Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Pumps

On April 1, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) to establish new definitions and a new test procedure for pumps. That proposed rulemaking serves as the basis for this final rule. This final rule establishes a new test procedure for pumps, as well as associated definitions and parameters that establish the scope of applicability of the test procedure. Specifically, the pumps test procedure adopted in this final rule incorporates by reference the test procedure from the Hydraulic Institute (HI)--standard 40.6-2014, "Methods for Rotodynamic Pump Efficiency Testing"--with several clarifications and modifications, related to measuring the hydraulic power, shaft power, and electric input power of pumps, inclusive of electric motors and any continuous or non-continuous controls. The new pumps test procedure will be used to determine the constant load pump energy index (PEI<INF>CL</INF>) for pumps sold without continuous or non-continuous controls and the variable load pump energy index (PEI<INF>VL</INF>) for pumps sold with continuous or non-continuous controls. The final rule incorporates certain recommendations made by the commercial and industrial pumps (CIP) Working Group, which was established under the Appliance Standards Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC), as well as comments submitted by interested parties in response to the April 2015 pumps test procedure NOPR.