Notice of Petition for Waiver of GD Midea Air Conditioning Equipment Co. LTD. from the Department of Energy Room Air Conditioner Test Procedure and Notice of Grant of Interim Waiver

Résumé

This document announces receipt of and publishes a petition for waiver from GD Midea Air Conditioning Equipment Co. LTD. ("Midea"), which seeks an exemption from the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") test procedure when determining the efficiency of listed room air conditioner basic models. Midea seeks to use an alternate test procedure to address issues involved in testing the basic models listed in its petition. According to Midea, the current DOE test procedure for room air conditioners, which provides for testing at full-load performance only, does not take into account the benefits of room air conditioners that use variable-speed compressors ("variable-speed room air conditioners"), with their part-load performance characteristics, and misrepresents their actual energy consumption. Midea requests that DOE permit Midea to test the basic models listed in its petition using the alternate test procedure in the interim waiver granted to LG Electronics USA, Inc. ("LG") on June 29, 2018, which requires testing units at four rating conditions instead of a single rating condition and calculating each test unit's weighted- average combined energy efficiency ratio ("CEER"), which is comp