Department of Energy November 9, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver from TCL air conditioner (zhongshan) Co., Ltd. (``TCL AC''), which seeks a waiver from the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') test procedure for determining the efficiency of central air conditioners (``CACs'') and heat pumps (``HPs''). TCL AC seeks to use an alternate test procedure to address issues involved in testing certain basic models identified in its petition. According to TCL AC, the DOE test procedure does not include a method for testing specified CAC and HP basic models that use variable-speed compressors and are matched with a coil-only indoor unit (hereafter referred to as ``variable-speed coil- only single-split systems''). TCL AC requests that it be permitted to test its variable-speed coil-only single-split systems with the cooling full-load air volume rate used as both the cooling intermediate and minimum air volume rates, and the heating full-load air volume rate used as the heating intermediate air volume rate. This notice announces that DOE grants TCL AC an interim waiver from the DOE CAC and HP test procedure for its 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 TCL AC's petition and the alternate test procedure.