Department of Energy May 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In a direct final rule published on April 21, 2011, DOE adopted amended energy conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners. As required by EPCA, DOE also published simultaneously a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) that proposed identical energy efficiency standards. The standards set forth in the direct final rule and NOPR were consistent with the consensus agreement that served as the basis for those rulemaking actions. The consensus agreement also provided specific compliance dates for both productsJune 1, 2014 for room air conditioners and January 1, 2015 for clothes dryers. In the direct final rule and NOPR, however, DOE provided for a compliance date 3 years after the date of publication in the Federal Register, or April 21, 2014. As such, the compliance date of the direct final rule and NOPR did not correspond with the consensus agreement. DOE now proposes to amend the compliance dates set forth in the direct final rule and corresponding NOPR to be consistent with the compliance dates set out in the consensus agreement.

This notice announces an open meeting of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463; 86 Stat.770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish energy conservation standards for certain commercial and industrial equipment, including commercial heating, air-conditioning, and water- heating products. Of particular relevance here, the statute also requires that each time the corresponding consensus standardthe American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE)/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1is amended by the industry, DOE must assess whether there is a need to update the uniform national energy conservation standards for the same equipment covered under EPCA. ASHRAE officially released an amended version of this industry standard (ASHRAE 90.1-2010) on October 29, 2010, thereby triggering DOE's related obligations under EPCA. In addition, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) amended EPCA to require DOE to review the most recently published ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 with respect to single-package vertical air conditioners and single-package vertical heat pumps in accordance with the procedures established for reviewing the energy conservation standards for other ASHRAE products. As a first step in meeting these statutory requirements, today's notice of data availability (NODA) discusses the results of DOE's analysis of the energy savings potential of amended energy conservation standards for certain types of commercial equipment covered by ASHRAE Standard 90.1, including single-package vertical air conditioners and single-package vertical heat pumps. The energy savings potentials are based upon either the efficiency levels specified in the amended industry standard (i.e., ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010) or more stringent levels that would result in significant additional conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified. DOE is publishing this NODA to: Announce the results and preliminary conclusions of DOE's analysis of potential energy savings associated with amended standards for this equipment, and request public comment on this analysis, as well as the submission of data and other relevant information.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issues a final rule amending the existing test procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts at Appendix Q and establishing a new test procedure at Appendix Q1. The amendments to appendix Q update a reference to an industry test procedure. The new test procedure at Appendix Q1 changes the efficiency metric to ballast luminous efficiency (BLE), which is measured directly using electrical measurements instead of the photometric measurements employed in the test procedure at Appendix Q. The calculation of BLE includes a correction factor to account for the reduced lighting efficacy of low frequency lamp operation. The test procedure specifies use of a fluorescent lamp load during testing, allowing ballasts to operate closer to their optimal design points and providing a better descriptor of real ballast performance compared to resistor loads. If DOE determines that amendments to the fluorescent lamp ballast energy conservation standards are required, they will be issued or published by June 30, 2011, and use of the test procedures at Appendix Q1 will be required on the compliance date of the amendments. Until that time, manufacturers must use the procedures at Appendix Q to certify compliance.