Gas Clothes Dryers

May 2024

Technical bulletin on amending the standards

Webinar – Tuesday, June 4, 1:00-2:00 pm EDT

On April 2, 2022, the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) issued a Notice of Intent which identifies its intention to harmonize Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations) for energy efficiency and testing standards for five major home appliances, including household clothes dryers, with those of the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE). Furthermore, in April 2024, NRCan updated its Forward Regulatory Plan to indicate its intention to amend the Regulations to expend the scope of clothes dryers to include household gas clothes dryers to harmonize with the United States.

NRCan is considering harmonizing energy efficiency standards, testing standards and manufacturing dates for household vented gas clothes dryers with the United States. In particular, NRCan would harmonize energy efficiency standards with the U.S. DOE recent final rulemaking.

This technical bulletin has been released to initiate the consultation process and to collect stakeholder views on the requirements being considered for household gas clothes dryers.

Input received during this stage of the process will inform the development of the next amendments considered. In addition, NRCan will undertake a cost-benefit analysis using the best-available Canadian market data to assess the economic and environmental impacts of these updated standards and to ensure Canadian consumers and businesses benefit from their implementation.

The Government of Canada intends to pre-publish a regulatory proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I, in 2025.

Background

In Canada, household electric clothes dryers manufactured as of February 3, 1995, are subject to the Regulations. Household vented gas clothes dryers are not currently regulated.

The efficiency standards for household clothes dryers save energy and reduce overall costs for Canadians. The efficiency standards also reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and encourage manufacturers to adopt efficient product designs.

In 2021, NRCan and the U.S. DOE signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Department of Natural Resources of Canada and the Department of Energy of the United States of America Concerning Cooperation on Energy, which acknowledges that both countries will collaborate on new and updated energy efficiency and testing standards where feasible and appropriate.

On March 12, 2024, the U.S. DOE published a Direct Final Rule pertaining to energy efficiency standards for household clothes dryers, including vented gas clothes dryers. Separately, on October 8, 2021, the U.S. DOE published a Final Rule which updated the testing standards for household clothes dryers.

NRCan is considering amending the Regulations to introduce household vented gas clothes dryers to the Regulation, with energy efficiency standards, testing standards and manufacturing dates harmonized with the United States.

The requirements under consideration would also be considered for the clothes dryer component of integrated consumer clothes washer-dryers.

Product description

A clothes dryer is defined in the Regulations as a household tumble-type clothes dryer that is electrically operated.

NRCan is considering expanding this definition to include household vented gas clothes dryers:

A clothes dryer means a household tumble-type clothes dryer with forced air circulation. The heat source is electricity or gas, and the drum and blower(s) are driven by an electric motor(s).

Vented gas clothes dryers exhaust evaporated moisture from the cabinet while ventless dryers utilize a closed-loop system with an internal condenser to remove evaporated moisture to a drain.

The size category of a clothes dryer is based on its drum capacity:

• Compact indicates less than 125 litres (4.4 cubic feet)
• Standard indicates 125 litres (4.4 cubic feet) or more

Testing standard

NRCan is considering referencing the following testing standard for household vented gas clothes dryers, using ambulatory incorporation by reference (as amended from time to time). The same testing standard is also currently referenced for household electric clothes dryers.

• Appendix D2 to Subpart B, Part 430 of Title 10 to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Clothes Dryers. (10 C.F.R. Appendix D2)

Energy efficiency standard

The intent is to harmonize with the recent U.S. DOE Direct Final Rule pertaining to energy efficiency standards for household clothes dryers, including vented gas clothes dryers. The energy efficiency standards under consideration are:

• A minimum Combined Energy Factor of 1.58 kg/kWh (3.48 lb/kWh) for vented gas clothes dryers with a capacity of 125 L (4.4 cubic feet) or more, when tested in accordance with 10 C.F.R. Appendix D2; and
• A minimum Combined Energy Factor of 0.92 kg/kWh (2.02 lb/kWh) for vented gas clothes dryers with a capacity of less than 125 L (4.4 cubic feet), when tested in accordance with 10 C.F.R. Appendix D2.

NRCan is considering incorporating the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations by reference, as amended from time to time.

Important dates

These modifications to the Regulations would come into force six months after the date of publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

NRCan is considering applying the energy efficiency and testing standards to household vented gas clothes dryers manufactured on or after March 1, 2028.

Regulatory pathway

NRCan is considering amending the Regulations through Governor in Council amendment.

The considered changes would be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, followed by a public comment period. The exact date for final publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II will depend on the number and nature of comments received during the public comment period. Final publications are typically within a year of their initial public comment period. These changes and the timing of publication are subject to decision-making authorities under the Energy Efficiency Act.

Labelling requirements

NRCan is not considering any changes to the existing labelling requirements for household clothes dryers. An EnerGuide label must be attached to every new household clothes dryer subject to the Regulations. Labelling would be a new requirement for household vented gas clothes dryers.

Size Categories

NRCan is considering removing the size categories described in the Regulations. For the purposes of the EnerGuide label, the size categories would remain in NRCan’s EnerGuide label guidelines that are available and distributed to dealers and manufacturers. This administrative change has no impact on the scope of the Regulations.

Verification requirements

NRCan is not considering any changes for the energy efficiency verification requirements for household clothes dryers.

Household clothes dryers will continue to carry a third-party verification mark indicating that the product meets the energy efficiency standard and that the information to be reported has been verified. Verification mark would be a new requirement for household vented gas clothes dryers.

The verification mark is the mark of a Standards Council of Canada accredited certification body that operates an energy efficiency certification program for the product.

Reporting requirements

Energy efficiency report

The energy efficiency report for household gas clothes dryers would include the following information:

• Capacity, in L, of clothes dryer’s drum
• Hourly BTU rating of the burner
• Combined Energy Factor when tested according to Appendix D2 (CEFD2)
• Annual energy consumption

The Regulations apply to products imported or shipped inter-provincially for sale or lease in Canada. This report must be submitted, by the dealer, to NRCan before the product is imported into Canada or traded inter-provincially for the first time.

Import report

A dealer who imports household vented gas clothes dryers into Canada would be required to complete an import report as other regulated clothes dryers.

Comments invited

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide stakeholders with the technical details required to comment on the requirements under consideration for household clothes dryers.

NRCan is interested in getting feedback on the manufacturing date under consideration, namely March 1, 2028, and its:

• Implications for certification bodies
• Implications for manufacturers
• Benefits to Canadians

It is important to NRCan that we engage the public and stakeholders on amendments to the Regulations. If you are aware of any manufacturer, importer, retailer, utility provider, small business, consumer group, organization, or representative of a specific group(s) of the population (including, but not limited to, women, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, socio-economic status, residency, housing status, etc.), Indigenous peoples/communities, and/or other person or group that may be interested in participating in the amendment discussion and/or may be negatively impacted by this proposal, please forward them or their representative this bulletin. Please click here to register to our mailing list which is used to notify stakeholders of upcoming amendments, technical bulletins, webinar registrations, official publication in the Canada Gazette, etc.

Additional information on Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations including a current list of Standards Council of Canada accredited certification bodies can be found on the Department’s website.

We welcome your comments by September 13, 2024. All correspondence should be forwarded to:

Natural Resources Canada
Office of Energy Efficiency
580 Booth Street
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0E4
E-mail: EEregulations-reglementEE@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

E-mail subject heading to be:
Bulletin – Clothes dryers – Sécheuses – May 2024 may