Department of Energy October 8, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver from Bradford White Corporation (``BWC''), which seeks a waiver for a specified consumer water heater basic model from the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') test procedure used for determining the efficiency of consumer water heaters. BWC asserts that for that identified basic model, application of the calculation specified in the DOE test procedure to determine recovery efficiency yields an ``artificially high'' value that in turn results in a lower overall uniform energy factor value. Consequently, BWC seeks to use an alternate test procedure to address issues involved in testing the basic model identified in its petition. More specifically, BWC has requested that DOE waive the equation for calculating recovery efficiency of the consumer gas-fired storage water heater basic model for which the first occurrence of the main burner cutting out (``cut- out'') occurs during a draw. Instead, BWC requests that the recovery efficiency for this water heater be calculated using a revised recovery efficiency equation that accounts for the first cut-out occurring during a draw. For the reasons discussed in this document, DOE grants BWC an interim waiver from the DOE's consumer water heater test procedure for the basic model listed in the interim waiver, subject to use of the alternate test procedure as set forth in the Interim Waiver Order. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning BWC's petition, its suggested alternate test procedure, and the alternate test procedure in the Interim Waiver Order so as to inform its final decision on BWC's waiver request.