98-888. Water Heating Standards: Design Options

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 2186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-888]


      
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Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 14, 1998 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 2186]]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EE-RM-97-900]


Water Heating Standards: Design Options

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department or DOE) today gives 
notice that copies of the ``Technology Assessment and Screening 
Analysis,'' Appendix B Supplement to the Water Heater Rulemaking 
Framework, is available for review and comment.

DATES: Written comments in response to this notice must be received by 
March 2, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the report may be obtained from Sandy Beall at: 
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, EE-43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, 
[phone]. This document may be read at the DOE Freedom of 
Information Public Reading Room, U.S. DOE, Room 1E-90, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, [phone], between 
the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
    Written comments are welcomed. Please submit 10 copies to: U.S. 
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
``Water Heater Docket No. EE-RM-97-900,'' EE-43, Room 1J-018, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Terrence Logee, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station 
EE-43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, Phone: 
[phone], Fax: [phone], or Ms. Sandy Beall, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
Mail Station EE-43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-
0121, Phone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy has initiated an 
extensive standards rulemaking process improvement effort to expedite 
and improve the procedures for developing appliance efficiency 
standards. This effort includes priority setting for various products, 
and the Department has determined that water heater standards 
rulemaking be assigned a ``High Priority.'' The new process is 
described in the July 15, 1996, Federal Register, and includes a 
planning and prioritization process, data collection and analysis 
procedures, and decision-making criteria. (61 FR 36973).
    The following report is available for review and comment: 
``Technology Assessment and Screening Analysis,'' Appendix B Supplement 
to the Water Heater Rulemaking Framework. This report discusses various 
design options for improving the energy efficiency and/or reducing the 
standby losses of gas-fired, oil-fired, and electric storage-type water 
heaters, and addresses Section 2.3 of the Water Heater Rulemaking 
Framework document (dated June 11, 1997) that was distributed at the 
Water Heater Standards Rulemaking Workshop held in Washington, DC, on 
June 24, 1997. Based on written comments and discussions at the 
workshop, the design options have been screened and pared down to a 
list of options that will be used by the Department for the engineering 
analysis. Eight design options are being considered for engineering 
analysis because they are currently being applied to commercial or 
residential water heaters and pass all of the screening criteria. The 
design options are: Heat Traps, Plastic Tanks, Increased Jacket 
Insulation, Improved Flue Baffles/Forced Draft, Increased Heat 
Exchanger Surface Area, Flue Damper (Electromechanical), Side-Arm 
Heater, and Electronic (or Interrupted) Ignition. The Air-Atomized 
Burner (Oil-Fired Only) design option is being considered because 
prototype units are available and field tests are planned in the near 
future.
    The Department will use the information in this report and the 
written comments it receives to guide its approach to development of 
new efficiency standards for water heaters. The next step in the 
development of new efficiency standards for water heaters is a 
preliminary engineering and life-cycle cost analysis.
    A copy of the above-mentioned document, comments received, and this 
notice are available at the DOE Freedom of Information Public Reading 
Room.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 8, 1998.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 98-888 Filed 1-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P