Energy Department Proposed Rule

2019-14461: Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Variable Refrigerant Flow Multi-Split Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps

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Summary

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing an analysis of the energy savings potential of amended industry consensus standards for certain classes of variable refrigerant flow multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps (VRFs), which are a type of commercial and industrial equipment. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended (EPCA), requires DOE to evaluate and assess whether there is a need to update its energy conservation standards following changes to the relevant industry consensus standards in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 (ASHRAE Standard 90.1), Additionally under EPCA, DOE must review its standards for this equipment at least once every six years and publish either a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) to propose new standards for VRFs or a notice of determination that the existing standards do not need to be amended. Accordingly, DOE is also initiating an effort to determine whether to amend the current energy conservation standards for classes of VRFs for which DOE has tentatively determined that the ASHRAE Standard 90.1 levels have not been updated to be more stringent than the current Federal standards. This document solicits information from the public to help DOE determine whether amended standards for VRFs would result in significant energy savings and whether such standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this document), as well as the submission of data and other relevant information.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

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