Appendix A to Subpart C of Part 431 - [Reserved]

Appendix A to Subpart C of Part 431—Uniform Test Method for the Measurement of Energy Consumption of Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 66225, Sept. 26, 2023.

Note:

After October 20, 2014 but before March 28, 2017, any representations made with respect to the energy use or efficiency of commercial refrigeration equipment must be made in accordance with the results of testing pursuant to this appendix.

Manufacturers conducting tests of commercial refrigeration equipment after May 21, 2014 and prior to October 20, 2014, must conduct such test in accordance with either this appendix or §

431

.64 as it appeared at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B, in the 10 CFR parts 200 to 499 edition revised as of January 1, 2014. Any representations made with respect to the energy use or efficiency of such commercial refrigeration equipment must be in accordance with whichever version is selected. Given that after October 20, 2014 representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency of commercial refrigeration equipment must be made in accordance with tests conducted pursuant to this appendix, manufacturers may wish to begin using this test procedure as soon as possible.

1. Test Procedure

1.1. Determination of Daily Energy Consumption. Determine the daily energy consumption of each covered commercial refrigerator, freezer, refrigerator-freezer or ice-cream freezer by conducting the test procedure set forth in the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) Standard 1200–2006, “Performance Rating of Commercial Refrigerated Display Merchandisers and Storage Cabinets,” section 3, “Definitions,” section 4, “Test Requirements,” and section 7, “Symbols and Subscripts” (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63). For each commercial refrigerator, freezer, or refrigerator-freezer with a self-contained condensing unit, also use ARI Standard 1200–2006, section 6, “Rating Requirements for Self-contained Commercial Refrigerated Display Merchandisers and Storage Cabinets.” For each commercial refrigerator, freezer, or refrigerator-freezer with a remote condensing unit, also use ARI Standard 1200–2006, section 5, “Rating Requirements for Remote Commercial Refrigerated Display Merchandisers and Storage Cabinets.”

1.2. Methodology for Determining Applicability of Transparent Door Equipment Families. To determine if a door for a given model of commercial refrigeration equipment is transparent:

(1) Calculate the outer door surface area including frames and mullions;

(2) calculate the transparent surface area within the outer door surface area excluding frames and mullions;

(3) calculate the ratio of (2) to (1) for each of the outer doors; and

(4) the ratio for the transparent surface area of all outer doors must be greater than 0.25 to qualify as a transparent equipment family.

1.3. Additional Specifications for Testing of Components and Accessories. Subject to the provisions regarding specific components and accessories listed below, all standard components that would be used during normal operation of the basic model in the field shall be installed and in operation during testing as recommended by the manufacturer and representative of their typical operation in the field unless such installation and operation is inconsistent with any requirement of the test procedure. The specific components and accessories listed in the subsequent sections shall be operated as stated during the test.

1.3.1. Energy Management Systems. Applicable energy management systems may be activated during the test procedure provided they are permanently installed on the case, configured as sold and in such a manner so as to operate automatically without the intervention of the operator, and do not conflict with any of other requirements for a valid test as specified in this appendix.

1.3.2. Lighting. Energize all lighting, except customer display signs/lights as described in section 1.3.3 and UV lighting as described in section 1.3.6 of this appendix, to the maximum illumination level for the duration of testing. However, if a closed solid unit of commercial refrigeration equipment includes an automatic lighting control system that can turn off internal case lighting when the door is closed, and the manufacturer recommends the use of this system in writing in the product literature delivered with the unit, then the lighting control should be operated in the automatic setting, even if the model has a manual switch that disables the automatic lighting control.

1.3.3. Customer display signs/lights. Do not energize supplemental lighting that exists solely for the purposes of advertising or drawing attention to the case and is not integral to the operation of the case.

1.3.4. Condensate pan heaters and pumps. For self-contained equipment only, all electric resistance condensate heaters and condensate pumps must be installed and operational during the test. This includes the stabilization period (including pull-down), steady-state, and performance testing periods. Prior to the start of the stabilization period as defined by ASHRAE 72–2005 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63), the condensate pan must be dry. Following the start of the stabilization period, allow any condensate moisture generated to accumulate in the pan. Do not manually add or remove water from the condensate pan at any time during the test.

1.3.5. Anti-sweat door heaters. Anti-sweat door heaters must be in operation during the entirety of the test procedure. Models with a user-selectable setting must have the heaters energized and set to the maximum usage position. Models featuring an automatic, non-user-adjustable controller that turns on or off based on environmental conditions must be operating in the automatic state. If a unit is not shipped with a controller from the point of manufacture and is intended to be used with an automatic, non-user-adjustable controller, test the unit with a manufacturer-recommended controller that turns on or off based on environmental conditions.

1.3.6. Ultraviolet lights. Do not energize ultraviolet lights during the test.

1.3.7. Illuminated temperature displays and alarms. All illuminated temperature displays and alarms shall be energized and operated during the test as they would be during normal field operation.

1.3.8. Condenser filters. Remove any nonpermanent filters that are provided to prevent particulates from blocking a model's condenser coil.

1.3.9. Refrigeration system security covers. Remove any devices used to secure the condensing unit against unwanted removal.

1.3.10. Night curtains and covers. Do not deploy night curtains or covers.

1.3.11. Grill options. Remove any optional, non-standard grills used to direct airflow.

1.3.12. Misting or humidification systems. Misting or humidification systems must be inactive during the test.

1.3.13. Air purifiers. Air purifiers must be inactive during the test.

1.3.14. General purpose outlets. During the test, do not connect any external load to any general purpose outlets contained within a unit.

1.3.15. Crankcase heaters. Crankcase heaters must be operational during the test. If a control system, such as a thermostat or electronic controller, is used to modulate the operation of the crankcase heater, it must be activated during the test.

1.3.16. Drawers. Drawers are to be treated as identical to doors when conducting the DOE test procedure. Commercial refrigeration equipment with drawers should be configured with the drawer pans that allow for the maximum packing of test simulators and filler packages without the filler packages and test simulators exceeding 90 percent of the refrigerated volume. Packing of test simulators and filler packages shall be in accordance with the requirements for commercial refrigerators without shelves, as specified in section 6.2.3 of ASHRAE 72–2005 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63).

2. Test Conditions

2.1. Integrated Average Temperatures. Conduct the testing required in section 1 and 2 of this appendix A, and determine the daily energy consumption at the applicable integrated average temperature as found in the following table.

Category Test procedure Integrated average temperature (i) Refrigerator with Solid Door(s)ARI Standard 1200–2006¹ 38 °F (±2 °F). (ii) Refrigerator with Transparent Door(s)ARI Standard 1200–2006¹ 38 °F (±2 °F). (iii) Freezer with Solid Door(s)ARI Standard 1200–2006¹ 0 °F (±2 °F). (iv) Freezer with Transparent Door(s)ARI Standard 1200–2006¹ 0 °F (±2 °F). (v) Refrigerator-Freezer with Solid Door(s)ARI Standard 1200–2006¹ 38 °F (±2 °F) for refrigerator compartment. 0 °F (±2 °F) for freezer compartment. (vi) Commercial Refrigerator with a Self-Contained Condensing Unit Designed for Pull-Down Temperature Applications and Transparent DoorsARI Standard 1200–2006¹ 38 °F (±2 °F). (vii) Ice-Cream FreezerARI Standard 1200–2006¹ −15.0 °F (±2 °F). (viii) Commercial Refrigerator, Freezer, and Refrigerator-Freezer with a Self-Contained Condensing Unit and without DoorsARI Standard 1200–2006¹ (A) 0 °F (±2 °F) for low temperature applications. (B) 38 °F (±2 °F) for medium temperature applications. (ix) Commercial Refrigerator, Freezer, and Refrigerator-Freezer with a Remote Condensing UnitARI Standard 1200–2006¹ (A) 0 °F (±2 °F) for low temperature applications. (B) 38 °F (±2 °F) for medium temperature applications.

¹ Incorporated by reference, see § 431.63.

2.2. Lowest Application Product Temperature. If a unit of commercial refrigeration equipment is not able to be operated at the integrated average temperature specified in the table in paragraph 2.1, test the unit at the lowest application product temperature (LAPT), as defined in § 431.62. For units equipped with a thermostat, LAPT is the lowest thermostat setting. For remote condensing equipment without a thermostat or other means of controlling temperature at the case, the lowest application product temperature is the temperature achieved with the dew point temperature (as defined in AHRI Standard 1200 (I–P)-2010 (incorporated by reference see § 431.63)) set to 5 degrees colder than that required to maintain the manufacturer's lowest specified operating temperature.

2.3. Testing at NSF Test Conditions. For commercial refrigeration equipment that is also tested in accordance with NSF test procedures (Type I and Type II), integrated average temperatures and ambient conditions used for NSF testing may be used in place of the DOE-prescribed integrated average temperatures and ambient conditions provided they result in a more stringent test. That is, the measured daily energy consumption of the same unit, when tested at the rating temperatures and/or ambient conditions specified in the DOE test procedure, must be lower than or equal to the measured daily energy consumption of the unit when tested with the rating temperatures or ambient conditions used for NSF testing. The integrated average temperature measured during the test may be lower than the range specified by the DOE applicable temperature specification provided in paragraph 2.1 of this appendix, but may not exceed the upper value of the specified range. Ambient temperatures and/or humidity values may be higher than those specified in the DOE test procedure.

3. Volume and Total Display Area

3.1. Determination of Volume. Determine the volume of a commercial refrigerator, freezer, refrigerator-freezer, or ice-cream freezer using the method set forth in the ANSI/AHAM HRF–1–2004, “Energy, Performance and Capacity of Household Refrigerators, Refrigerator-Freezers and Freezers” (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63), section 3.21, “Volume,” sections 4.1 through 4.3, “Method for Computing Total Refrigerated Volume and Total Shelf Area of Household Refrigerators and Household Wine Chillers,” and sections 5.1 through 5.3, “Method for Computing Total Refrigerated Volume and Total Shelf Area of Household Freezers.”

3.2. Determination of Total Display Area. Determine the total display area of a commercial refrigerator, freezer, refrigerator-freezer, or ice-cream freezer using the method set forth in ARI Standard 1200–2006 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63), but disregarding the specification that “transparent material (≥65% light transmittance) in Appendix D. Specifically, total display area shall be the sum of the projected area(s) of visible product, expressed in ft² (i.e., portions through which product can be viewed from an angle normal, or perpendicular, to the transparent area). Determine L as the interior length of the CRE model, provided no more than 10 percent of that length consists of non-transparent material. For those cases with greater than 10 percent of non-transparent area, L shall be determined as the projected linear dimension(s) of visible product plus 10 percent of non-transparent area.

See Figures A3.1, A3.2, A3.3, A3.4, and A3.5 as examples of how to calculate the dimensions associated with calculation of total display area. In the diagrams, D_h and L represent the dimensions of the projected visible product.

[79 FR 22308, Apr. 21, 2014

[Reserved]