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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 146 / Tuesday, August 3, 2021 / Proposed Rules
34 The Joint Commenters further asserted that DOEs exclusion of energy use from connected features in the test procedure harms consumers and manufacturers that implemented these features efficiently. Joint Commenters, No. 13 at p. 4 The Joint Commenters urged DOE to undertake its own investigation of the energy use of connected features. Joint Commenters, No. 13 at p. 4
DOE is aware of microwave ovens on the market with connected functionality to communicate with other cooking products, such as a range, or with a consumer, either via voice commands or a smartphone or other device. Such a feature could consume additional energy use, depending on how it is implemented in the products controls.
However, DOE lacks sufficient data to design a test procedure that measures the energy use associated with a connected function that is representative of average use, as required by EPCA. See 42 US.C.
6293b3 As stated in the November 2019 NOPR, for a unit that is connected to the internet, the speed and configuration of an internet connection could also impact the energy consumed by the device. 84 FR 61836, 61843.
Based on a review of manufacturer websites and user manuals of various appliances, as well as testing conducted in-house and at third-party laboratories, connected features in microwave ovens are also implemented in a variety of ways across different brands similar to the Joint Commentators findings with regards to the implementation of standby mode in televisions. Id. Further, the design and operation of these features is continuously evolving as the nascent market begins to grow for these products. Id.
In addition, DOE notes that the CECs low power mode open rulemaking 8 is still in an early development stage, during which CEC is actively seeking stakeholder feedback. CECs stated goal for the low power mode open rulemaking is to develop a test procedure for low power mode energy consumption across a wide variety of products.
DOE notes that CECs draft test procedure does not measure the energy consumption of the individual network components of connected devices.
Similarly, the EUs regulation on low power modes 9 also does not address 8 Available at https efiling.energy.ca.gov/Lists/
DocketLog.aspx?docketnumber=17-AAER-12.
9 Available at https ec.europa.eu/info/energyclimate-change-environment/standards-tools-andlabels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/
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how to individually measure the energy consumption of the network components of connected devices;
rather, it requires measuring the device energy consumption as a whole and provides a 0.5 W maximum power allowance for standby mode and off mode, or 1.0 W maximum standby power for units with a display. The EUs regulation also provides design requirements for networked standby mode, requiring connected devices to automatically switch to a networked standby mode when not in use.
DOE is not aware of any data available, nor did interested parties provide any such data, regarding the consumer use of connected features.
Absent such data, DOE is unable to establish a representative test configuration for assessing the energy consumption of connected functionality for microwave ovens. Therefore, DOE is proposing explicit language to require a connected function be disabled, where possible.
DOE requests information and data on the consumer use of connected functions.
In the November 2019 NOPR, DOE
proposed a test procedure provision to address instances in which a user manual does not provide for disabling a connected function. 84 FR 61836, 61843. DOE proposed that in such an instance, the energy use associated with a connection function need not be reported to DOE nor used in determining compliance with the applicable energy conservation standard. Id. DOE recognized that alternative approaches could be considered to address the issue of microwave ovens that do not provide a means for disabling connected functionality and suggested that one such approach could be to require the energy use of the network function to be measured and subtracted from the standby mode energy measurement. Id.
However, DOE did not propose a specific method for determining the energy associated with a connected function so that it could be disaggregated from the measured standby energy use.
In certain microwave oven models, the circuitry that enables connected functions can be tightly integrated into the circuitry that provides core functionality. In these conditions, disabling connected functions would require extensive reconfiguration of a microwave ovens circuitry. For such a model, with no means for the consumer to disable the connected functions, a products/mode-standby-and-networked-standby_
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test procedure that is reasonably designed to produce test results which measure the energy use of that model during a representative average use cycle or period of use would include the energy used by the connected functions. The same would be true of any energy-consuming function that a manufacturer might add to a model without allowing it to be disabled.
Therefore, DOE is proposing to explicitly state in Appendix I that if manufacturer instructions provided in a microwave ovens user manual do not provide for disabling a connected function, the standby power test procedure is conducted with the connected function in the as-shipped condition.
To the extent that manufacturer instructions do not provide for disabling a connected function, this proposal is consistent with the current test procedure in Appendix I. Section 2.1.1
of Appendix I specifies that a microwave oven must be installed in accordance with paragraph 5.2 of IEC
62301 Second Edition, which states that the product must be prepared and setup in accordance with manufacturers instructions; and if no instructions are available, then the unit must be tested using factory or default settings, or, in case such settings are not indicated, the product must be tested as supplied.
DOE requests comment on the proposed requirements for testing microwave ovens with network function in the as-shipped condition if the manufacturer instructions do not provide for disabling such function.
DOE is maintaining its proposal from the November 2019 NOPR regarding the standby power provisions related to microwave oven clock display and will address this proposal in a future test procedure final rule. 84 FR 61836, 6184161842.
B. Compliance Date EPCA prescribes that, if DOE amends a test procedure, all representations of energy efficiency and energy use, including those made on marketing materials and product labels, must be made in accordance with that amended test procedure, beginning 180 days after publication of such a test procedure final rule in the Federal Register. 42
U.S.C. 6293c2 DOE proposes to add an introductory note to Appendix I
specifying that prior to the date 180
days after publication of a final rule, representations with respect to the energy use or efficiency of a microwave oven, including compliance certifications, must be based on testing conducted in accordance with either the
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