View all text of Subpart U [§ 431.381 - § 431.387]
§ 431.383 - Enforcement process for electric motors.
(a) Test notice. Upon receiving information in writing, concerning the energy performance of a particular electric motor sold by a particular manufacturer or private labeler, which indicates that the electric motor may not be in compliance with the applicable energy efficiency standard, or upon undertaking to ascertain the accuracy of the efficiency rating on the nameplate or in marketing materials for an electric motor, disclosed pursuant to subpart B of this part, the Secretary may conduct testing of that electric motor under this subpart by means of a test notice addressed to the manufacturer in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) The test notice procedure will only be followed after the Secretary or his/her designated representative has examined the underlying test data (or, where appropriate, data as to use of an alternative efficiency determination method) provided by the manufacturer and after the manufacturer has been offered the opportunity to meet with the Department to verify, as applicable, compliance with the applicable efficiency standard, or the accuracy of labeling information, or both. In addition, where compliance of a basic model was certified based on an AEDM, the Department shall have the discretion to pursue the provisions of § 431.17(a)(4)(iii) prior to invoking the test notice procedure. A representative designated by the Secretary shall be permitted to observe any re-verification procedures undertaken pursuant to this subpart, and to inspect the results of such reverification.
(2) The test notice will be signed by the Secretary or his/her designee. The test notice will be mailed or delivered by the Department to the plant manager or other responsible official, as designated by the manufacturer.
(3) The test notice will specify the model or basic model to be selected for testing, the method of selecting the test sample, the date and time at which testing shall be initiated, the date by which testing is scheduled to be completed and the facility at which testing will be conducted. The test notice may also provide for situations in which the specified basic model is unavailable for testing, and may include alternative basic models.
(4) The Secretary may require in the test notice that the manufacturer of an electric motor shall ship at his expense a reasonable number of units of a basic model specified in such test notice to a testing laboratory designated by the Secretary. The number of units of a basic model specified in a test notice shall not exceed 20.
(5) Within five working days of the time the units are selected, the manufacturer shall ship the specified test units of a basic model to the testing laboratory.
(b) Testing laboratory. Whenever the Department conducts enforcement testing at a designated laboratory in accordance with a test notice under this section, the resulting test data shall constitute official test data for that basic model. Such test data will be used by the Department to make a determination of compliance or noncompliance if a sufficient number of tests have been conducted to satisfy the requirements of appendix A of this subpart.
(c) Sampling. The determination that a manufacturer's basic model complies with its labeled efficiency, or the applicable energy efficiency standard, shall be based on the testing conducted in accordance with the statistical sampling procedures set forth in appendix A of this subpart and the test procedures set forth in appendix B to subpart B of this part.
(d) Test unit selection. A Department inspector shall select a batch, a batch sample, and test units from the batch sample in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph and the conditions specified in the test notice.
(1) The batch may be subdivided by the Department utilizing criteria specified in the test notice.
(2) A batch sample of up to 20 units will then be randomly selected from one or more subdivided groups within the batch. The manufacturer shall keep on hand all units in the batch sample until such time as the basic model is determined to be in compliance or non-compliance.
(3) Individual test units comprising the test sample shall be randomly selected from the batch sample.
(4) All random selection shall be achieved by sequentially numbering all of the units in a batch sample and then using a table of random numbers to select the units to be tested.
(e) Test unit preparation. (1) Prior to and during the testing, a test unit selected in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section shall not be prepared, modified, or adjusted in any manner unless such preparation, modification, or adjustment is allowed by the applicable Department of Energy test procedure. One test shall be conducted for each test unit in accordance with the applicable test procedures prescribed in appendix B to subpart B of this part.
(2) No quality control, testing, or assembly procedures shall be performed on a test unit, or any parts and sub-assemblies thereof, that is not performed during the production and assembly of all other units included in the basic model.
(3) A test unit shall be considered defective if such unit is inoperative or is found to be in noncompliance due to failure of the unit to operate according to the manufacturer's design and operating instructions. Defective units, including those damaged due to shipping or handling, shall be reported immediately to the Department. The Department shall authorize testing of an additional unit on a case-by-case basis.
(4)(i) Non-standard endshields or flanges. For purposes of DOE-initiated testing of electric motors with non-standard endshields or flanges, the Department will have the discretion to determine whether the lab should test a general purpose electric motor of equivalent electrical design and enclosure rather than replacing the nonstandard flange or endshield.
(ii) Partial electric motors. For purposes of DOE-initiated testing, the Department has the discretion to determine whether the lab should test a general purpose electric motor of equivalent electrical design and enclosure rather than machining and attaching an endshield.
(f) Testing at manufacturer's option. (1) If a manufacturer's basic model is determined to be in noncompliance with the applicable energy performance standard at the conclusion of Department testing in accordance with the sampling plan specified in appendix A of this subpart, the manufacturer may request that the Department conduct additional testing of the basic model according to procedures set forth in appendix A of this subpart.
(2) All units tested under this paragraph shall be selected and tested in accordance with the provisions given in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section.
(3) The manufacturer shall bear the cost of all testing conducted under this paragraph.
(4) The manufacturer shall cease distribution of the basic model tested under the provisions of this paragraph from the time the manufacturer elects to exercise the option provided in this paragraph until the basic model is determined to be in compliance. The Department may seek civil penalties for all units distributed during such period.
(5) If the additional testing results in a determination of compliance, a notice of allowance to resume distribution shall be issued by the Department.