Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Consumer Water Heaters and Residential-Duty Commercial Water Heaters

Resumo

The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is publishing this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking ("SNOPR") to amend the test procedure for consumer water heaters and residential-duty commercial water heaters. This SNOPR updates the proposals presented in a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2022. In this SNOPR, DOE proposes additional amendments that would provide additional specificity regarding flow rate tolerances for water heaters with a rated storage volume of less than 2 gallons; allow for voluntary representations at certain additionally specified test conditions for heat pump water heaters; revise the proposed specifications regarding separate storage tank requirements for certain types of water heaters; provide instructions for testing certain water heaters that store water at a temperature higher than the delivery setpoint; establish a metric and method for determining the effective storage volume of certain storage-type water heaters; and update the proposed methodology for estimating the internal tank temperature of water heaters which cannot be directly measured. DOE is seeking comment from interested parties on these prop