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Title: Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life

Abstract

In 2010, natural gas provided 54% of total residential space heating energy the U.S. on a source basis, or 3.5 Quadrillion Btu. Natural gas burned in furnaces accounted for 92% of that total, and boilers and other equipment made up the remainder. A better understanding of installed furnace performance is a key to energy savings for this significant energy usage. In this project, the U.S. Department of Energy Building America team Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit examined the impact that common installation practices and age-induced equipment degradation may have on the installed performance of natural gas furnaces over the life of the product, as measured by steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. The team identified 12 furnaces of various ages and efficiencies that were operating in residential homes in the Des Moines, Iowa, metropolitan area and worked with a local heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor to retrieve furnaces and test them at the Gas Technology Institute laboratory for steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. Prior to removal, system airflow, static pressure, equipment temperature rise, and flue loss measurements were recorded for each furnace as installed in the house.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1220425
Report Number(s):
DOE/GO-102015-4624
7028
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; residential; Residential Buildings; parr; Building America; Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit; furnace; natural gas; afue; annual fuel utilization efficiency; annualized efficiency; ae

Citation Formats

Brand, L., Yee, S., and Baker, J. Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.2172/1220425.
Brand, L., Yee, S., & Baker, J. Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1220425
Brand, L., Yee, S., and Baker, J. 2015. "Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1220425. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1220425.
@article{osti_1220425,
title = {Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life},
author = {Brand, L. and Yee, S. and Baker, J.},
abstractNote = {In 2010, natural gas provided 54% of total residential space heating energy the U.S. on a source basis, or 3.5 Quadrillion Btu. Natural gas burned in furnaces accounted for 92% of that total, and boilers and other equipment made up the remainder. A better understanding of installed furnace performance is a key to energy savings for this significant energy usage. In this project, the U.S. Department of Energy Building America team Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit examined the impact that common installation practices and age-induced equipment degradation may have on the installed performance of natural gas furnaces over the life of the product, as measured by steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. The team identified 12 furnaces of various ages and efficiencies that were operating in residential homes in the Des Moines, Iowa, metropolitan area and worked with a local heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor to retrieve furnaces and test them at the Gas Technology Institute laboratory for steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. Prior to removal, system airflow, static pressure, equipment temperature rise, and flue loss measurements were recorded for each furnace as installed in the house.},
doi = {10.2172/1220425},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1220425}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}