Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations

Proposed Regulations

Bulletin – March 2007

Ceiling Fans and Ceiling Fan Light Kits

Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan's) Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) is proposing to amend Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations) to prescribe ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits as energy-using products and to establish minimum energy performance standards for them. The Regulations apply to products imported or shipped interprovincially for sale or lease in Canada. This amendment is included in Canada's Clean Air Regulatory Agenda and the accompanying Notice of Intent as published in the Canada Gazette on October 21, 2006. The proposed Regulations are consistent with recent United States action as a result of the US Federal Energy Policy Act (EPACT 2005).

The purpose of this document is to provide stakeholders with background information on the content of the Regulations so that they can submit comments before proceeding with prepublication in the Canada Gazette, Part I. Depending on the nature of the comments received, NRCan may initiate further consultation.

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

BACKGROUND

The Energy Efficiency Regulations, which came into effect in February 1995, are administered by NRCan and reference energy efficiency standards that must be used to test the products to ensure that they comply with the minimum requirements of the Regulations.

The proposed regulations specify a minimum air flow per watt and reference test procedures for specific products.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans circulate room air providing cooling in summer and de-stratification during the heating season. Ceiling fans help keep energy costs down by reducing the air conditioning use.

Ceiling fans are normally suspended from the ceiling and may replace a ceiling light fixture. Many models either come equipped with a light fixture or can be equipped with a light kit.

A ceiling fan's performance can be described by blade size, fan speeds and capacities, and airflow efficiency. The light kit performance can be described in terms of light output/lamp wattage and light efficiency.

Currently, there are no national energy performance levels established available for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. The Canadian test standard, CSA/C814-96: Energy Performance of Ceiling Fans, provides measurements of the power consumed by the motor but does not include any measurements on power consumption of the lights. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is in the process of revising the C814-96 test standard, which proposes a test procedure and minimum energy performance standards levels (fan efficiency) to be harmonized with those implemented by the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE). The new, revised CSA standard will be referenced in the future amendment to the Regulations.

Another test procedure contained in the ENERGY STAR^® specifications for residential ceiling fans, version 2.1: ENERGY STAR Testing Facility Guidance Manual: Building a Testing Facility and Performing the Solid State Test Method for ENERGY STAR Qualified Ceiling Fans, 2002 is presently widely used by manufacturers.

The Province of Ontario has regulated the performance of residential ceiling fans that are sold in Ontario, by referencing the CSA/C-814-96 standard since April 2003.

The California Energy Commission requires the labelling of ceiling fans. The required information on air-flow, power consumption and efficacy (CFM/watt) is based on the EPA ENERGY STAR Solid State Test Method for Ceiling Fans (2002) as the test method. Identification of the light source type is also required. No minimum efficiency performance levels for either the ceiling fan or the ceiling fan lighting fixture have been established at this time.

Ceiling Fan Light Kits

A ceiling fan light kit can either be sold to the consumer as an integral or attachable part to the ceiling fan. Ceiling fans with integral (or with separate available) light kits normally recommend the use of heavy duty (long life) incandescent bulbs rated at 40 or 60 watts (W). While incandescent lamps are not nearly as efficient as fluorescent lamps, they can be dimmed, unlike most fluorescent lamps. Some models are now entering the market equipped with either fluorescent or compact fluorescent lamps and some offer dimming and are supplied with specialized light controls.

ENERGY STAR specifications for residential light fixtures are available for qualifying ceiling fan light kits. Only light kits using electronic ballast can qualify for this ENERGY STAR product category.

Also, according to the DOE 10 CFR Parts 430 and 431 document, dated December 8, 2006, ceiling fan light kit performance will be regulated in the U.S. starting with products manufactured on or after January 1, 2007.

DOE categorizes light kits in different socket categories: (1) medium screw base (2) pin base for compact fluorescent lamps, and, (3) all other models that do not fall into these 2 categories. For medium screw base type kits, the lamps are required to meet the requirements of the ENERGY STAR Program for Compact Fluorescent Lamps, version 3.0. For pin-base type socket kits, the fluorescent lamps and ballast platform have to meet the ENERGY STAR Program requirements for Residential Light Fixtures, version 4.0. All other types of sockets in category 3 require that the light kit has a device limiting the wattage to 190 W.

Market Study

The recent market research study done by NRCan found that in Canada, 91 percent of ceiling fans have lighting fixtures sold together with the ceiling fan. Very few fans with separate lighting kits were identified in the survey.

The energy consumption of a ceiling fan fixture is determined by the power ratings of both the fan motor and the attached lighting fixture (if present), the speed setting of the fan, and the hours of operation of each component.

Average annual energy consumption of Canadian ceiling fans equipped with lighting is about 179 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per ceiling fan, consisting of about 34 kWh for the fan motor and 145 kWh for the lighting.

In 2005, it was estimated that the Canadian stock of ceiling fans and attached ceiling fan lights consumed a total of 2,296 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity. Lighting dominated the energy usage, with an estimated 1,839 GWh consumed (which represents 80 percent of the total consumption by ceiling fan fixtures). Ceiling fans without lighting are estimated to consume less than 23 GWh (which is about 1 percent of the total consumption by ceiling fan fixtures).

Harmonization

The new regulations for ceiling fans in the U.S. are effective January 1, 2007 (U.S. Direct Final Rule, October 18, 2005, and December 8, 2006) and refer to the ENERGY STAR test procedure.

In order to harmonize with the U.S., NRCan's proposal for this product is equivalent to the U.S. requirements.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Ceiling Fans

For the purposes of the Regulations, NRCan is proposing to define a residential ceiling fan as a non-portable device designed for home use that is suspended from the ceiling for circulating air via the rotation of fan blades.

Ceiling Fan Light Kits

For the purposes of the Regulations, NRCan is proposing to define a ceiling fan light kit as equipment designed to provide light from a ceiling fan that can be a) integral, such that the equipment is attached to the ceiling fan prior to the time of retail sale, or b) attachable, such that at the time of retail sale the equipment is not physically attached to the ceiling fan, but may be included inside the ceiling fan at the time of sale or sold separately for subsequent attachment to the fan.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE TEST PROCEDURE

Ceiling Fans

The ENERGY STAR test procedure is referred in the 10 CFR Appendix U to subpart B, of Part 430, title 10 to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, as amended by Vol. 71, No. 236 of the Federal Register of the United States published on December 8, 2006, at pages 71340 to 71375; will be the reference test procedure for this product, at this time, in the proposed Amendment.

Ceiling Fan Light Kits

Test procedures proposed to validate the performance of ceiling fan light kits are:

1. medium screw base sockets: ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Compact Fluorescent Lamps, version 3.0
2. pin-base sockets for fluorescent lamps: ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Residential Light Fixtures, version 4.0

MINIMUM EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

Ceiling Fans

The proposed minimum fan efficiency level for residential ceiling fan is equivalent to the ENERGY STAR specification:

Ceiling Fan Light Kits

NRCan proposes to harmonize with the performance levels described in the DOE final rule. Ceiling fan light kits are classified in three categories:

1. Ceiling Fan Light Kits With Medium Screw Base Sockets – Lamps must be packaged with the kit (enough to fill all the sockets), and these lamps must meet the performance levels listed in ENERGY STAR Program for Compact Fluorescent Lamps, version 3.0. If another light source is used, it must meet the same performance levels as stated in the ENERGY STAR specifications (see Table 1 below for performance requirements).

   Table 1 Performance Requirements for Ceiling Fan Light Kits With Medium Screw Base Sockets

   Lamp Power (Watts) and Configuration	Minimum Efficacy: Lumens/Watt (Based upon initial lumen data)
   Bare lamp: Lamp power < 15 Lamp power ≥ 15	45.0 60.0
   Covered lamp (no reflector): lamp power < 15 15 ≤ lamp power < 19 19 ≤ lamp power < 25 Lamp power ≥ 25	40.0 48.0 50.0 55.0
   With reflector: Lamp power < 20 Lamp power ≥ 20	33.0 40.0

   
   
2. Ceiling Fan Light Kits With Pin-Base Sockets for Fluorescent Lamps – NRCan proposes that the kit include the same number of lamps as there are sockets, and meet the performance requirements of Table 1, Combined Lamp and Ballast Requirements of the ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Residential Light Fixtures, version 4.0 (see Table 2).

   Table 2 Performance Requirements for Combined Lamp and Ballast Platform for Ceiling Fan Light Kits With Pin-Base Sockets for Fluorescent Lamps

   System Efficacy Per Lamp Ballast Platform in Lumens Per Watt (LPW)

   ≥ 50 LPW for all lamp types below 30 total listed lamp watts ≥ 60 LPW for all lamp types that are ≤ 60.96 cm (24 inches [in.]) and ≥ 30 total listed lamp watts ≥ 70 LPW for all lamp types that are > 60.96 cm (24 in.) and ≥ 30 total listed lamp watts

   
   
3. Ceiling Fan Light Kits With Sockets Other Than Medium Screw Base or Pin-Base for Fluorescent Lamps – For these types of socket, which also include candelabra screw base sockets, NRCan proposes that the light kits not be capable of operating with lamps that total more than 190 W and, they shall include lamps whose total wattage does not exceed 190 W.

For the socket category (3), NRCan will require that manufacturers incorporate some measure such as a fuse, circuit breaker or current-limiting device, to ensure the light kit is not capable of operating with a lamp or lamps totalling more than 190 W.

NOTE: NRCan proposes that any ancillary lighting integrated to the fixture, such as accent lighting serving primarily for aesthetic purposes, not be part of the general illumination function of the ceiling fan light kit. Consequently, the 190 W maximum rule would not include these lamps.

EFFECTIVE DATE

NRCan is proposing that in order to be consistent with the U.S., the energy performance test procedure and energy performance standards for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits with pin-base sockets for fluorescent lamps and medium screw base sockets apply to product manufactured after January 1, 2007.

The amendment for ceiling fan light kits, with sockets other than medium screw base or pin-base for fluorescent lamps, would only apply to products manufactured on or after January 1, 2009.

The effective date of the proposed regulations is proposed to be the date of registration of the amendment to the Regulations as published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, and is expected to be in March 2008. This means that the energy performance test procedure, the energy performance standards and all other regulated requirements for the regulated ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits come into effect on that date. To further clarify: if a regulated ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits are imported into Canada (or shipped between provinces), on or after the effective date of the Regulations, the product's date of manufacture would be taken into account for the purposes of compliance with the Regulations.

LABELLING REQUIREMENTS

NRCan is not proposing at this time a mandatory EnerGuide labelling requirement in the Regulation for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. However, ceiling fans will continue to be labelled using the voluntary ENERGY STAR^® mark (where qualified).

VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The same verification requirements that apply to other products regulated under the Energy Efficiency Act will apply to ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. (oee.nrcan.gc.ca/regulations)

These products 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 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, provided that the provincial level is equivalent to or more stringent than the federally regulated level.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Energy Efficiency Reports

The energy efficiency report requires the following information for both ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits:

• Product type
• Manufacturer's name
• Brand name
• Model number
• Name of the organization or province that carried out the verification and authorized the verification mark that will appear on the product

For ceiling fans

• Which of the following product features are included:
  1. no light kit
  2. integral light
  3. provision for light kit
• Type of speed control
  1. reversible: yes or no
     1. if no – why
        • A. – industrial application
        • B. – outdoor application
        • C. – violation of safety standard
  2. multi-speed
  3. variable speed
• Air flow in L/s
• Air flow efficiency in L/s / Watt
• Fan power consumption without lights in watts

For ceiling fan light kits

• Type of kit (attachable or integral)
• Type of socket (e.g. Type (1) pin-base sockets for fluorescent lamps, Type (2) medium screw base sockets or Type (3) other)
• Number of sockets and number of lamps included in the kit
• Total wattage of all lamps included in the kit
• Model number of each lamp

For a type (1) socket submit:

• Efficacy levels of each lamp (LPW)
• Is the product currently qualified as ENERGY STAR for Compact Fluorescent Lamps?

For a type (2) socket submit:

• Efficacy levels of lamp ballast platforms (LPW)
• Is the light fixture currently qualified as ENERGY STAR for residential light fixtures?

For a type (3) socket also submit:

• Is there a wattage-limiting device integrated in the light kit?
• Type of device limiting wattage at 190 W (e.g. fuse, circuit breaker, other limiting device)
• Type of lamps included in the kit and total wattage

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

Importing Reports

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
• 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)

HARMONIZATION

NRCan attempts, as much as possible, to harmonize with other regulatory agencies. The proposed amendment to the regulations is harmonized with the Direct Final Rule published by the U.S. DOE on October 18, 2005 and December 8, 2006.

COMMENTS INVITED

The information in the bulletin is being issued in advance of prepublication in the Canada Gazette to allow time for concerned parties to comment on the proposal.

Comments are invited by March 30, 2007. All correspondence should be forwarded to:

oee.nrcan.gc.ca/regulations