This consultation was open from:
February 5, 2019
to March 22, 2019
Decision summary
On July 1, 2019, amendments to O. Reg. 509/18 made under the Electricity Act, 1998 came into force. These amendments further harmonize requirements for six products with Canadian and U.S. standards, and make editorial changes to keep the regulation up-to-date.
Decision details
Proposal
On February 5, 2019, the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines (“Ministry”) posted a proposal on the Environmental Registry of Ontario to amend O. Reg. 509/18, Energy and Water Efficiency – Appliances and Products (the “Regulation”), made under the Electricity Act, 1998. The proposal provided further harmonization of the Regulation with the efficiency requirements of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) by adding new compliance options that would provide flexibility in meeting efficiency requirements for eight products. Proposed changes were:
- Televisions – An exemption of ultra-high definition 8K televisions from on-mode performance requirements;
- Battery chargers and external power supplies – An option to place the certification label for battery chargers and external power supplies on the product packaging instead of directly on the product, harmonizing with NRCan requirements;
- Water heating products (gas, oil and electric residential water heaters) – An alternative test method and efficiency matrix for three water heating products, harmonizing with NRCan and/or DOE;
- Furnace fans – A new prescriptive requirement (brushless permanent magnet motor) as an alternative to meeting fan energy rating values for residential furnace fans, harmonizing with NRCan;
- Mining transformers – An exemption from regulation for medium-voltage, dry-type transformers used in mining applications, harmonizing with the DOE; and
- Editorial changes, such as certain formatting changes, updating references to testing standards, where required, and further clarifying product scope or requirements, where needed.
Regulation Changes
On July 1, 2019, amendments to the Regulation came into force, which updated the following six products:
- Televisions – An exemption of ultra-high definition 8K televisions from on-mode performance requirements;
- Battery chargers and external power supplies – An option to place the certification label for battery chargers and external power supplies on the product packaging instead of directly on the product, harmonizing with NRCan requirements; and
- Water heating products (gas, oil and electric residential water heaters) – An alternative test method and efficiency matrix for three water heating products, harmonizing with NRCan and/or DOE.
Editorial changes were also made to the Regulation, including updating standard references that are out-of-date, and to remove outdated clauses from the Regulation.
The proposals with respect to furnace fan and mining transformers were not included in this amendment.
Analysis of Regulatory Impact:
This Regulation is not expected to impose any new administrative costs on businesses. The proposed changes give manufacturers new options to meet existing requirements, while the existing requirements continue to apply.
Effects of consultation
All comments received were given full consideration by the Ministry. Comments received on proposed changes to requirements for 8K televisions, battery chargers and external power supplies were all supportive.
The Ministry did not receive any comments on proposals for water heaters or furnace fans, or on the proposed updates to out-of-date standards referenced in the Regulation.
The Ministry received several comments opposing the proposed exemption for mining transformers. These comments supported harmonization with federal and other provincial efficiency regulations, which do not exempt mining transformers from meeting efficiency requirements, and expressed concerns about the potential to hurt interprovincial trade in transformers. Based on these and other comments from stakeholders, the Ministry decided not to proceed with the proposal to exempt mining transformers from meeting respective efficiency requirements.
Ontario’s proposed new compliance option for furnace fans had been aligned with a similar change that NRCan was planning to make to its regulation. However, after the Ministry posted its proposal to the Environmental Registry of Ontario on February 5, NRCan decided not to go ahead with its own furnace fan regulation update (see link below for context on NRCan’s decision). As a result, it was decided not to proceed with the proposal.
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Senka Krsikapa
77 Grenville St.
5th Floor
Toronto,
ON
M7A 2C1
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
The proposed amendments would further align requirements and efficiency metrics for certain products with and/or US DOE. The proposed amendments would:
A) Update scope or labelling requirements for four (4) existing products as follows:
- Televisions: Amend regulation to exclude ultra-high definition (UHD) 8K televisions from television on-mode requirements.
- Battery chargers: Amend regulation to allow for a prescribed label (e.g. verification mark) to be placed on either the product or the product’s packaging aligning with NRCan’s energy efficiency labelling requirements for this product.
- External power supplies: Amend regulation to allow for a prescribed label (e.g. verification mark) to be placed on either the product or the product’s packaging aligning with NRCan’s energy efficiency labelling requirements for this product.
- Dry-type transformers: Amend regulation to specifically exempt medium voltage dry-type distribution transformers used in mining applications from energy efficiency requirements, aligning with U.S. DOE’s; 10 Code of Federal Regulations (DOE Regulation). In addition, update the testing standard to reference the most recent edition of CSA C802.2-18 Test method and minimum efficiency values for dry-type transformers, with no change to efficiency requirements.
B) Allow for alternative efficiency metrics for four (4) existing products.
- Residential gas-fired storage water heaters: Amend regulation to allow the use of the Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) metric and test method, harmonizing with NRCan as published in Canada Gazette Part II on October 31, 2018, as an alternative to the existing Energy Factor (EF) metric and test method.
- Residential oil-fired storage water heaters: Amend regulation to harmonize with NRCan’s existing efficiency requirements and allow the use of the Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) metric and test method as an alternative to the existing Energy Factor (EF) test method, harmonizing with NRCan as published in Canada Gazette Part II on October 31, 2018.
- Residential electric instantaneous water heaters: Amend regulation to allow the use of the Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) metric and test method outlined in the U.S. DOE’s 10 Code of Federal Regulations (DOE Regulation) as an alternative to the existing Energy Factor (EF) metric and test method.
- Furnace fans: Allow for a prescriptive requirement (brushless permanent magnet motor) as an alternative to meeting fan energy rating (FER) values. This approach is aligned with NRCan’s federal regulatory proposal for gas, oil-fired and electric furnaces published on the NRCan website on December 6, 2018, see link below.
C) Make other editorial changes to the regulation, such as certain formatting changes, updating references to testing standards, where required, and further clarifying product scope or requirements, where needed.
The purpose of the proposed amendment would be to:
- Facilitate greater access to trade for the electronics and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) sectors.
- Enhance alignment with NRCan and/or the U.S. DOE to provide flexibility to industry and reduce red tape.
The proposed amendment, if passed, would continue to meet stakeholder requests and needs, reduce red tape and facilitate consumer access to a more diverse range of efficient products in Ontario.
Supporting materials
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Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from February 5, 2019
to March 22, 2019
Connect with us
Contact
Senka Krsikapa
77 Grenville St.
5th Floor
Toronto,
ON
M7A 2C1
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
9By email
3By mail
0