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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 7, 2021 / Proposed Rules
standby mode already established in section 3.6 of appendix U to remain applicable to LCDFs. The standby mode test method measures standby power in watts and is based on IEC standard 62301:2011, with modifications to reduce test burden by reducing the interval of time over which testing occurs as well as the period of time required prior to standby testing.
DOE notes that no standby standard is currently applicable to LDCFs and that were DOE to adopt the proposed standby test procedure and metric for LDCFs, manufacturers would not be required to test to that provision until such time as compliance is required with an energy conservation standard for standby mode, should such a standard be established.
DOE seeks comment on its preliminary determination that establishing an integrated metric that incorporates the energy efficiency measured as required under each LCDF
standard and the energy use measured during standby mode would be technically infeasible.
DOE seeks comment on its proposal to specify for LDCFs a separate standby mode energy use metric, which would be based on the standby power procedure defined in section 3.6 of appendix U.
DOE also notes that if a CFEI standard is established for HSBD ceiling fans and LDBD ceiling fans, as is being proposed in this SNOPR, a separate standby mode energy use metric would need to be established. Similar to the LDCFs, DOE
proposes for the test method for power consumption in standby mode already established in section 3.6 of appendix U
to be applicable to HSBD ceiling fans and/or LDBD ceiling fans. The standby mode test method measures standby power in watts and is based on IEC
standard 62301:2011, with modifications to reduce test burden by reducing the interval of time over which testing occurs as well as the period of time required prior to standby testing.
Alternatively, were DOE to decide that a CFM/W metric is more appropriate for HSBD and LDBD ceiling fans, DOE proposes that the standby power would be incorporated into the CFM/W metric, similar to other smalldiameter ceiling fans, and would be calculated according to section 3.6 of appendix U.
DOE seeks comment on its proposal to specify for HSBD ceiling fans and LDBD
ceiling fans a separate standby mode energy use metric, which would be based on the standby power procedure defined in section 3.6 of appendix U.

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E. Low-Speed Definition Section 1.12 of appendix U defines low speed to mean the lowest available ceiling fan speed, i.e., the fan speed corresponding to the minimum, nonzero, blade RPM.
In the September 2019 NOPR, DOE
described that through round robin testing and industry inquiry, DOE is aware that the lowest available fan speed on some ceiling fans provides an extremely low rotation rate, leading to atypically low airflow. 84 FR 51440, 51446. Because of the extremely low rotation rate and atypically low airflow consumers are unlikely to use such a setting to circulate air. It is expected that such a low fan speed is provided for aesthetic purposes; for example, one such product advertises the lowest speed as helping to maintain a calm atmosphere. 19 For such products, the lowest speed available on the ceiling fan is not representative of the lowest speed for that product that can provide circulation of air.
In addition to not being representative of a speed that can circulate air, DOE
has observed through round robin testing that requiring testing at the lowest available speed on such products creates added test burden because laboratories have difficulty meeting the stability criteria 20 despite routinely achieving stability for other fans without such extremely low speed settings. 84 FR 51440, 5144651447.
Accordingly, in the September 2019
NOPR, DOE stated that it is considering modifying the definition of low speed.
Specifically, DOE suggested defining the low speed for the purpose of testing as the lowest available ceiling fan speed for which fewer than half or three, whichever is fewer, sensors on any individual axis are measuring less than 30 feet per minute FPM. In conjunction, DOE considered providing explicit instructions in the test procedure to start at the lowest speed and move to the next highest speed until the modified low speed criteria are met. DOE requested comment on this modification. 84 FR 51440, 51447
In response to the September 2019
NOPR, ALA, AMCA, BAF, Hunter and Ransom supported DOEs proposal to redefine low speed. ALA, No. 34 at p.
19 See example product brochure at https
www.lowes.com/pd/Hunter-52-in-Indoor-Multiposition-Ceiling-Fan-with-Light-Kit-5-Blade/
1270423 which discusses the fans serenity speed.
20 Section 3.3.21 of Appendix U defines the stability criteria for airflow. Airflow is considered stable if the average air velocity for all axes for each sensor varies by less than 5% compared to the average air velocity measured for that same sensor in a successive set of air velocity measurements.

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3; AMCA, No. 33 at p. 8; BAF No. 36
at p. 2; Hunter No. 29 at p. 4; Ransom, No. 35 at p. 1 During the public meeting, AMCA discussed how low speed in a residential setting sometimes serves as a different function for the consumer than the movement and recirculation of air i.e., serenity mode and measuring this speed under the current test procedure is erratic and can end up being a non-qualifying test.
AMCA, Public Meeting Transcript at p.
5253 Westinghouse also was generally supportive of the proposal.
Westinghouse, Public Meeting Transcript at p. 57 Ransom suggested that adding an exception for fans with serenity modes 21 would benefit manufacturers in applications where this aesthetic is desired. Ransom, No.
35 at p. 1 ALA and Hunter commented that the serenity features satisfy a consumer aesthetic desire or provide decorative utility. ALA, No. 34 at p. 4;
Hunter No. 29 at p. 4 In response to DOEs suggested definition in the September 2019 NOPR, ALA
commented that low speed should be defined as the lowest available ceiling fan speed for which fewer than half or three, whichever is fewer, sensors on any individual axis are measuring less than 40 FPM, rather than 30 FPM.
ALA, No. 34 at p. 3 BAF also suggested 40 FPM as the lowest speed at which draft begins to be felt at the occupant level. BAF, Public Meeting Transcript at p. 61
The current definition of low speed could require testing LSSD ceiling fans and VSD ceiling fans that also meet the definition of an LSSD fan at a speed with an extremely low rotation rate, which consumers are unlikely to use to circulate air. Rather, as suggested by Hunter and ALA, this speed is used more for a consumer aesthetic desire, as indicated by this speed being advertised as helping to maintain a calm atmosphere. For such products, the low speed as defined for the purpose of the current DOE test procedure is not representative of the low speed required for circulation of air.22 Further, as observed through round robin testing and as discussed previously, requiring testing at the lowest available speed 21 DOE interprets serenity mode as the speed with an extremely low rotation rate, leading to a typically low airflow.
22 DOE has proposed to define circulating air as the discharge of air in an upward or downward direction with the air returning to the intake side of the fan. A ceiling fan that has a ratio of fan blade span in inches to maximum rotation rate in revolutions per minute greater than 0.06 provides circulating air. The extremely low rotation rates described in this section provide insufficient air movement for the discharge of air to return to the intake side of the fan.

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