Beginning July 1, 2016, regulations for several appliances went into effect: deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts; air filters used in air conditioning, heating, and ventilation equipment (HVAC); and heat pump water-heating packages.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions related to deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts and heat pump water-heating packages.
If clarification is needed contact the Appliance Efficiency Program.
General
The current version of the Appliance Efficiency Regulations is available online through the Office of Administrative Law’s website at https://oal.ca.gov/publications/ccr/.
All certification is done through the Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System (MAEDbS). The instructions for submitting appliance data using the MAEDbS, along with the templates is located on the MAEDbS certification forms webpage.
Yes, for all products manufactured on or after the July 1, 2016, manufacturers must test and certify the products before they are sold or offered for sale in California. Products manufactured before July 1, 2016, may continue to be sold without having to comply with Title 20.
Manufacturers may certify test results from a test laboratory that the CEC has approved to conduct the test procedure for the specific product. A list of approved test laboratories is available through MAEDbS. Test laboratories must submit an annual application to the CEC to be approved as a test laboratory.
Heat Pump Water-Heating Packages
The scope of the regulations covers testing and certification of heat pump water-heating packages. These may also be referred to as heat pump water-chilling packages in Title 20, due to nomenclature used in then-applicable industry specifications.
Heat pump water-heating packages are tested using ANSI/AHRI 550-590 (I-P) 2011 and the following temperature parameters: the heating capacity tests should be conducted at ambient temperatures of 47°F and 17°F and leaving water temperature of 120°F. If the package is capable of cooling, it should be tested at an ambient temperature of 95°F and leaving water temperature of 44°F.
The data being collected and database submittal requirements for heat pump water-heating packages are as follows per Section 1606 of Title 20:
- Voltage
- Phase
- Refrigerant Type
- Compressor Motor Design
- OD Fan Motor Design
- Does the Model Number include all components?
- Is the model designed for space cooling?
- Cooling Capacity (BTU per hour) if applicable
- Cooling Power Input (watts) if applicable
- Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) if applicable
- Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV)
- Heating Capacity (BTU per hour) at 47°F
- Heating Power Input (watts) at 47°F
- Coefficient of Performance (COP) at 47°F
- Heating Capacity (BTU per hour) at 17°F
- Heating Power Input (watts) at 17°F
- Coefficient of Performance (COP) at 17°F
- Heat Capacity (BTU per hour) of heat reclaim
- COPR of heat reclaim
Deep-Dimming Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
Deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts manufactured on or after July 1, 2016 shall meet the following energy conservation standards:
(A) Shall not consume more than 1 watt in standby mode;
(B) Shall have a power factor of 0.9 or greater; and
(C) Shall have a weighted ballast luminous efficacy greater than or equal to the threshold described in the following equation:
No, there are no federal standards. However, the U.S. Department of Energy regulates dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts for ballasts with dimming levels between full output and 50 percent.
There are state standards for deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts that are capable of operating lamps in dimmed operating modes at any number of levels at or below 50 percent of full output. The term only applies to lamp ballasts designed to operate one, two, three, or four T5 or T8 four-foot linear or U-shape fluorescent lamps.
Deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts manufactured on or after July 1, 2016, must meet the following requirements:
- Shall not consume more than one watt in standby mode
- Shall have a power factor of 0.9 or greater
- Shall have a weighted ballast luminous efficacy greater than or equal to the threshold described in the following equation:
The test method for deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts is the federal test method 10 C.F.R. Section 430.23(q)(Appendix Q to Subpart B of part 430) with four major modifications (Sections 1604(j)(3)(A) through 1604(j)(3)(D)). In addition, the test method is modified by the definition of “arc power” in Section 1602(j).
The data being collected and database submittal requirements for deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts are as follows per Section 1606 of Title 20:
- Ballast Input Voltage
- Number of Lamps
- Lamp Type
- Dimming Type
- Control Type
- Start Type
- P100 [Input Power at 100%]
- Arc Power 100
- P80 [Input Power at 80%]
- Arc Power 80
- P50 [Input Power at 50%]
- Arc Power 50
- BLE [Ballast Luminous Efficacy] 100
- BLE [Ballast Luminous Efficacy] 80
- BLE [Ballast Luminous Efficacy] 50
- P0 (Standby Mode Power)
- Weighted Ballast Luminous Efficacy
- Power Factor
The definition of “arc power” in the regulations is, “the entire output power of the ballast and delivered to all attached lamps.” (Section 1602(j)).
Under the standby mode test, the ballast is tested “with a control input set to the lowest dimming state possible up to and including no light output” (Section 1604(j)(3)(C)). The test procedure for this test is a combination of the test in Appendix Q of Subpart B of Part 430 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the modification in Title 20, Section 1604 of the California Code of Regulations. In addition, the test is slightly different for continuous dimming and step-dimming ballasts.
For continuous dimming ballasts, the test laboratory should turn down the manufacturer-recommended dimmer control signal to no light output. For step-dimming ballasts, the test laboratory should switch the manufacturer-recommended dimmer control signal to no light output (typically “off”). After 90 minutes of entering this state, the test laboratory should take the measurement of standby power of the ballast.
For deep-dimming fluorescent lamp ballasts, the CEC requires only one sample of a model to be tested for certification. For any numerical value required to be reported, the reported value may be “less efficient” than the tested value, as long as it still meets the standards (Section 1606(a)(3)(E)). However maximum arc power must be reported as tested to ensure that the weighted ballast luminous efficacy equation calculates correctly.
The sample for certification is different from the sample for enforcement. When enforcing the appliance efficiency standards, the CEC first tests one sample of a model. If the sample passes, then no further test is conducted. If the product fails, then the CEC tests a second sample of the same model. The results are then averaged to determine whether the product complies with the applicable appliance efficiency standards (Section 1608(e)).