Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Energy
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This document, concerning furnace fans is an action issued by the Department of Energy. Though it is not intended or expected, should any discrepancy occur between the document posted here and the document published in the Federal Register, the Federal Register publication controls. This document is being made available through the Internet solely as a means to facilitate the public's access to this document. [6450-01-P] DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Parts 429 and 430 [Docket Number EERE–2010–BT–STD–0011] RIN: 1904–AC22 Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Furnace Fans AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) must prescribe energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including residential furnace fans. EPCA requires DOE to determine whether such standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. In this final rule, DOE is adopting new energy conservation standards for residential furnace fans. DOE has determined that the prescribed energy conservation standards for these products would result in significant conservation of energy, and are technologically feasible and economically justified. 1 DATES: The effective date of this rule is [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. Compliance with the prescribed standards established for residential furnace fans in this final rule is required on and after [INSERT DATE 5 YEARS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. ADDRESSES: The docket for this rulemaking, which includes Federal Register notices, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting documents/materials, is available for review at www.regulations.gov. All documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. However, not all documents listed in the index may be publicly available, such as information that is exempt from public disclosure. A link to the docket web page can be found at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/41. The www.regulations.gov webpage contains simple instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket. For further information on how to review the docket, contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or by email: [email protected]. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 2 Mr. Ron Majette, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-7935. E-mail: [email protected]. Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586- 9507. E-mail: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Table of Contents I. Summary of the Final Rule A. Benefits and Costs to Consumers B. Impact on Manufacturers C. National Benefits and Costs D. Conclusion II. Introduction A. Authority B. Background 1. Current Standards 2. History of Standards Rulemaking for Residential Furnace Fans III. General Discussion A. Test Procedures B. Product Classes and Scope of Coverage C. Technological Feasibility 1. General 2. Maximum Technologically Feasible Levels D. Energy Savings 1. Determination of Savings 2. Significance of Savings E. Economic Justification 1. Specific Criteria a. Economic Impact on Manufacturers and Commercial Customers b. Savings in Operating Costs Compared to Increase in Price (Life-Cycle Costs) c. Energy Savings d. Lessening of Utility or Performance of Equipment 3 e. Impact of Any Lessening of Competition f. Need of the Nation to Conserve Energy g. Other Factors 2. Rebuttable Presumption IV. Methodology and Discussion A. Market and Technology Assessment 1. Definition and Scope of Coverage 2. Product Classes 3. Technology Options a. Fan Housing and Airflow Path Design Improvements b. Inverter Controls for PSC Motors c. High-Efficiency Motors d. Multi-Stage or Modulating Heating Controls e. Backward-Inclined Impellers B. Screening Analysis 1. Screened-Out Technologies 2. Remaining Technologies a. High-Efficiency Motors b. Backward-Inclined Impellers C. Engineering Analysis 1. Efficiency Levels a. Baseline b. Percent Reduction in FER 2. Manufacturer Production Cost (MPC) a. Production Volume Impacts on MPC b. Inverter-Driven PSC Costs c. Furnace Fan Motor MPC d. Motor Control Costs e. Backward-Inclined Impeller MPC f. Other Components D. Markups Analysis E. Energy Use Analysis F. Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period Analysis 1. Installed Cost 2. Operating Costs 3. Furnace Fan Lifetime 4. Discount Rates 5. Compliance Date 6. Base-Case Efficiency Distribution 7. Payback Period G. Shipments Analysis H. National Impact Analysis 1. National Energy Savings Analysis 2. Net Present Value Analysis I. Consumer Subgroup Analysis J. Manufacturer Impact Analysis 4 1. Overview 2. Government Regulatory Impact Model a. Government Regulatory Impact Model Key Inputs b. Government Regulatory Impact Model Scenarios 3. Discussion of Comments a. Conversion Costs b. Cumulative Regulatory Burden c. Scope of MIA Coverage d. Markups Analysis e. Employment Impacts f. Consumer Utility g. Small Businesses K. Emissions Analysis L. Monetizing Carbon Dioxide and Other Emissions Impacts 1. Social Cost of Carbon a. Monetizing Carbon Dioxide Emissions b. Development of Social Cost of Carbon Values c. Current Approach and Key Assumptions M. Utility Impact Analysis N. Employment Impact Analysis O. Comments on Proposed Standards V. Analytical Results and Conclusions A. Trial Standard Levels B. Economic Justification and Energy Savings 1. Economic Impacts on Consumers a. Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period b. Consumer Subgroup Analysis c. Rebuttable Presumption Payback 2. Economic Impact on Manufacturers a. Industry Cash-Flow Analysis Results b. Impacts on Employment c. Impacts on Manufacturing Capacity d. Impacts on Subgroups of Manufacturers e. Cumulative Regulatory Burden 3. National Impact Analysis a. Significance of Energy Savings b. Net Present Value of Consumer Costs and Benefits c. Indirect Impacts on Employment 4. Impact on Product Utility or Performance 5. Impact of Any Lessening of Competition 6. Need of the Nation to Conserve Energy 7. Other Factors C. Conclusions 1. Benefits and Burdens of Trial Standard Levels Considered for Residential Furnace Fans 2. Summary of Benefits and Costs (Annualized) of Today’s Standards 5 VI. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review A. Review Under Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 E. Review Under Executive Order 13132 F. Review Under Executive Order 12988 G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999 I. Review Under Executive Order 12630 J. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 K. Review Under Executive Order 13211 L. Review Under the Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review M. Congressional Notification VII. Approval of the Office of the Secretary I. Summary of the Final Rule Title III, Part B of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA or the Act), Pub. L. 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, as codified), established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles. Pursuant to EPCA, any new or amended energy conservation standard that DOE prescribes for certain products, such as furnace fans, must be designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(A)). Furthermore, the new or amended standard must result in a significant conservation of energy. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(3)(B)). In accordance with these and other statutory provisions discussed in this notice, DOE proposes amended energy conservation standards for furnace fans. The proposed standards shall have a fan energy rating (FER) value that meets or is less than the values shown in Table I.1. These standards would apply to all products listed in Table I.1 and manufactured in, or imported into, the United States on or after manufactured on and after [INSERT DATE FIVE YEARS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. 6 Table I.1. Energy Conservation Standards for Covered Residential Furnace Fans Percent Increase Product Class FER* (Watts/cfm) Over Baseline Non-Weatherized, Non-Condensing Gas Furnace Fan FER = 0.044 x Q + 182 46% (NWG-NC) Max Non-Weatherized, Condensing Gas Furnace Fan FER = 0.044 x Q + 195 46% (NWG-C) Max Weatherized Non-Condensing Gas Furnace Fan FER = 0.044 x Q + 199 46% (WG-NC) Max Non-Weatherized, Non-Condensing Oil Furnace Fan FER = 0.071 x Q + 382 12% (NWO-NC) Max Non-Weatherized Electric Furnace / Modular Blower FER = 0.044 x Q + 165 46% Fan (NWEF/NWMB) Max Mobile Home Non-Weatherized, Non-Condensing FER = 0.071 x Q + 222 12% Gas Furnace Fan (MH-NWG-NC) Max Mobile Home Non-Weatherized, Condensing Gas FER = 0.071 x Q + 240 12% Furnace Fan (MH-NWG-C) Max Mobile Home Electric Furnace / Modular Blower FER = 0.044 x Q + 101 46% Fan (MH-EF/MB) Max Mobile Home Non-Weatherized Oil Furnace Fan Reserved (MH-NWO) Mobile Home Weatherized Gas Furnace Fan (MH- Reserved WG) * QMax is the airflow, in cfm, at the maximum airflow-control setting measured using the final DOE test procedure at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, appendix AA. A. Benefits and Costs to Consumers Table I.2 presents DOE’s evaluation of the economic impacts of today’s standards on consumers of residential furnace fans, as measured by the average life-cycle cost (LCC) savings and the median payback period (PBP).