Residential water heating: What's best for you

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · ASHRAE Trans.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6273597

Ballou, M L

Today's residential consumer can select water heating options which result in large electrical energy savings. The homeowner using a desuperheater water heater system should expect effective annual water heating COPs which range from 1.3 for northern cities to 2.9 in southern cities. The average consumer could expect to save between 800 and 2500 kWh/yr with a desuperheater if he is presently heating water with a conventional electric water heater. A HPWH within the thermal envelope of an air-to-air heat pumped home would yield similar savings. Even though the consumer can achieve significant energy savings, these savings may not translate into significantly different life cycle economics. The major economic conclusions of this study are: The desuperheater water heater can save a significant amount of energy at attractive life-cycle costs and acceptable first costs if the owner is choosing between electrically powered alternatives; The HPWH located within the thermal envelope of the air-to-air heat pump heated house offers slightly better life-cycle costs than does the desuperheater system; Water heating with natural gas offers the most favorable life-cycle costs of all alternatives considered in this study and is nearly the lowest first-cost system; Installation of a HPWH within the thermal envelope of an all-electric home may or may not offer a favorable life-cycle alternative, depending in large part upon how much air conditioning is normally done in that house.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
• OSTI ID: 6273597
• Report Number(s): CONF-820112-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: ASHRAE Trans.; (United States) Journal Volume: 88
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
APPLIANCES
BUILDINGS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DECISION MAKING
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SYSTEMS
HEATERS
HEATING SYSTEMS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
WATER HEATERS