of a consumer
product by adding bulk and weight,
which makes it unlikely that this
product category will be accepted by
consumers.
Off Mode
Section 310 of EISA defines ‘‘off
mode’’ as ‘‘the condition in which an
energy-using product—(I) is connected
to a main power source; and (II) is not
providing any standby or active
function.’’ DOE has not previously
defined ‘‘off mode’’ for battery chargers,
but today’s notice proposes an
alternative definition for this term as it
applies to battery chargers. As
previously noted, DOE is proposing to
amend the definitions contained in
section 325 of EPCA, as amended by
section 310(3) of EISA (42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(1)(B)) under the authority
granted to DOE by Congress.
DOE’s current test procedure for
battery chargers measures inactive
energy consumption when there is no
battery inserted into the charger and the
charger is still connected to the main
electricity supply. DOE understands
that some chargers incorporate manual
on-off switches (i.e., those activated by
the user) and can thereby achieve an
even lower state of inactive energy
consumption. For these products, the
switches may conflict with the ENERGY
STAR and IEC Standard 62301
definitions of standby mode, which both
state that standby mode is the lowestpower consumption mode. This is
because in some cases, the switches will
reduce the power consumption to zero,
but in other cases, there may still be
some power consumption, depending
on how the switches are incorporated
into the circuit of the battery charger.
For this reason, DOE proposes to
interpret ‘‘off mode’’ as applicable only
to battery chargers with switches that
are in the off position. Thus, in today’s
notice, DOE proposes inserting the
following definition of ‘‘off mode’’ for
battery chargers into Appendix Y,
section 2.i:
Off mode means the condition, applicable
only to units having manual on-off switches,
in which the battery charger is (1) connected
to the main electricity supply, (2) is not
connected to the battery, and (3) all switches
are turned off.
DOE believes that this definition is
appropriate because it satisfies the
requirements of EISA that DOE measure
energy consumption in inactive modes
(in this case, off mode), provides clarity
of application to laboratory technicians,
and is consistent with the ‘‘standby
mode’’ definition used by IEC Standard
62301 and ENERGY STAR.
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As discussed earlier, DOE
understands that there are at least three
types of battery-charged consumer
products: (1) Those that are stand-alone
chargers which operate with removable
batteries; (2) those that have the battery
affixed into the product so that it is not
removed for charging; and (3) those that
incorporate all the charging circuitry
and battery into the product and have
only a detachable power cord. For those
products that incorporate a nondetachable battery and those that
incorporate a non-detachable battery
and non-detachable AC power cord,
DOE proposes that the off mode
definition not apply to any of these
battery chargers that incorporate an onoff switch because the battery cannot be
disconnected from the charger. DOE is
not concerned that the exclusion of
these devices will constitute a loophole
in the regulation because consumer
products with non-detachable batteries
and AC power cords (e.g., certain
uninterruptible power supplies) spend
most of their time in battery
maintenance mode.12 Also, DOE’s
battery charger test procedure already
measures the power consumption in
battery maintenance mode.
ii. Test Method
As discussed above, DOE previously
codified a test procedure based on
ENERGY STAR’s procedure for
measuring the standby mode and
battery-maintenance mode energy
consumption of battery chargers. 71 FR
at 71368. Section 323 of EPCA, as
amended by section 310 of EISA, directs
DOE to develop test procedures for the
measurement of standby mode and off
mode energy consumption for battery
chargers by December 31, 2008. DOE
believes that its existing test procedure
already incorporates a method under
which standby mode and off mode
energy consumption can be measured
and proposes minor revisions in today’s
notice to improve the clarity and
applicability of this test procedure to
standby mode and off mode. Section 3
of Appendix Y, which covers test
apparatus and general instructions, does
not require modification, since no
changes are necessary to the required
test apparatus.
In section 4 of Appendix Y, DOE
proposes to add a new subsection ‘‘(c)
Standby-Mode and Off-Mode Power
Consumption Measurement.’’ This
subsection would describe the manner
12 Battery maintenance mode is defined as ‘‘the
mode of operation when the battery charger is
connected to the main electricity supply and the
battery is fully charged, but is still connected to the
charger.’’ Appendix Y to Subpart B of Part 430,
Section 2(e).
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in which to measure standby mode and
off mode energy consumption
separately. To measure standby mode,
DOE proposes that users ‘‘conduct a
measurement of standby power
consumption while the battery charger
is connected to the power source.’’
Specifically, the proposed subsection (c)
would require the user to
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[r]emove the battery from the charger and
record the power (i.e., watts) consumed as
the time series integral of the power
consumed over a one-hour test period,
divided by the period of measurement. If the
battery charger has manual switches, all must
be turned on for the duration of the standby
mode test.
This language is based largely on the
test measurement language incorporated
by reference in section 4 of Appendix Y
for Inactive Mode Energy Consumption,
which refers to section 5, ‘‘Determining
BCS Energy Ratio,’’ of the EPA’s Test
Methodology for Determining the Energy
Performance of Battery Charging
Systems (December 2005). Section 5 of
the EPA battery charger test procedure,
subsection 5.1, step 3, provides
guidance to users for measuring power
consumed when the battery is removed
from the charger. In that step, EPA’s
procedure instructs the user to remove
the battery from the charger while
continuing to measure standby power.
The procedure provides two options in
this regard—a full test for 12 hours or
an abbreviated test for 1 hour.
In today’s notice, DOE proposes
language for the measurement of
standby mode energy consumption
based on the abbreviated test, which
directs technicians as follows: ‘‘Measure
energy used for a period of not less than
1 hour. Energy use may be measured as
a time series integral of power. * * * ’’
In other words, technicians would
measure the cumulative energy
consumed in standby mode over a
defined period of time: E = ∫P · dt, where
E is energy, P is power, and t is time.
DOE believes that the abbreviated test,
which gathers data for one hour, would
provide sufficiently accurate results for
determining the power consumption of
battery chargers without a battery
installed because the time period is
sufficient enough to permit the vast
majority of battery chargers to stabilize
and any power consumption in standby
mode to be easily measured. DOE
recognizes, however, the possibility that
measurements conducted over a one
hour period of battery chargers with
low-frequency, pulsed operation in
standby mode may not be representative
of the energy consumption of these
types of commonly used devices.
Because of this potential limitation,
DOE is particularly interested in
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comments that address increased
required testing times beyond one hour
up to a maximum of 12 hours.
For off mode, DOE proposes virtually
identical test procedure language,
changing only the requirement that if
the battery charger has any switches,
that those switches should be turned off.
For this test procedure as well, DOE
invites comment on the required
duration of 1 hour of data collection,
and other appropriate durations,
including those between 1 hour and 12
hours.
For both modes, DOE proposes to
include language based on the ENERGY
STAR test procedure that clarifies the
testing conditions for measuring the nobattery mode. Similar to the discussion
in section III.A.1.i above, DOE’s
proposal would rely on an approach for
standby and off mode similar to the one
proposed above for battery chargers.
As discussed above, standby mode
and off mode may also apply to
products with non-detachable batteries.
If the product uses a cradle and/or
adapter for power conversion and
charging, then only that part of the
system will remain connected to the
main electricity supply, and standby
and off mode power consumption will
equal that of the cradle and/or adapter.
If the product contains integrated power
conversion and charging circuitry but is
powered through a detachable AC
power cord, then only the cord will
remain connected to mains AC power
supply, and standby and off mode
power consumption will equal that of
the AC power cord (i.e., zero watts). If
the product contains integrated power
conversion and charging circuitry but is
powered through a non-detachable AC
power cord, then no part of the system
will remain connected to mains, and
standby and off mode power
consumption are not applicable.
2. External Power Supplies
DOE adopted a test procedure for
external power supplies (Appendix Z)
in a final rule published on December
8, 2006. 71 FR at 71368. DOE’s test
procedure measures the energy
consumed by external power supplies in
both active mode and no-load mode.
However, the test procedure does not
define the terms ‘‘standby mode’’ or ‘‘off
mode,’’ although it does define ‘‘no-load
mode’’ as ‘‘the mode of operation when
the external power supply is connected
to the main electricity supply and the
output is not connected to a load.’’ 10
CFR 430, subpart B, Appendix Z, 2.c.
i. Definitions
DOE reviewed the definitions for
standby mode and off mode in section
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325 of EPCA, as amended by section 310
of EISA and found that the broad
language used in the definitions might
make these terms confusing or result in
misapplication of the test procedure
when measuring the energy consumed
in these two modes. Furthermore, the
statute provides no guidance on how to
handle external power supplies that
incorporate on-off switches. Therefore,
DOE proposes to revise the definitions
of standby mode and off mode as they
apply to external power supplies to help
clarify their application and provide
this necessary guidance (i.e., some
external power supplies are sold today
with on-off switches). DOE also
proposes a method by which
manufacturers can measure the energy
consumed in these two modes that is
based on the approach already followed
for measuring no-load-mode energy
consumption in the EPS Test Procedure.
Standby Mode, No-Load Mode
Because of the broad coverage of
section 325 of EPCA, as amended by
section 310(3) of EISA, and for the
reasons cited in the battery chargers
discussion above, DOE is concerned
about problems that might arise if it
were to adopt the language of the EISA
definition of standby mode verbatim
and apply it to external power supplies.
In light of this situation, and consistent
with Congressional directives to the
Department, DOE is exercising its
authority under section 325 of EPCA, as
amended by EISA, to amend the
definitions of the modes as they apply
to this product, by rule, while
considering IEC 62301. (42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(1)(B) (as amended by EISA))
Additionally, since DOE does not
currently have a definition of standby
mode for external power supplies, DOE
is proposing to incorporate a definition
for this term into DOE’s regulations in
Appendix Z, section 2.s. The definition
would provide that standby mode
would mean ‘‘the condition in which
the external power supply is in no-load
mode and, for external power supplies
with on-off switches, all switches are
turned on.’’ DOE is also proposing to
modify the definition of the term ‘‘noload mode’’ to take into account
multiple-voltage external power
supplies. DOE’s proposed definition for
no-load mode in Appendix Z, section
2.n is ‘‘the mode of operation when an
external power supply is connected to
the main electricity supply and the
output is (or ‘all outputs are’ for a
multiple-voltage external power supply)
not connected to a load (or ‘loads’ for a
multiple-voltage external power
supply).’’ This definition is based on the
no-load mode definition in the CEC EPS
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Test Procedure, which references IEC
62301. Thus, DOE’s proposed definition
reflects its consideration of IEC 62301.
These definitions satisfy sections 321
and 325 of EPCA, as amended by
sections 301 and 310 of EISA, provide
clarity on testing external power
supplies (including those with
switches), and are consistent with IEC
62301’s and ENERGY STAR’s definition
of standby mode.
The external power supply test
procedure that DOE adopted in the
December 2006 final rule, which is
based on the ENERGY STAR test
procedure, incorporated a measurement
of no-load mode. DOE’s current test
procedure already accounts for the
energy consumption in one of the
inactive modes that the Secretary is
directed to consider under section 325
of EPCA, as amended by section 310 of
EISA. DOE’s proposed definition of
standby mode is consistent with the
existing no-load mode definition in the
CFR and the definition of standby mode
in EPCA, while also providing clarity on
the measurement of standby mode
energy consumption for external power
supplies that incorporate on-off
switches. DOE’s proposed definition is
also consistent with the ENERGY STAR
definition of no-load mode (and, by
extension, standby mode) for this
product.
Off Mode
As discussed in section III.A.1.i of
this notice on battery chargers, section
310(3) of EISA amended EPCA to define
‘‘off mode’’ as ‘‘the condition in which
an energy-using product—(I) is
connected to a main power source; and
(II) is not providing any standby or
active mode function.’’ (42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(1)(A)(ii)) DOE has not
previously defined ‘‘off mode’’ for
external power supplies, and is unaware
of any definitions or test procedures that
measure off mode for external power
supplies. Furthermore, similar to battery
chargers, the definition Congress
included in EISA, lacks specificity and
instruction on the measurement of
energy consumption in off mode for
external power supplies. To address this
issue, under the authority Congress
granted to the Department under EISA,
DOE is proposing a definition for off
mode as applied to external power
supplies. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(B))
As with battery chargers, external
power supplies can also incorporate onoff switches and may achieve a lower
state of energy consumption than in
standby mode. After considering IEC
62301, DOE believes that this lower
state of energy consumption could
conflict with the IEC Standard 62301
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definition of ‘‘standby mode,’’ which
states that standby mode is ‘‘the lowest
power consumption mode.’’ See IEC
Standard 62301 at section 3.2. The
conflict could arise depending on where
the on-off switch is placed in the EPS
circuit: when the switch is set to the
‘‘off’’ position the EPS may or may not
continue to consume power. For
instance, if the switch interrupts the
output on the secondary side of the EPS,
then the EPS would continue to
consume power when attached to mains
and switched off. For this reason, DOE
proposes to treat external power
supplies with on-off switches turned off
as being in off mode. Thus, in today’s
NOPR, DOE proposes to define ‘‘off
mode’’ for external power supplies in
Appendix Z, Section 2.o as:
the condition, applicable only to units having
on-off switches, in which the external power
supply is (1) connected to the main
electricity supply, (2) the output is not
connected to any load, and (3) all switches
are turned off.
As with DOE’s proposed battery
charger definition for off mode, DOE
believes this proposed definition
satisfies Congress’s directives that DOE
provide a means to measure energy
consumption in inactive modes and is
consistent with the IEC Standard 62301
definition of standby mode.
ii. Test Method
Prior to the enactment of EISA, DOE
promulgated a test procedure regulation
addressing sections 3 and 4 of Appendix
Z for external power supplies that relied
on the CEC EPS test procedures, which
in turn, incorporated a means to
measure the no-load energy mode. See
71 FR at 71368. Section 310 of EISA
directs DOE to develop additional test
procedures to cover standby mode and
off mode energy consumption for
external power supplies by December
31, 2008. See EPCA Section 325(gg).
DOE reviewed its existing test
procedure, and believes that Appendix
Z already incorporates an appropriate
method under which standby mode and
off mode energy consumption can be
measured. Consequently, a new test
procedure is not required to comply
with section 325(gg) of EPCA. However,
DOE is making minor revisions to
improve the clarity and applicability of
this test procedure to the standby and
off modes.
Section 3 of Appendix Z (‘‘Test
Apparatus and General Instructions’’)
requires no modification, because the
external power supply test set-up does
not need changing to comply with the
amended requirements provided by
EISA.
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48063
To section 4 of Appendix Z (‘‘Test
Measurement’’), DOE proposes several
modifications. In addition to testing
requirements for standby mode and off
mode, the proposed amendments
require the Department to accommodate
testing of multiple-voltage external
power supplies and switch-selectable
single-voltage external power supplies.
To avoid confusion, DOE proposes to
create separate standby mode and off
mode test methods for single-voltage
versus multiple-voltage external power
supplies within two new subsections in
section 4, with one addressing singlevoltage testing requirements and the
other addressing multiple-voltage
testing requirements.
For single-voltage external power
supplies, DOE proposes to specify in
Appendix Z that standby mode
measurements ‘‘shall conform to the
requirements specified in section 5,
‘Measurement Approach’ of the CEC’s
‘Test Method for Calculating the Energy
Efficiency of Single-Voltage External
AC–DC and AC–AC Power Supplies,’
August 11, 2004, (Incorporated by
reference, see 10 CFR Part 430.22).’’ The
only difference between the proposed
amended test method and the one DOE
previously adopted is the definition of
standby mode, which, under the
proposal, would require measurement
with all on-off switches turned on.
For off mode measurement of singlevoltage external power supplies, DOE
also proposes test procedure language
that is virtually identical to language
DOE adopted in the December 2006
final rule specifying the no-load mode
measurement. DOE’s proposed
regulatory text for Appendix Z, section
4(a)(ii) provides that during off mode,
all on-off switches on the external
power supply must be switched off and
the technician need only measure
Loading Condition 5 (no-load mode).
For standby mode and off mode
measurements of multiple-voltage
external power supplies, DOE proposes
to incorporate a no-load mode
measurement in the multiple-voltage
external power supply section. This
proposal parallels the approach DOE is
proposing for single-voltage power
supplies. Manufacturers would be
required to conduct a power
consumption measurement with all onoff switches turned on and attribute the
power consumption to standby mode.
Manufacturers would then conduct the
no-load mode measurement again with
all switches turned off and attribute that
power consumption to off mode. DOE
believes that this approach is
reasonable, not excessively burdensome
to manufacturers, and will result in
accurate, repeatable results.
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B. Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supplies
Section 325 of EPCA, as amended by
section 309 of EISA, directs DOE to
promulgate by December 19, 2009 a
final rule determining whether energy
conservation standards shall be issued
for external power supplies or classes of
them. Currently, these classes consist of
Class A and non-Class A external power
supplies. Under Section 301 of EISA,
Congress required that Class A power
supplies meet specifically prescribed
standards that became effective on July
1, 2008. The Department is examining
the possibility of developing standards
for the remaining non-Class A external
power supplies that are not covered by
these statutorily-mandated standards.
Multiple-voltage external power
supplies (i.e., external power supplies
that provide more than one output
voltage simultaneously) have the
highest shipments and widest range of
consumer product applications of the
external power supplies that fall outside
of Class A. Because it must develop test
procedures prior to developing a
particular efficiency standard for a
product, DOE reviewed numerous test
procedures to help develop a
standardized test procedure to apply to
these products. Currently, DOE is
unaware of any test procedure
developed for measuring the efficiency
of multiple-voltage external power
supplies. However, DOE did identify
two test procedures, the components of
which may serve as a basis for a new
test procedure. These procedures are the
EPS and IPS test procedures developed
by the CEC.
These test procedures meet many of
the needs of a multiple-voltage external
power supply test procedure. For
example, the CEC IPS Test Procedure
prescribes methods for safely dividing
the test load between the multiple
simultaneous outputs of a multiplevoltage power converter, while the CEC
EPS Test Procedure contains loading
conditions that more appropriately
represent the various products powered
by multiple-voltage external power
supplies. The CEC EPS Test Procedure
also contains measurement conditions
for standby mode and warm-up times
that DOE believes to be appropriate for
testing multiple-voltage external power
supplies because of their similarity to
single-voltage external power supplies
with respect to loads and construction,
which result in similar standby mode
conditions and warm-up times,
respectively.
Furthermore, the CEC EPS Test
Procedure already forms the basis for
the DOE (single-voltage) external power
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supply test procedure and both the CEC
EPS and IPS test procedures have been
adopted by ENERGY STAR programs for
external power supplies and personal
computers, respectively. More broadly,
industry uses the CEC IPS Test
Procedure to test compliance with the
80 Plus voluntary efficiency
guidelines 13 for internal power
supplies, while the CEC EPS Test
Procedure is widely recognized and
forms the basis for voluntary and
mandatory external power supply
regulations in Australia, Canada, China,
the European Union, Israel, Korea, and
New Zealand.
Multiple-voltage external power
supplies share features of both singlevoltage external power supplies and
multiple-voltage internal power
supplies, and the CEC EPS and IPS Test
Procedures complement each other in
matters regarding the testing of
multiple-voltage external power
supplies. Because of their widespread
use and acceptance, as well as their
applicability to multiple-voltage
external power supplies, DOE is
proposing to incorporate sections from
both the CEC EPS and IPS Test
Procedures into its new multiple-voltage
test procedure.
The multiple-voltage external power
supply test procedure DOE is proposing
in today’s NOPR generally follows the
structure of the CEC EPS Test Procedure
and maintains the order in which the
test set-up requirements and test
method are presented. As the CEC EPS
Test Procedure (incorporated by
reference into Appendix Z) explains, the
tested unit is placed in a standard test
room and connected to calibrated
metering equipment with a certain
measurement uncertainty and
resolution. The unit is then supplied
with power from a regulated AC source,
and all of its output busses are loaded
so that the unit is delivering its
nameplate output power. Following setup of the test apparatus, the unit is
allowed to warm up and stabilize, and
its input and total output power are
measured. The load conditions are then
adjusted and the measurements
repeated.
Even though the test set-up and
measurement are based on the CEC EPS
Test Procedure, the particulars are
supplemented by details from the CEC
IPS Test Procedure, as necessary. In
13 80 PLUS is a program funded by utility
companies that is designed to integrate more
energy-efficient power supplies into desktop
computers and servers. Among its various activities,
the program assigns labels to distinguish between
different levels of efficiency achieved by products.
For more information on this program, please see
https://www.80plus.org.
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sections where neither test procedure
had appropriate language or instruction,
DOE proposes its own language to
provide guidance and clarity, and to
ensure that consistent test results are
obtained without excessive test burden.
Some of the details in this proposed test
procedure represent what DOE believes
are improvements over the test
conditions and apparatus set-up
instructions in the CEC EPS Test
Procedure. These changes seek to
maintain (or improve) measurement
accuracy and repeatability while
avoiding excessive testing burdens and
acknowledging the limitations of
commercially available test equipment.
While the changes proposed in this
section apply to the multiple-voltage
external power supply test procedure,
DOE is also considering similar
amendments to the single-voltage
external power supply test procedure.
These include changes to (1) the
measurement resolution and uncertainty
requirement, (2) the AC source voltage
requirement, (3) the AC source
distortion requirement, (4) test-lead loss
measurement, and (5) the power
measurement stability requirement.
DOE considers these test condition
modifications, incorporated into today’s
proposed amendment for multiplevoltage external power supplies, to be
improvements over the particular test
conditions used in the current (singlevoltage) test procedure. DOE is therefore
also considering adopting these changes
to the single-voltage external power
supply test procedure. This means that
DOE could adopt the same revised test
conditions for both single- and multiplevoltage external power supplies. These
modifications are discussed in greater
detail in section III.D below in the
context of single-voltage external power
supply testing.
1. Test Apparatus and General
Instructions
Although the proposed multiplevoltage test procedure is based in large
part on the CEC EPS Test Procedure,
DOE proposes to make changes to
several aspects of the test setup in order
to reduce testing burden and/or improve
testing accuracy. These changes consist
primarily of the elements outlined
below.
i. Measurement Resolution and
Uncertainty
The first test condition change
incorporated into the proposed
amendment concerns powermeasurement accuracy. The CEC EPS
Test Procedure requires powermeasurement equipment to have a
resolution greater than or equal to 0.01
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watts (W) for active power
measurements (CEC EPS Test Procedure
section 4.b), while the CEC IPS Test
Procedure allows for lower resolution
when measuring higher power levels
(CEC IPS Test Procedure section 5.5).
The resolution for power-measurement
equipment in the CEC IPS Test
Procedures has three ranges, depending
on the magnitude of the wattage being
measured. This approach is identical to
that used in IEC Standard 62301,which
serves as the industry reference
document for standby power
measurements.
According to DOE calculations, this
three-tiered power-measurement
equipment resolution requirement
would result in, at most, a 0.5 percent
error over the range of power
measurements where the two resolution
requirements differ, namely above 10 W.
Because this error is significantly less
than the 2 percent error due to
measurement uncertainty permitted by
the proposed amendment, discussed in
detail below, DOE does not believe the
proposed requirement will impact
efficiency measurement. It will,
however, significantly decrease the
burden on testing laboratories, as they
would no longer require equipment
with 0.01 W resolution at power levels
greater than 100 W, to comply with the
requirements of the test procedure. In
turn, this permits the use of cheaper and
more readily available equipment for
testing. DOE therefore proposes to adopt
the three-tier power-measurement
equipment resolution requirements,
namely: (1) 0.01 W or better for
measurements of 10 W or less; (2) 0.1 W
or better for measurements of greater
than 10 W up to 100 W; and (3) 1 W or
better for measurements of greater than
100 W.
The proposed amendment would
impose uncertainty requirements on the
power measurement, which have also
been drawn from section 5.5 of the CEC
IPS Test Procedure, which requires that
‘‘[m]easurements of power of 0.5 W or
greater shall be made with an
uncertainty of less than or equal to 2
percent at the 95 percent confidence
level,’’ while ‘‘[m]easurements of power
of less than 0.5 W shall be made with
an uncertainty of less than or equal to
0.01 W at the 95 percent confidence
level.’’ These uncertainty requirements
are equivalent to those in the current
DOE test procedure, with the addition of
an explicit confidence qualifier. This
qualifier, which is necessary when
expressing uncertainty in measurement,
is the 95 percent confidence level
customarily employed in experimental
work, which accounts for errors that fall
within two standard deviations of the
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mean of a normal distribution. The
proposed uncertainty requirements are
also equivalent to those used in the IEC
Standard 62301 test method and their
adoption would complete the test
procedure and make it consistent with
standard engineering practice.
Furthermore, unlike the CEC test
procedures, the proposed amendment is
explicit regarding the calibration
required of the instruments used to
measure the power. The proposed
amendment requires the instruments to
be calibrated in accordance with either
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) and National Conference of
Standards Laboratories (NCSL) Standard
Z540.1 14 or International Standards
Organization (ISO) and IEC Standard
17025,15 two standards in wide use by
calibration laboratories. Although there
are differences in scope and stringency
between the two standards, both address
calibration laboratory competency and
traceability of calibration measurements
to national standards. Finally, the
proposed amendment requires the
instrument to be within its calibration
period, as specified on a dated label or
certificate of calibration.
ii. AC Source Voltage Requirement
The second test condition change
DOE is proposing would apply to the
input voltage source. The CEC EPS Test
Procedure requires that ‘‘[t]he input
voltage source * * * be capable of
delivering at least 10 times the
nameplate input power of the unit
under test (as is specified in IEEE
Standard 1515–2000).’’ (CEC EPS Test
Procedure section 4.e) The IEEE
standard does not require the input
voltage source to be capable of
delivering 10 times the nameplate input
power of the unit under test, but rather
recommends it ‘‘[a]s a rule of thumb.’’
(IEEE Standard 1515–2000 section
B.2.1) Furthermore, a requirement of 10
times greater output power may be
difficult to meet when testing highwattage power supplies. For example,
testing a 250 W external power supply
would require a 2.5 kilowatt source,
capable of delivering 21.7 amperes at
115 V. A current this high exceeds the
20 amperes typically provided by
commercial distribution wiring and
would require non-standard circuit
breakers, wires, and outlets, which
would reduce the practicability of
14 ANSI/NCSL Z540.1. ‘‘Calibration Laboratories
and Measuring and Test Equipment—General
Requirements,’’ American National Standards
Institute. 1994.
15 ISO/IEC 17025. ‘‘General Requirements for the
Competence of Testing and Calibration
Laboratories.’’ International Electrotechnical
Commission. May 2005.
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testing without an appreciable benefit in
measuring energy efficiency. Finally,
despite its stringency in regard to output
power, this requirement may not ensure
an ideal voltage source for units under
test that have a low power factor (i.e.,
units that draw significant reactive
power in addition to their (active)
nameplate input power). As a result,
DOE proposes to adopt CEC IPS Test
Procedure, section 5.2, by
recommending an AC source output
power that is 10 times greater where
practicable and specifying that the AC
source voltage remain within 1 percent
of 115 volts. This latter voltage
requirement can be achieved by using
an AC voltage regulator, even if the line
voltage varies by more than 10 percent.
iii. AC Source Distortion Requirement
In addition to the amplitude of the AC
source voltage waveform, AC voltage
regulators can also control its distortion,
which describes how closely the
waveform approaches the ideal (i.e., a
sine wave). AC source voltage distortion
is caused by the nonlinear current
waveform the power supply under test,
as well as other loads connected to
mains, impose on the impedance of the
source. The interaction between the two
can result in a decrease in the peak AC
source voltage due to heavier load on
the AC source near the waveform peaks,
which is observable as ‘‘flat-topping’’ of
the AC voltage waveform. This
lengthens the time that the rectifier
diodes are conducting and consequently
reduces the peak current during
conduction. The net effect is a slight
decrease in losses in the input filter,
rectifier diodes, and bulk capacitor.
While these components are minor
contributors to the total losses, severe
flat-topping will slightly improve the
supply’s overall efficiency. Existing
power supply test procedures therefore
limit the permitted AC source distortion
to ensure consistent measurement
results.
The specifications of commercially
available AC voltage regulators that DOE
has examined can, at best, ensure a total
harmonic distortion (THD) of the AC
source voltage waveform below 3
percent. DOE is concerned about this
issue because the existing DOE external
power supply test procedure in
Appendix Z, as well as the CEC EPS and
IPS Test Procedures and IEC Standard
62301, all require an AC source voltage
with a THD below 2 percent.
One method of achieving an AC
source-voltage THD below 2 percent is
using an uninterruptible power supply
(UPS) that generates its own AC voltage
and current waveforms from batteries.
DOE is concerned that UPS equipment
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is not intended for this purpose and is
therefore not commonly found in testing
laboratories. After carefully considering
this issue, DOE does not believe that
relaxing the upper limit of the THD
requirement from 2 to 3 percent will
noticeably affect the measurement
accuracy of no-load power or activemode efficiency. Therefore, to decrease
the testing burden, DOE proposes to
require 3 percent THD in the multiplevoltage external power supply test
procedure. DOE is also, however,
considering the adoption of the more
stringent, and more difficult to meet, 2
percent requirement in the final rule for
this test procedure, for harmonization
with the CEC EPS and IPS test
procedures. The Department is
particularly interested in commenter
views regarding the proposed THD
requirements. Commenters should
present the Department with an
explanation and data supporting
whichever option they believe should
apply.
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iv. Test Lead Loss Measurement
Although errors in measurement can
occur due to the resistance of the test
leads (i.e., wires) used to connect the
unit under test to the measurement
equipment, these errors can be
minimized by adhering to correct
laboratory practice. Nonetheless, section
5.4 of the CEC IPS Test Procedure
requires that testing laboratories
explicitly account for test-lead losses. In
today’s notice, DOE proposes to adopt
this same requirement to quantify losses
in test leads. DOE also proposes to
require testing laboratories to follow
Table B.2 in Appendix B of IEEE
Standard 1515–2000 when selecting the
wire gauge of the test leads. Whereas the
previous requirement seeks to account
and correct for measurement errors due
to test lead losses, this proposed
requirement is preventative because it
seeks to minimize these losses by
requiring the selection of appropriate
gauge wire.
DOE believes that these requirements
will not significantly add to the testing
burden, since testing laboratories
routinely calculate test lead losses. The
only additional burden would be
documenting test lead losses, which
would involve a calculation of, and a
correction for, voltage drops across the
test leads. These requirements are
consistent with the CEC IPS Test
Procedure and would result in more
accurate and repeatable efficiency
measurements. In addition to comments
on this particular proposal, DOE is
interested in alternate testing
approaches that would ensure that lead
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losses are insignificant or otherwise
accounted.
time when changing between loading
conditions.
2. Test Measurement
Stabilizing Time
Because an EPS unit under test will
dissipate varying amounts of power at
each loading condition, its internal
components will change temperature
when transitioning from one load
condition to the next. Since these
temperature changes lead to thermal
transients that affect efficiency, both the
CEC EPS and IPS Test Procedures
require a period of temperature
stabilization before taking a
measurement. However, DOE believes
that the 15-minute period recommended
by the CEC IPS Test Procedure may
impose an unnecessary burden on the
testing laboratory, since, typically, the
inputs and outputs of external power
supply that DOE tested tended to
stabilize within 5 minutes. In light of
this concern, DOE is proposing to follow
the CEC EPS Test Procedure by
permitting measurement as soon as the
AC input power drawn by the unit
under test stabilizes.
The test measurement method for
external power supplies and battery
chargers in today’s proposed rule is
based on the requirements presented in
the CEC EPS and IPS Test Procedures.
In preparing DOE’s proposed test
measurement method, departures from
the two CEC-developed test procedures
were sometimes necessary because of
the particular requirements of multiplevoltage external power supplies. These
departures are mostly superficial and
the proposed test measurement method
otherwise remains consistent with the
requirements of the CEC EPS and IPS
Test Procedures. The specific elements
of DOE’s proposal are discussed below.
i. Power Measurement Stability
Requirement
Before measuring the energy
consumption of the external power
supply in active and standby mode,
both the CEC EPS and IPS Test
Procedures require that the unit under
test warm up and its input AC power
stabilize. These test procedures conflict,
however, regarding the time required for
initial warm-up, the time for the power
supply to stabilize following a change
from one loading condition to another,
and the stability criterion for accurate
measurement. Each of these differences
is explained below.
Initial Warm-up
Because the operation of electronic
components varies with temperature,
power supplies must be allowed to
operate under full load for a period of
time long enough such that all their
components reach a steady temperature.
Until this happens, a power supply will
exhibit variation in its input and output
conditions (also known as ‘‘thermal
transients’’), even as the load remains
constant.
The CEC EPS Test Procedure requires
30 minutes for initial warm-up, whereas
the CEC IPS Test Procedure requires 15
minutes. Although the time the thermal
transients need to settle will vary from
one unit under test to the next, the
warm-up times of external power
supplies will generally be longer than
those of internal power supplies,
because external power supplies do not
have a cooling fan or vents in the
enclosure that promote convection like
internal power supplies do. Because of
these differences, DOE is proposing to
use a 30-minute warm-up time for
multiple-voltage external power
supplies but with no specific settling
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Stability Criterion
However, the CEC EPS and IPS Test
Procedures use different stability
criteria. The CEC EPS Test Procedure
requires a change in the AC input power
of less than 5 percent over 5 minutes,
whereas the CEC IPS Test Procedure
requires a change of less than 1 percent.
DOE believes that permitting a 5-percent
variation in the AC input power might
compromise the quality of the efficiency
measurement, given that the proposal
limits uncertainty in power
measurements to 2 percent (at the 95
percent confidence level) in paragraph
III.B.1.i, above. However, this same
uncertainty limit may make stability to
within 1 percent difficult to achieve.
Consequently, DOE is proposing that if
1-percent stability cannot be achieved,
the testing laboratory may calculate
average power over a 5-minute period
through mathematical integration,
which is consistent with IEC Standard
62301.16
ii. Loading Conditions
Using elements of the CEC EPS and
IPS procedures, DOE proposes a hybrid
loading condition that would be used to
measure the energy efficiency of
multiple-voltage external power
supplies. Because the efficiency of a
power supply is a function of load
current, a test procedure must specify
loading conditions to make the results
16 DOE is also proposing to amend the singlevoltage test procedure to include this stricter
requirement on power supply stability, as discussed
in section III.D.5 of this notice.
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comparable and representative of actual
usage. Section 4.3 of the CEC IPS Test
Procedure requires that the unit under
test be tested at 100, 50, 20 percent, and,
in some cases, 10 percent of full load.
The 100, 50, and 20 percent loading
represent the current draw of a
computer operating at full, medium, and
light load, respectively, while the 10percent loading condition represents the
scenario where the internal power
supply operates redundantly as part of
a pair of power supplies in a server
application.
The CEC IPS loading conditions
presented above represent specific
operating modes of a computer, and
may not reflect the typical loads
presented by the wider range of
applications powered by multiplevoltage external power supplies.
Because of these differences, DOE
proposes instead that multiple-voltage
external power supply loading
conditions be based on the same ones
used in DOE’s current (single-voltage)
external power supply test procedure,
which is based on the CEC EPS test
procedure. Specifically, the loads DOE
proposes to use are 100, 75, 50, and 25
percent of full load. These loading
conditions are accepted by industry as
representative of the loads presented by
the wider range of consumer products
beyond computers. Like the current
single-voltage test procedure, the
proposed amendment also requires the
reported efficiency to equal the simple
average of the four efficiencies
measured at each loading point (i.e.,
100, 75, 50, and 25 percent of full load).
iii. Proportional Allocation
DOE investigated several approaches
to loading the outputs of a multiplevoltage external power supply. For
example, DOE considered the
possibility of testing each output bus
independently of the others, by loading
each bus sequentially to 100, 75, 50, and
25 percent of its nameplate output
current while leaving the others
unloaded. However, this approach is
unacceptable for two reasons. First,
even when an output bus is loaded to
100 percent of its nameplate output
current, the output power (output
current multiplied by voltage) delivered
by the bus will be much smaller than
the nameplate output power of the
power supply as a whole. Because
certain components in the power supply
will not be operating near their
maximum rated power, they are likely
to remain cool, so any losses in
efficiency caused by internal heating
will not be captured by this approach.
Second, many multiple-output power
supplies place restrictions on the
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minimum output current, which can
prevent one output from operating
while others remain unloaded, possibly
invalidating the measurement.
Comparing the differences between
single and multiple-voltage external
power supplies helps to highlight the
practical considerations DOE is
weighing in its proposal. For this
discussion, the DC output of a singlevoltage external power supply can be
fully characterized by three parameters:
Output voltage, output current, and
their product, output power. Because
each parameter can be calculated from
the other two, only two are typically
listed on the power supply nameplate:
voltage and current, or voltage and
power.
Loading a single-voltage power
supply for measuring efficiency begins
with reading the output current listed
on the nameplate, or if not listed,
calculating it by dividing the nameplate
output power by the output voltage. A
test load connected to the output of the
power supply is then adjusted such that
the power supply produces an output of
100, 75, 50, and 25 percent of this
nameplate current. At each loading
condition, the output power into the
load is divided by the input power into
the external power supply to calculate
the efficiency.
By comparison, loading multiplevoltage power supplies is more
complicated because they feature
multiple outputs capable of delivering
power to a load (termed ‘‘output busses’’
to distinguish them from non-power
outputs used in some systems for
communication between the power
supply and the load). In addition to the
nameplate output power of the power
supply, the test method must take into
account the parameters that characterize
each output bus: Nameplate output
voltage and current or power. To load a
multiple-voltage external power supply
to 100, 75, 50, and 25 percent of full
load while operating within the
specifications of the output busses and
the power supply as a whole, DOE
proposes to use a loading method
termed ‘‘proportional allocation.’’
The ‘‘proportional allocation’’
method, which is found in section 6.1.1
of the CEC IPS Test Procedure, requires
all output busses to be simultaneously
loaded to, in sequence, 100, 75, 50, and
25 percent of their individual nameplate
output currents. These loads are scaled
(or ‘‘derated’’) so as not to exceed the
nameplate output power of the power
supply as a whole. The derating process
is explained below.
As mentioned previously, each output
bus of a multiple-voltage power supply
is characterized by a nameplate output
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48067
voltage and current, which, when
multiplied together, result in the
nameplate output power of the bus.
Additionally, the power supply as a
whole has its own nameplate output
power, which may differ from the sum
of the bus nameplate output powers. If
the nameplate output power were
smaller than the sum, and each output
bus were loaded to 100 percent of its
nameplate output currents, the busses’
combined output power would exceed
the supply’s nameplate output power,
forcing the integrated safety circuitry to
shut the device down, rendering any
efficiency measurement invalid. The
proportional allocation method in the
proposed amendment would require the
testing technician to derate the load
currents for each bus so that the sum of
their output powers does not exceed the
nameplate output power of the power
supply. This method would permit a
valid measurement to be conducted
even in the above case where the sum
of the output bus nameplate output
powers exceeds the nameplate output
power of the supply.
Prior to loading the output busses and
conducting measurements, a derating
factor is calculated by dividing the
nameplate output power of the supply
by the sum of the bus nameplate output
powers. If the derating factor is greater
than or equal to 1, the sum of the bus
nameplate output powers is smaller
than the nameplate output power of the
supply. The power output by the busses
at 100 percent of their nameplate output
current will not exceed the nameplate
output power of the supply, so no
derating is necessary. Efficiency testing
is conducted while simultaneously
loading all the busses sequentially to
100, 75, 50, and 25 percent of their
nameplate output currents. If, on the
other hand, the derating factor is less
than 1, the sum of the bus nameplate
output powers is greater than the
nameplate output power of the supply.
The power output by the busses at 100
percent of their nameplate output
current will exceed the nameplate
output power of the power supply. To
prevent the power supply from shutting
down during testing, due to excessive
output power, derating is necessary.
Efficiency testing would be conducted
while simultaneously loading all the
busses sequentially to 100, 75, 50, and
25 percent of their nameplate output
currents, multiplied by the derating
factor.
iv. Minimum Output Current
Requirement
DOE is aware of many multiplevoltage external power supply
specifications that require a certain
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minimum output current on one or
more of the output busses. In a few of
the external power supplies DOE
examined, the minimum output current
for one bus is greater than the 25
percent of nameplate current required
for testing under proposed Loading
Condition 1 (i.e., 100 percent of derated
nameplate output current). Although the
power supply may still operate, it may
not be able to regulate the output
voltage of the affected bus, which would
cause the output voltage to fall outside
of the nameplate value.
Although it is possible to conduct
measurements disregarding output
voltage, DOE does not believe that this
will result in a meaningful measurement
of efficiency, since a power supply in
typical usage is unlikely to operate
outside its specified current range.
Therefore, to address this situation, DOE
proposes to include in its test procedure
for multiple-voltage external power
supplies procedures that are consistent
with section 4.3 of the IPS Test
Procedure. Specifically, DOE’s proposed
procedure would require the laboratory
technician to continue increasing the
load current for each affected output
until it equals the minimum output
current and to measure the input and
output power only when the external
power supply is operating within its
specifications.
v. No-Load Mode Testing
In addition to requiring measurements
under the four active mode loading
conditions, the proposed amendment
also requires measurement at 0 percent
load, i.e., the standby or no-load mode.
The proposed amendment follows the
current DOE test procedure rather than
the standby mode definition and
measurement method of the CEC IPS
Test Procedure, which involves placing
the power supply into a low-power
mode by using an external control
signal. While the CEC IPS approach may
work for some multiple-voltage external
power supplies, most of the multiplevoltage external power supplies DOE
examined do not have any control
inputs or explicit low-power modes.
The proposed amendment therefore
would require standby mode energy
consumption testing under the same
conditions as the existing DOE singlevoltage external power supply test
procedure, which would make the noload condition applicable to all
multiple-voltage external power
supplies.
C. External Power Supply Test
Procedure Definitions
In reviewing Appendix Z, DOE found
that some of its existing test procedure
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definitions differ slightly from the ones
stakeholders currently use, while other
terms were undefined and may have
caused confusion. To address the
problem, today’s notice proposes
modifications to the definitions of
‘‘active mode,’’ ‘‘active-mode
efficiency,’’ ‘‘no-load mode,’’ ‘‘total
harmonic distortion,’’ and ‘‘true power
factor.’’ In addition, DOE proposes new
definitions for the terms ‘‘active power,’’
‘‘ambient temperature,’’ ‘‘apparent
power,’’ ‘‘instantaneous power,’’
‘‘minimum output current,’’ ‘‘multiplevoltage external power supply,’’
‘‘nameplate input frequency,’’
‘‘nameplate input voltage,’’ ‘‘nameplate
output current,’’ ‘‘nameplate output
power,’’ ‘‘nameplate output voltage,’’
‘‘off mode,’’ ‘‘output bus,’’ ‘‘standby
mode,’’ ‘‘switch-selectable singlevoltage external power supply,’’ and
‘‘unit under test.’’ By amending these
definitions and incorporating new ones,
DOE aims to improve the clarity and
utility of its test procedure for external
power supplies. The new definitions of
‘‘standby mode’’ and ‘‘off mode’’ are
discussed above in section III.A.2.i.
While DOE is not proposing changes to
the definitions for ‘‘single-voltage AC–
AC power supply’’ and ‘‘single-voltage
AC–DC power supply’’, they are
included with the proposed
amendments to Section 2 of Appendix
Z because their numbering would
change within the section.
1. Revisions to Existing Definitions
In December 2006, DOE codified
definitions for technical terms used in
the test procedure for external power
supplies. 71 FR at 71368. In a recent
review of the definitions of these same
terms in IEEE Standard 1515–2000, IEEE
Standard 100, and the CEC EPS and IPS
Test Procedures, DOE found differences
between its definitions and those used
in these technical documents. If DOE’s
proposed test procedure for multiplevoltage external power supplies is
adopted in the final rule, some of DOE’s
terms will require modification or
additions to permit testing of multiplevoltage units.
To address these issues, DOE
proposes to make the following changes
to the Appendix Z definitions: (1)
Modify the definition of ‘‘active mode’’
to encompass multiple-voltage external
power supplies; (2) add a citation to
IEEE Standard 1515–2000 to the ‘‘activemode efficiency’’ definition; (3) modify
the definition of ‘‘no-load mode’’ to
apply to multiple-voltage external
power supplies; and (4) revise the
definitions of ‘‘total harmonic
distortion’’ and ‘‘true power factor’’ to
PO 00000
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Sfmt 4702
be consistent with IEEE Standard 1515–
2000.
Within the proposed change to
‘‘active mode’’ described above, DOE
also proposes a minor revision to the
definition to make it consistent with the
definition of ‘‘active mode’’ contained
in section 321 of EPCA, as amended by
section 301(a)(1)(B) of EISA. This
definition reads: ‘‘The term ‘active
mode’ means the mode of operation
when an external power supply is
connected to the main electricity supply
and the output is connected to a load.’’
Except for the use of the verb ‘‘is’’ rather
than ‘‘means’’ immediately following
the words ‘‘active mode’’, this definition
is identical to the definition DOE
codified in its December 2006 final rule.
In today’s notice, DOE proposes to
replace ‘‘is’’ with ‘‘means’’ to conform
the proposed definition to the EISA
amendments. DOE also proposes to
insert two parenthetical statements to
make the definition of ‘‘active mode’’
applicable to multiple-voltage external
power supplies, which have more than
one output. This proposed change is
necessitated by DOE’s desire to provide
adequate test procedures covering
multiple-voltage power supplies. The
proposed definition for ‘‘active mode
efficiency’’ to be inserted in Appendix
Z to Subpart B of Part 430, Section 2.a.
would read as follows:
Active mode means the mode of operation
when the external power supply is connected
to the main electricity supply and the output
is (or ‘‘all outputs are’’ for a multiple-voltage
external power supply) connected to a load
(or ‘‘loads’’ for a multiple-voltage external
power supply).
DOE also proposes amending the
definition of ‘‘active mode efficiency’’ in
Section 2.b of Appendix Z to include a
reference to section 4.3.1.1 of IEEE
Standard 1515–2000, which the CEC
EPS Test Procedure references. DOE
believes it appropriate to reference IEEE
Standard 1515–2000 because it provides
a formula for calculating the efficiency
that applies to external power supplies
with one or more outputs. DOE’s
proposed revised definition of ‘‘active
mode efficiency’’ would make it more
consistent with the CEC EPS definition.
The only difference remaining between
the definitions of ‘‘active mode
efficiency’’ used in the DOE external
power supply and the CEC EPS test
procedures is that the CEC definition
states that output power is AC or DC
and input power is AC. DOE is not
proposing to include this statement
about the type of input or output power
in its definition because DOE does not
consider it to be crucial to the
definition.
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definition, also codified in the
December 2006 test procedure final rule
(71 FR at 71368), describes total
harmonic distortion in general terms but
does not include a mathematical
equation, which would enhance the
clarity of the definition. DOE found in
its recent review of definitions used by
IEEE Standard 1515–2000 and the CEC
EPS and IPS Test Procedures all include
an equation in helping to define total
harmonic distortion. Therefore, to
ensure consistency and uniformity with
these other definitions, DOE proposes to
add an equation to the definition of total
harmonic distortion.
Further, the proposed DOE definition
for total harmonic distortion includes
all harmonic components up to and
including the nth harmonic, which is
consistent with IEEE Standard 1515–
2000 and the CEC IPS Test Procedure.
However, in practice, the measurement
of total harmonic distortion is limited to
harmonics up to and including the 13th
harmonic. This limitation is due to the
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
where In is the RMS value of the nth
harmonic of the current signal.
True power factor (PF) is the ratio of the
active power (P) consumed in watts to the
apparent power (S), drawn in volt-amperes.
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2
2
2
I 2 + I 32 + I 4 + I 52 + ......I n
I1
PF =
Finally, DOE proposes revising the
definition of ‘‘true power factor’’ in 10
CFR Part 430 by adding a statement to
incorporate the effects of distortion and
displacement. This statement clarifies
that ‘‘true power factor’’ should account
for both components of power factordistortion and displacement. Distortion
refers to harmonic components that
prevent the current waveform from
being a perfect sine wave; displacement
refers to a phase shift between the
current and voltage waveforms. DOE
believes that adding this statement to
the definition of true power factor
would remove any ambiguity of its
interpretation. This proposed change
would also allow DOE to align its
definition with the definitions in the
EPS Test Procedure, IEEE Standard
1515–2000, and IEEE Standard 100, all
of which include this statement. The
revised definition, which incorporates
the effects of both distortion and
displacement, would if adopted, be
inserted into Appendix Z, Section 2.v.
and read as follows:
P
S
2. New Definitions
Although the December 2006 final
rule included numerous definitions
related to battery charger and external
power supply energy efficiency ratings,
it did not define some terms that were
omitted from the external power supply
test procedure or common electrical
engineering terms. DOE is concerned,
however, that not clarifying these terms
could lead to confusion or inconsistency
in how the test procedure is applied.
Accordingly, DOE is proposing to
incorporate these new terms and
definitions in section 2—
‘‘Definitions’’—of Appendix Z.
Specifically, DOE proposes to define
separately ‘‘active power’’ and
‘‘apparent power,’’ which were
previously defined within the definition
of ‘‘true power factor.’’ DOE is also
proposing definitions for ‘‘ambient
temperature’’ and ‘‘unit under test’’ that
are consistent with IEEE Standard 1515–
2000. The Department is also proposing
to define the terms ‘‘minimum output
current,’’ ‘‘multiple-voltage external
power supply,’’ and ‘‘output bus,’’
which are used in the context of the
multiple-voltage external power supply
test procedure. Additionally, DOE is
proposing definitions of ‘‘instantaneous
PO 00000
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Total harmonic distortion, expressed as a
percent, is the RMS value of an AC signal
after the fundamental component is removed
and interharmonic components are ignored,
divided by the RMS value of the fundamental
component. THD of current is defined as:
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4702
power,’’ ‘‘nameplate input frequency,’’
‘‘nameplate input voltage,’’ ‘‘nameplate
output current,’’ ‘‘nameplate output
power,’’ and ‘‘nameplate output
voltage’’ that are consistent with
definitions in the CEC EPS Test
Procedure. Finally, DOE proposes to
add a definition for ‘‘switch-selectable
single-voltage external power supply’’
similar to one under consideration by
other countries. These proposed
definitions are detailed below.
Active Power
DOE proposes to define the term
‘‘active power’’ in its external power
supply test procedure using the CEC
EPS Test Procedure definition and
including a reference to IEEE Standard
1515–2000. DOE has inserted a citation
to IEEE Standard 1515–2000 because the
IEEE definition contains a formula that
could be helpful in explaining how
voltage and current should be
multiplied and integrated to determine
active power. DOE is not proposing to
include the IEEE Standard 1515–2000
equation in its definition because this
equation is not part of the CEC EPS Test
Procedure. DOE believes that its
proposed definition for ‘‘active power’’
harmonizes with existing industry
definitions and adds clarity to DOE’s
test procedure. The proposed definition,
which would replace the definition
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EP15AU08.005</MATH>
THDI =
CEC EPS Test Procedure referenced in
section 3 of Appendix Z that the ‘‘THD
of the supply voltage * * * shall not
exceed 2%, up to and including the
13th harmonic.’’ Thus, although the
proposed DOE definition is more
expansive than the definition contained
in the CEC EPS Test Procedure, barring
any other variables, the proposed test
method incorporates limits that would
yield the same measured results as the
IEEE and IPS test methods. Accordingly,
DOE believes that this revision will
improve the clarity of the definition and
align it with the industry’s definitions of
total harmonic distortion. DOE’s
proposed definition for THD would be
inserted in Appendix Z, Section 2.u.
and read as follows:
EP15AU08.004</MATH>
DOE also proposes to revise the
definition of ‘‘no-load mode’’ to make it
applicable to multiple-voltage external
power supplies by inserting
parenthetical statements that change
specific statements in the definition
from singular to plural to account for
the fact that multiple-voltage external
power supplies have more than one
output. Notwithstanding these
revisions, the language of the ‘‘no-load
mode’’ definition is the same as the
language DOE codified in its December
2006 final rule (71 FR at 71368) and
contained in section 321 of EPCA, as
amended by section 301(a)(1)(A) of
EISA. Section III.A.2.i above discusses
the definition as it relates to ‘‘no-load
mode.’’
Additionally, DOE proposes revising
the definition of ‘‘total harmonic
distortion’’ to make it consistent with
the definitions of total harmonic
distortion contained in the IEEE
Standard 1515–2000 and the CEC IPS
Test Procedure. DOE’s current
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currently in Appendix Z, section 2.c.,
would read as follows:
Active power means the RMS17 value of the
instantaneous power taken over one period.
(See IEEE Standard 1515–2000).
Ambient Temperature
The proposed definition for ‘‘ambient
temperature’’ is the same as the
definition in the CEC EPS Test
Procedure, IEEE Standard 1515–2000,
and IEEE Standard 100, except that DOE
uses the phrase ‘‘unit under test,’’ while
the EPS Test Procedure simply uses the
acronym ‘‘UUT,’’ and the IEEE Standard
100 definition uses the phrase ‘‘object
under consideration.’’ While these are
minor language differences, it is clear
that in all cases the definitions are
referring to the external power supply
being tested and are otherwise
substantially identical to each other.
DOE believes that its proposed
definition, which is exactly the same as
IEEE Standard 1515–2000, aligns with
the industry definitions of ambient
temperature and clarifies the external
power supply test procedure.
Accordingly, DOE’s proposed definition
for ambient temperature would be
inserted into Appendix Z, Section 2.d.
and read as follows:
Ambient temperature means the
temperature of the ambient air immediately
surrounding the unit under test.
Apparent Power
DOE proposes to use the same
definition for ‘‘apparent power’’ in its
test procedure as the one found in the
CEC EPS Test Procedure, IEEE Standard
1515–2000, and IEEE Standard 100. All
three definitions specify that apparent
power is the product of RMS voltage
and RMS current. IEEE Standard 100
also describes how to calculate RMS
voltage and RMS current. DOE believes
that its proposed definition, which
would be inserted in Appendix Z,
Section 2.e. and be defined as ‘‘the
product of RMS voltage and RMS
current,’’ aligns with existing industry
definitions of apparent power and
clarifies the external power supply test
procedure.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
Instantaneous Power
DOE proposes to include and define
the term ‘‘instantaneous power’’ in its
test procedure. The proposed definition
adopts the language from the CEC EPS
Test Procedure definition verbatim and
represents the product of the
instantaneous voltage and instantaneous
17 RMS stands for ‘‘Root Mean Square’’ and is the
square root of the average of the squares of a set of
numbers (in this case, measured levels of
instantaneous power consumption).
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current at a port (the terminal pair of a
load). DOE believes that the CEC EPS
Test Procedure definition is accurate
and complete, and its adoption would
help clarify this term for any users of
the DOE test procedure. In addition,
DOE cannot conceive of any reason why
this definition would not be applicable
to both single-voltage and multiplevoltage external power supplies. For all
of these reasons, DOE proposes to define
instantaneous power in Appendix Z,
Section 2.f. as follows:
Instantaneous power means the product of
the instantaneous voltage and instantaneous
current at a port (the terminal pair of a load).
Minimum Output Current
DOE’s proposed definition for
minimum output current would
describe this term precisely and clarify
the external power supply test
procedure, which uses the term
minimum output current to specify the
loading conditions for multiple-voltage
units. DOE is proposing to define this
term in Appendix Z, Section 2.g. as
follows:
Minimum output current means the
minimum current that must be drawn from
an output bus for an external power supply
to operate within its specifications.
Multiple-Voltage External Power Supply
DOE proposes to define the term
‘‘multiple-voltage external power
supply’’ in its test procedure. As
discussed in section III.B, DOE proposes
to incorporate into its test procedure a
method that manufacturers can use to
test and report on the efficiency of a
multiple-voltage external power supply.
The proposed definition is based on the
language used in the CEC EPS Test
Procedure for single-voltage external
power, adapted to multiple-voltage
units with more than one output. DOE
believes that its proposed definition is
accurate and complete, and its adoption
would help to clarify this term for any
users of the DOE test procedure.
Accordingly, DOE is proposing to define
this term in Appendix Z, Section 2.h. as
follows:
Multiple-voltage external power supply
means an external power supply that is
designed to convert line voltage AC input
into more than one simultaneous lowervoltage output.
Nameplate Input Frequency, Input
Voltage, Output Current, Output Power,
and Output Voltage
DOE proposes to define the terms
‘‘nameplate input frequency,’’
‘‘nameplate input voltage,’’ ‘‘nameplate
output current,’’ ‘‘nameplate output
power,’’ and ‘‘nameplate output
voltage’’ in its test procedure. These
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terms all refer to the manufacturers’
ratings affixed to the outside of the case
of an external power supply denoting
the maximum or typical input and
output parameters. The proposed DOE
definitions are consistent with the CEC
EPS Test Procedure definitions but more
concise. DOE found in its review of
definitions that the CEC EPS Test
Procedure definitions included
illustrative language or examples, which
DOE believes extraneous to its purposes.
Accordingly, DOE is proposing to define
these terms in Appendix Z, Sections
2.i–2.m as follows:
i. Nameplate input frequency means the
AC input frequency of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing.
j. Nameplate input voltage means the AC
input voltage of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing.
k. Nameplate output current means the
current output of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing (either DC or AC).
l. Nameplate output power means the
power output of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing.
m. Nameplate output voltage means the
voltage output of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing (either DC or AC).
Output Bus
DOE proposes to define the term
‘‘output bus’’ in its test procedure for
external power supplies. An output bus
is physically composed of output wires
from the power supply that are able to
deliver power to a load. DOE proposes
to define this term in Appendix Z,
Section 2.p. as follows:
Output bus means any of the outputs of the
power supply, to which loads can be
connected and from which power can be
drawn, as opposed to signal connections
used for communication.
Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage
External Power Supply
Since this rulemaking proposes a test
method under which manufacturers
would test and state the efficiency of
their switch-selectable single-voltage
external power supplies, DOE also
proposes to include and define in its
test procedure the term ‘‘switchselectable single-voltage external power
supply.’’ DOE seeks to clarify the
distinction between a ‘‘switch-selectable
single-voltage power supply,’’ which
provides only one of several output
voltages at a time, and a ‘‘multiplevoltage external power supply,’’ which
provides multiple voltages
simultaneously. DOE’s proposed
definition for this term is based on a
draft Australian/New Zealand standards
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document and, if adopted, would help
harmonize its usage. Accordingly, DOE
is proposing to define this term in
Appendix Z, Section 2.t. as follows:
Switch-selectable single-voltage external
power supply means a single-voltage AC–AC
or AC–DC power supply that allows users to
choose from more than one output voltage.
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Unit Under Test
Finally, DOE proposes to define the
term ‘‘unit under test’’ in its external
power supply test procedure. The
proposed definition into Appendix Z to
Subpart B of Part 430, Section 2.w states
that the unit under test means ‘‘the
external power supply being tested.’’
Since the unit under test in this test
procedure always applies to the external
power supply being tested, DOE’s
proposed definition is consistent with
how this term is interpreted by industry
when using the external power supply
test procedure.
DOE welcomes stakeholder comments
on all of the proposed definitions for the
external power supply test procedure.
D. Single-Voltage External Power
Supply Test Procedure Amendments
During the development of the test
procedure for multiple-voltage external
power supplies, DOE found areas for
improvement in its existing (singlevoltage) external power supply test
procedure codified in Appendix Z. To
improve the existing (single-voltage)
external power supply test procedure,
DOE is weighing the incorporation of a
number of changes to Appendix Z.
These changes would involve sections 3
and 4 and would, among other things,
help tighten the testing requirements to
help improve the accuracy of test
results.
Specifically, DOE is considering four
changes to the Test Apparatus and
General Instructions (section 3 of
Appendix Z): (1) Adopting the same
three-step resolution requirement for
equipment at powers greater than 10 W;
(2) replacing the requirement on AC
input voltage source output power with
a requirement that the AC source
voltage remain within 1 percent of 115
volts; (3) loosening the AC source
voltage THD requirement from less than
or equal to 2 percent to less than or
equal to 3 percent; and (4) requiring full
accounting of losses associated with the
test leads. These proposed changes are
designed to improve the existing test
conditions and clarify the test procedure
instructions.
A further change to section 4 of
Appendix Z would tighten the stability
requirement for power measurement
from 5 percent to 1 percent, yielding
more repeatable and accurate test
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results. DOE specifically requests
stakeholder comments on the possibility
of amending some of the same
requirements in its single-voltage
external power supply test procedure as
are proposed in section III.B above for
multiple-voltage external power
supplies (section III.B).
DOE believes that incorporating the
proposed changes for multiple-voltage
external power supplies into the singlevoltage test procedure would improve
the accuracy and repeatability of
measurements and, on the whole, ease
the testing burden on manufacturers.
However, while DOE believes that the
proposed amendments for multiplevoltage EPSs are both reasonable and
appropriate, DOE is also concerned
about departures from the CEC EPS Test
Procedure (single-voltage) requirements,
which have been adopted
internationally. Consequently, DOE is
not proposing revised regulatory text for
single-voltage EPSs, but is considering
whether to revise the current test
procedure in the manner described in
the sections that follow. Stakeholder
comments are sought on this issue to
help DOE decide whether to incorporate
these revisions in the final rule. As
discussed in the following sections,
DOE is considering amending the
single-voltage test procedure, regarding
measurement resolution and
uncertainty, AC source voltage
requirements, AC source distortion
requirements, test lead loss
measurements, and power measurement
stability requirements. DOE is
requesting comments on these changes
under consideration.
1. Measurement Resolution and
Uncertainty
The Test Apparatus and General
Instructions section (section 3 of
Appendix Z) of the DOE power supply
test procedure references the CEC EPS
Test Procedure, which sets out in
section 4.b a requirement that all power
measurements shall be made with a
measurement resolution of 0.01 W or
better. As discussed in section III.B.1.i
above, this requirement would likely be
burdensome and not result in significant
gains in measurement accuracy. This
measurement resolution requirement is
also in conflict with IEC Standard
62301, which incorporates the
aforementioned three-tiered approach
for measurement resolution. To address
this difference between the DOE test
procedure and IEC Standard 62301,
DOE is considering adopting the IEC
62301 approach by amending the singlevoltage external power supply test
procedure in section 3(a) of Appendix Z
to include the following resolution
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requirement for power measurements:
(1) 0.01 W or better for measurements of
10 W or less, (2) 0.1 W or better for
measurements of greater than 10 W up
to 100 W, and (3) 1 W or better for
measurements of greater than 100 W.
Similarly, the CEC IPS Test Procedure
qualifies its measurement uncertainty
requirements by including confidence
levels, which are missing both from the
CEC EPS and DOE single-voltage test
procedure. Adopting these confidence
levels would complete the singlevoltage test procedure and align it with
general engineering practice and IEC
Standard 62301.
2. AC Source Voltage Requirement
The Test Apparatus and General
Instructions section of the DOE test
procedure (section 3 of Appendix Z)
references the CEC EPS Test Procedure,
which sets a requirement in section 4.e
that the AC source voltage have an
output power 10 times greater than the
nameplate output power of the unit
under test. As discussed in section
III.B.1.ii above, this requirement may be
burdensome for testing laboratories and
may not guarantee a constant voltage in
cases of significant reactive power draw
due to a unit under test with a low
power factor. DOE is therefore
considering amending its single-voltage
external power supply test procedure in
section 3(a) of Appendix Z to include a
requirement that the AC source voltage
not deviate by more than 1 percent from
its nominal value, achievable with an
AC voltage regulator and, where
practicable, the input voltage source be
capable of delivering at least 10 times
the nameplate input power of the unit
under test (as recommended by IEEE
Standard 1515–2000).
3. AC Source Distortion Requirement
The Test Apparatus and General
Instructions section of the DOE test
procedure (section 3 of Appendix Z)
references the CEC EPS Test Procedure,
which includes a requirement in section
4.e that the AC source have a THD of
less than 2 percent. As discussed in
section III.B.1.iii of this notice, this
requirement may be burdensome, since
the specifications of common
laboratory-grade AC regulators that DOE
has reviewed can only guarantee a THD
of less than 3 percent, not 2 percent.
DOE is therefore considering amending
the single-voltage external power supply
test in section 3(a) of Appendix Z
procedure to include a requirement that
the AC source THD be no greater than
3 percent, consistent with DOE’s
proposal for multiple-voltage external
power supplies.
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4. Test Lead Loss Measurement
The Test Apparatus and General
Instructions section of the DOE test
procedure (section 3 of Appendix Z)
references the CEC EPS Test Procedure,
which sets a requirement that the test
apparatus use leads with ‘‘large gauge
and short length.’’ CEC EPS Test
Procedure, section 4.f. As discussed in
section III.B.1.iv, this requirement does
not fully account for, or explicitly limit,
the error that may be introduced into
the measurements due to test lead
resistance. DOE is therefore considering
following the approach used in the CEC
IPS Test Procedure by amending the
single-voltage external power supply
test procedure in section 3(a) of
Appendix Z to include a requirement
that the testing laboratory account for
and document the losses in the test
leads.
5. Power Measurement Stability
Requirement
The Test Measurement section of the
DOE test procedure (section 4 of
Appendix Z) references the CEC EPS
Test Procedure, which sets a
requirement in section 5.d that the AC
input power into the unit under test
must not drift by more than 5 percent
from the maximum value observed
when conducting instantaneous
measurements. As discussed in section
III.B.2.i, DOE believes that this 5percent stability requirement is not
stringent enough and could introduce
some error into the efficiency
measurement.
To address this issue, DOE is
considering adopting part of the
procedures presented in the CEC IPS
Test Procedure by amending the
requirements in the single-voltage
external power supply test procedure in
section 4(a) of Appendix Z to require a
1-percent stability criterion, while
retaining provisions for the calculation
of average power through integration
when that stability requirement cannot
be met.
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E. Switch-Selectable Voltage External
Power Supplies
In reviewing the DOE test procedure
(Appendix Z), DOE noted that it does
not explain to manufacturers how they
should test and rate external power
supplies that incorporate a switch that
enables users to vary the output voltage
of the unit under test. To remedy this
gap, DOE proposes that external power
supplies with a switch-selectable output
voltage shall be tested at the maximum
and minimum voltage setting. Under
this proposal, an external power supply
with a switch-selectable output voltage
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would be considered in compliance
with an energy efficiency standard if it
meets or exceeds the minimum
requirements at both its lowest and
highest selectable output voltage.
Conducting both tests makes DOE’s
procedures consistent with those of the
ENERGY STAR 18 and Australian and
New Zealand 19 external power supply
efficiency programs.
F. Submission of Certification Test Data
to DOE
Manufacturers of covered and
regulated products must file
documentation with DOE to certify that
the products they are distributing into
commerce in the United States are
compliant with the Federal energy
conservation standards. EISA modified
EPCA by establishing standards for
Class A external power supplies,
including minimum active-mode
efficiency and maximum no-load power
consumption. In prescribing these
standards, Congress effectively extended
the pre-existing certification
requirements to apply to Class A
external power supplies. Consequently,
DOE is including these products in the
requirements of 10 CFR part 430.
1. Background
In its July 2006 NOPR, DOE had
proposed several components of the
certification and enforcement procedure
for both battery chargers and external
power supplies, including definitions of
‘‘basic model’’ and ‘‘covered product,’’ a
sampling plan, and test procedures. 71
FR at 42178. In December 2006, DOE
codified some of the measures proposed
in the July 2006 NOPR, including
modifications to the definitions of
‘‘basic model’’ and ‘‘covered product’’
and the test procedures. 71 FR at 71340.
In the following section, DOE
provides a summary review and several
cross-references to its actions with
respect to the certification and
enforcement provisions for battery
chargers and external power supplies.
i. Definition of ‘‘Basic Model’’
In its December 2006 Final Rule, DOE
codified amendments to the definition
of ‘‘basic model’’ in 10 CFR 430.2 to
make it applicable to battery chargers
and external power supplies. 71 FR at
71365. These amendments to the
definition of a basic model establish
how this term applies to these two
18 ‘‘ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for
Single Voltage-voltage External Ac-Dc and Ac-Ac
Power Supplies Eligibility Criteria (Version 2.0),’’
Final Draft, February 19, 2008.
19 AS/NZS 4665.2, ‘‘Minimum Energy
Performance Standards (MEPS) Requirements,’’
Draft.
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products. The basic model concept is
important because it represents the level
at which manufacturers must
demonstrate that they comply with any
Federal regulation. By including
discussion of this term in today’s NOPR,
DOE is not re-opening and revising the
definitions of basic model for battery
chargers or external power supplies.
Instead, DOE is including this
discussion to facilitate stakeholder
interpretation of how this term,
previously defined, applies to these two
products.
The codified language adopted in
December 2006 concerning the basic
model definitions for battery chargers
and external power supplies read as
follows:
Basic model means all units of a given type
of covered product (or class thereof)
manufactured by one manufacturer and—
*
*
*
*
*
(25) With respect to battery chargers,
which have electrical characteristics that are
essentially identical, and which do not have
any different physical or functional
characteristics that affect energy
consumption.
(26) With respect to external power
supplies, which have electrical
characteristics that are essentially identical,
and which do not have any different physical
or functional characteristics that affect energy
consumption.
As previously discussed, EISA
established energy conservation
standards for Class A external power
supplies. Starting on the effective date
of that standard, manufacturers are
required to track the efficiency of their
designs and certify compliance at the
basic model level. The phrase ‘‘any
different physical or functional
characteristics that affect energy
consumption’’ means that any
modification for a particular product
which changes the efficiency becomes a
new basic model. In other words, three
50 W power supplies having similar
electrical design characteristics but
having 8 V, 18 V and 40 V outputs
would be classified as three different
basic models because the functional
characteristic of output voltage will
affect efficiency. Similarly, three 50 W
power supplies having exactly the same
electrical design characteristics but
having a 4 foot, 6 foot, and 8 foot output
cords would be classified as three
different basic models because this
physical characteristic affects energy
consumption. In essence, if an EPS
manufacturer creates a custom design to
fulfill an order from a customer, that
design would represent a new basic
model if any modification to that design
affects the energy consumption of the
device.
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ii. Definition of ‘‘Covered Product’’
In its December 2006 Final Rule, DOE
codified an amendment to the definition
of ‘‘covered product’’ in 10 CFR 430.2
to clarify that the term applies to a
‘‘battery charger’’ and an ‘‘external
power supply.’’ 71 FR at 71366.
Following that amendment, the
definition of a covered product reads as
follows:
Covered product means a consumer
product: (1) Of a type specified in section 322
of the Act, or (2) That is a ceiling fan, ceiling
fan light kit, medium base compact
fluorescent lamp, dehumidifier, battery
charger, external power supply, or torchiere.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
iii. Sampling Plan
DOE is in the process of completing
and publishing its Final Rule to address
those items that were not addressed in
the December 2006 final rule. These
items include codifying the sampling
plans that were proposed in July 2006,
including one each for battery chargers
and external power supplies. The
sampling plan determines the number of
units of each basic model a
manufacturer must test as the basis for
rating the model and determining
whether it complies with an applicable
Federal standard.
The sampling plans follow the same
approach as for other regulated products
listed in 10 CFR Part 430. When
proposing these sampling plans for
battery chargers and external power
supplies, DOE considered four factors:
(1) Minimizing manufacturers’ testing
time and costs; (2) assuring
compatibility with other sampling plans
the Department has promulgated; (3)
providing a highly statistically valid
probability that basic models that are
tested meet applicable energy
conservation standards; and (4)
providing a highly statistically valid
probability that a manufacturer
preliminarily found to be in
noncompliance will actually be in
noncompliance.
In the July 2006 NOPR, DOE proposed
the following rule language with respect
to the sampling plan for battery chargers
(71 FR at 42204):
(aa) For each basic model of battery charger
selected for testing, a sample of sufficient
size shall be selected at random and tested
to ensure that—(1) Any represented value of
the estimated nonactive energy ratio or other
measure of energy consumption of a basic
model for which consumers would favor
lower values shall be no less than the higher
of: (i) The mean of the sample, or (ii) The
upper 97.5 percent confidence limit of the
true mean divided by 1.05, and (2) Any
represented value of the estimated nonactive
energy ratio or other measure of energy
consumption of a basic model for which
consumers would favor higher values shall
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be no greater than the lower of: (i) The mean
of the sample, or (ii) The lower 97.5 percent
confidence limit of the true mean divided by
0.95.
In the July 2006 NOPR, DOE proposed
the following rule language with respect
to the sampling plan for external power
supplies (71 FR at 42204):
(bb) For each basic model of external
power supply selected for testing, a sample
of sufficient size shall be selected at random
and tested to ensure that—(1) Any
represented value of the estimated energy
consumption of a basic model for which
consumers would favor lower values shall be
no less than the higher of: (i) The mean of
the sample, or (ii) The upper 97.5 percent
confidence limit of the true mean divided by
1.05, and (2) Any represented value of the
estimated energy consumption of a basic
model for which consumers would favor
higher values shall be no greater than the
lower of: (i) The mean of the sample, or (ii)
The lower 97.5 percent confidence limit of
the true mean divided by 0.95.
iv. Test Procedures
In the December 2006 Final Rule,
DOE codified two test procedures for
measuring the performance of battery
chargers and external power supplies.
71 FR at 71366 and 71368. These same
test procedures are discussed
extensively in this Federal Register
notice, as DOE is proposing
modifications to the test procedures for
both products. The two test procedures
are codified in Appendices Y and Z.
DOE anticipates that, like most other
regulated products, manufacturers will
test and certify their own products as
being compliant with any national
regulatory standard. Some
manufacturers may choose to outsource
this testing to a third-party test facility
that is certified for efficiency
measurements of battery chargers and
external power supplies; however, DOE
does not require independent test lab
results. Rather, DOE does accept test
reports from manufacturers if (1) their
in-house testing facilities are capable of
complying with all the requirements of
DOE’s test procedures, including
equipment tolerances and accuracy
requirements, and (2) the technicians
conducting the testing on the unit under
test follow the test procedure
methodology exactly.
v. Enforcement Provisions
Once DOE has adopted the sampling
requirements for battery chargers and
external power supplies at the
conclusion of this rulemaking, each
product will automatically become
subject to the existing certification and
enforcement provisions in 10 CFR part
430. These provisions include section
430.62 for certification, and sections
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430.61, 430.71, 430.72, 430.73, and
430.74 for enforcement. DOE discussed
the applicability of the enforcement
provisions in its July 2006 NOPR. 71 FR
at 42191–42195.
The required certification report
would be submitted for all basic models
of a covered product, limited currently
to Class A external power supplies, and
shall include for each basic model the
product type, product class, the
manufacturer’s name, the private
labeler’s name(s) (if applicable), the
manufacturer’s model number(s), and
the active-mode efficiency and no-loadmode power consumption of that basic
model. As discussed in sections II.E and
III.E of today’s notice, DOE is proposing
that manufacturers of Class A external
power supplies incorporating a switchselectable output voltage report the
measured active-mode efficiency and
no-load-mode power consumption at
the lowest and highest selectable output
voltages.
2. Alternative Reporting Methodology
Under Consideration
DOE’s standard certification reporting
procedure requires manufacturers to
report on the efficiency or energy or
water consumption of each basic model
of a covered product. As discussed in
section III.F.1.i, a basic model
constitutes those designs that have no
differentiating electrical, physical, or
functional features that affect energy
consumption. For external power
supplies, DOE understands that many of
these devices are custom-built to OEM
specifications. These custom designs
often incorporate customer-specified
features or performance criteria that
impact the energy consumption of the
power supply and establish the design
as a new and unique basic model.
Therefore, due to the way in which
external power supplies are specified
and manufactured, customized designs
will virtually always be a different basic
model. DOE understands that some
manufacturers could produce significant
numbers of basic models each year and
is concerned that by applying the
standard certification and reporting
requirements as found in 10 CFR part
430, it may be placing significant
burden on manufacturers.
While manufacturers would be
required to report to DOE on each basic
model manufactured, DOE is also
considering allowing manufacturers to
choose an alternative approach to
certification reporting which may
alleviate some manufacturer burden.
DOE may adopt this alternative
approach in the final rule if DOE
concludes that this alternative approach
would reduce manufacturer testing and
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reporting burden while ensuring
compliance with the mandatory
standards.
DOE’s alternative approach is based
on how the Environmental Protection
Agency allows for reporting and
certification of ‘‘families’’ of external
power supplies in the ENERGY STAR
program. In this approach,
manufacturers establish design families,
which are groups of basic models that
have the same wattage rating, input
voltage(s), and fundamental electrical
circuit design, but which have different
output voltages. For example, a design
family may consist of five EPSs, all
rated at 20 W, but having output
voltages ranging from 5 V through 40 V.
In the ENERGY STAR program,
manufacturers may choose to certify
only the highest and lowest rated
voltage within that design family, and
then certify compliance on all basic
models within that group if both models
are in compliance. Manufacturers are
still held responsible for the individual
compliance of all basic models within
certified design families.
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DOE’s main concern about allowing
manufacturers to establish a ‘‘design
family’’ approach to certifying groups of
basic models is that manufacturers
could change the wire gauge and
potentially the length of the output
cable. Due to the fact that the resistance
of output wire can contribute to
approximately 10 to 20 percent of the
total losses incurred by an external
power supply, DOE is concerned that
manufacturers may use particular
output wires to qualify the highest and
lowest voltage EPS in a design family,
and then use output wires with higher
losses for the interim voltages, which
may cause one or more of those basic
models to be non-compliant. For this
reason, like EPA, DOE would require
manufacturers who may choose this socalled alternative approach to certify
compliance of all basic models, even if
they are only reporting on a limited
subset within a design family.
DOE is considering this alternative
approach because (1) manufacturers
would still be held accountable for the
compliance of all basic models
manufactured or imported; (2) it offers
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a means by which reporting burden on
manufacturers could be reduced; and (3)
DOE believes that the external power
supply market dynamics (i.e., how
orders are placed and fulfilled) may
warrant this approach. DOE invites
stakeholder comment on this alternative
approach for reducing manufacturer
burden when reporting on the
compliance of basic models produced.
DOE provided a suggested format for
the compliance statement and
certification report in Appendix A to
Subpart F of part 430—Compliance
Statement and Certification Report,
which was published in a final rule in
March 1998 (63 FR 13321).20 These
reporting requirements are consistent
with requirements and burdens placed
on manufacturers of other covered and
regulated products. DOE is also
providing stakeholders the suggested
format below in Figure III.1.
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
20 Available at https://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/
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IV. Public Participation
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A. Attendance at Public Meeting
The time and date of the public
meeting are listed in the DATES section
at the beginning of this NOPR. The
public meeting will be held at the U.S.
Department of Energy, Forrestal
Building, Room 1E–245, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121. To attend
the public meeting, please notify Ms.
Brenda Edwards at (202) 586–2945.
(Please note that foreign nationals
participating in the public meeting are
subject to advance security screening
procedures which may take up to 30
days. If a foreign national wishes to
participate in the workshop, please
inform DOE as soon as possible by
contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards at the
number above so that the necessary
procedures can be completed.)
B. Procedure for Submitting Requests To
Speak
Any person who has an interest in the
topics addressed in this notice, or who
is a representative of a group or class of
persons that has an interest in these
issues, may request an opportunity to
make an oral presentation at the public
meeting. Such persons may hand
deliver requests to speak to the address
shown in the ADDRESSES section at the
beginning of this notice between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Requests may
also be sent by mail or e-mail to: Ms.
Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of
Energy, Building Technologies Program,
6th Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW.,
Washington, DC 20024, or
Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. Persons
who wish to speak should include in
their request a computer diskette or CD
in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF,
or text (ASCII) file format that briefly
describes the nature of their interest in
this rulemaking and the topics they
wish to discuss. This person should also
provide a daytime telephone number
where he or she can be reached. DOE
requests that those persons who are
scheduled to speak submit a copy of
their statements at least two weeks prior
to the public meeting. DOE may permit
any person who cannot supply an
advance copy of this statement to
participate if that person has made
alternative arrangements with the
Building Technologies Program in
advance. When necessary, the request to
give an oral presentation should ask for
such alternative arrangements.
C. Conduct of Public Meeting
DOE will designate a DOE official to
preside at the public meeting and may
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also employ a professional facilitator to
aid discussion. The public meeting will
be conducted in an informal conference
style. The meeting will not be a judicial
or evidentiary public hearing, but DOE
will conduct it in accordance with 5
U.S.C. 553 and section 336 of EPCA (42
U.S.C. 6306). There shall be no
discussion of proprietary information,
costs or prices, market share, or other
commercial matters regulated by U.S.
antitrust laws.
DOE reserves the right to schedule the
order of presentations and to establish
the procedures governing the conduct of
the public meeting. A court reporter will
record the proceedings and prepare a
transcript.
At the public meeting, DOE will
provide an opportunity to stakeholders
to present summaries of any comments
they submitted to DOE before the public
meeting, and encourage all interested
parties to share their views on issues
affecting this rulemaking. Each
participant may present a prepared
general statement (within time limits
determined by DOE) before the
discussion of specific topics. Other
participants may comment on any
general statements. After the completion
of all prepared statements, participants
may clarify their statements and
comment on statements made by others.
Participants should be prepared to
answer questions from DOE and other
participants. Department representatives
may also ask questions about other
matters relevant to this rulemaking. The
official conducting the public meeting
will accept additional comments or
questions from those attending as time
permits. The presiding official will
announce any further procedural rules
or modification of procedures needed
for the proper conduct of the public
meeting.
DOE will make the entire record of
this proposed rulemaking, including the
transcript from the public meeting,
available for inspection at the U.S.
Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950
L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC
20024, (202) 586–9127, between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. A copy of the
transcript will be posted online.
Stakeholders should avoid the use of
special characters or any form of
encryption, and wherever possible,
comments should include the electronic
signature of the author. Absent an
electronic signature, comments
submitted electronically must be
followed and authenticated by
submitting a signed original paper
document to the address provided at the
beginning of this notice. Comments,
data, and information submitted to DOE
by mail or hand delivery/courier should
include one signed original paper copy.
No telefacsimiles (faxes) will be
accepted.
According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any
person submitting information that he
or she believes to be confidential and
exempt by law from public disclosure
should submit two copies: one copy of
the document including all the
information believed to be confidential,
and one copy of the document with the
information believed to be confidential
deleted. DOE will make its own
determination as to the confidential
status of the information and treat it
according to its determination.
Factors of interest to DOE when
evaluating requests to treat submitted
information as confidential include (1) a
description of the items; (2) whether
and why such items are customarily
treated as confidential within the
industry; (3) whether the information is
generally known or available from
public sources; (4) whether the
information has previously been made
available to others without obligation
concerning its confidentiality; (5) an
explanation of the competitive injury to
the submitting person which would
result from public disclosure; (6) a date
after which such information might no
longer be considered confidential; and
(7) why disclosure of the information
would be contrary to the public interest.
After the public meeting and the
expiration of the period for submission
of written statements, DOE will begin
conducting the analyses as discussed at
the public meeting and reviewing the
comments received.
D. Submission of Comments
DOE will accept comments, data, and
information regarding this notice, the
proceeding of the public meeting, or any
aspect of the rulemaking no later than
the date provided at the beginning of
this notice. Comments, data, and
information submitted to DOE’s e-mail
address for this rulemaking should be
provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft
Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) file format.
E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment
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Comments are welcome on all aspects
of this rulemaking. However, DOE is
particularly interested in receiving
comments and views of interested
parties concerning the following issues:
1. Standby Mode and Off Mode
DOE invites stakeholder comments on
the proposed approach for defining
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standby mode and off mode for both
battery chargers and external power
supplies. DOE also invites comment on
the proposed test methods for
measuring standby mode and off mode
energy consumption for external power
supplies, including whether the
duration of the measurement is
sufficiently long. (See section III.A.)
2. Definitions in the Test Procedures
DOE proposes to revise certain
existing definitions and to add several
new definitions to harmonize with
ENERGY STAR test procedures and
enhance the clarity and transparency of
DOE’s test procedure. DOE also
proposes some new definitions that are
necessary for the multiple-voltage
external power supply test procedure
proposed in today’s notice. DOE invites
comments from stakeholders on all the
definitions proposed in today’s notice.
(See section III.C.)
3. Measurement Resolution and
Uncertainty
DOE seeks comment on its proposal to
allow measurement resolution to scale
with the magnitude of power measured,
which would make DOE’s test
procedure consistent with IEC Standard
62301. More specifically, DOE proposes
changing the measurement equipment
minimum resolution to 0.1 watts for
measurements taken that are greater
than 10 watts up to 100 watts and 1 watt
for measurements taken that are greater
than 100 watts. In making this change,
the DOE proposal maintains a resolution
of 0.5 percent or better at all times. DOE
proposes to fully qualify the uncertainty
of measurement specification by
requiring a 95-percent confidence level
on the measurement resolution
requirements. DOE invites comments
from stakeholders on this proposed
change, and any possible impacts of
these changes on testing burden and
measurement accuracy. (See sections
III.B.1.i and III.D.1.)
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4. AC Source Voltage Requirements
DOE seeks comments on the proposed
changes to the specification regarding
regulation and harmonic distortion of
the AC input voltage source. In
particular, DOE welcomes comments on
the impacts of the changes on the testing
burden or measurement accuracy and
repeatability. (See sections III.B.1.ii,
III.B.1.iii, III.D.2 and III.D.3.)
5. Test Lead Loss Measurement
DOE seeks comments on the proposed
requirement that the testing laboratory
explicitly account for losses due to the
test leads. In particular, DOE invites
comments on the impacts of this
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requirement on measurement accuracy
and testing burden. (See sections
III.B.1.iv and III.D.4.)
6. Power Measurement Stability
Requirements
DOE invites stakeholder comments on
its proposed requirements that
measured power stabilization to within
1 percent before measurements are
recorded. The proposal allows for
average measurements in case sufficient
stability cannot be achieved. DOE
welcomes comments on the impacts of
this proposal on testing burden and
measurement accuracy and
repeatability. (See sections III.B.2.i and
III.D.5.)
7. Loading Conditions for MultipleVoltage External Power Supplies
DOE seeks comments on all issues
pertaining to loading of multiple-voltage
external power supplies. In particular,
DOE invites comments on the nominal
loading conditions (100 percent, 75
percent, 50 percent, and 25 percent of
nameplate output current), the
proportional allocation method for
derating load currents, possible further
adjustments to loading conditions due
to minimum output current
requirements, and no-load mode testing
requirements. (See section III.B.2.)
8. Single-Voltage External Power Supply
Test Procedure
DOE seeks comments on the changes
under consideration to the singlevoltage external power supply test
procedure, specifically whether these
changes would improve the accuracy
and repeatability of measurements,
bringing the test procedure more in line
with current industry standards and test
methods. (See section III.D.)
9. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage
External Power Supplies
DOE invites comments on its
proposed method for testing switchselectable single-voltage external power
supplies. In particular, DOE welcomes
comments on its proposal for testing
such units at both their highest and
lowest voltage settings, and requiring
they meet appropriate standards at both
settings. (See section III.E.)
10. Submission of Certification Test
Data to DOE
DOE seeks comment on whether
manufacturers should be required to file
paperwork on every basic model or
whether they should be allowed to form
‘‘design families’’ and only certify the
highest and lowest voltage design
within each family (while still being
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held accountable for compliance of all
basic models within that family). (See
section III.F.)
V. Procedural Issues and Regulatory
Review
A. Review Under Executive Order 12866
This proposed rule has been
determined to be not a ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ under section 3(f)(1)
of Executive Order 12866, ‘‘Regulatory
Planning and Review.’’ 58 FR 51735
(October 4, 1993). Accordingly, OMB
did not review this document.
B. Review Under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq., as amended by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996) requires
preparation of an initial regulatory
flexibility analysis for any rule that by
law must be proposed for public
comment, unless the Department
certifies that the rule, if promulgated,
will have no significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. A regulatory flexibility analysis
examines the impact of the rule on
small entities and considers alternative
ways of reducing negative impacts.
Also, 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://
www.gc.doe.gov.
EPACT amended EPCA to incorporate
into DOE’s energy conservation program
certain additional consumer products
and commercial and industrial
equipment, including battery chargers
and external power supplies. With
regard to these products, EPCA, as
amended by EPACT, directed DOE to
codify relevant definitions and test
procedures, hold a Scoping Workshop
public meeting to discuss DOE’s plans
for developing energy conservation
standards, and finally, conduct a
determination analysis on the feasibility
of standards. On December 8, 2006, DOE
published definitions and test
procedures for battery chargers and
external power supplies in the Federal
Register. 71 FR 71340. Today, DOE
proposes amendments to some of these
definitions and test procedures in
compliance with EPCA, as amended by
EISA.
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DOE reviewed today’s proposed rule
under the provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act and the policies and
procedures published on February 19,
2003. As part of this rulemaking, DOE
examined the existing compliance costs
already borne by manufacturers and
compared them to the revised
compliance costs due to the proposed
amendments in this NOPR, namely, the
adoption of test procedures for multiplevoltage external power supplies and the
measurement of energy consumption of
battery chargers and external power
supplies during standby and off-mode,
amendments to the current singlevoltage external power supply test
procedure, and reporting requirements
for Class A external power supplies.
The proposed amendments to the
single-voltage test procedure are based
on tests commonly used by industry and
would, in some respects, reduce testing
costs by introducing changes designed
to ensure testing repeatability and
practicability. Regarding the reporting
requirements for Class A external power
supplies, since manufacturers would
routinely need to test their products to
ensure that they comply with the new
standards set forth in EISA, the
submission of a single page certifying
compliance with those standards would
not likely increase manufacturer costs
significantly.
Accordingly, DOE does not find that
the revisions proposed in this document
would result in any significant increase
in testing or compliance costs and
tentatively concludes and certifies that
this rulemaking would not impose a
significant impact on a substantial
number of small businesses
manufacturing covered battery chargers
and external power supplies.
Accordingly, DOE has not prepared a
regulatory flexibility analysis for this
rulemaking. DOE’s certification and
supporting statement of factual basis
will be provided to the Chief Counsel
for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
605(b).
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C. Review Under the Paperwork
Reduction Act
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3500 et seq.),
a person is not required to respond to
a collection of information by a Federal
agency unless the collection displays a
valid OMB control number. This NOPR
would not impose any new information
or recordkeeping requirements, since it
does not change the existing
manufacturer certification and reporting
requirements adopted in DOE’s
December 8, 2006, final rule.
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Accordingly, no OMB clearance is
required under the PRA.
D. Review Under the National
Environmental Policy Act
In this proposed rule, DOE proposes
test procedure amendments that it
expects will be used to develop and
implement future energy conservation
standards for battery chargers and
external power supplies. 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.) (NEPA)
and DOE’s implementing regulations at
10 CFR part 1021. Specifically, the rule
is covered by Categorical Exclusion A5,
for rulemakings that interpret or amend
an existing rule without changing the
environmental effect, as set forth in
DOE’s NEPA regulations in Appendix A
to Subpart D, 10 CFR part 1021. Today’s
proposed rule will not affect the
amount, quality or distribution of
energy usage, and, therefore, will not
result in any environmental impacts.
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 developing
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
developing such regulations. 65 FR
13735. DOE examined this proposed
rule and determined that it does 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. Accordingly,
Executive Order 13132 requires no
further action.
F. Review Under Executive Order 12988
With respect to the review of existing
regulations and the promulgation of
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new regulations, section 3(a) of
Executive Order 12988, ‘‘Civil Justice
Reform,’’ 61 FR 4729 (February 7, 1996),
imposes on Federal agencies the 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
promote simplification and burden
reduction. Section 3(b) of Executive
Order 12988 specifically requires,
among other things, 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; (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
rulemaking 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) (Pub. L.
No. 104–4, codified at 2 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq.) generally requires Federal agencies
to examine closely the impacts of
regulatory actions on State, local, or
Tribal governments. Subsection 101(5)
of Title I of that law defines a Federal
intergovernmental mandate to include a
regulation that would impose upon
State, local, or Tribal governments an
enforceable duty, except a condition of
Federal assistance or a duty arising from
participating in a voluntary Federal
program. Title II of that law requires
each Federal agency to assess the effects
of Federal regulatory actions on State,
local, and Tribal governments, in the
aggregate, or the private sector, other
than to the extent such actions merely
incorporate requirements specifically
set forth in a statute. Section 202 of the
title requires a Federal agency to
perform as detailed assessment of the
anticipated costs and benefits of any
rule that includes a Federal mandate
which may result in costs State, local,
or Tribal governments, or the private
sector of $100 million or more in any
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one year (adjusted annually for
inflation). 2 U.S.C. 1532(a) and (b).
Section 204 of that title requires each
agency that proposed a rule containing
a significant Federal intergovernmental
mandate to develop an effective process
for obtaining meaningful and timely
input by elected officers of State, local,
and Tribal governments. 2 U.S.C. 1534.
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://www.gc.doe.gov). Today’s
proposed rule would amend the
definitions and test procedures that
would be used in measuring the energy
efficiency of battery chargers and
external power supplies. The proposed
rule would not result in the expenditure
of $100 million or more in any year.
Accordingly, no assessment or analysis
is required under the UMRA.
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.
Today’s proposed rule to amend DOE
test procedures would not have any
impact on the autonomy or integrity of
the family as an institution.
Accordingly, DOE has concluded that it
is unnecessary to prepare a Family
Policymaking Assessment.
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I. Review Under Executive Order 12630
Pursuant to Executive Order 12630,
‘‘Governmental Actions and Interference
with Constitutionally Protected Property
Rights,’’ 53 FR 8859 (March 18, 1988),
DOE has determined that this rule
would not result in any takings that
might require compensation under the
Fifth Amendment to the United States
Constitution.
J. Review Under the Treasury and
General Government Appropriations
Act, 2001
Section 515 of the Treasury and
General Government Appropriations
Act, 2001 (Pub. L. 106–554, codified at
44 U.S.C. 3516 note) provides for
agencies to review most disseminations
of information to the public under
information quality guidelines
established by each agency under
general guidelines issued by OMB.
OMB’s guidelines were published at 67
FR 8452 (February 22, 2002), and DOE’s
guidelines were published at 67 FR
62446 (October 7, 2002). DOE has
reviewed today’s proposed rule under
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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 proposed
significant energy action. A ‘‘significant
energy action’’ is defined as any action
by an agency that promulgated a final
rule 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 proposed significant energy action,
the agency must give a detailed
statement of any adverse effects on
energy supply, distribution, or use
should the proposal be implemented,
and reasonable alternatives to the action
and their expected benefits on energy
supply, distribution, and use. Because
this rulemaking is not expected to be a
significant regulatory action under E.O.
12866; would not have a significant
adverse effect on the supply,
distribution, or use of energy; and has
not been designated a significant energy
action by the Administrator of OIRA,
DOE has tentatively determined that
this rule is not a significant energy
action. Accordingly, DOE has not
prepared a Statement of Energy Effects
for this rulemaking.
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), the Department of Energy must
comply with section 32 of the Federal
Energy Administration Act of 1974
(Pub. L. 93–275), as amended by the
Federal Energy Administration
Authorization Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 95–
70). 15 U.S.C. 788. Section 32 provides
that where a proposed rule authorizes or
requires use of commercial standards,
the NOPR must inform the public of the
use and background of such standards.
In addition, section 32(c) requires DOE
to consult with the Department of
Justice (DOJ) and the FTC concerning
the impact of the commercial or
industry standards on competition.
The rule proposed in this notice
incorporates testing methods contained
in the following commercial standards:
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(1) CEC 2007 Appliance Efficiency
Regulations, Section 1604(u)(1) that
directly cites ‘‘Test Method for
Calculating the Energy Efficiency of
Single-Voltage External AC–DC and
AC–AC Power Supplies,’’ (2) IEEE Std
1515–2000, ‘‘IEEE Recommended
Practice for Electronic Power
Subsystems: Parameter Definitions, Test
Conditions, and Test Methods,’’ and (3)
IEC Standard 62301 ‘‘Household
electrical appliances—Measurement of
standby power.’’ DOE has evaluated
these revised standards and is unable to
conclude whether they fully comply
with the requirements of section 32(b) of
the Federal Energy Administration Act,
(i.e., that they were developed in a
manner that fully provides for public
participation, comment, and review).
DOE will consult with the Attorney
General and the Chairman of the FTC
concerning the impact of these test
procedures on competition of requiring
use of methods contained in these
standards to test battery chargers and
external power supplies.
VI. Approval of the Office of the
Secretary
The Secretary of Energy has approved
publication of this proposed rule.
List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430
Administrative practice and
procedure, Confidential business
information, Energy conservation,
Household appliances, Imports,
Intergovernmental relations, Small
businesses.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 1,
2008.
Alexander A. Karsner,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, DOE proposes to amend 10
CFR part 430 as follows:
PART 430—ENERGY CONSERVATION
PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER
PRODUCTS
1. The authority citation for part 430
continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6291–6309; 28 U.S.C.
2461 note.
2. In § 430.22 add new paragraphs
(b)(1)9, (b)(4)3, (b)(4)4, (b)(4)5, (b)(11)2
and (b)(12) to read as follows:
§ 430.22
Reference sources.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) * * *
(1) * * *
9. ANSI/NCSL Z540.1–1994,
‘‘Calibration Laboratories and
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Measuring and Test Equipment—
General Requirements.’’
*
*
*
*
*
(4) * * *
3. IEC 62301, ‘‘Household electrical
appliances—Measurement of standby
power,’’ Edition 1.
4. IEC 60050, ‘‘International
Electrotechnical Vocabulary.’’
5. ISO/IEC 17025, ‘‘General
requirements for the competence of
testing and calibration laboratories’’
(2005).
*
*
*
*
*
(11) * * *
2. ‘‘Proposed Test Protocol for
Calculating the Energy Efficiency of
Internal AC–DC Power Supplies,
Revision 6.2,’’ November 2007.
(12) Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers, Inc., 3 Park
Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, N.Y.,
10016–5997, (212) 419–7900.
1. IEEE Standard 1515–2000,
‘‘Standardizing specification language.’’
2. IEEE 100, ‘‘Authoritative Dictionary
of IEEE Standards Terms,’’ Seventh
Edition.
3. In § 430.23 revise paragraphs (aa)
and (bb) to read as follows:
§ 430.23 Test procedures for the
measurement of energy and water
consumption.
*
*
*
*
(aa) Battery Chargers. The energy
consumption of a battery charger,
expressed as the nonactive energy ratio,
shall be measured in accordance with
section 4(a) of Appendix Y of this
subpart. The energy consumption of a
battery charger in standby mode and off
mode shall be measured in accordance
with section 4(c) of Appendix Y of this
subpart.
(bb) External Power Supplies. The
energy consumption of an external
power supply, including active-mode
efficiency in a percentage and the noload-, off-, and standby mode energy
consumption levels in watts, shall be
measured in accordance with section 4
of Appendix Z of this subpart.
4. Appendix Y to Subpart B of Part
430 is amended by:
a. Revising paragraph 2(i); and
b. Adding new paragraphs 2(j), 4(c)
and 4(d).
The revisions and additions read as
follows:
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*
Appendix Y to Subpart B of Part 430—
Uniform Test Method for Measuring the
Energy Consumption of Battery
Chargers
1. Scope: * * *
2. Definitions:
*
*
*
*
*
i. Off Mode is the condition, for battery
chargers with manual on-off switches, in
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which the battery charger is (1) connected to
the main electricity supply, (2) is not
connected to the battery, and (3) all switches
are turned off.
j. Standby Mode (also No-Load Mode)
means the condition in which (1) the battery
charger is connected to the main electricity
supply, (2) the battery is not connected to the
charger, and (3) for battery chargers with
manual on-off switches, all switches are
turned on.
*
*
*
*
*
4. Test Measurement:
*
*
*
*
*
(c) Standby Mode Energy Consumption
Measurement. Conduct a measurement of
standby power consumption while the
battery charger is connected to the power
source. Remove the battery from the charger
and record the power (i.e., watts) consumed
as the time series integral of the power
consumed over a one-hour test period,
divided by the period of measurement. If the
battery charger has manual switches, all must
be turned on for the duration of the standby
mode test.
Standby mode may also apply to products
with non-detachable batteries. If the product
uses a cradle and/or adapter for power
conversion and charging, then only that part
of the system will remain connected to the
main electricity supply, and standby mode
power consumption will equal that of the
cradle and/or adapter. If the product contains
integrated power conversion and charging
circuitry but is powered through a detachable
AC power cord, then only the cord will
remain connected to mains, and standby
mode power consumption will equal that of
the AC power cord (i.e., zero watts). If the
product contains integrated power
conversion and charging circuitry but is
powered through a non-detachable AC power
cord, then no part of the system will remain
connected to mains and standby mode power
consumption is not applicable.
(d) Off Mode Energy Consumption
Measurement. If the battery charger has
manual switches, record a measurement of
off mode energy consumption while the
battery charger is connected to the power
source. Remove the battery from the charger
and record the power (i.e., watts) consumed
as the time series integral of the power
consumed over a one-hour test period,
divided by the period of measurement, with
all switches turned off. If the battery charger
does not have manual switches, record that
the off mode measurement is not applicable
to this product.
Off mode may also apply to products with
non-detachable batteries. If the product uses
a cradle and/or adapter for power conversion
and charging, then only that part of the
system will remain connected to the main
electricity supply, and off mode power
consumption will equal that of the cradle
and/or adapter. If the product contains
integrated power conversion and charging
circuitry but is powered through a detachable
AC power cord, then only the cord will
remain connected to mains, and off mode
power consumption will equal that of the AC
power cord (i.e., zero watts). If the product
contains integrated power conversion and
charging circuitry but is powered through a
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non-detachable AC power cord, then no part
of the system will remain connected to mains
and off mode power consumption is not
applicable.
5. Appendix Z to Subpart B of Part
430 is amended by:
a. Revising paragraphs 1 and 2;
b. Revising paragraph 3 by adding
after the introductory heading ‘‘3. Test
Apparatus and General Instructions’’ a
paragraph designation ‘‘(a) SingleVoltage External Power Supply’’;
c. Adding a new paragraph 3 (b); and
d. Revising paragraph 4.
The revisions and additions read as
follows:
Appendix Z to Subpart B of Part 430—
Uniform Test Method for Measuring the
Energy Consumption of External Power
Supplies
1. Scope: This appendix covers the test
requirements used to measure energy
consumption of external power supplies.
2. Definitions: The following definitions
are for the purposes of understanding
terminology associated with the test method
for measuring external power supply energy
consumption.1
a. Active mode means the mode of
operation when the external power supply is
connected to the main electricity supply and
the output is (or ‘‘all outputs are’’ for a
multiple-voltage external power supply)
connected to a load (or ‘‘loads’’ for a
multiple-voltage external power supply).
b. Active mode efficiency is the ratio,
expressed as a percentage, of the total real
output power produced by a power supply to
the real input power required to produce it.
(See IEEE Standard 1515–2000, 4.3.1.1.)
c. Active power (also real power) (P) means
the root-mean-square (RMS) value of the
instantaneous power taken over one period.
(See IEEE Standard 1515–2000.)
d. Ambient temperature means the
temperature of the ambient air immediately
surrounding the unit under test.
e. Apparent power (S) is the product of
RMS voltage and RMS current (VA).
f. Instantaneous power means the product
of the instantaneous voltage and
instantaneous current at a port (the terminal
pair of a load).
g. Minimum output current means the
minimum current that must be drawn from
an output bus for an external power supply
to operate within its specifications.
h. Multiple-voltage external power supply
means an external power supply that is
designed to convert line voltage AC input
into more than one simultaneous lowervoltage output.
i. Nameplate input frequency means the
AC input frequency of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing.
j. Nameplate input voltage means the AC
input voltage of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing.
1 For clarity on any other terminology used in the
test method, please refer to IEC 60050 or IEEE
Standard 100.
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o. Off mode is the condition, applicable
only to units having on-off switches, in
which the external power supply is (1)
connected to the main electricity supply, (2)
the output is not connected to any load, and
(3) all switches are turned off.
p. Output bus means any of the outputs of
the power supply to which loads can be
connected and from which power can be
drawn, as opposed to signal connections
used for communication.
q. Single-voltage external AC–AC power
supply means an external power supply that
is designed to convert line voltage AC input
into lower voltage AC output and is able to
convert to only one AC output voltage at a
time.
r. Single-voltage external AC–DC power
supply means an external power supply that
where In is the RMS value of the nth
harmonic of the current signal.
v. True power factor (PF) is the ratio of the
active power (P) consumed in watts to the
apparent power (S), drawn in volt-amperes.
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PF =
P
S
This definition of power factor includes
the effect of both distortion and
displacement.
w. Unit under test is the external power
supply being tested.
3. Test Apparatus and General Instructions
(a) Single-Voltage External Power Supply.
* * *
(b) Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supply. Unless otherwise specified,
measurements shall be made under test
conditions and with equipment specified
below.
(i) Measuring equipment. Power
measurements shall be made with a
voltmeter and ammeter (for output power
measurements) or power analyzer (for input
power measurements), calibrated in
accordance with ANSI/NCSL Standard
Z540.1 or ISO/IEC Standard 17025 and
within the calibration period as specified by
an accompanying dated calibration certificate
or label. Measurements of power of 0.5 W or
greater shall be made with an uncertainty of
less than or equal to 2 percent at the 95percent confidence level. Measurements of
power of less than 0.5 W shall be made with
an uncertainty of less than or equal to 0.01
W at the 95-percent confidence level. The
power measurement instrument shall have a
resolution of:
(A) 0.01 W or better for power
measurements of 10 W or less;
(B) 0.1 W or better for power measurements
of greater than 10 W up to 100 W;
(C) 1 W or better for power measurements
of greater than 100 W.
(ii) Test room. The tests shall be conducted
in a room that has an air speed within 0.1
m of the unit under test of ≤ 0.5 m/s, and the
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2
2
2
I 2 + I 32 + I 4 + I 52 + ......I n
I1
ambient temperature shall be maintained at
23 °C ± 5 °C throughout the test, as specified
in IEC Standard 62301. There shall be no
intentional cooling of the unit under test by
use of separately powered fans, air
conditioners, or heat sinks. The unit under
test shall be tested on a thermally nonconductive surface. Products intended for
outdoor use may be tested at additional
temperatures, provided those are in addition
to the conditions specified above and are
noted in a separate section on the test report.
(iii) Input AC reference source. An AC
reference source shall be used to provide
input voltage to the unit under test. The
input to the unit under test shall be the
specified voltage ± 1 percent and the
specified frequency ± 1 percent, as specified
in IEC Standard 62301. The unit under test
shall be tested at the following voltage and
frequency combination: 115 V at 60 Hz. If
testing under this condition is not possible,
or if voltage and/or frequency ranges are not
specified by the manufacturer (or the
nameplate value is unclear), the unit under
test shall not be tested.
The input voltage source shall be capable
of delivering at least 10 times the nameplate
input power of the unit under test where
practicable (as recommended by IEEE
Standard 1515–2000). The input voltage
source shall be deemed inadequate and a
different voltage source shall be used if the
input voltage varies at any point during the
test by more than ± 1 percent of the specified
source voltage for the test.
Regardless of the AC source type, the THD
of the supply voltage when supplying the
unit under test in the specified mode shall
not exceed 3 percent, up to and including the
13th harmonic, as specified in IEC Standard
62301. The peak value of the test voltage
shall be within 1.34 and 1.49 times its RMS
value as specified in IEC Standard 62301.
(iv) Test leads. Appropriate wires must be
selected for wiring connections depending on
the maximum current carried by and the
length of the conductor, in accordance with
Table B.2 in Annex B of IEEE Standard 1515–
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2000. The voltage drop across the conductor
carrying the current must be added to or
subtracted from the input and output voltage
measurements if these measurements of the
unit under test are not taken directly at the
connector pins of the unit under test.
4. Test Measurement
(a) Single-Voltage External Power Supply
(i) Standby Mode and Active Mode
Measurement—The measurement of standby
mode (also no load-mode) energy
consumption and active-mode efficiency
shall conform to the requirements specified
in section 5, ‘‘Measurement Approach’’ of the
CEC’s ‘‘Test Method for Calculating the
Energy Efficiency of Single-Voltage External
AC–DC and AC–AC Power Supplies,’’ August
11, 2004 (incorporated by reference, see
§ 430.22). Switch-selectable single-voltage
external power supplies shall be tested twice,
once at the highest nameplate output voltage
and once at the lowest.
(ii) Off-Mode Measurement—If the external
power supply unit under test incorporates
on-off switches, the unit under test shall be
placed in off mode, and its power
consumption in off mode measured and
recorded. The measurement of the off mode
energy consumption shall conform to the
requirements specified in section 5,
‘‘Measurement Approach,’’ of the CEC’s
‘‘Test Method for Calculating the Energy
Efficiency of Single-Voltage External AC–DC
and AC–AC Power Supplies,’’ August 11,
2004 (incorporated by reference, see
§ 430.22), except that in section 5.a,
‘‘Preparing UUT [Unit Under Test] for Test,’’
the built-in switches shall be placed in the
‘‘off’’ position for the measurement. The only
loading condition that will be measured for
off mode is ‘‘Loading Condition 5.’’ Switchselectable single-voltage external power
supplies shall have their off mode power
consumption measured twice, once at the
highest nameplate output voltage and once at
the lowest.
(b) Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supply—Power supplies that are packaged
for consumer use to power a product must be
E:\FR\FM\15AUP2.SGM
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THDI =
is designed to convert line voltage AC input
into lower-voltage DC output and is able to
convert to only one DC output voltage at a
time.
s. Standby mode means the condition in
which the external power supply is in noload mode and, for external power supplies
with on-off switches, all switches are turned
on.
t. Switch-selectable single voltage external
power supply means a single-voltage AC–AC
or AC–DC power supply that allows users to
choose from more than one output voltage.
u. Total harmonic distortion, expressed as
a percent, is the RMS value of an AC signal
after the fundamental component is removed
and interharmonic components are ignored,
divided by the RMS value of the fundamental
component. THD of current is defined as:
EP15AU08.001</MATH>
k. Nameplate output current means the
current output of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing (either DC or AC).
l. Nameplate output power means the
power output of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing.
m. Nameplate output voltage means the
voltage output of the power supply as
specified on the manufacturer’s label on the
power supply housing (either DC or AC).
n. No-load mode means the mode of
operation when an external power supply is
connected to the main electricity supply and
the output is (or ‘‘all outputs are’’ for a
multiple-voltage external power supply) not
connected to a load (or ‘‘loads’’ for a
multiple-voltage external power supply).
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 159 / Friday, August 15, 2008 / Proposed Rules
tested with the output cord packaged with
the unit for sale to the consumer, which is
considered part of the unit under test. There
are two options for connecting metering
equipment to the output of this type of power
supply: Cut the cord immediately adjacent to
the output connector, or attach leads and
measure the efficiency from the output
connector itself. If the power supply is
attached directly to the product that it is
powering, cut the cord immediately adjacent
to the powered product and connect output
measurement probes at that point. The tests
should be conducted on the sets of output
wires that constitute the output busses. If the
product has additional wires, these should be
left electrically disconnected unless they are
necessary for controlling the product. In this
case, the manufacturer shall supply a
connection diagram or test jig that will allow
the testing laboratory to put the unit under
test into active mode.
(i) Standby-Mode and Active-Mode
Measurement—The measurement of the
multiple-voltage external power supply
standby-mode (also no-load-mode) energy
consumption and active-mode efficiency
shall be as follows:
(A) Loading conditions and testing
sequence. If the unit under test has on-off
switches, all switches shall be placed in the
‘‘on’’ position. Loading criteria for multiplevoltage external power supplies shall be
based on nameplate output current and not
on nameplate output power because output
voltage might not remain constant.
The unit under test shall operate at 100
percent of nameplate current output for at
least 30 minutes immediately before
conducting efficiency measurements.
After this warm-up period, the technician
shall monitor AC input power for a period of
5 minutes to assess the stability of the unit
under test. If the power level does not drift
by more than 1 percent from the maximum
value observed, the unit under test can be
considered stable and measurements can be
recorded at the end of the
5-minute period. Measurements at
subsequent loading conditions, listed in
Table 1, can then be conducted under the
same 5-minute stability guidelines. Only one
warm-up period of 30 minutes is required for
each unit under test at the beginning of the
test procedure.
If AC input power is not stable over a 5minute period, the technician shall follow
the guidelines established by IEC Standard
62301 for measuring average power or
accumulated energy over time for both input
and output.
The unit under test shall be tested at the
loading conditions listed in Table 1, derated
per the proportional allocation method
presented in the following section.
TABLE 1—LOADING CONDITIONS FOR UNIT UNDER TEST
Condition
Condition
Condition
Condition
Condition
1
2
3
4
5
...........................................................
...........................................................
...........................................................
...........................................................
...........................................................
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
Input and output power measurements
shall be conducted in sequence from Loading
Condition 1 to Loading Condition 4, as
indicated in Table 1. For Loading Condition
5, the unit under test shall be placed in noload mode, any additional signal connections
to the unit under test shall be disconnected,
and input power shall be measured.
(B) Proportional allocation method for
loading multiple-voltage external power
supplies. For power supplies with multiple
voltage busses, defining consistent loading
criteria is difficult because each bus has its
own nameplate output current. The sum of
the power dissipated by each bus loaded to
its nameplate output current may exceed the
overall nameplate output power of the power
supply. The following proportional
allocation method must be used to provide
consistent loading guidelines for multiplevoltage external power supplies. For
additional explanation, please refer to section
6.1.1 of the California Energy Commission’s
‘‘Proposed Test Protocol for Calculating the
Energy Efficiency of Internal AC-DC Power
Supplies Revision 6.2,’’ November 2007.
Assume a multiple-voltage power supply
with N output busses, and nameplate output
voltages V1, . . . ,VN, corresponding output
current ratings I1, . . . ,IN, and a nameplate
output power P. Calculate the derating factor
D by dividing the power supply nameplate
output power P by the sum of the nameplate
output powers of the individual output
busses, equal to the product of bus nameplate
output voltage and current IiVi, as follows:
D=
P
N
∑V I
,
i i
i =i
If D ≥ 1, then loading every bus to its
nameplate output current does not exceed
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100% of Derated Nameplate Output Current ± 2%.
75% of Derated Nameplate Output Current ± 2%.
50% of Derated Nameplate Output Current ± 2%.
25% of Derated Nameplate Output Current ± 2%.
0%.
the overall nameplate output power for the
power supply. In this case, each output bus
will simply be loaded to the percentages of
its nameplate output current listed in Table
1. However, if D < 1, it is an indication that
loading each bus to its nameplate output
current will exceed the overall nameplate
output power for the power supply. In this
case, and at each loading condition, each
output bus will be loaded to the appropriate
percentage of its nameplate output current
listed in Table 1, multiplied by the derating
factor D.
(C) Minimum output current requirements.
Depending on their application, some
multiple-voltage power supplies may require
a minimum output current for each output
bus of the power supply for correct
operation. In these cases, ensure that the load
current for each output at Loading Condition
4 in Table 1 is greater than the minimum
output current requirement. Thus, if the test
method’s calculated load current for a given
voltage bus is smaller than the minimum
output current requirement, the minimum
output current must be used to load the bus.
This load current shall be properly recorded
in any test report.
(D) Test loads. Active loads such as
electronic loads or passive loads such as
rheostats used for efficiency testing of the
unit under test shall be able to maintain the
required current loading set point for each
output voltage within an accuracy of ± 0.5
percent. If electronic load banks are used,
their settings should be adjusted such that
they provide a constant current load to the
unit under test.
(E) Efficiency calculation. Efficiency shall
be calculated by dividing the measured
active output power of the unit under test at
a given loading condition by the active AC
input power measured at that loading
condition. Average efficiency shall also be
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calculated and reported as the arithmetic
mean of the efficiency values calculated at
Loading Conditions 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Table
1.
(F) Power consumption calculation. Power
consumption of the unit under test at
Loading Conditions 1, 2, 3, and 4 is the
difference between the active output power
at that Loading Condition and the active AC
input power at that Loading Condition. The
power consumption of Loading Condition 5
(no-load) is equal to the AC active input
power at that Loading Condition.
(ii) Off-Mode Measurement—If the
multiple-voltage external power supply unit
under test incorporates any on-off switches,
the unit under test shall be placed in off
mode, and its power consumption in off
mode measured and recorded. The
measurement of the off mode energy
consumption shall conform to the
requirements specified above in
subparagraph (4)(b)(i) of this appendix,
except that all built-in switches shall be
placed in the off position for the
measurement. Note that the only loading
condition that will be measured for off mode
is ‘‘Loading Condition 5’’ paragraph (A),
‘‘Loading conditions and testing sequence.’’
6. In § 430.62 add and reserve
paragraphs (a)(4)(xviii) through (xxii)
and add new paragraph (a)(4)(xxiii) to
read as follows:
§ 430.62
Submission of data.
(a) * * *
(4) * * *
(xviii)–(xxii) [Reserved]
(xxiii) External power supplies, the
active-mode efficiency percentage and
no-load mode watts. For external power
supplies with switch-selectable output
voltage, the active-mode efficiency
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Loading
Loading
Loading
Loading
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 159 / Friday, August 15, 2008 / Proposed Rules
percentage and no-load mode watts at
the lowest and highest selectable output
voltage.
[FR Doc. E8–18576 Filed 8–14–08; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 159 (Friday, August 15, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48054-48083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18576]
[[Page 48053]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part III
Department of Energy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10 CFR Part 430
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Battery Chargers and
External Power Supplies (Standby Mode and Off Mode) and for Multiple-
Voltage External Power Supplies; Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 159 / Friday, August 15, 2008 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 48054]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EERE-2008-BT-TP-0004]
RIN 1904-AB75
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Battery Chargers
and External Power Supplies (Standby Mode and Off Mode) and for
Multiple-Voltage External Power Supplies
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and public meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to amend its test
procedures for battery chargers and external power supplies to include
provisions for measuring standby mode and off mode energy consumption,
as directed by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. DOE
also proposes to add a test procedure for measuring the energy
consumption of multiple-voltage external power supplies. In addition,
DOE proposes to make revisions to the single-voltage external power
supply test procedure. DOE also proposes to extend the current
certification reporting requirements to the Class A external power
supplies for which Congress established energy efficiency standards in
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Finally, DOE
announces a public meeting to receive comment on this proposal and the
issues presented in this notice.
DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting in Washington, DC, on Friday,
September 12, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss the test procedure
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR). DOE must receive requests to
speak at this public meeting no later than 4 p.m., Friday, August 29,
2008. DOE must receive a signed original and an electronic copy of
statements to be given at the public meeting no later than 4 p.m.,
Friday, September 5, 2008.
DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the NOPR
(proposed rule) until October 29, 2008. See section IV, ``Public
Participation,'' of this proposed rule for details.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585-0121. (Please note that foreign nationals
participating in the public meeting are subject to advance security
screening procedures which may take up to 30 days. If a foreign
national wishes to participate in the workshop, please inform DOE as
soon as possible by contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 so
that the necessary procedures can be completed.)
Any comments submitted must identify the NOPR on Test Procedures
for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies, and provide the
docket number EERE-2008-BT-TP-0004 and/or Regulation Identifier Number
(RIN) 1904-AB75. Comments may be submitted using any of the following
methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: BC&EPS_Test_Proc@ee.doe.gov. Include the docket
number EERE-2008-BT-TP-0004 and/or RIN 1904-AB75 in the subject line of
the message.
Postal Mail: Mrs. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of
Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Please submit one
signed paper original.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Mrs. Brenda Edwards, U.S.
Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 6th Floor, 950
L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-2945.
Please submit one signed paper original.
For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional
information on the rulemaking process, see section IV, ``Public
Participation,'' of this document.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, visit the U.S. Department of Energy, 6th Floor, 950
L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586-2945, between 9
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Please
call Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 for additional information
about visiting the Resource Room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Victor Petrolati, U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-4549. E-mail:
Victor.Petrolati@ee.doe.gov.
Ms. Francine Pinto or Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of the General Counsel, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: (202) 586-9507. E-mail:
Francine.Pinto@hq.doe.gov or Michael.Kido@hq.doe.gov.
For information on how to submit or review public comments and on
how to participate in the public meeting, contact Ms. Brenda Edwards,
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. E-mail:
Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background and Legal Authority
II. Summary of the Proposal
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
B. Multiple-Voltage External Power Supplies
C. External Power Supply Definitions
D. Single-Voltage External Power Supply Test Procedure
Amendments
E. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage External Power Supplies
F. Submission of Certification Test Data to DOE
III. Discussion
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
1. Battery Chargers
i. Definitions
ii. Test Method
2. External Power Supplies
i. Definitions
ii. Test Method
B. Multiple-Voltage External Power Supplies
1. Test Apparatus and General Instructions
i. Measurement Resolution and Uncertainty
ii. AC Source Voltage Requirement
iii. AC Source Distortion Requirement
iv. Test Lead Loss Measurement
2. Test Measurement
i. Power Measurement Stability Requirement
ii. Loading Conditions
iii. Proportional Allocation
iv. Minimum Output Current Requirement
v. No-Load Mode Testing
C. External Power Supply Test Procedure Definitions
1. Revisions to Existing Definitions
2. New Definitions
D. Single-Voltage External Power Supply Test Procedure
Amendments
1. Measurement Resolution and Uncertainty
2. AC Source Voltage Requirement
3. AC Source Distortion Requirement
4. Test Lead Loss Measurement
5. Power Measurement Stability Requirement
E. Switch-Selectable Voltage External Power Supplies
F. Submission of Certification Test Data to DOE
1. Background
i. Definition of ``Basic Model''
ii. Definition of ``Covered Product''
iii. Sampling Plan
iv. Test Procedures
v. Enforcement Provisions
2. Alternative Reporting Methodology Under Consideration
IV. Public Participation
A. Attendance at Public Meeting
[[Page 48055]]
B. Procedure for Submitting Requests to Speak
C. Conduct of Public Meeting
D. Submission of Comments
E. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment
1. Standby Mode and Off Mode
2. Definitions in the Test Procedures
3. Measurement Resolution and Uncertainty
4. AC Source Voltage Requirements
5. Test Lead Loss Measurement
6. Power Measurement Stability Requirements
7. Loading Conditions for Multiple-Voltage External Power
Supplies
8. Single-Voltage External Power Supply Test Procedure
9. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage External Power Supplies
10. Submission of Certification Test Data to DOE
V. 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
D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act
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 the Treasury and General Government
Appropriations Act, 2001
K. Review Under Executive Order 13211
L. Review Under Section 32 of the Federal Energy Administration
Act of 1974
VI. Approval of the Office of the Secretary
I. Background and Legal Authority
Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) (42
U.S.C. 6291, et seq.) sets forth a variety of provisions designed to
improve energy efficiency. Part A of Title III (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309)
establishes the ``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products
Other Than Automobiles.'' The consumer and commercial products
currently subject to this program (hereinafter referred to as ``covered
products'') include battery chargers and external power supplies
(collectively referred to as ``BCEPS''). Manufacturers of covered
products are required to use the relevant DOE test procedures to
certify compliance with the energy conservation standards adopted under
EPCA. The statutory provisions of particular relevance to today's
notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) are discussed immediately below.
Section 323(b) of EPCA authorizes DOE to amend or establish new
test procedures as appropriate for each of the covered products. (42
U.S.C. 6293(b)) This section provides that ``[a]ny test procedures
prescribed or amended under this section shall be reasonably designed
to produce test results which measure energy efficiency, energy use,
water use (in the case of showerheads, faucets, water closets and
urinals), or estimated annual operating cost of a covered product
during a representative average use cycle or period of use, as
determined by the Secretary [of Energy], and shall not be unduly
burdensome to conduct.'' (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) In addition, EPCA
states that DOE ``shall determine, in the rulemaking carried out with
respect to prescribing such procedure, to what extent, if any, the
proposed test procedure would alter the measured energy efficiency,
measured energy use, or measured water use of any covered product as
determined under the existing test procedure.'' (42 U.S.C. 6293(e)(1))
Of particular relevance to the present rulemaking, section 135 of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), Public Law 109-58, amended
sections 321 and 325 of EPCA by providing definitions for battery
chargers and external power supplies and directing the Secretary to
prescribe ``definitions and test procedures for the power use of
battery chargers and external power supplies.'' (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(1)(A)) DOE complied with this requirement by publishing the
test procedure final rule, 71 FR 71340, on December 8, 2006, which
included definitions and test procedures for battery chargers and
external power supplies. DOE codified a test procedure for battery
chargers in Appendix Y to subpart B of part 430 in Title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) (``Uniform Test Method for Measuring the
Energy Consumption of Battery Chargers'') (hereinafter referred to as
``Appendix Y'') and a test procedure for external power supplies in
Appendix Z to subpart B of 10 CFR part 430 (``Uniform Test Method for
Measuring the Energy Consumption of External Power Supplies'')
(hereinafter referred to as ``Appendix Z'').
DOE published a subsequent notice of public meeting and
availability of documentation for public review on December 29, 2006.
71 FR 78389. This public meeting was called a ``Scoping Workshop'' and
focused on DOE's plans for developing energy conservation standards for
battery chargers and external power supplies. The Scoping Workshop was
held at DOE's Forrestal Building in Washington, DC, on January 24,
2007. Information pertaining to the Scoping Workshop is available at
https://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/
battery_external.html .
On December 19, 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007 (EISA), Public Law 110-140, amended sections 321, 323, and 325 of
EPCA with regard to external power supplies and battery chargers.
Section 301 of EISA amended section 321 of EPCA, by modifying some of
the definitions pertaining to external power supplies. EPACT had
amended EPCA to define an external power supply as ``an external power
supply circuit that is used to convert household electric current into
DC current or lower-voltage AC current to operate a consumer product''
\1\ (42 U.S.C. 6291(36)(A)) but section 301 of EISA further amended
this definition by creating a subset of external power supplies called
Class A External Power Supplies. EISA defined this subset as those
external power supplies that, in addition to meeting several other
requirements common to all external power supplies,\2\ are ``able to
convert to only 1 AC or DC output voltage at a time'' and that have
``nameplate output power that is less than or equal to 250 watts.'' (42
U.S.C. 6291(36)(C)(i)) Section 301 also amended EPCA to establish
minimum standards for these products, effective July 1, 2008, see 42
U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)(A), and directed DOE to publish a final rule by July
1, 2011 to determine whether these energy conservation standards for
external power supplies should be amended. (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)(D))
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The terms ``AC'' and ``DC'' refer to the polarity (i.e.,
direction) and amplitude of current and voltage associated with
electrical power. For example, mains power, that which is found in a
household wall socket, is alternating current, or ``AC'', and it
varies in amplitude and reverses polarity. In contrast, the power
supplied by a battery or solar cell is direct current, or ``DC,''
which is constant in both amplitude and polarity.
\2\ The full EISA definition of a class A external power supply
includes a device that ``(I) is designed to convert line voltage AC
input into lower voltage AC or DC output; (II) is able to convert to
only 1 AC or DC output voltage at a time; (III) is sold with, or
intended to be used with, a separate end-use product that
constitutes the primary load; (IV) is contained in a separate
physical enclosure from the end-use product; (V) is connected to the
end-use product via a removable or hard-wired male/female electrical
connection, cable, cord, or other wiring; and (VI) has nameplate
output power that is less than or equal to 250 watts.'' (42 U.S.C.
6291(36)(C)(i))
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further, section 309 of EISA amended EPCA by directing DOE to issue
a final rule by July 1, 2011 that prescribes energy conservation
standards for battery chargers or classes of battery chargers or
determine that no energy conservation standard is technologically
feasible and economically justified for battery chargers. (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(II)) DOE plans to bundle this battery charger
rulemaking proceeding with the requirement to evaluate amendments to
the energy conservation standards for external
[[Page 48056]]
power supplies mentioned above, since both must be completed by July 1,
2011. See EISA, section 301(c).
In addition, section 309 of EISA amended section 325(u)(1)(E) of
EPCA, instructing DOE to issue ``a final rule that determines whether
energy conservation standards shall be issued for external power
supplies or classes of external power supplies.'' (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(I)) DOE, however, cannot conduct a determination
analysis on whether it should issue conservation standards for a
product for which standards have already been set by Congress in
section 301(c) of EISA (i.e., Class A external power supplies).
Furthermore, section 325(u)(1)(E) of EPCA, as amended by EISA, directs
DOE to complete this determination analysis ``No later than 2 years
after the date of enactment of this subsection.'' (42 U.S.C.
6295(u)(1)(E)(I)) This subsection, however, is a result of EPACT, which
was signed into law on August 8, 2005. Interpreting this subsection
strictly as amended by EISA would place the determination analysis
final rule issue date on August 8, 2007, almost four months prior to
the passage of EISA.
To resolve these inconsistencies, DOE interprets the ``date of
enactment of this subsection'' (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(I)) as the date
of passage of EISA, namely December 19, 2007. In this context, DOE
interprets sections 301 and 309 of EISA jointly as a requirement to
determine, by December 19, 2009, whether energy conservation standards
shall be issued for non-Class A external power supplies. Examples of
non-Class A external power supplies include those with a nameplate
output power rating greater than 250 watts (W) and those able to
convert to more than one AC or DC output voltage at the same time
(i.e., multiple-voltage external power supplies). These non-Class A
external power supplies appear to constitute a significant group of
products, powering applications such as radio transceivers, video game
consoles, and printers. Although the current DOE external power supply
test procedure (Appendix Z) can test high-power external power
supplies, it cannot accommodate external power supplies that convert to
more than one output voltage simultaneously. Therefore, in today's
notice, DOE proposes to amend its test procedure to allow for the
testing of multiple-voltage external power supplies.
EISA also amended section 325 of EPCA to establish definitions for
active mode, standby mode, and off mode and directs DOE to amend its
existing test procedures by December 31, 2008 for both battery chargers
and external power supplies to measure the energy consumed in standby
mode and off mode. See EISA, section 310. It also authorizes the
Department to amend, by rule, any of the definitions for active,
standby, and off mode so long as the Department takes into
consideration the most current versions of Standards 62301 (``Household
Electrical Appliances--Measurement of Standby Power'') and 62087
(``Methods of Measurement for the Power Consumption of Audio, Video and
Related Equipment'') of the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC). (See EPCA Sec. 325(gg)(2)(A) and 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)).
Consistent with this authority, today's NOPR proposes amended
definitions for these terms that take into consideration IEC Standards
62031 and 62087 and adapt the definitions to how consumers use battery
chargers and external power supplies.
Finally, in light of Congress's establishment of energy efficiency
standards for Class A external power supplies, DOE proposes to extend
the certification reporting requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6296, which are
promulgated at 10 CFR 430.62, to cover these products. This extension
is consistent with current requirements for manufacturers of covered
products and would continue to use the existing requirements and form
found in 10 CFR part 430, subpart F, appendix A.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously
approved the collection of this information on September 27, 2007.
See Notice of Office of Management and Budget Action, OMB Control
No. 1910-1400, available at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. The supporting statement accompanying DOE's request for an
extension of its clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act to
collect this information identifies the potential inclusion of
additional respondents as a result of changes introduced by the
Energy Policy Act of 2005. See DOE Supporting Statement for
Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, OMB Control Number 1910-1400
(May 31, 2007). Battery charger and external power supply
manufacturers were part of this new group of potential respondents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOE plans to publish a final rule by December 31, 2008, the
statutory deadline for a final rule amending the test procedure, to
measure energy consumption in off mode and standby mode for battery
chargers and external power supplies. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(B))
Because of this deadline, the sections of this proposal concerning
standby mode and off mode are of highest priority. If commenters
clearly indicate that further evaluation of the other issues presented
in this NOPR is needed, these issues will be addressed in a separate
rulemaking. This approach would avoid delaying the standby mode and off
mode test procedure final rule.
For each of the various items discussed below, DOE invites
stakeholder comments on these proposed amendments to the Department's
test procedures.
II. Summary of the Proposal
In this NOPR, DOE proposes to modify the current test procedures
for battery chargers and external power supplies to achieve the
following objectives:
(1) Address the statutory requirement to expand test procedures to
incorporate measurement of standby mode and off mode energy
consumption;
(2) Expand the external power supply test procedure to accommodate
certain non-Class A external power supplies that DOE will evaluate in
the determination analysis;
(3) Revise and adopt definitions pertaining to testing of external
power supplies for increased clarity;
(4) Incorporate certain technical changes and clarifications to the
test procedure for single-voltage external power supplies to improve
the accuracy and practicability of the test procedure; and
(5) Incorporate requirements for the submission of certification
test data pertaining to external power supplies subject to minimum
efficiency standards effective July 1, 2008.
Table 1 lists the sections of 10 CFR part 430 affected by the
amendments proposed in this NOPR. The left column in Table 1 cites the
locations in the CFR where DOE proposes changes, which are listed in
the right column.
Table 1--Summary of Changes Proposed in This NOPR and Affected Sections
of 10 CFR Part 430
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of proposed
Existing section in 10 CFR part 430 modifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 430.22 of subpart B--Reference Inserts new technical
Sources. references.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 48057]]
Section 430.23 of subpart B--Test Modifies `(aa) battery
procedures for the measurement of charger' and `(bb) external
energy and water consumption. power supply' to include
energy consumption in standby
mode and off mode.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix Y to subpart B of part 430--
Uniform Test Method for Measuring the
Energy Consumption of Battery
Chargers:
1. Scope........................... No change.
2. Definitions..................... Modifies the
definition for standby mode.
3. Test Apparatus and General Inserts a definition
Instructions. for off mode.
4. Test Measurement................ No change.
Inserts procedures to
measure energy consumption in
standby mode and off mode.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix Z to subpart B of part 430--
Uniform Test Method for Measuring the
Energy Consumption of External Power
Supplies:
1. Scope........................... Modifies scope to
encompass all types of energy
consumption of external power
supplies.
2. Definitions..................... Modifies existing
definitions for:
[cir] Active mode.
[cir] Active mode efficiency.
[cir] No-load mode.
[cir] Total harmonic
distortion.
[cir] True power factor.
Inserts new
definitions for:
[cir] Active power.
[cir] Ambient temperature.
[cir] Apparent power.
[cir] Instantaneous power.
[cir] Minimum output current.
[cir] Multiple-voltage
external power supply.
[cir] Nameplate input
frequency.
[cir] Nameplate input
voltage.
[cir] Nameplate output
current.
[cir] Nameplate output power.
[cir] Nameplate output
voltage.
[cir] Off mode.
[cir] Output bus.
[cir] Standby mode.
[cir] Switch-selectable
single-voltage external power
supply.
[cir] Unit under test.
3. Test Apparatus and General Divides section 3 into
Instructions. 3(a) for single-voltage EPSs
and 3(b) for multiple-voltage
EPSs.
Maintains the existing
test procedure for single-
voltage EPSs in 3(a).
[cir] Considers adopting
slightly revised requirements
in 3(a), to be consistent with
proposal in 3(b).
Inserts 3(b) for
multiple-voltage external
power supplies with
requirements based on other
established test procedures.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Test Measurement................ Demarcates 4(a) for
single-voltage external power
supplies.
[cir] Maintains existing
procedure for active mode and
standby mode measurements.
[cir] Inserts new procedure for
measuring off mode.
Inserts 4(b) for
multiple-voltage external
power supplies.
[cir] Inserts new procedures
for measuring active mode,
standby mode, and off mode.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 430.62 of subpart F--Submission Inserts submission
of Data. requirement for active mode
efficiency and no-load power
consumption data for Class A
external power supplies.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In developing today's proposed test procedure amendments, DOE
examined IEC Standard 62301 \4\ and the ENERGY STAR test procedures for
battery charging systems,\5\ external power supplies,\6\ and internal
power supplies.\7\
[[Page 48058]]
These industry references were either statutorily mandated (as in the
case of IEC Standard 62301), or were developed in a publicly-
consultative process and adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) for the purpose of testing performance characteristics of
these same products to determine their qualification for the ENERGY
STAR program. Consistent with EISA's requirements, DOE also considered
the requirements of IEC Standard 62087, which addresses the methods to
measure the power consumption of audio, video and related equipment.
Since this IEC Standard focuses only on audio, video, and related
equipment that tends to incorporate internal power supplies, DOE found
the scope of IEC Standard 62087 to be too narrow for the purposes of
evaluating standby mode and off mode test procedures for battery
chargers and external power supplies, which are used with a large
variety of products beyond audio and video equipment, such as
telecommunications devices and computers. DOE therefore concludes that
this standard's provisions are not germane in assisting the Department
with developing standby mode and off mode test procedures for the
products covered in today's NOPR. As to Standard 62301 and the ENERGY
STAR test procedures, DOE considered the impact of each proposed change
to ensure that these revisions would not result in test procedures that
are unduly burdensome to conduct.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ IEC 62301 ``Household Electrical Appliances--Measurement of
Standby Power,'' International Electrotechnical Commission, First
edition, June 2005.
\5\ ``Test Methodology for Determining the Energy Performance of
Battery Charging Systems,'' Environmental Protection Agency,
December 2005.
\6\ ``Test Method for Calculating the Energy Efficiency of
Single-Voltage External Ac-Dc and Ac-Ac Power Supplies,'' California
Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Program, August
11, 2004.
\7\ ``Proposed Test Protocol for Calculating the Energy
Efficiency of Internal Ac-Dc Power Supplies,'' Revision 6.2,
California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research
Program, November 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOE also examined whether the proposed amendments to its test
procedures would significantly change the measured power consumption or
efficiency of the battery charger or external power supply. This issue
is particularly important for external power supplies because EISA
amended section 325 of EPCA to establish minimum efficiency standards
for external power supplies that took effect on July 1, 2008. As
explained in greater detail later, DOE believes that today's proposed
amendments neither alter the measured energy efficiency of the tested
products nor do they add any additional burden on the industry to
implement because the proposed changes only provide additional
clarifications to the test procedures for devices that have an on-off
switch. Thus, DOE proposes to amend its test procedures in the manner
discussed in the following sections.
DOE welcomes comments on all aspects of this proposal.
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
Section 310 of EISA amended section 325(gg) of EPCA by directing
DOE to amend its test procedures to incorporate a measure of standby
mode and off mode energy consumption if feasible. (42 U.S.C.
6295(gg)(2)) Section 310 also inserted definitions for off mode and
standby mode, which affected EPCA sections 325(gg)(1)(A)(ii) and (iii).
These definitions, however, as fully explained in the later discussion,
do not apply appropriately to all battery chargers and external power
supplies. For instance, under the definition for standby mode for
battery chargers, it is unclear whether a battery charger is in standby
mode when a thermal sensor triggers a cooling fan. Consequently, these
definitions would create confusion in how certain features contained in
these products should be treated during testing.
In today's notice, DOE proposes to (1) adapt the definitions of
standby mode and off mode that would more appropriately apply to
battery chargers and external power supplies, and (2) revise the test
procedures for battery chargers and external power supplies to measure
standby mode and off mode energy consumption.
For battery chargers, DOE proposes to define standby mode as the
condition in which the charger is connected to the main electricity
supply and no battery is installed in the charger. For external power
supplies, DOE proposes to define standby mode as the condition in which
the power supply is connected to the main electricity supply and the
output is not connected to any consumer product. Additionally, if the
battery charger or external power supply has any on-off switches, DOE
proposes that all switches be turned on during the measurement of
energy consumption in standby mode.
For off mode, DOE proposes that this condition apply only to
battery chargers and external power supplies equipped with on-off
switches. For these products, DOE proposes that off mode power
consumption be measured as the power consumed while all switches are
turned off. A detailed discussion of the proposed definitions and test
procedures for standby and off mode follows in section III.A, below.
B. Multiple-Voltage External Power Supplies
Section 309 of EISA amended section 325 of EPCA to direct DOE to
conduct a determination analysis for external power supplies not
subject to the Class A external power supply standard. This broad group
includes external power supplies with multiple simultaneous outputs at
more than one voltage. DOE is not aware of any existing test procedure
developed specifically to measure the efficiency or energy consumption
of multiple-voltage external power supplies. To help in developing such
a procedure, DOE reviewed related test procedures currently in use. As
a result, today's proposed rule is based on two California Energy
Commission (CEC) test procedures, the ``Test Method for Calculating the
Energy Efficiency of Single-Voltage External Ac-Dc and Ac-Ac Power
Supplies,'' August 11, 2004 (hereinafter called the ``CEC EPS Test
Procedure''), and the ``Proposed Test Protocol for Calculating the
Energy Efficiency of Internal Ac-Dc Power Supplies, Revision 6.2,''
November 2007 (hereinafter called the ``CEC IPS Test Procedure'').
DOE's proposed amendment follows the structure of the CEC EPS Test
Procedure but incorporates language addressing test methods from both
CEC test procedures. As part of this amendment, DOE is also proposing
new language necessary for testing multiple-voltage external power
supplies and certain test method changes to improve the overall
accuracy and practicability of the procedure. Incorporating this
amendment into the external power supply test procedure would enable
DOE to evaluate power consumption for multiple-voltage external power
supplies in all modes of operation: Active mode, no-load mode (i.e.,
``standby mode''), and off mode. A detailed discussion of DOE's
proposed test procedure for multiple-voltage external power supplies
can be found in section III.B, below.
C. External Power Supply Definitions
In light of the EISA amendments to EPCA, DOE reviewed the relevant
portions of 10 CFR part 430 and determined that amending some of the
definitions in part 430 would help improve the clarity of the external
power supply test procedure. To achieve this goal, DOE proposes to
update certain definitions in Appendix Z based on CEC's test procedures
for external and internal power supplies, IEC Standard 62301, Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 1515-2000,\8\
and IEEE Standard 100.\9\ More specifically, DOE
[[Page 48059]]
proposes modifications to the current definitions of ``active mode,''
``active mode efficiency,'' ``no-load mode,'' ``total harmonic
distortion,'' and ``true power factor.'' In addition, today's notice
proposes to add definitions for ``active power,'' ``ambient
temperature,'' ``apparent power,'' ``instantaneous power,'' ``minimum
output current,'' ``multiple-voltage external power supply,''
``nameplate input frequency,'' ``nameplate input voltage,'' ``nameplate
output current,'' ``nameplate output power,'' ``nameplate output
voltage,'' ``off mode,'' ``output bus,'' ``switch-selectable single-
voltage external power supply,'' ``standby mode,'' and ``unit under
test.'' A detailed discussion of these proposed modified and new
definitions follows in section III.C, below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ IEEE 1515-2000. ``IEEE Recommended Practice for Electronic
Power Subsystems: Parameter Definitions, Test Conditions, and Test
Methods,'' Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. March
2000.
\9\ IEEE 100. ``The IEEE Standard Dictionary of Electrical and
Electronics Terms'' Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers. Sixth Edition, 1999.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Single-Voltage External Power Supply Test Procedure Amendments
DOE is also considering making limited changes to the test
procedure for single-voltage external power supplies. Specifically, DOE
would revise the test conditions (section 3 of Appendix Z) to account
for the limitations of test equipment and laboratory conditions. DOE
believes that these changes would reduce the testing burden and would
not negatively affect the accuracy or repeatability of measurement
results. DOE is also considering making a revision to the test
measurement procedure (section 4 of Appendix Z) to amend the test
measurements to require increased stability before conducting power
measurements. Increased stability before conducting power measurements
will enhance the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements.
Specific descriptions of the changes under consideration, as well as
additional discussion, can be found in section III.D, below.
E. Switch-Selectable Single-Voltage External Power Supplies
Finally, DOE proposes to clarify in today's notice the method by
which single-voltage external power supplies that incorporate a switch-
selectable output voltage should be tested because the scope of the
current test procedure includes switch-selectable EPSs, but the test
procedure does not sufficiently specify how to test them. For these
external power supplies, DOE proposes that testing be conducted twice:
First with the output voltage set to the minimum voltage and second
with the output voltage set to the maximum voltage. Under DOE's
proposed procedure, an external power supply with a switch-selectable
output voltage would be considered in compliance with an energy
efficiency standard when it meets or exceeds the minimum requirements
at both its lowest and highest selectable output voltages.
DOE proposes this approach for two reasons. First, the efficiency
of a switch-selectable external power supply is highest at the highest
output voltage setting and lowest at the lowest setting. Measuring the
efficiency at the two voltage extremes bounds the range of possible
efficiencies of the device such that the efficiency at any other
voltage setting would fall between these two measurements. Second, this
proposal is consistent with how other countries, including New Zealand
and Australia,\10\ are considering requiring the testing of switch-
selectable single-voltage external power supplies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ DOE is not aware of any other countries that specifically
address the testing of switch-selectable external power supplies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. Submission of Certification Test Data to DOE
As part of the overall national regulatory program, manufacturers
of covered and regulated products must report to DOE that the products
they manufacture are in compliance with the applicable energy
conservation standards. EISA established standards for Class A external
power supplies that took effect on July 1, 2008. Given that
development, DOE must now establish the certification and enforcement
procedures that manufacturers of these covered products would follow.
DOE proposed certification and enforcement procedures for battery
chargers and external power supplies on July 25, 2006. 71 FR 42178.
While some of the provisions from that proposal remain pending, DOE
finalized two aspects of that NOPR on December 8, 2006: (1) Definitions
in 10 CFR 430.2 of ``basic model'' and ``covered product'' as they
apply to battery chargers and external power supplies and (2) test
procedures for measuring the energy efficiency of battery chargers
(Appendix Y) and external power supplies (Appendix Z). 71 FR 71340.
Also in the July 25, 2006 notice, DOE proposed a sampling plan for
battery chargers and external power supplies to be codified under 10
CFR 430.24, ``Units to be tested.'' 71 FR at 42204. The sampling plan
would provide manufacturers with guidance on selecting units from their
production run of covered products, to test those samples and
demonstrate compliance with the new standard.
EISA amended section 325(u) of EPCA by establishing minimum
efficiency standards for ``Class A'' external power supplies. (42
U.S.C. 6295(u)(6)) Previously, DOE had no reporting requirements for
either battery chargers or external power supplies since there was no
Federal standard in place for either product because EPACT's amendments
(Pub. L. 109-58, section 135(c)(4)) to EPCA directed DOE only to
determine whether to adopt energy conservation standards for battery
chargers and external power supplies. Consistent with the EISA
amendment and the requirements already contained in 10 CFR part 430,
DOE proposes that manufacturers of Class A external power supplies
report the active mode efficiency (as a percentage) and the no-load
mode power consumption (in watts) of these products to DOE. This
proposal is discussed further in section III.F.
III. Discussion
As noted above, Congressional directives and the need to
incorporate definitions used in test procedures to improve the current
test procedures employed by DOE serve as the primary reasons for this
NOPR. Each element that DOE proposes to modify in today's notice to
satisfy the new statutory requirements from EISA is discussed in detail
below.
A. Standby Mode and Off Mode
DOE developed today's proposed amendments to the battery charger
and external power supply test procedures to satisfy the standby mode
and off mode requirements in EPCA, as amended by EISA. Section 310(3)
of EISA amended section 325 of EPCA by inserting new subsection (gg)
(42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)) to require that DOE amend its test procedures for
battery chargers and external power supplies to include measurements of
standby mode and off mode energy consumption. Congress authorized DOE
to amend these definitions so long as the Department took into
consideration the most current versions of IEC standards 62301 and
62087 when amending the definitions. DOE test procedures are based on
CEC and ENERGY STAR test procedures, both of which reference IEC 62301.
Thus, in addition to directly considering IEC 62301, DOE also
considered the standard indirectly, as parts of it were used in other
test procedures. Section 310(3) also provided definitions of off mode
and standby mode that modified EPCA sections 325(gg)(1)(A)(ii) and
(iii). As is explained later below, these definitions, however, are not
appropriate when applied to battery
[[Page 48060]]
chargers and external power supplies because of potential confusion in
how to treat particular features that may be contained in these
products.
Under EISA, DOE is required to amend its test procedures to measure
standby mode and off mode for both battery chargers and external power
supplies by December 31, 2008. Consequently, consistent with the
authority granted by Congress, DOE is modifying the definitions for
these terms and the proposed amendments in this notice would (1) adopt
appropriate definitions of standby mode and off mode that provide a
better fit for these products, and (2) revise the test methods for
measuring energy consumption in these two modes as needed to
incorporate them into DOE's test procedures. These proposed revisions
to the test procedures would apply to both battery chargers and
external power supplies and are discussed below.
1. Battery Chargers
DOE adopted a test procedure for battery chargers (Appendix Y) in a
final rule published on December 8, 2006. 71 FR at 71368. DOE's test
procedure measures the energy consumed by battery chargers in battery
maintenance mode and standby mode (also called no-load mode) and
combines these two measured quantities into a single energy ratio.
Although both the current DOE test procedure and EISA define the term
``standby mode'' in the context of battery chargers, as discussed
below, the definitions are different. Furthermore, applying the
definition of ``off mode'' contained in EISA to battery chargers
requires modification to ensure that all modes of battery charger use
are tested by DOE's test procedure. The revisions proposed in today's
notice would help ensure that DOE's test procedures sufficiently cover
the appropriate elements of both modes of use. Accordingly, DOE
proposes to revise the definitions of standby mode and off mode as
applied to battery chargers.
i. Definitions
Standby Mode
In its 2006 final rule, DOE defined ``standby mode'' as ``the mode
of operation when the battery charger is connected to the main
electricity supply and the battery is not connected to the charger.''
71 FR at 71368. In layman's terms, standby mode is the state of an
appliance when it is not performing its primary function--in the case
of battery chargers, that function would be maintaining a fully charged
battery or recharging a discharged battery. This definition was adapted
from the December 2005 ENERGY STAR Eligibility Criteria for Products
with Battery Charging Systems, which defines standby mode, in part, as
``the condition in which no battery is present in the charger, or where
the battery is integral to a product, the product is not attached to
the charger, but the charger is plugged in and drawing power.'' The
ENERGY STAR definition also notes that standby mode ``represents the
lowest power consumption mode which cannot be switched off (influenced)
by the user and that may persist for an indefinite time when an
appliance is connected to the main electricity supply and used in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.'' This part of the
definition is derived from the definition of standby power found in IEC
Standard 62301.\11\
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\11\ IEC Standard 62301 defines standby power as the ``lowest
power consumption mode which cannot be switched off (influenced) by
the user and that may persist for an indefinite time when an
appliance is connected to the main electricity supply and used in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.'' IEC Standard
62301, section 3.1.
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In contrast, section 310(3) of EISA defined ``standby mode'' as
the condition in which an energy-using product--(I) is connected to
a main power source; and (II) offers 1 or more of the following
user-oriented or protective functions: (aa) To facilitate the
activation or deactivation of other functions (including active
mode) by remote switch (including remote control), internal sensor,
or timer. (bb) Continuous functions, including information or status
displays (including clocks) or sensor-based functions.
DOE believes that Congress drafted this definition to be applicable
to a diverse population of energy-using appliances and equipment,
including clothes washers and microwave ovens, as well as battery
chargers and external power supplies.
However, after carefully examining this definition and considering
its impact with respect to battery chargers, DOE believes that applying
this definition without modification to these products would be
problematic because it would create confusion in how certain features
contained in these products should be treated during testing. For
instance, under this definition, it is unclear whether a battery
indicator light would constitute a user-oriented function or a status
display. Similarly, the definition provides no guidance as to whether a
cooling fan would constitute a protective function or a sensor-based
function if triggered by a thermal sensor. Such ambiguities would
create confusion among the public, including manufacturers, in
understanding the scope of coverage of these definitions and in
determining which product designs would be affected by these
definitions.
Because of the vagueness of this definition, DOE is concerned about
problems that both the public and the industry would likely encounter
if the EISA definition of standby mode were adopted verbatim for
battery chargers. Therefore, DOE is exercising its authority under
section 325 of EPCA, as amended by section 310(3) of EISA, to amend the
definitions of the modes, as they apply to this particular product, by
rule. (EPCA 325(gg)(1)(B); 42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(B)) In so doing, DOE
has considered IEC Standard 62301 in revising the definition of standby
mode by reviewing the standard and incorporating appropriate parts of
IEC 62301 into the proposed amendments.
In today's notice, DOE proposes inserting the following definition
of ``standby mode'' for battery chargers into Appendix Y, section 2.j:
``the condition in which (1) the battery charger is connected to the
main electricity supply; (2) the battery is not connected to the
charger; and (3) for battery chargers with manual on-off switches, all
switches are turned on.'' DOE believes this definition is appropriate
because it provides clarity of application to test technicians and is
consistent with the IEC Standard 62301 and ENERGY STAR definitions of
standby mode.
In proposing a procedure to incorporate standby mode, which section
310 of EISA directed DOE to include in its energy efficiency
evaluation, DOE examined its current procedure, which is based on the
ENERGY STAR test procedure. The ENERGY STAR test procedure focuses on
measuring the energy used during standby mode and battery maintenance
mode, which means that DOE's current battery charger procedure already
accounts for energy consumption in standby mode and satisfies section
310 of EISA. As a result, today's proposal satisfies the conditions set
by Congress that permit the Secretary to modify this definition to make
it applicable to battery chargers. DOE's proposal also clarifies how to
measure energy consumption for battery chargers that incorporate on-off
switches and is consistent with the IEC Standard 62301 and ENERGY STAR
definitions of standby mode for this product.
DOE understands that there are at least three types of battery-
charged consumer products: (1) Those that are stand-alone chargers
which operate with removable batteries such as professional power tools
and certain digital cameras;
[[Page 48061]]
(2) those that have the battery affixed into the product so that it is
not removed for charging such as an electric toothbrush or hand-held
vacuum cleaner; and (3) those that incorporate all the charging
circuitry and battery into the product and have only a detachable power
cord. For a product with a non-detachable battery (category 2, above)
to be placed into standby mode according to the above proposed
definition, the product itself must be disconnected from the portion of
the charger apparatus connected to the main electricity supply (i.e.,
the wall socket) to ensure that the battery is disconnected from the
charger. For example, to place a cordless telephone in standby mode,
one would remove the handset (which contains the battery) from its
charging cradle while keeping the cradle connected to the main
electricity supply. This example of standby mode for this product would
still be appropriate even if some of the battery charging circuitry
resided in the telephone handset (instead of the cradle), because that
standby mode would represent a typical use scenario for a consumer. The
end user would continue to operate the device in the same manner,
regardless of whether the charging circuit is located in the product or
its charging cradle.
In instances where all of the charging and power conversion
circuitry resides in the product (category 3, above), the product is
connected to the main electricity supply by a detachable AC power cord.
During standby mode, the AC power cord is the only part of this battery
charging system that would remain connected to the main electricity
supply. By itself, the cord consumes no power; therefore, the standby
mode power consumption for this category of products would be zero
watts. In the case of consumer products for which all of the charging
and power conversion circuitry resides in the product, and where the AC
power cord is not detachable, no component of the product remains
connected to the main electricity supply during standby mode. Thus,
standby mode power consumption is undefined or inapplicable to this
group of products. However, DOE is not concerned about this exclusion
of permanently corded non-removable battery operated products from any
standby mode power consumption standard, because it believes very few
or no current products feature both a non-detachable battery and non-
detachable AC power cord. Further, DOE believes that this category will
not grow in the future because a non-detachable AC power cord decreases
the portability of a consumer product by adding bulk and weight, which
makes it unlikely that this product category will be accepted by
consumers.
Off Mode
Section 310 of EISA defines ``off mode'' as ``the condition in
which an energy-using product--(I) is connected to a main power source;
and (II) is not providing any standby or active function.'' DOE has not
previously defined ``off mode'' for battery chargers, but today's
notice proposes an alternative definition for this term as it applies
to battery chargers. As previously noted, DOE is proposing to amend the
definitions contained in section 325 of EPCA, as amended by section
310(3) of EISA (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(1)(B)) under the authority granted
to DOE by Congress.
DOE's current test procedure for battery chargers measures inactive
energy consumption when there is no battery inserted into the charger
and the charger is still connected to the main electricity supply. DOE
understands that some chargers incorporate manual on-off switches
(i.e., those activated by the user) and can thereby achieve an even
lower state of inactive energy consumption. For these products, the
switches may conflict with the ENERGY STAR and IEC Standard 62301
definitions of standby mode, which both state that standby mode is the
lowest-power consumption mode. This is because in some cases, the
switches will reduce the power consumption to zero, but in other cases,
there may still be some power consumption, depending on how the
switches are incorporated into the circuit of the battery charger. For
this reason, DOE proposes to interpret ``off mode'' as applicable only
to battery chargers with switches that are in the off position. Thus,
in today's notice, DOE proposes inserting the following definition of
``off mode'' for battery chargers into Appendix Y, section 2.i:
Off mode means the condition, applicable only to units having
manual on-off switches, in which the battery charger is (1)
connected to the main electricity supply, (2) is not connected to
the battery, and (3) all switches are turned off.
DOE believes that this definition is appropriate because it
satisfies the requirements of EISA that DOE measure energy consumption
in inactive modes (in this case, off mode), provides clarity of
application to laboratory technicians, and is consistent with the
``standby mode'' definition used by IEC Standard 62301 and ENERGY STAR.
As discussed earlier, DOE understands that there are at least three
types of battery-charged consumer products: (1) Those that are stand-
alone chargers which operate with removable batteries; (2) those that
have the battery affixed into the product so that it is not removed for
charging; and (3) those that incorporate all the charging circuitry and
battery into the product and have only a detachable power cord. For
those products that incorporate a non-detachable battery and those that
incorporate a non-detachable battery and non-detachable AC power cord,
DOE proposes that the off mode definition not apply to any of these
battery chargers that incorporate an on-off switch because the battery
cannot be disconnected from the charger. DOE is not concerned that the
exclusion of these devices will constitute a loophole in the regulation
because consumer products with non-detachable batteries and AC power
cords (e.g., certain uninterruptible power supplies) spend most of
their time in battery maintenance mode.\12\ Also, DOE's battery charger
test procedure already measures the power consumption in battery
maintenance mode.
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\12\ Battery maintenance mode is defined as ``the mode of
operation when the battery charger is connected to the main
electricity supply and the battery is fully charged, but is still
connected to the charger.'' Appendix Y to Subpart B of Part 430,
Section 2(e).
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ii. Test Method
As discussed above, DOE previously codified a test procedure based
on ENERGY STAR's procedure for measuring the standby mode and battery-
maintenance mode energy consumption of battery chargers. 71 FR at
71368. Section 323 of EPCA, as amended by section 310 of EISA, directs
DOE to develop test procedures for the measurement of standby mode and
off mode energy consumption for battery chargers by December 31, 2008.
DOE believes that its existing test procedure already incorporates a
method under which standby mode and off mode energy consumption can be
measured and proposes minor revisions in today's notice to improve the
clarity and applicability of this test procedure to standby mode and
off mode. Section 3 of Appendix Y, which covers test apparatus and
general instructions, does not require modification, since no changes
are necessary to the required test apparatus.
In section 4 of Appendix Y, DOE proposes to add a new subsection
``(c) Standby-Mode and Off-Mode Power Consumption Measurement.'' This
subsection would describe the manner
[[Page 48062]]
in which to measure standby mode and off mode energy consumption
separately. To measure standby mode, DOE proposes that users ``conduct
a measurement of standby power consumption while the battery charger is
connected to the power source.'' Specifically, the proposed subsection
(c) would require the user to
[r]emove the battery from the charger and record the power (i.e.,
watts) consumed as the time series integral of the power consumed
over a one-hour test period, divided by the period of measurement.
If the battery charger has manual switches, all must be turned on
for the duration of the standby mode test.
This language is based largely on the test measurement language
incorporated by reference in section 4 of Appendix Y for Inactive Mode
Energy Consumption, which refers to section 5, ``Determining BCS Energy
Ratio,'' of the EPA's Test Methodology for Determining the Energy
Performance of Battery Charging Systems (December 2005). Section 5 of
the EPA battery charger test procedure, subsection 5.1, step 3,
provides guidance to users for measuring power consumed when the
battery is removed from the charger. In that step, EPA's procedure
instructs the user to remove the battery from the charger while
continuing to measure standby power. The procedure provides two options
in this regard--a full test for 12 hours or an abbreviated test for 1
hour.
In today's notice, DOE proposes language for the measurement of
standby mode energy consumption based on the abbreviated test, which
directs technicians as follows: ``Measure energy used for a period of
not less than 1 hour. Energy use may be measured as a time series
integral of power. * * * '' In other words, technicians would measure
the cumulative energy consumed in standby mode over a defined period of
time: E = [int]P [middot] dt, where E is energy, P is power, and t is
time. DOE believes that the abbreviated test, which gathers data for
one hour, would provide sufficiently accurate results for determining
the power consumption of battery chargers without a battery installed
because the time period is sufficient enough to permit the vast
majority of battery chargers to stabilize and any power consumption in
standby mode to be easily measured. DOE recognizes, however, the
possibility that measurements conducted over a one hour period of
battery chargers with low-frequency, pulsed operation in standby mode
may not be representative of the energy consumption of these types of
commonly used devices. Because of this potential limitation, DOE is
particularly interested in comments that address increased required
testing times beyond one hour up to a maximum of 12 hours.
For off mode, DOE proposes virtually identical test procedure
language, changing only the requirement that if the battery charger has
any switches, that those switches should be turned off. For this test
procedure as well, DOE invites comment on the required duration of 1
hour of data collection, and other appropriate durations, including
those between 1 hour and 12 hours.
For both modes, DOE proposes to include language based on the
ENERGY STAR test procedure that clarifies the testing conditions for
measuring the no-battery mode. Similar to the discussion in section
III.A.1.i above, DOE's proposal would rely on an approach for standby
and off mode similar to the one proposed above for battery chargers.
As discussed above, standby mode and off mode may also apply to
products with non-detachable batteries. If the product uses a cradle
and/or adapter for power conversion and charging, then only that part
of the system will remain connected to the main electricity supply, and
s
