Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy July 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces receipt of and publishes petitions for waivers from Apple, Inc. (``Apple''), Microsoft Corporation (``Microsoft''), Poin2 Lab (``Poin2''), and Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co., Ltd. (``Bitland'') (collectively, ``the petitioners'') seeking an exemption from specific portions of the U.S. Department of Energy's (``DOE's'') test procedure for determining external power supply (``EPS'') energy efficiency. The waiver requests pertain to adaptive EPSs that support a particular International Electrotechnical Commission standard. Under the existing DOE test procedure, the average active mode efficiency of an adaptive EPS must be tested at both its lowest and highest achievable output voltages. The petitioners contend that since their products operate above 2 amps current at the lowest achievable output voltages under rare conditions and for only brief periods of time, the suggested alternative testing approach detailed in their waiver petition requests is needed to measure the active mode efficiency of their products in a representative manner. DOE is granting the petitioners with an interim waiver from the DOE EPS test procedure for the specified basic models of EPSs, subject to use of the alternative test procedure as set forth in this document and is soliciting comments, data, and information concerning the petitions and the suggested alternate test procedure.

This notice announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver from ITW Food Equipment Group, LLC (ITW) seeking an exemption from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the energy consumption of commercial refrigeration equipment under the regulations for basic models of their Innopod temperature controlled grocery and general merchandise system (Innopod). ITW requests modifications, as specified in its petition for waiver, to the existing DOE test procedure, which references Air- Conditioning, and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) Standard 1200-2006 and Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1200 (I-P)-2010 that further references American National Standards Institute/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers (ANSI/ASHRAE) Standard 72. ITW submitted to DOE an alternate test procedure that allows for testing of specified Innopod basic models. This notice also announces that DOE has granted ITW an interim waiver from the DOE commercial refrigeration equipment test procedures for the specified commercial refrigeration equipment basic models, subject to use of the alternative test procedure as set forth in this notice. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning ITW's petition and its suggested alternate test procedure.

On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') published in the Federal Register a direct final rule to establish new energy conservation standards for dedicated purpose pool pumps. These standards did not directly address the efficiency of the motors used in dedicated-purpose pool pumps, particularly in replacement applications. Interested stakeholders have encouraged DOE to initiate a working group to specifically address dedicated-purpose pool pump motors that can be used in replacement applications. Therefore, DOE is announcing a public meeting to gather data and information that could lead to the consideration of energy conservation standards for dedicated-purpose pool pump (DPPPs) motors. The meeting will be held on August 10, 2017.