As of January 1st, 2017, some battery chargers will no longer be available for sale in California and Oregon per the California Energy Commission (CEC) energy efficiency standards. This regulation, which was released in 2012, sets the minimum energy efficiency standards for non-federally regulated equipment and appliances.
Whether inductive or not, any charger used in a non-consumer application that has an input power of less than two kilowatts and does not meet standards can no longer be sold in 2017. Equipment affected by these changes includes forklifts, aerial work platforms, respiratory protection systems, and floor care machines.
Compliant chargers will bear the CEC's regulatory approval logo, seen on the right.
The energy efficiency standards for non-consumer applications are the last of the battery charging system regulations to be implemented. Regulations for all charging systems with an input power of more than 2kW took effect January 1st, 2014. Standards for consumer product chargers with less than 2kW input were implemented in 2013 and 2014, depending on their battery capacity or if they were a USB charger.
Among the manufacturers affected, 3M will no longer be selling their single unit charger 520-03-73 and 5 unit charger 520-03-72. See the tables below for alternatives.
Table 1
| Impacted systems that require the use of the 520-03-73 and/or 520-03-72 chargers | |
| System | Recommended Action |
| 3M™ Air-Mate™ High Efficiency (HE) Powered Air Purifying Respirator System | Consider moving to 3M™ Versaflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator Systems Purchase 520-03-73 or 520-03-72 chargers before January 1, 2017 |
| 3M™ Breathe Easy™ Belt-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator System with BP-17IS NiCD Battery (Intrinsically Safe) | Consider moving to 3M™ Versaflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator Systems For users with intrinsically safe applications consider GVP-1 with NiCD battery Purchase 520-03-73 or 520-03-72 chargers before January 1, 2017 |
| 3M™ AirStream™ Headgear-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator System | Consider moving to 3M™ Versaflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator Systems Purchase 520-03-73 or 520-03-72 chargers before January 1, 2017 |
Table 2
| System that allows for optional use of the 520-03-73 and/or 520-03-72 | |
| System | Recommended Action |
| 3M™ Powerflow™ Face-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator System |
NOTE: 520-03-73 and 520-03-72 chargers are optional for use with 3M™ Powerflow™ Face-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) systems. The 3M™ Powerflow™ Face-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) 6800PF, 3M™ Powerflow™ Face-Mounted Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) 6900PF and Cube charger 521-01-43R01 are all still available at this time with chargers manufactured before January 1, 2017.
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For more information on specific products and company compliance, visit the CEC's search tool to find out status. Additionally their Frequently Asked Questions document outlines all the regulations and definitions for each type of product affected.
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