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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 58 / Monday, March 29, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
F. Standby Modes and Off Mode Section 1.5 of appendix F defines inactive mode as a mode that facilitates the activation of active mode by remote switch including by remote control or internal sensor, or provides continuous status display. Section 1.6 of appendix F defines off mode as a mode distinct from inactive mode in which a room AC
is connected to a mains power source and is not providing any active or standby mode function and where the mode may persist for an indefinite time.
An indicator that only shows the user that the product is in the off position is included within the classification of an off mode. Section 1.7 of appendix F
defines standby mode as any mode where a room AC is connected to a mains power source and offers one or more of the following user-oriented or protective functions which may persist for an indefinite time: a To facilitate the activation of other modes including activation or deactivation of active mode by remote switch including remote control, internal sensor, or timer; or b continuous functions, including information or status displays including clocks or sensor-based functions.
1. Referenced Standby Mode and Off Mode Test Standard In the January 2011 Final Rule, DOE
amended the room AC test procedure by incorporating provisions from IEC
Standard 62301 First Edition for measuring standby mode and off mode power. 76 FR 971, 979980 Jan. 6, 2011. At that time, DOE reviewed the IEC Standard 62301 First Edition and concluded that it would generally apply to room ACs, with some clarifications, including allowance for testing standby mode and off mode in either the test chamber used for cooling mode testing, or in a separate test room that meets the specified standby mode and off mode test conditions. 76 FR 971, 986.
On January 27, 2011, IEC published IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition, an internationally accepted test procedure for measuring standby power in residential appliances, which included various clarifications to IEC Standard 62301 First Edition. Provisions from IEC
Standard 62301 Second Edition are currently referenced in DOE test procedures for multiple consumer products for which standby mode and off mode energy use are measured e.g., dehumidifiers, portable ACs, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, conventional cooking products, microwave ovens.
Based on its previous determinations for similar consumer products, DOE has
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determined that use of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition for measuring the standby mode and off mode energy use for room ACs would improve the accuracy and representativeness of the test measurements and would not be unduly burdensome, compared to IEC
Standard 62301 First Edition. 80 FR
45801, 45822 Jul. 31, 2015; 81 FR
35241, 35242 Jun. 1, 2016; 77 FR
65942, 55943 Oct. 31, 2012; 80 FR
46729, 46746 Aug. 5, 2015; 78 FR
49607, 49609 Aug. 14, 2013; 85 FR
50757, 50758 Aug. 8, 2020; 78 FR
4015, 4016 Jan. 18, 2013. Accordingly, DOE references relevant paragraphs of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition in appendix F in place of those from IEC
Standard 62301 First Edition, as follows:
a. Power Measurement Uncertainty In the June 2020 NOPR, DOE
proposed to reference the power equipment specifications from Section 4.4 of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition for determining standby mode and off mode power in appendix F. 85
FR 35700, 35729 Jun. 11, 2020. DOE
received no comments on these proposals from the June 2020 NOPR. For the reasons discussed on the June 2020
NOPR and in this document, DOE is requiring in this final rule that the power equipment specifications from Section 4.4 of IEC Standard 62301
Second Edition be used for determining standby mode and off mode power in appendix F.
b. Power Consumption Measurement Procedure In the June 2020 NOPR, DOE
proposed to adopt through reference the sampling method from Section 5.3.2 of IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition to determine standby mode and off mode average power in appendix F. DOE
initially determined the proposed update to the sampling method for all standby mode and off mode testing would not increase test burden, because power meters that can measure, store, and output readings at the required proposed sampling rate and accuracy for the sampling method are already widely used by test laboratories. DOE also initially determined that the power consumption measured with the sampling method would not substantively vary from that measured with the direct meter or average reading methods. 85 FR 35700, 35729 Jun. 11, 2020.
DOE received no comments on the proposal discussed above. For the reasons discussed on the June 2020
NOPR and in this document, DOE is adopting and referencing the sampling
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method from Section 5.3.2 of IEC
Standard 62301 Second Edition to determine standby mode and off mode average power in appendix F.
G. Network Functionality Network functionality on room ACs may enable functions such as communicating with a network to provide real-time information on the temperature conditions in the room or receiving commands via a remote user interface such as a smartphone. DOE has observed that network features on room ACs are designed to operate in the background while the room AC
performs other functions. These network functions may operate continuously during all operating modes, and therefore may impact the power consumption in all operating modes.
DOE declined to adopt provisions to account for energy consumption associated with network functionality in the January 2011 Final Rule due to the lack of information about room ACs with network functionality. 76 FR 971, 983984 Jan. 6, 2011. On September 17, 2018, DOE published a request for information RFI on the emerging smart technology appliance and equipment market. 83 FR 46886. In that RFI, DOE sought information to better understand market trends and issues in the emerging market for appliances and commercial equipment that incorporate smart technology. DOEs intent in issuing the RFI was to ensure that DOE
did not inadvertently impede such innovation in fulfilling its statutory obligations in setting efficiency standards for covered products and equipment.
In the June 2020 NOPR, DOE
requested comment on the same issues presented in the emerging smart technologies RFI, as they may be applicable to room ACs and on the proposal to specify that all network or connectivity settings must be disabled during testing. 85 FR 35700, 35730 Jun.
11, 2020.
AHAM and GEA supported DOEs proposal to test units with network capabilities with network settings disabled for all operating modes. AHAM
noted this proposal is in accordance with AHAM RAC12020, AHAM
commented that there is not yet adequate consumer use data to justify amending the room AC test procedure.
AHAM further stated that they are aware that some consumers do not even connect their network-enabled appliances to use the available features.
AHAM recommended that DOE ensure that the room AC test procedure does not prematurely address new designs
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