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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 56 / Thursday, March 25, 2021 / Proposed Rules
B. Significant Savings of Energy On January 15, 2016, DOE established an energy conservation standard for consumer boilers that is expected to result in 0.14 quadrillion British thermal units quads of site energy savings over a 30-year period.3 81 FR
2320, 2396. The adopted levels can be met by consumer boilers using either condensing or noncondensing technology. Additionally, in the January 2016 final rule, DOE estimated that an energy conservation standard established at an energy efficiency level equivalent to that achieved using the maximum available technology maxtech would have resulted in 1.295
additional quads of site energy savings over a 30-year period. Id. For gas-fired hot water boilers and oil-fired hot water boilers, energy conservation standards at the max-tech levels analyzed in the January 2016 final rule could only be met by consumer boilers utilizing condensing technology 96 percent AFUE and 91 percent AFUE, respectively. 81 FR 2320, 2381 Jan. 15, 2016. The majority of the additional potential energy savings were from the gas-fired hot water boiler product class.
Currently, based on information from the DOE Compliance Certification Management System CCMS
certification database, non-condensing gas-fired hot water boilers range in AFUE from 84.0 percent to 86.1 percent, and condensing gas-fired hot water boilers range in AFUE from 88.3 percent to 96.8 percent. Based on the CCMS
certification database, oil-fired hot water boilers currently on the market are noncondensing and range in AFUE from 86.0 to 88.2 percent. All gas-fired steam and oil-fired steam boilers in the CCMS
certification database are noncondensing, ranging in AFUE from 82.0
to 83.4 and 85.0 to 86.5 percent, respectively.
While DOEs request for information is not limited to the following issues,
DOE is particularly interested in comment, information, and data on the issues discussed in the following paragraphs.
As part of the rulemaking process, DOE conducts an energy use analysis to identify how products are used by consumers, which then allows the Department to determine the energy savings potential of energy efficiency improvements. The purpose of the energy use analysis is to determine the annual energy consumption of consumer boilers at different efficiencies in representative U.S.
single-family homes, manufactured housing, multi-family residences, and commercial buildings, and to assess the energy savings potential of increased consumer boiler efficiency. The energy use analysis estimates the range of energy use of consumer boilers in the field i.e., as they are actually used by consumers. Furthermore, the energy use analysis provides the basis for other analyses DOE performs, particularly assessments of the energy savings and the savings in consumer operating costs that could result from adoption of amended or new standards, including the life-cycle cost LCC and payback period PBP analysis and the national impact analysis NIA. DOE will estimate the annual energy consumption of consumer boilers at specified energy efficiency levels across a range of applications, house or building types, and climate zones. Similar to the January 2016 final rule, DOE intends to determine the annual energy consumption, including the use of natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas LPG, oil, or electricity for space and water heating,4 as well as use of electricity for any auxiliary components.
Issue 3: DOE requests feedback on the levels of energy savings that could be expected from the adoption of a morestringent standard for consumer boilers.
Specifically, with regard to potential product class changes discussed in section II.A of this RFI, DOE requests information and data on the potential change in energy savings if certain classes are split or merged.
Issue 4: DOE seeks input and sources of data or recommendations to support sizing of consumer boilers typical in
consumer space heating and water heating applications.
Issue 5: DOE requests comment on the fraction of installations and classes of consumer boilers that are used in commercial applications.
Issue 6: DOE seeks field data and input on representative space heating usage, space heating load profile, and representative return water temperatures for consumer boilers used in various consumer and commercial space heating applications.
Issue 7: DOE requests comment on the fraction of installations by consumer boiler product classes used for different space heating applications include radiant heating in-floor, radiant panels, radiators, baseboards and forced air using fan coils or central air handlers.
Issue 8: DOE seeks input on adjusting AFUE for different return water temperatures, for automatic means for adjusting water temperature, and for jacket losses. DOE seeks input on any other adjustments to AFUE to better capture field conditions. DOE also seeks data on the relationship between return water temperature and AFUE to more accurately calculate the return water temperature adjustment.
Issue 9: DOE seeks additional data on the fraction of boiler shipments that go to installations that serve both space heating and water heating by product class, by efficiency level or boiler technology type e.g., non-condensing and condensing, and type of water heating e.g., indirect tank water heating, combination products, and tankless coil.

3 This estimate of 0.14 quads reflects site energy savings, which for natural gas and oil are considered equal to the primary energy savings because they are supplied to the user without transformation from another form of energy. The January 2016 final rule presented the 30-year energy savings estimate as 0.16 quads, reflecting full-fuelcycle FFC energy savings. The FFC measure includes point-of-use site energy; the energy losses
associated with generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; and the energy consumed in extracting, processing, and transporting or distributing primary fuels. For purposes of its consideration of significant energy savings, DOE
has calculated its estimate of potential site energy savings from the estimate of FFC energy savings in the January 2016 final rule.

4 Space heating applications for consumer boilers include radiant heating e.g., in-floor, radiant panels, radiators, baseboard and forced air using fan coils or central air handlers. Domestic water heating applications for consumer boilers include indirect water heating, combination products, and tankless coil.

Issue 2: DOE also requests comment on other instances where it may be appropriate to separate or combine any of the existing product classes and whether such potential changes would impact product utility by eliminating any performance-related features or reduce any compliance burdens.

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C. Technological Feasibility DOE considers technologies incorporated in commercially-available products or in working prototypes to be technologically feasible. 10 CFR part 430. subpart C, appendix A, sections 6c3i and 7b1. In the rulemaking proceeding leading to the January 2016
final rule, DOE considered a number of technology options that manufacturers could use to reduce energy consumption in consumer boilers. 81 FR 2320, 2340
2341 Jan. 15, 2016. Table II.1 shows the technologies previously considered for the January 2016 final rule.

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