New Refrigeration on Used Walk-ins – Is it EISA compliant?

The Department of Energy (DOE) has written their interpretation on compliant refrigeration vs. non-compliant refrigeration on walk-in coolers and freezers. Below, DOE explains that any component added to a previously installed walk-in cooler or freezer and manufactured after January 1, 2009, must meet EISA guidelines. This is a draft document and comments and suggestions must be submitted to the Department of Energy prior to February 20, 2012.

The Interpretation from the Department of Energy (DOE)

This is a draft document and does not represent a definitive view of the agency on the questions addressed.

This and other guidance documents are accessible on the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/guidance/default.aspx?pid=2&spid=1.

Guidance Type: Conservation Standards, Enforcement
Category: Commercial Equipment
Product: Walk-in Cooler and Walk-in Freezers
Guidance Version: DRAFT
Issued: January 20, 2012
Comment Period Closes: February 20, 2012

Q: What are the relevant dates for compliance with the prescriptive requirements for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers? For example: If a newly manufactured component of a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer is installed in a walk-in box manufactured prior to January 1, 2009, does it have to comply with the prescriptive requirements of 10 C.F.R. § 431.306?

A: The following is a draft U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) guidance document regarding commercial walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers. This draft guidance document represents the Department’s interpretation of its existing regulations and is exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. See 5 U.S.C. § 553(b)(A). Therefore, the Department is accepting comments and suggestions from the public until February 20, 2012. Comments and suggestions should be provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text file format by sending an email to WICFEISA2007Guidance-2012-0001{at}ee.doe.gov. Please also include the docket number EERE-2012-BT-STD0001.

At the end of the comment period, this draft guidance document may be adopted, revised or withdrawn. Read the rest of this entry »

DOE Final Test Procedure Ruling Could Affect You

The EISA 2007 document required that performance based standards for walk-in coolers and freezers be published no later than January 1, 2012. The first step to completing the new walk-in cooler and freezer standards is to finalize the testing procedure.  This has now been completed and published. The next step is to publish the standards, which determines the required performance results of the mandatory tests.

The final test procedures for testing walk-in coolers and freezers have been finalized and released. There are test procedures for panels, doors and refrigeration systems.  The tests that have been adopted are designed to produce test results that reflect energy efficiency, energy use and estimated operating costs for industrial equipment.

DOE has finally made a ruling on definitions that were unclear in previous documents. The most important ruling that affects our dealers is who is now considered the manufacturer.

Manufacturer of a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer means any person who:

1. Manufactures a component of a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer that affects energy consumption, including, but not limited to, refrigeration, doors, lights, windows, or walls;

Or

1. Manufactures or assembles the complete walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer (76 FR 12504).

This definition extends the compliance responsibility to both the component manufacturer and the assembler. In the final rule, DOE clarified that the component manufacturer would be the entity responsible for certifying compliance of the components they manufacture for walk-in applications. The manufacturer is responsible for the products they manufacture. If a manufacturer puts the entire system together, including the walk-in and refrigeration, the manufacturer is responsible for the equipment to meet federal standards. Read the rest of this entry »

False Information about Extruded Polystyrene

Recently, there has been a document circulating in the industry that has a lot of misinformation concerning the use of extruded polystyrene insulation and its compliance with the Energy Independence Security Act of 2007.

We normally ignore incorrect information that is generated with the sole purpose of discrediting a competitor but the severity of this document begs to be clarified.

The document can be found by clicking the pdf icon.

Extruded Polystyrene Panels

First, there are presently two types of foam insulations being used in the manufacture of walk-in coolers and freezers in the United States.  These insulations are Extruded Polystyrene and Foamed –in –Place Polyurethane insulation.  Many companies in North America have the ability to use both types of these insulations.  Both insulations have benefits that can be used to provide a quality walk-in cooler or freezer. Companies that use both types of insulation can apply each of these insulations in parts of a walk-in that they perform best and therefore bring the best designed quality walk-in cooler or freezer to the marketplace.  Some companies do not have the capability and therefore turn to attacking the insulations they do not have the ability to use with misleading information to compensate for this deficiency.   This situation seems to be one of them.  There are six points that need to be addressed. Read the rest of this entry »

Proposed Rulemaking for Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

Proposed Rulemaking for Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

Since EISA was passed January 1, 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been working to mandate a standardized energy efficiency test for walk-in coolers and freezers.  The first step was taken with an informal meeting on February 4, 2009 to discuss comments and suggestions from industry professionals on determining a testing procedure. After nearly a year’s worth of research, DOE has published their proposed testing procedure for walk-in coolers and freezers. A follow-up meeting was scheduled to discuss these proposed rulings, but due to winter weather the meeting was canceled and has not been rescheduled at this time.

In accordance with section 312 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), DOE published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) for the test procedure on walk-in coolers and freezers. The NOPR is the first published document for the test procedure rulemaking process for walk-ins. DOE proposes the procedures explained in the NOPR be used to test walk-in equipment. Once performance standards are accepted, manufacturers will be required to use the accepted test to determine compliance and for all representations regarding the energy use of the product.

DOE proposes to adopt a test procedure that contains two separate testing methods; one for the insulated box and the other for the refrigeration equipment. Each of the two components, the insulated box and the refrigeration system, will be tested separately. The manufacturer will be responsible for testing their product respectively and must provide compliance with all testing standards.  Read the rest of this entry »

Meeting 2009 EISA Walk-in Cooler & Freezer Standards

The federal government’s EISA (Energy Independence & Security Act) standards went into effect Jan. 1st, 2009. This act was intended to improve energy efficiency within the refrigeration industry as well as many other industries. AHRI reports there have been some concerns since there are no enforcement mechanism or standard testing methods built into the act; non-compliant walk-in manufacturers will stand to benefit. These manufacturers will be able to beat compliant competitors on price (due to the lower input costs of their non-regulation walk-ins). Be sure that when buying a walk-in, you check to make sure they are EISA compliant.

The AHRI (Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute) is trying to raise awareness about what this act mandates among distributors, installers, and consumers. They have created a checklist of the standards walk-in coolers & freezers are required to meet that can be found at ACHR The News. Use this checklist to ensure the walk-in unit you are about to purchase meets the EISA standards. Read the rest of this entry »

A Matter of Insulation: Acquisition vs. Lifetime Savings

Your cold storage equipment may be one of the most important choices you make. A significant amount of costs are associated with your walk-in. Before you purchase, make sure you consider the entire lifecycle of the walk-in instead of just the acquisition price.

The two main elements that effect energy and cost savings while running a walk-in are the refrigeration and insulation.  To get the optimal results from your refrigeration it must be sized correctly taking in consideration the size of box, if it is a cooler or freezer, and what will be stored inside. (There are many other factors that are considered when sizing refrigeration.) Insulation is the key to energy savings because it is responsible for holding the cool temperature in the box so the refrigeration does not have to work overtime. Insulation quality is measured by R-value; the resistance to heat flow through an object. Since EISA was implemented January 1, 2009, all walk-in manufactures are required to have an R-value of R-25 for coolers and R-32 for freezers. Now that all manufacturers follow the same requirements, the performance of the insulation is what differentiates the walk-in.

The two common types of insulation used are polyurethane and extruded polystyrene.  Each type of insulation brings with it strengths and weaknesses that must be evaluated for each individual application.

U.S. Cooler uses both insulations. Through experience and research, U.S. Cooler believes extruded polystyrene is the best insulation for the walls, ceiling, and floors of coolers and freezers. Polyurethane is better to insulate the doors of their walk-ins. According to a study performed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, they found that over a five year period extruded polystyrene retains 75% of its R-value while polyurethane retains 25%.¹  This is one reason why U.S. Cooler believes extruded polystyrene provides the most value and the best option for walk-in insulation.

Polyurethane & Extruded Polystyrene

Read the rest of this entry »

California Accepts EISA Regulations

The use of energy has become a commonly discussed issue with environmental and economic concerns. Everyday a significant amount of energy is used for commercial equipment in restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and warehouses. Prior to 2006, there had not been any set regulations on energy usage for commercial refrigeration.

California was one of the first states to set energy regulations for walk-in coolers and freezers. They previously required an envelope insulation rating of R-28 for refrigerators and R-36 for freezers. California was also one of the first to require electronically commutated motors or permanent split capacitor-type motors for refrigeration. Before more states could pose their own requirements on energy consumption, the federal EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act) agreement was signed in 2007. California has fully accepted the EISA requirements, amending their previous appliance energy code.

To review the entire California Code of Regulations, click on the link below. The walk-in cooler and freezer section starts on page 120 of the document.

http://www.energy.ca.gov/2008publications/CEC-400-2008-021/CEC-400-2008-021-15DAY.PDF

Department of Energy Meeting

The Department of Energy (DOE) has begun the first step in developing a standardized testing procedure for energy efficiency requirements in walk-in coolers and freezers. On February 4, 2009, the Department of Energy held a public meeting to discuss the proposed standardized testing process. In the Energy Independence and Securities Act of 2007 (EISA), it states there must be a performance-based standard for walk-in coolers and freezers in place by January 1, 2012. This requirement was one of the main topics presented at the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize interested parties with the approach and analytical tools that DOE anticipates using in the future. DOE proposed a preliminary document describing their plans for regulating energy efficiency in walk-ins. The meeting provided an opportunity for feedback and comments on the Framework Document.

Ellis Craig (Owner) and Luke Craig (VP of Operations) represented U.S. Cooler by attending the meeting in Washington, D.C. at the beginning of February. The meeting represented just the beginning steps of arriving at a standardized testing method for the walk-in cooler and freezer industry.

There Needs to be a Walk-In Cooler and Freezer Certification Program

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) warns that the new walk-in cooler and freezer law could hurt manufacturers. The problem with the new law is that there is no enforcement mechanism built in, so a non-compliant company can manufacture walk-ins using their same old inferior panels and methods and beat compliant manufactures on price.

To address this issue, AHRI is launching an initiative to educate distributors, installers, and equipment owners about the new standard and its requirements. The association has developed a simple checklist that installers and equipment owners can use to make sure the walk-in cooler or freezer being specified or installed complies with federal law. The checklist is available at www.ahrinet.org/ARI/util/showdoc.aspx?doc=1202.

In addition to customer education, manufacturers believe the solution is the development of a certification program for walk-in coolers and freezers that would clearly identify those units that have been independently tested to verify they achieve a federally established minimum performance rating.

AHRI said the federal government is working with industry to develop a testing methodology for this equipment by 2010. In addition, a final rule is expected to be adopted in January 2012 that will establish a performance-based standard.

The full article can be found here.