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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 134 / Friday, July 16, 2021 / Proposed Rules of this litigation, a settlement agreement was reached to address, and a controlling order from the Fifth Circuit vacated, standards for six of the refrigeration system equipment classesthe two energy conservation standards applicable to multiplex condensing refrigeration systems subsequently re-named as unit coolers operating at medium and low temperatures and the four energy conservation standards applicable to dedicated condensing refrigeration systems operating at low temperatures.4
After the Fifth Circuit issued its order, DOE established a Working Group to negotiate energy conservation standards to replace the six vacated standards. 80
FR 46521 August 5, 2015. The Working Group assembled their recommendations into a Term Sheet See Docket EERE2015BTSTD
00160056 5 that was presented to, and approved by, the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee ASRAC on December 18, 2015.
The Term Sheet contained recommended energy conservation standards to replace the six vacated standards, definitions for a number of WICF-related terms, and test procedure changes to implement the recommended energy conservation standards.
Consequently, DOE initiated both an energy conservation standard rulemaking and a test procedure rulemaking in 2016 to implement these recommendations. The Term Sheet also recommended additional specific test procedure changes for future rulemaking to help improve its ability to be fully representative of walk-in energy use.
On July 10, 2017, DOE published a final rule adopting energy conservation standards for the six classes of walk-in refrigeration systems for which the prior standards were vacated. 82 FR 31808
July 2017 ECS final rule. The energy conservation standards established in the July 2017 ECS final rule were consistent with those recommended by the Working Group and approved by ASRAC. 82 FR 31808, 31878. The current energy conservation standards
for walk-ins are codified at 10 CFR
431.306.

4 The thirteen other standards established in the June 2014 ECS final rule i.e., the four standards applicable to dedicated condensing refrigeration systems operating at medium-temperatures; the three standards applicable to panels; and the six standards applicable to doors were not vacated.
5 The docket can be accessed at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2015-BT-STD0016.
6 A display door is a door that 1 is designed for product display, or 2 has 75 percent or more of its surface area composed of glass or another transparent material. 10 CFR 431.302.

7 A freight door is a door that is not a display door and is equal to or larger than 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall. 10 CFR 431.302. A passage door is a door that is not a freight or display door. Id.
8 A dedicated condensing system is one of the following: 1 A dedicated condensing unit; 2 A
single-package dedicated system; or 3 A matched refrigeration system. 10 CFR 431.302.
9 The term, unit cooler means an assembly, including means for forced air circulation and elements by which heat is transferred from air to refrigerant, thus cooling the air, without any
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II. Request for Information DOE is publishing this RFI to collect data and information during the early assessment review to inform its decision, consistent with its obligations under EPCA, as to whether the Department should proceed with an energy conservation standards rulemaking. DOE has identified certain topics for which information and data are requested to assist in the evaluation of the potential for amended energy conservation standards. DOE also welcomes comments on other issues relevant to its early assessment that may not specifically be identified in this document.
A. Scope and Equipment Classes This RFI covers equipment meeting the walk-in definition codified in 10
CFR 431.302: An enclosed storage space i.e., box refrigerated to temperatures 1 above 32 F for walk-in coolers and 2 at or below 32 F for walk-in freezers, that can be walked into, and has a total chilled storage area of less than 3,000 square feet, but excluding equipment designed and marketed exclusively for medical, scientific, or research purposes. 10 CFR 431.302. See also 42 U.S.C. 631120 DOE has codified and established energy conservation standards applicable to the principal components that make up a walk-in i.e., doors, panels, and refrigeration systems. In addition to the prescriptive requirements for walk-ins established by EPCA 42 U.S.C.
6313f3AD and codified at 10
CFR 431.306ab, DOE established performance-based energy conservation standards for doors and refrigeration systems. 10 CFR 431.306ce.
When evaluating and establishing energy conservation standards, DOE
may divide covered equipment into classes by the type of energy used, or by capacity or other performance-related features that would justify a different standard. 42 U.S.C. 6316a; 42 U.S.C.
6295q1 In making a determination whether capacity or another
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performance-related feature justifies a different standard, DOE must consider such factors as the utility of the feature to the consumer and other factors DOE
deems appropriate. Id.
DOE established standards for walk-in doors based on 1 whether they are used in a walk-in cooler i.e., mediumtemperature or walk-in freezer i.e., low-temperature, 2 whether they are display or non-display doors,6 and 3 if non-display, whether they are passage or freight doors.7 10 CFR 431.306cd.
Table II.1 presents the equipment classes for all walk-in doors.
DOE codified standards for nondisplay panels: Based on 1 whether they are used in a walk-in cooler i.e., medium-temperature or walk-in freezer i.e., low-temperature, and 2 whether they are structural wall or ceiling or floor panels. 10 CFR 431.306a34.
Table II.2 presents the equipment classes for walk-in panels.
DOE established equipment classes for walk-in refrigeration systems based on 1 whether they are dedicated condensing systems 8 or unit coolers,9
and 2 whether they are used in a walkin cooler i.e., medium-temperature or walk-in freezer i.e., low-temperature.
10 CFR 431.306e. DOE further divided dedicated condensing refrigeration systems into indoor and outdoor equipment classes.10 Id. Indoor, low temperature dedicated condensing systems, outdoor, low temperature dedicated condensing systems, and low temperature unit coolers are further divided based on net capacity.
See 10 CFR 431.306e. Table II.3 lists the equipment classes for WICF
refrigeration systems.

TABLE II.1EQUIPMENT CLASSES FOR
WALK-IN DOORS
Utility
Temperature
Display Door

Medium
Low
Medium
Low
Medium
Low

Passage Door Non-display.
Freight Door Non-display.

Class code DD.M.
DD.L.
PD.M.
PD.L.
FD.M.
FD.L.

element external to the cooler imposing air resistance. 10 CFR 431.302.
10 An indoor dedicated condensing refrigeration system is a dedicated condensing refrigeration system designated by the manufacturer for indoor use or for which there is no designation regarding the use location. 10 CFR 431.302. An outdoor dedicated condensing refrigeration system is a dedicated condensing refrigeration system designated by the manufacturer for outdoor use.
Id.

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