[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 4348-4350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1433]
[[Page 4347]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part VIII
Department of Energy
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
_______________________________________________________________________
10 CFR Part 430
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for
Furnaces/Boilers, Vented Home Heating Equipment, and Pool Heaters;
Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 13 / Friday, January 20, 1995 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 4348]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EE-RM-93-501]
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test
Procedures for Furnaces/Boilers, Vented Home Heating Equipment, and
Pool Heaters
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
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SUMMARY: On Monday, August 23, 1993, the Department of Energy (DOE or
Department) published a proposed rule amending furnace and boiler,
vented home heating equipment, and pool heater test procedures (58 FR
44538). Among the various proposed technical changes and revisions,
that notice proposed a revision to the existing Energy Factor and
proposed a new energy efficiency descriptor, Annual Efficiency. A
multiplication factor (F-factor), which represented the ratio of the
energy consumed at the power plant to generate the auxiliary electric
energy delivered to the fossil-fueled appliance to the useful heat
equivalent of that electrical energy delivered at the appliance, was
applied to the auxiliary energy in the calculation of the proposed
Energy Factor and Annual Efficiency. Today's notice announces a
reopening of the comment period to seek comment on an alternative
definition of the F-factor based on the ratio of the national average
cost of the auxiliary electrical energy to the national average cost of
the fossil fuel energy on a common unit energy basis. DOE is soliciting
comments, data, and information respecting this alternative energy cost
factor.
DATES: Written comments in response to this document must be received
by February 21, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and statements shall be submitted to: U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
``Test Procedures for Furnaces/Boilers, Vented Home Heating Equipment,
and Pool Heaters,'' (Docket No. EE-RM-93-501), Mail Stop EE-43, Room
5E-066, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20585, (202) 586-7574.
Copies of the transcript of the public hearing and the comments
received may be read and/or photocopied at the DOE Freedom of
Information Reading Room, U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal
Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585, (202) 586-6020, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
The Department proposed to incorporate by reference in the Final
Rule the following standards:
1. American National Standards Institute/American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 103-
1993.
2. American National Standards Institute Standard Z21.56-1990.
Copies of these standards may be viewed at the Department of Energy
Freedom of Information Reading Room at the address stated above. Copy
of the American National Standards Institute/American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standards 103,
may be obtained from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating,
and Air-Conditioning Engineers, 1791 Tullie Circle, Atlanta, Georgia
30329. A copy of the American National Standard Institute Standard
Z21.56 may be obtained from American National Standards Institute, 11
West 42nd Street, New York, New York 10036.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station, EE-431, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9138, FAX
(202) 586-4617.
Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General
Counsel, Mail Station, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9507.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
II. Discussion of Comments
III. Discussion of Issues for Further Comment
I. Introduction
On August 23, 1993, DOE published in the Federal Register a Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking and public hearing for furnaces/boilers, vented
home heating equipment, and pool heaters (hereafter referred to as the
1993 Proposed Rule) to amend the furnace, vented home heating equipment
and pool heater test procedures (58 FR 44538). A public hearing was
held in Washington, DC on January 5, 1994. Among the various proposed
technical changes and revisions, a revision to the existing Energy
Factor and a new energy efficiency descriptor, named Annual Efficiency,
were proposed. An intent of these proposed descriptors was to account
for the electrical consumption of a furnace in its efficiency rating.
To accomplish this, a multiplication factor (F-factor), which
represented the ratio of the energy consumed at the power plant to
generate the auxiliary electric energy consumed by the fossil fueled
appliance to that auxiliary electrical energy, was applied to the
auxiliary energy in the calculation of the proposed Energy Factor and
Annual Efficiency.
The current DOE test procedure includes for information the
computation of the annual fossil fuel and auxiliary electrical energy
consumptions of fossil-fueled furnaces and boilers and an Energy Factor
which includes both the fossil fuel and the auxiliary electrical energy
consumption of the appliances. The Energy Factor is defined as the
ratio of the annual output of energy delivered to the heated space by
fossil-fueled appliances to the total annual energy input to the
appliances including auxiliary electrical energy.
DOE proposed in the 1993 Proposed Rule the definition of Energy
Factor as defined in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 103-1988, with the provision
that non-weatherized warm air furnaces are located indoors and all
combustion and ventilation air is admitted through grills and ducts
from the outdoors and does not communicate with air in the conditioned
space [Isolated Combustion Systems (ICS)]. In addition, for those
appliances such as mobile home furnaces and vented home heating
equipment that are primarily installed indoors, DOE proposed a new
descriptor, Annual Efficiency. The new annual efficiency descriptor was
identical in form to the Energy Factor but for non-weatherized
furnaces. For boilers and for weatherized warm air furnaces, Annual
Efficiency and Energy Factor would be identical.
For fossil-fueled furnaces and boilers, the proposal defined
``Energy Factor'' as a term that gives credit for the electrical energy
recovered as usable heat, such as from a blower motor that is in the
circulating air stream. In addition, an F-factor, representing the
ratio of the energy consumed at the power plant to generate the
auxiliary electric energy delivered to the fossil-fueled appliance to
that auxiliary electrical energy, was applied to the auxiliary energy
in the calculation of the proposed Energy Factor and Annual Efficiency.
A typical value of 3.0 for the F-factor is presented as one used in
California.
II. Discussion of Comments
This notice addresses comments received on the proposed Energy
Factor and Annual Efficiency descriptors and, [[Page 4349]] in
particular, the multiplication factor F, which was applied to the
auxiliary electrical consumption. This factor was defined in the 1993
Proposed Rule as the ratio of the energy consumed at the power plant to
generate the auxiliary electric energy delivered to the fossil-fuelled
appliance to the useful heat equivalent of that electrical energy
delivered at the appliance.
Many comments were received on the proposed formulation of energy
descriptors to capture electrical consumption of furnaces/boilers,
vented home heating equipment, and pool heaters. In general, the
comments received were supportive of the goals of the proposed
amendments.
Twenty-one commenters offered comments on the energy efficiency
descriptor issues emphasizing the F-factor. Midwest Gas of the Midwest
Power Systems Inc. of Iowa supported fully the energy factor descriptor
and the annual efficiency descriptor (Midwest Gas, No. 1, at 2).
Columbia Gas Distribution Companies of Columbus, Ohio, Oklahoma Natural
Gas Co., Texas Gas Transmission Corp., City Gas Company of Florida,
Southern California Gas Co., Southern Union Gas of Texas, Lone Star Gas
Co., and Texas and Brooklyn Union Gas of N.Y., all expressed support
for the concept of the energy factor and the annual efficiency
descriptors; however, they suggested that the source- based F-factor
should be applied to all covered appliances, regardless of their
primary energy source. They considered it unfair to apply the F-factor
to fossil-fueled furnaces and boilers but not to all-electric
appliances (Columbia Gas, No. 3, at 1; Oklahoma Natural Gas, No. 4, at
1; Texas Gas, No. 5, at 3; City Gas, No. 6, at 1; Southern California
Gas, No. 24, at 1; Southern Union Gas, No. 26, at 1; Lone Star, No. 11,
at 2; and Brooklyn Union, No. 19, at 1).
American Gas Association (AGA) and Hydronics Institute (HI) stated
that they have long supported a full-cycle approach to energy decisions
but are disappointed in that the proposed energy descriptors apply the
F-factor only to the auxiliary electric energy in fossil-fueled
furnaces and boilers and not to all-electric equipment. AGA considered
the proposed approach illogical and biased and stated that it could
result in a consumer purchasing electric furnaces because of their
lower purchase price without fully considering operating cost. AGA
recommended the inclusion of source energy for electric furnaces (AGA,
Testimony, at 54, and No. 13, at 2; and HI, Testimony, at 75, and No.
16, at 2). Minnegasco, and Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G)
expressed the same concerns as the American Gas Association on the F-
factor (Minnegasco, No. 18, at 3; and PSE&G, Testimony, at 102, and No.
9, at 3). The PSE&G further stated that if DOE adopts a source-to-site
based F-factor, the factor should be regionally and seasonally applied
because of regional and seasonal differences in electricity generation
and demand side management programs. The PSE&G further suggested that
the energy descriptor be defined to include air emissions and solid
waste produced (PSE&G, Testimony, at 102, and No. 9, at 3).
Edison Electric Institute supported adoption of the proposed energy
descriptors Energy Factor and Annual Efficiency, but without the F-
factor (equivalent to setting F=1). Edison Electric Institute believed
that site energy rather than source energy should be used in the
calculation for Energy Factor and Annual Efficiency because (1) the
appliance standard is to benefit the consumer who makes his or her
decisions on energy usage based on site energy and has no control over
the electrical power plant; (2) there is no technical justification for
using source rather than site energy; (3) an unnecessary precedent
would be created for other appliance standards that are currently
defined using site energy; (4) given that electricity can be generated
from renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro), the F-factor could distort
the actual amount of energy needed for electricity generation and could
have the tendency to favor fossil-fueled equipment over electric
equipment; and (5) given that electricity is generated using different
fuels and at different rates of conversion from heat to electricity,
including nuclear and hydroelectric, a single F-factor would be
misleading (Edison, No. 20, at 2).
Lennox Industries supported the inclusion of electrical energy in
the proposed energy descriptors but objected that limiting the
application of the F-factor on electric energy usage only to fossil-
fueled furnaces and boilers would penalize this type of product and
confuse the consumer (Lennox, Testimony, at 85).
Inter-City Products stated that (1) applying the F-factor to
auxiliary electric energy consumption in gas-fired furnaces, but not to
the electric energy consumption in electric furnaces, puts the gas-
fired equipment at an unjustified disadvantage in comparison to
electric furnaces and heat pumps, which could cause significant load
shifting from gas to electric, (2) gas and electrical consumption
cannot be separated for cost comparison in a single energy descriptor
that combines two different forms of energy but not cost in the
calculation because their operating cost will be different, and (3)
there is no basis for the proposed value of 3.37 for the F-factor.
Therefore, Inter-City stated that it would not support the proposed
energy descriptors until these issues were resolved (Inter-City, No. 7,
at 3).
GAMA objected to the proposed energy descriptors' immediate
implementation in their present form, for reasons similar to those
mentioned by Inter-City, supra. GAMA also suggested the possibility of
developing two separate energy descriptors for fossil fuel and electric
energy consumption. Carrier Corp. and Consolidated Industries both
stated their support of GAMA (GAMA, Testimony, at 18, and No. 8, at 5;
Carrier, No. 12, at 1; and Consolidated, No. 22, at 1). York
International objected to the proposed energy descriptors and would
support the descriptors only if the F-factor was not applied. York also
considered F-factor's use inconsistent by not applying it to all-
electric units (York, No. 10, at 1).
California Energy Commission supported the proposed energy
descriptors with the F-factor (California, No. 25, at 3). The National
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) strongly supported the proposed energy
descriptors and the concept of applying a multiplication factor to
auxiliary electrical energy consumed to reflect the cost of energy to
the consumers. The NRDC suggested that other than the source-based F-
factor, factors based on consumer cost or emission impacts (air
pollution impacts or climate pollution impacts) could also be used to
develop the F-factor. But NRDC suggested that a factor based on average
consumer costs (the ratio of unit energy cost to consumers of
electrical energy and fossil fuel) would be a more accurate and useful
approach, as it is more reflective of the costs the consumer is
incurring. The NRDC suggested that in order to avoid the necessity of
changing the cost ratio due to fluctuations or changes in the gas to
electric costs every year, a single value for the factor should be
chosen and maintained for the next ten years or longer unless the
factor changes drastically (NRDC, Testimony, at 68 and No. 15, at 2).
III. Discussion of Issues for Further Comment
The main reason for the Department's 1993 proposal to establish the
energy factor and the annual efficiency descriptor was to take into
account the consumption of the auxiliary electric [[Page 4350]] energy
in the operation of fossil-fueled furnaces and boilers. The AFUE
descriptor for fossil-fueled units, as defined, deals with only the
primary energy consumption (gas or oil) of an appliance, and therefore
does not give the consumer a complete account of the overall energy and
cost performance of the appliance. A survey of the yearly auxiliary
electrical energy consumption and gas consumption of gas-fired
furnaces, as published in the October 1993 GAMA Efficiency
Certification Directory, showed that the auxiliary electrical energy
consumption varies from approximately 2.0 to 6.5 percent of the gas
consumption. Even though this energy consumption ratio is small, it is
significant in cost to the consumer because electricity costs
approximately four times more than gas. On the basis of AFUE alone, a
consumer would not be able to compare the overall efficiency of two (or
more) different models of fossil-fueled furnaces or boilers of
comparable output capacity but with blower motors of different
efficiencies and, hence, different costs. The proposed Energy Factor or
Annual Efficiency will give the consumer the necessary descriptor for a
more informed purchasing decision.
A second reason for having the proposed energy descriptors is to
allow for the consideration of design options involving changes in
auxiliary electric energy consumption in the Department's analysis
supporting the energy efficiency standard rulemaking.
The definition of the F-factor in the 1993 proposed rule was
intended to: (1) provide consumers with rating information which
reflects annual operating cost, including electrical energy, so they
can make informed choices when comparing several models or makes of
fossil-fueled appliances; and (2) encourage manufacturers to make the
most overall energy efficient appliance, the efficiency of which can be
shown to the consumers with a meaningful energy descriptor. After
reviewing the objections presented by commenters with regard to the
proposed F-factor, the Department invites comment on an alternative
formulation of the F-factor based on the ratio of costs. In particular,
DOE invites comment on the NRDC suggestion that basing a multiplication
factor on energy costs of electricity and fossil fuel to consumers
rather than on source energy ratio would be a more meaningful criterion
in reflecting the overall energy efficiency of fossil-fueled
appliances. This ratio may also give consumers a clearer grasp of the
cost of operating their appliances.
The F-factor value of 3.37 in the 1993 proposed rule was based on
historical values of power-plant-to-site energy ratios. More recent
calculations, based on future projections in the ``Annual Energy
Outlook 1994'' (Energy Information Administration, DOE, DOE/EIA-
0383(94), January, 1994, Table A2), showed that a value of F=3.2 would
be appropriate for the years 2000 through 2010. Average national
electricity-to-fuel price (as opposed to energy) ratios also were
calculated for the same years, using the ``Annual Energy Outlook 1994''
(Tables A3 and A4). These price ratios were obtained by first
calculating a weighted-averaged fuel price (for natural gas, LPG, and
oil), then taking the ratio of average national electricity price to
the weighted average fuel price. The weighted average price for the
three fuels was calculated by weighting each fuel price by its yearly
national residential space heating consumption (in quads per year).
These calculations showed that the projected electricity-to-fuel price
ratio will vary from 3.46 in the year 2000 to 3.30 in the year 2010,
and that the trend for this ratio will be toward less variation over
time. Therefore, while some variation will exist in the price ratio
over time (as cautioned by the NRDC in its testimony), the Department
seeks comment on whether a nationwide price ratio of 3.36 will be valid
for the next 10 to 20 years (determined by extrapolating for the year
2002 and price ratio remaining unchanged during that period). The
actual ratio of electricity-to-fuel price will not be the same across
the U.S., but the use of a multiple-valued F-factor, as suggested by
the Edison Electric Institute, would cause complications for
manufacturers that sell the same appliance in different parts of the
country. Using a single value is similar to the adoption of a national
average outdoor temperature and a national average heating degree-days
in the calculation for the heating seasonal efficiency and AFUE in the
current test procedure.
The Department is seeking comment on the equations for the proposed
Energy Factor and the Annual Efficiency for furnaces and boilers that
use fossil fuel as the primary source of energy, and a much smaller
quantity of electrical energy for the auxiliary equipment (2.0 percent
to 6.5 percent of the yearly gas consumption for gas furnaces; less
than 1.0 percent for boilers). The F-factor should be applied to all
types of source energy and to all types of space-heating equipment. As
previously stated, the inclusion of the F-factor in the proposed
equations for these energy descriptors is to calculate the total cost
of the fossil fuel energy and the auxiliary electrical energy consumed
by the appliance. In this way, the consumers would have a more complete
energy descriptor than the AFUE to compare the total cost of operating
the appliance in their homes. This would also discourage the possible
practice of running the air circulation blower longer during burner
ignition and shut-off in order to obtain a slightly higher AFUE value,
while actually consuming more electrical energy and thus, more overall
energy. The Department believes the best information available to
consumers to make an informed decision when purchasing a fossil-fueled
appliance is an efficiency descriptor that will reflect the total cost
of operating the appliance. The proposed energy descriptors do reflect
that total cost to the consumer.
Based on the discussion above, DOE is seeking comment today on
redefining the F-factor in the August 23, 1993, proposed rule as the
ratio of national average price of electricity to the national average
price of fossil fuel, on a common unit energy basis. In particular, DOE
invites comment on use of value of 3.36 for the F-factor.
The Department solicits comment and information on the application
of the proposed consumer energy cost factor to the auxiliary electrical
energy consumption as a multiplication factor in the calculation of the
proposed Energy Factor and the Annual Efficiency for fossil fuel
heating appliances.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 11, 1995.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 95-1433 Filed 1-19-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
