Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations ...
17 May 2006
Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations -- Amendment 9
The following is from Natural Resources Canada.
Amendment 9 to the Energy Efficiency Regulations was pre-published in the Canada Gazette Part I on May 6, 2006 (see pages 1014 to 1065) or in PDF file, go to page 52 to 103 http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2006/20060506/pdf/g1-14018.pdf.
The amendment will:
· update the test method and increase the stringency of energy performance requirements for central air-conditioners and heat pumps less than 19kW (65,000btu/h). As a result, these regulations will be harmonized with the required performance level of SEER 13 in the United States and the province of Ontario;
· increase the stringency of existing minimum performance requirements for three types of air conditioners used in the commercial/institutional sector. Packaged terminal air conditioners and heat pumps are heating and cooling assemblies mounted through the wall and are often found in motel and hotel rooms. Large air conditioners and heat pumps and internal water-loop heat pumps are used for heating and cooling of large commercial buildings;
· introduce regulatory requirements for minimum energy efficiency requirements for beverage vending machines and commercial reach-in refrigeration;
· introduce requirements for 2 new types of residential refrigerating appliances: chest freezers with automatic defrost, Type 10A and automatic defrost refrigerator-freezer, with bottom mounted freezer and through-the-door-ice service, Type 5A. The amendment will ensure that minimum standard requirements and labelling are harmonized in Canada and the U.S. for these products;
· repeal the effective date for internally lighted exit signs. This change will broaden the coverage of the requirement to include all exit signs regardless of the date of manufacture;
· repeal the effective date for fluorescent lamp ballasts and introduce ballast efficacy factors for energy saving lamps. It will also modify specific exclusion criteria for certain ballasts, such as ambient temperature of operation and dimming capabilities. The amendment will also allow for ballasts that operate a small subset of residential F32T8 lamps to operate at a lower power factor than specified in the current regulations;
· repeal the tap range exemption for dry-type transformers;
· repeal the requirement of Minister’s recognition of certification bodies accredited by the Standards Council of Canada;
· address administrative items such as ensuring that the French and English versions of the Regulations are identical;
· update the numbering system of items included in Part I of Schedule I of the Regulations. The amendment will also update the Regulations by adding references to the newly available French version of certain CSA Standards, as well as updating the reference of the test method for dishwashers
The pre-publication in Part I of the Canada Gazette initiates a 75 day comment period during which stakeholders may submit their views to Natural Resources Canada before the amendment is submitted for approval for publication in Part II of the Canada Gazette and duly registered.
If you or your clients have comments on these proposals, please contact John Cockburn at Natural Resources Canada, at 613.996.4359 or [email protected].