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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 1 / Monday, January 4, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 3. Rated Voltage Industry testing standards use rated voltage to specify the voltage supplied to the motor under test e.g., section 6.1
in IEEE 1122004, section 6.1 in IEEE
1122017, and section 3 in IEEE 114
2010. The industry test procedures incorporated into DOEs regulations permit manufacturers to select the input voltage for testing. DOE proposed to continue to permit small electric motors to be tested at the nameplate voltage 25
value selected by the manufacturer and to define rated voltage at 10 CFR
431.442 as the input voltage of a small electric motor selected by the motors manufacturer to be used for testing the motors efficiency. 84 FR 17004, 1701717018.
In response to the April 2019 NOPR, the Efficiency Advocates commented that small electric motors should be tested at all nameplate voltages 26 and were concerned that allowing the manufacturer to select the voltage for testing will result in inconsistent ratings across products and will allow for gaming of the test procedure because of the fact that efficiency can vary with input voltage. The Efficiency Advocates suggested that DOE require that small electric motors be tested at all nameplate voltages and meet the minimum efficiency standards at all nameplate voltages. Efficiency Advocates, No. 87 at p. 3 The CA IOUs opposed allowing motor manufacturers to select the voltage to be used when testing small electric motors, asserting that this creates uncertainty for consumers as to the motors energy performance in the field. Instead, they recommended a prescribed voltage in the test procedure or that the motor be tested at all voltages listed on the motor nameplate, and that, if the motor is tested at multiple voltages, an efficiency level for each tested voltage should be listed on the nameplate. CA IOUs, No.
86 at p. 34
In the March 2010 final rule, DOE
noted that the industry test procedures incorporated into DOEs regulations permit manufacturers to select the input voltage for testing. 75 FR 10874, 10892.
25 The April 2019 NOPR used the term nameplate voltage but DOE does not require that a nameplate be affixed to small electric motors.
Nameplate voltage was used generally to describe representations made by a manufacturer either on a nameplate affixed to the unit or in equipment literature provided by the manufacturer.
26 As discussed previously, DOE does not require that a nameplate be affixed to small electric motors.
DOE understands the commenter to be referring to representations made by a manufacturer either on a nameplate affixed to the unit or in equipment literature provided by the manufacturer. It is in this context that DOE uses the term nameplate in this document.

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In the April 2019 NOPR, DOE proposed to maintain the practice of permitting small electric motors to be tested at any nameplate voltage value and to specify this flexibility by defining the term rated voltage at 10 CFR 431.442 as referring to the input voltage of a small electric motor selected by the motors manufacturer to be used for testing the motors efficiency. 84 FR 17004, 17081.
DOE is adopting the proposed definition of rated voltage with additional clarification. In the April 2019 NOPR, DOE stated that the proposed definition of rated voltage would allow small electric motors to be tested at any nameplate voltage value.
Id. As noted, DOE does not require a nameplate to be affixed to a small electric motor. To properly describe the voltages from which the voltage is selected for testing, DOE is specifying that the selected input voltage must be one of the voltages used by the manufacturer for making representations of the small electric motor performance i.e., a represented input voltage. Specifically, DOE is defining rated voltage as the input voltage of a small electric motor used when making representations of the performance characteristics of a given small electric motor and selected by the motors manufacturer to be used for testing the motors efficiency. Based on DOEs experience in reviewing manufacturer reports and literature, the additional description reflects manufacturer practice i.e., small electric motors are tested at one of the voltages at which manufacturer representations are made. The additional language also avoids any potential confusion as to the input voltage required for testing.
DOE is not requiring a specific input voltage for testing. As discussed in the April 2019 NOPR, NEMA previously indicated that the input voltage setting can affect efficiency, noting that, if DOE
were to require motors to comply with testing performed at the input voltage that resulted in the lowest level of efficiency, manufacturers would be forced to redesign these motors, since at least some motors would be out of compliance at voltages not currently selected for certification. 84 FR 17004, 1701717018. In its prior comment, NEMA explained that these redesign efforts would result in larger motors to accommodate the additional active material required to create a compliant motor and could result in the use of larger frame sizes, which would create utility problems for end users of the motors. NEMA, EERE2014BTCE
0019, No. 10 at p. 10 While the selection of the input voltage for testing
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may affect the measured efficiency, DOE
does not have data to fully characterize any such impact.
Moreover, EPCA requires that the test procedures shall be reasonably designed to produce test results which reflect energy efficiency of small electric motors during a representative average use cycle and shall not be unduly burdensome to conduct. 42 U.S.C.
6314a1 and 2 DOE does not have data to indicate that a represented input voltage selected by a manufacturer is inappropriately representative of the average use of that small electric motor as compared to a different represented input voltage. Commenters did not provide data to indicate that the represented values being selected by manufacturers are not representative of average use. Therefore, DOE is maintaining the current test procedure direction allowing manufacturers to select the input voltage for testing.
E. Effective and Compliance Date The effective date i.e., the date the final rule is legally operative after being published in the Federal Register for the adopted test procedure amendments will be 30 days after publication of this final rule in the Federal Register. See 10
CFR part 430, subpart C, appendix A, section 12b and 10 CFR 431.4
applying 10 CFR part 430, subpart C, appendix A to commercial/industrial equipment. The compliance date the specific date when manufacturers are required to use the amended test procedures requirements to make representations concerning the energy efficiency or use of a small electric motor and electric motor, including certification that the covered equipment meets an applicable energy conservation standard is 180 days after the date of publication of this final rule in the Federal Register. See id. at section 12c.
EPCA prescribes that all representations of energy efficiency and energy use, including those made on marketing materials and product labels, must be made in accordance with an amended test procedure, beginning 180
days after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. 42 U.S.C.
6314d1 EPCA also provides an allowance for individual manufacturers of consumer products to petition DOE
for an extension of the 180-day period if the manufacturer may experience undue hardship in meeting the deadline. 42 U.S.C. 6314d2. To receive such an extension, petitions must be filed with DOE no later than 60
days before the end of the 180-day period and must detail how the
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