Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Commercial Refrigeration Equipment

In this final rule, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its test procedure for commercial refrigeration equipment (CRE), incorporating changes that will take effect 30 days after the final rule is published in the Federal Register. These changes will be mandatory for equipment testing to demonstrate compliance with the amended energy standards (Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-STD-0003). The amendments to the test procedure adopted in this final rule include updating references to industry test procedures to their current versions, incorporating methods to evaluate the energy impacts resulting from the use of night curtains and lighting occupancy sensors and controls, and allowing testing of certain commercial refrigeration equipment at the lowest temperature at which it is able to operate, referred to as its lowest application product temperature. In response to comments received in response to the relevant November 2010 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), and to minimize the testing burden on manufacturers, DOE is also incorporating provisions to allow manufacturers to test at the rating temperatures and ambient conditions required by NSF International (founded in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation, now referred to simply as NSF) for food safety testing.