Department of Energy February 27, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking and data collection process to consider amendments to the DOE test procedures for commercial water heaters, unfired hot water storage tanks, and hot water supply boilers (henceforth, ``commercial water heating equipment''). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has identified several issues associated with the current Federal test procedures on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comment. In overview, the issues outlined in this document mainly concern updating the industry test standards that are currently incorporated by reference to the most recent versions, potential alternative methods for determining the efficiency of unfired storage tanks, potential changes to the method for setting the thermostat, potential clarifications in the thermal efficiency test method, and the potential inclusion of a test method for commercial heat pump water heaters (HPWH). DOE anticipates that these issues (as well as any others which are identified during the course of this rulemaking) may lead to proposed test procedure amendments in a subsequent notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR). DOE welcomes written comments and data from the public on all aspects of this test procedure, including topics not raised in this RFI.