Department of Energy June 29, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver from LG Electronics USA, Inc. (``LG''), which seeks an exemption from the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') test procedure used for determining the efficiency of specified room air conditioner basic models. LG seeks to use an alternate test procedure to address issues involved in testing the basic models identified in its petition. According to LG, the current DOE test procedure for room air conditioners, which provides for testing at full-load performance only, does not take into account the benefits of room air conditioners that use variable-speed compressors (``variable speed air conditioners''), with their part-load performance characteristics, and misrepresents their actual energy consumption. LG requests that it be permitted to test the specified basic models at four rating conditions instead of a single rating condition and to calculate the test unit's weighted- average combined energy efficiency ratio (CEER), which can then be compared to the expected performance of a comparable single-speed room air conditioner across the same four rating conditions. The performance improvement would be applied to the measured performance of the variable-speed room air conditioner when tested under the high- temperature rating condition of the DOE test procedure for room air conditioners to determine the test unit's final rated CEER value. DOE grants LG an interim waiver from the DOE's room air conditioner test procedure for the specified basic models, subject to use of the alternate test procedure as set forth in the Interim Waiver Order. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning LG's petition and its suggested alternate test procedure to inform its final decision on LG's waiver request.