Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Furnace Fans

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY <CFR>10 CFR Part 430</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EERE-2021-BT-STD-0029]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 1904-AE64</RIN> <SUBJECT>Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Furnace Fans</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final determination. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (“EPCA”), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including consumer furnace fans. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) to periodically review its existing standards to determine whether more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this final determination, DOE has determined the energy conservation standards for consumer furnace fans do not need to be amended. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> The effective date of this final determination is November 18, 2024. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The docket for this activity, which includes <E T="04">Federal Register</E> notices, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting documents/materials, is available for review at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov.</E> All documents in the docket are listed in the <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> index. However, not all documents listed in the index may be publicly available, such as information that is exempt from public disclosure. The docket web page can be found at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2021-BT-STD-0029.</E> The docket web page contains instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Ms. Julia Hegarty, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (240) 597-6737 Email: <E T="03">ApplianceStandards Questions@ee.doe.gov.</E> Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-4798. Email: <E T="03">Eric.Stas@hq.doe.gov.</E> For further information on how to review the docket, contact the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program staff at (202) 287-1445 or by email: <E T="03">ApplianceStandardsQuestions@ee.doe.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Synopsis of the Final Determination</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Introduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Authority</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Current Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Current Rulemaking History</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. General Discussion and Rationale</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. General Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Product Classes and Scope of Coverage</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Test Procedure</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Technological Feasibility</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. General Considerations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Maximum Technologically Feasible Levels</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Energy Savings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Determination of Savings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Significance of Savings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Cost-Effectiveness</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Further Considerations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Economic Impact on Manufacturers and Consumers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Savings in Operating Costs Compared To Increase in Price</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Energy Savings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Lessening of Utility or Performance of Products</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Impact of Any Lessening of Competition</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">6. Need for National Energy Conservation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">7. Other Factors</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Methodology and Discussion of Related Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Market and Technology Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Product Classes and Scope of Coverage</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Technology Options</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Impact From Other Rulemakings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Screening Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Screened-Out Technologies</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Remaining Technologies</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Engineering and Cost Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Efficiency Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Baseline Efficiency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Intermediate Efficiency Levels</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">c. Maximum Technology (“Max-Tech”) Efficiency Levels</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">d. Summary of Efficiency Levels Analyzed</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Cost Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">a. Teardown Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">b. Cost Estimation Method</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Cost-Efficiency Results</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Markups Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Energy Use Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Product Cost</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Installation Cost</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Annual Energy Consumption</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">4. Energy Prices</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">5. Maintenance and Repair Costs</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">6. Product Lifetime</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">7. Discount Rates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">8. Energy-Efficiency Distribution in the No-New-Standards Case</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">9. Payback Period Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Shipments Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. National Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. Product Efficiency Trends</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. National Energy Savings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Net Present Value Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Other Factors Related to Backward-Inclined Impellers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Analytical Results and Conclusions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Economic Impacts on Individual Consumers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. National Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. National Energy Savings</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. Net Present Value of Consumer Costs and Benefits</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Final Determination</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">1. BPM Motor With Backward-Inclined Impellers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">2. BPM Motors With Forward-Inclined Impellers</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">3. Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Procedural Issues and Regulatory Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Review Under Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 14094</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Review Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Review Under Executive Order 13132</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Review Under Executive Order 12988</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Review Under Executive Order 12630</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Review Under the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Review Under Executive Order 13211</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Review Under the Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">M. Congressional Notification</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Approval of the Office of the Secretary</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Synopsis of the Final Determination</HD> The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, Public Law 94-163, as amended (“EPCA”), <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> authorizes DOE to regulate the energy efficiency of a number of consumer products and certain industrial equipment. (42 U.S.C. 6291-6317, as codified) Title III, Part B  <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> of EPCA established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles. (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) These products include consumer furnace fans, the subject of this final determination. (42 U.S.C. 6295(f)(4)(D)) <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute as amended through the Energy Act of 2020, Public Law 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020), which reflects the last statutory amendments that impact Parts A and A-1 of EPCA. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>  For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code, Part B was redesignated Part A. </FTNT> Pursuant to EPCA, DOE is required to review its existing energy conservation standards for covered consumer products no later than six years after issuance of any final rule establishing or amending a standard. (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1)) Pursuant to that statutory provision, DOE must publish either a notification of determination that standards for the product do not need to be amended, or a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NOPR”) including new proposed energy conservation standards (proceeding to a final rule, as appropriate). ( <E T="03">Id.</E> ) DOE has conducted this review of the energy conservation standards for consumer furnace fans under EPCA's six-year-lookback authority described herein. For this final determination, DOE analyzed consumer furnace fans subject to energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) at 10 CFR 430.32(y). DOE first analyzed the technological feasibility of more energy-efficient consumer furnace fans. For those consumer furnace fans for which DOE determined higher standards to be technologically feasible, DOE evaluated whether higher standards would be cos ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 244k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━