Energy Conservation Program for Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment: Test Procedures for Commercial Packaged Boilers

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to amend the test procedure and applicable definitions for commercial packaged boilers, as well as modify the sampling plans for commercial packaged boilers in its regulations pertaining to energy efficiency programs for certain programs for commercial and industrial equipment. This rulemaking will fulfill DOE's statutory obligations to make its test procedure consistent with the applicable industry test procedure and to review its test procedures for covered equipment at least once every seven years. In this notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR), DOE proposes to incorporate by reference certain sections of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Standard 1500, ``2015 Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating Boilers,'' and, in addition, incorporate amendments that clarify the coverage for field-constructed commercial packaged boilers and the applicability of DOE's test procedure and standards for this category of commercial packaged boilers, provide an optional field test for commercial packaged boilers with fuel input rate greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, provide a conversion method to calculate thermal efficiency based on combustion efficiency testing for steam commercial packaged boilers with fuel input rate greater than 5,000,000 Btu/h, modify the inlet and outlet water temperatures during tests of hot water commercial packaged boilers, establish limits on the ambient temperature and relative humidity conditions during testing, modify setup and instrumentation requirements to remove ambiguity, and standardize terminology and provisions for ``fuel input rate.'' This NOPR also announces a public meeting to discuss and invite comments, data, and information about the issues and proposed amendments presented in this test procedure rulemaking for commercial packaged boilers.