§ 429.110 - Enforcement testing.

§ 429.110 Enforcement testing.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 28837, May 4, 2023.

(a) General provisions.

(1) If DOE has reason to believe that a basic model is not in compliance it may test for enforcement.

(2) For variable refrigerant flow multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps (other than air-cooled with rated cooling capacity less than 65,000 Btu/h), when determining compliance with an energy conservation standard based on IEER, DOE may test for enforcement if DOE has reason to believe that a basic model is not in compliance, has invalid certified operational settings for critical parameter values, or has an otherwise invalid certified rating.

(3) DOE will select and test units pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (e) of this section.

(4) Testing will be conducted at a laboratory accredited to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories,” ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E) (incorporated by reference; see § 429.4). If testing cannot be completed at an independent laboratory, DOE, at its discretion, may allow enforcement testing at a manufacturer's laboratory, so long as the lab is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E) and DOE representatives witness the testing. In addition, for commercial packaged boilers with rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, DOE, at its discretion, may allow enforcement testing of a commissioned commercial packaged boiler in the location in which it was commissioned for use, pursuant to the test provisions at § 431.86(c) of this chapter, for which accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E) would not be required.

(b) Test notice.

(1) To obtain units for enforcement testing to determine compliance with an applicable standard, DOE will issue a test notice addressed to the manufacturer in accordance with the following requirements:

(i) DOE will send the test notice to the manufacturer's certifying official or other company official.

(ii) The test notice will specify the basic model that will be selected for testing, the method of selecting the test sample, the maximum size of the sample and the size of the initial test sample, the dates at which testing is scheduled to be started and completed, and the facility at which testing will be conducted. The test notice may also provide for situations in which the selected basic model is unavailable for testing and may include alternative models or basic models.

(iii) DOE will state in the test notice that it will select the units of a basic model to be tested from the manufacturer, from one or more distributors, and/or from one or more retailers. If any unit is selected from a distributor or retailer, the manufacturer shall make arrangements with the distributor or retailer for compensation for or replacement of any such units.

(iv) DOE may require in the test notice that the manufacturer of a basic model ship or cause to be shipped from a retailer or distributor at its expense the requested number of units of a basic model specified in such test notice to the testing laboratory specified in the test notice. The manufacturer shall ship the specified initial test unit(s) of the basic model to the testing laboratory within 5 working days from the time unit(s) are selected. For variable refrigerant flow multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps (other than air-cooled with rated cooling capacity less than 65,000 btu/h) the manufacturer shall also ship any means of control necessary for conducting testing in accordance with appendix D1 to subpart F of 10 CFR part 431 of this subchapter. The manufacturer may ship the means of control separately from the system(s) selected for testing.

(v) If DOE determines that the units identified are low-volume or built-to-order products, DOE will contact the manufacturer to develop a plan for enforcement testing in lieu of paragraphs (ii)–(iv) of this section.

(2) [Reserved]

(c) Test unit selection.

(1) To select units for testing from a:

(i) Manufacturer's warehouse, distributor, or other facility affiliated with the manufacturer. DOE will select a batch sample at random in accordance with the provisions in paragraph (e) of this section and the conditions specified in the test notice. DOE will randomly select an initial test sample of units from the batch sample for testing in accordance with appendices A through C of this subpart. DOE will make a determination whether an alternative sample size will be used in accordance with the provisions in paragraph (e)(1)(iv) of this section.

(ii) Retailer or other facility not affiliated with the manufacturer. DOE will select an initial test sample of units at random that satisfies the minimum units necessary for testing in accordance with the provisions in appendices A through C of this subpart and the conditions specified in the test notice. Depending on the results of the testing, DOE may select additional units for testing from a retailer in accordance with appendices A through C of this subpart. If the full sample is not available from a retailer, DOE will make a determination whether an alternative sample size will be used in accordance with the provisions in paragraph (e)(1)(iv) of this section.

(iii) Previously commissioned commercial packaged boilers with a rated input greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h. DOE may test a sample of at least one unit in the location in which it was commissioned for use.

(2) Units tested in accordance with the applicable test procedure under this part by DOE or another Federal agency, pursuant to other provisions or programs, may count toward units in the test sample.

(3) The resulting test data shall constitute official test data for the basic model. Such test data will be used by DOE to make a determination of compliance or noncompliance if a sufficient number of tests have been conducted to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section and appendices A through C of this subpart.

(d) Test unit preparation.

(1) Prior to and during testing, a test unit selected for enforcement testing shall not be prepared, modified, or adjusted in any manner unless such preparation, modification, or adjustment is allowed by the applicable DOE test procedure. One test shall be conducted for each test unit in accordance with the applicable test procedures prescribed in parts 430 and 431.

(2) No quality control, testing or assembly procedures shall be performed on a test unit, or any parts and subassemblies thereof, that is not performed during the production and assembly of all other units included in the basic model.

(3) A test unit shall be considered defective if such unit is inoperative or is found to be in noncompliance due to failure of the unit to operate according to the manufacturer's design and operating instructions. Defective units, including those damaged due to shipping or handling, shall be reported immediately to DOE. DOE may authorize testing of an additional unit on a case-by-case basis.

(e) Basic model compliance. DOE will evaluate whether a basic model complies with the applicable energy conservation standard(s) based on testing conducted in accordance with the applicable test procedures specified in parts 430 and 431 of this chapter, and with the following statistical sampling procedures:

(1) For products with applicable energy conservation standard(s) in § 430.32 of this chapter, and commercial prerinse spray valves, illuminated exit signs, traffic signal modules and pedestrian modules, commercial clothes washers, dedicated-purpose pool pumps, circulator pumps, and metal halide lamp ballasts, DOE will use a sample size of not more than 21 units and follow the sampling plans in appendix A of this subpart (Sampling for Enforcement Testing of Covered Consumer Products and Certain High-Volume Commercial Equipment).

(2) For automatic commercial ice makers; commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers; refrigerated bottled or canned vending machines; commercial air conditioners and heat pumps; commercial packaged boilers; commercial warm air furnaces; commercial water heating equipment; and walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer doors, panels, and refrigeration systems, DOE will use an initial sample size of not more than four units and follow the sampling plans in appendix B of to this subpart (Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Covered Equipment and Certain Low-Volume Covered Products).

(3) If fewer than four units of a basic model are available for testing (under paragraphs (e)(1) or (2) of this section) when the manufacturer receives the notice, then:

(i) DOE will test the available unit(s); or

(ii) If one or more other units of the basic model are expected to become available within 30 calendar days, DOE may instead, at its discretion, test either:

(A) The available unit(s) and one or more of the other units that subsequently become available (up to a maximum of four); or

(B) Up to four of the other units that subsequently become available.

(4) For distribution transformers, DOE will use an initial sample size of not more than five units and follow the sampling plans in appendix C of this subpart (Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers). If fewer than five units of a basic model are available for testing when the manufacturer receives the test notice, then:

(i) DOE will test the available unit(s); or

(ii) If one or more other units of the basic model are expected to become available within 30 calendar days, DOE may instead, at its discretion, test either:

(A) The available unit(s) and one or more of the other units that subsequently become available (up to a maximum of five); or

(B) Up to five of the other units that subsequently become available.

(5) For pumps subject to the test procedures specified in § 431.464(a) of this chapter, DOE will use an initial sample size of not more than four units and will determine compliance based on the arithmetic mean of the sample.

(6) For uninterruptible power supplies, if a basic model is certified for compliance to the applicable energy conservation standard(s) in § 430.32 of this chapter according to the sampling plan in § 429.39(a)(2)(iv)(A) of this chapter, DOE will use a sample size of not more than 21 units and follow the sampling plan in appendix A of this subpart (Sampling for Enforcement Testing of Covered Consumer Products and Certain High-Volume Commercial Equipment). If a basic model is certified for compliance to the applicable energy conservation standard(s) in § 430.32 of this chapter according to the sampling plan in § 429.39(a)(2)(iv)(B) of this chapter, DOE will use a sample size of at least one unit and follow the sampling plan in appendix D of this subpart (Sampling for Enforcement Testing of Uninterruptible Power Supplies).

(7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (e)(1) through (6) of this section, if testing of the available or subsequently available units of a basic model would be impractical, as for example when a basic model has unusual testing requirements or has limited production, DOE may in its discretion decide to base the determination of compliance on the testing of fewer than the otherwise required number of units.

(8) When DOE makes a determination in accordance with paragraph (e)(7) of this section to test less than the number of units specified in paragraphs (e)(1) through (6) of this section, DOE will base the compliance determination on the results of such testing in accordance with appendix B of this subpart (Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Covered Equipment and Certain Low-Volume Covered Products) using a sample size (n₁) equal to the number of units tested.

(9) For the purposes of this section, available units are those that are available for distribution in commerce within the United States.

[76 FR 12451, Mar. 7, 2011, as amended at 81 FR 4145, Jan. 25, 2016; 81 FR 31841, May 20, 2016; 81 FR 89304, Dec. 9, 2016; 81 FR 89822, Dec. 12, 2016; 81 FR 95800, Dec. 28, 2016; 82 FR 36918, Aug. 7, 2017; 87 FR 57298, Sept. 19, 2022; 87 FR 63895, Oct. 20, 2022; 88 FR 28837, May 4, 2023]