Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) amends its test procedures for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). The amendments provide for measurement of standby mode and off mode power use by these products and also amend the active mode test procedures for these products. For standby and off mode energy use, these amendments incorporate into the DOE test procedures relevant provisions from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301, "Household electrical appliances--Measurement of standby power," (first edition June 2005), including language to clarify application of these provisions for measuring standby mode and off mode power consumption in clothes dryers and room air conditioners. In addition, DOE is adopting definitions of modes based on the relevant provisions from IEC Standard 62301 Second Edition Committee Draft for Vote. For active mode energy use, DOE adopts testing methods for ventless clothes dryers, test cloth preconditioning requirements for clothes dryer energy tests, test conditions for gas clothes dryers, test conditions for clothes dryer drum capacity measurement, amendments to clarify current clothes dryer usage patterns and capabilities and to update the references to industry standards in the room air conditioner and clothes dryer test procedures.