Proposed Amendment to Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations

BULLETIN
October 2005

Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines

Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan's) Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) is proposing to amend Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations) to require dealers of refrigerated bottled and canned vending machines imported or shipped interprovincially for sale or lease in Canada to comply with minimum energy performance standards.

In October 2004, NRCan issued a bulletin describing the proposed amendments and invited comments. In December 2004, NRCan held a stakeholder workshop on the proposed regulations, and the attendees provided comments. As a result of comments received, NRCan modified the proposed amendments, and in April 2005 issued another bulletin outlining the changes. Comments on that bulletin have resulted in additional changes, described herein.

Changes from the April 2005 bulletin are denoted below in bold.

This bulletin attempts to put the proposed revisions of the amendment in plain language. The legal text of the amendment will be published in the Canada Gazette Part 1.

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Background

There are an estimated 200 000 vending machines in Canada, requiring about 2 million kWh of electricity every day. Over 90 percent of the vending machines dispense beverages. In most cases, the purchaser of the machine (the "operator") is not the entity responsible for the energy costs (the "user"). Hence there is little incentive for the operator to pay an incremental cost for energy efficiency, and the user is often not aware of potential efficiency improvements.

The most recent Canadian Standards Association standard for vending machines (CAN/CSA C804-96) was published in 1996.

The CSA standard sets out minimum performance criteria for annual energy consumption that vary with the category of vending machine. The standard also contains the test procedure. The standard is voluntary in all jurisdictions in Canada, except in:

• Ontario, where these criteria are regulated by the Province of Ontario's Energy Efficiency Act (Ontario Regulation 82/95, amended to O. Reg 18/02) and apply to products manufactured, sold or leased after April 1, 2003
• New Brunswick, where these criteria are regulated in Regulation 95-70 of the New Brunswick Energy Efficiency Act (O.C. 95-555), and apply to products manufactured, sold, or leased after August 31, 2004

Voluntary technical criteria for ENERGY STAR^® refrigerated beverage vending machines are in effect in the United States. Canada does not currently cover vending machines as ENERGY STAR products. U.S. ENERGY STAR performance criteria vary according to the vending machine's capacity (number of cans) as follows:

These performance levels are 45 percent and 55 percent more efficient than those specified in the CSA standard.

U.S. ENERGY STAR criteria also specify that the vending machine's control system shall be capable of automatically placing the vending machine into a low-power mode during periods of extended inactivity.

The California Energy Commission will be regulating the energy efficiency levels of refrigerated bottled and canned beverage vending machines. The California standard is identical to ENERGY STAR Tier 1, except that ENERGY STAR distinguishes between indoor machines (which are tested in 23.9°C [75°F] ambient air) and outdoor machines (which are tested at 32.2°C [90°F]), whereas California distinguishes between "multi-package" (or glass-door) machines (which are tested at 23.9°C) and all other machines (which are tested at 32.2°C). The California regulations will come into effect on January 1, 2006.

NRCan proposes to regulate the energy efficiency levels of bottled and canned beverage vending machines to the ENERGY STAR Tier 1 levels – thereby harmonizing with the California Energy Commission. The California levels were chosen rather than those of CSA C804-96 because the market data available to NRCan indicate that regulating to the CSA standard would have little effect on the market, since the major manufacturers are already working toward the more stringent California standard.

NRCan also proposes to regulate solid/opaque-front vending machines to the ENERGY STAR Tier 2 levels effective January 1, 2008, since 99 percent of the latest models of solid/opaque-front vending machines already meet the ENERGY STAR Tier 1 levels.

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Product Description

NRCan is proposing that the Regulations will apply to refrigerated bottled and canned beverage vending machines. Refrigerated beverage vending machines are self-contained appliances with a refrigerated compartment designed to hold and dispense canned or bottled beverages upon payment.

The vending machines covered fall into three categories:

• solid/opaque door vending machines;
• multi-package vending machines, which are beverage vending machines that are able to display and dispense at least 20 discrete types of beverage; and
• snack and refrigerated beverage vending machines, which are vending machines that:
  • dispense packages of non-refrigerated, solid food as well as refrigerated bottled or canned beverages;
  • can hold a maximum of 100 bottles and/or canned beverages; and
  • have a capacity such that the maximum number of bottled and/or canned beverages is less than half of the total vendible capacity (number of packages, bottles and cans).

The regulations do not apply to refurbished vending machines, unless their original date of manufacture was after the effective date.

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Energy Performance Test Procedure

The proposed test method is ASHRAE Standard 32.1-2004, Methods of Testing for Rating Bottled and Canned Beverage Vending Machines.

The standard can be ordered from:

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Minimum Energy Performance Standards

The maximum daily energy consumption (in kilowatt hours) shall not exceed the following, where

E_D,max is the maximum daily energy consumption (kWh)
C is the maximum quantity of product that is recommended by the manufacturer to be dispensed from one full loading of the machine

1. Solid/Opaque-Door Beverage Vending Machines

June 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007

E_D,max = 55% (8.66 + 0.009C)   Ambient-air test temperature: 32.2°C

Effective January 1, 2008

E_D,max = 45% (8.66 + 0.009C)   Ambient-air test temperature: 32.2°C

2. Multi-Package Vending Machines

Effective June 1, 2006

E_D,max = 55% (8.66 + 0.009C)   Ambient-air test temperature: 23.9°C

3. Snack and Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines

Effective January 1, 2007

E_D,max = 55% (8.66 + 0.009C)   Ambient-air test temperature: 23.9°C

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Low-Power Mode

The vending machine shall:

• come equipped with hard-wired controls and/or software capable of automatically placing the machine into a low-power mode during periods of extended inactivity while still connected to its power source to facilitate the saving of additional energy;
• have low-power-mode-related controls/software that are capable of on-site adjustments by the vending operator or machine owner;
• be capable of automatically returning itself back to its normal operating conditions at the conclusion of the inactivity period; and
• be capable of operating in each of the low-power states described below:
  1. Lighting low-power state – lights off for an extended period of time;
  2. Refrigeration low-power state – the average beverage temperature is allowed to rise above 4.4°C for an extended period of time; and
  3. Whole machine low-power state – the lights are off and the refrigeration operates in its low-power state.

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Effective Date

NRCan is proposing that the energy efficiency standard for vending machines come into effect as follows:

• solid/opaque door vending machines: June 1, 2006 (Tier 1) and January 2008 (Tier 2)
• multi-package vending machines: June 1, 2006
• beverage and snack vending machines: January 1, 2007

All vending machines subject to the Regulations as described in this document that are manufactured after the specified date will be required to meet the stated efficiency levels.

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Labelling Requirements

There is no requirement at this time for a label showing the unit's energy efficiency (apart from the verification mark described below).

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Verification Requirements

The same verification requirements that apply to other products regulated under the Energy Efficiency Act will apply to vending machines.

NRCan is proposing that regulated vending machines will carry a verification mark indicating that the energy performance of the product has been verified. The verification mark is the mark of a Standards Council of Canada (SCC) accredited certification organization (called the Certification Body) that administers an energy performance verification program for this product. NRCan will also accept labels issued by a province indicating that the product meets the provincial energy efficiency levels as a verification mark, providing that the provincial level is equivalent to or more stringent than the federally regulated level.

The test portion of an energy-efficiency verification program may be conducted at the Certification Body's own facility, at the manufacturer's own test facility, or at an independent test facility. The Certification Body is responsible for qualifying the manufacturers and independent test facilities by ensuring that the test facilities meet the requirements of the SCC standard CAN-P-4: General Requirements for the Accreditation of Calibration and Testing Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025). The Certification Body also monitors and audits the facility on an ongoing basis.

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Reporting Requirements

The energy efficiency report required for this product will include the following information:

• Type:
  • indoor vending machine that is not a multi-package vending machine;
  • outdoor vending machine that is not a multi-package vending machine; or
  • multi-package vending machine
• Brand name
• Manufacturer
• Model number
• Name of the organization or province that carried out the verification and authorized the verification mark that will appear on the product
• Daily energy consumption in kWh (to one decimal place)
• Ambient-air test temperature (°C, to one decimal place)
• Capacity (e.g., number of cans, bottles or packages, etc.)
• Front type (solid-opaque or transparent)

This report must be submitted, by the dealer, to the Minister of NRCan before the product is imported into Canada or traded interprovincially for the first time.

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Importing Requirements

A dealer who imports these products into Canada must include the following information on the customs release document:

• Type of product
• Model number
• Brand name
• Name and address of the dealer importing the product
• Purpose for which the product is being imported (i.e., for sale or lease in Canada without modification; for sale or lease in Canada after modification to comply with energy efficiency standards; or for use as a component in a product being exported from Canada)

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Harmonization

NRCan attempts as much as possible to harmonize with other regulatory agencies.

The proposed federal levels harmonize with regulations in effect for the state of California, with the following exceptions:

• California does not have a separate definition for beverage and snack vending machines. NRCan put them into a separate category to give the manufacturers of those machines additional time to comply.
• California requires the manufacturer to do a test both in 23.9°C ambient air and in 32.2°C ambient air. NRCan only requires a test in ambient air at the one temperature that is applicable for that type of vending machine.
• California has additional reporting requirements that are not required by NRCan:
  • Energy consumption at both 23.9°C and 32.2°C (NRCan requires the energy consumption at only one temperature)
  • Type of illumination
  • Standard vendible product (can or bottle, and size)
  • Refrigerant type (ozone-depleting, non-ozone-depleting)
  • Insulation type (ozone-depleting, non-ozone-depleting)

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Economic, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis

NRCan uses a cost-benefit analysis to determine the economic attractiveness of improving the energy efficiency of equipment. The improved efficiency required by these changes to the Energy Efficiency Regulations is expected to provide positive benefits to Canadians, particularly if the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is taken into account.

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Comments Invited

The purpose of this bulletin to provide stakeholders with a concise interpretation of the proposed amendment, as they apply to self-contained, commercial refrigerators and freezers. The full legal text will be as pre-published in the Canada Gazette Part I, which will amend the official regulations once published in the Canada Gazette Part II.

Comments are invited during the 75 day comment period (between pre-publication and publication) and should be forwarded to: