Performance and economics of the ACES and alternative residential heating and air conditioning systems in 115 US cities

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6618189

Abbatiello, L A; Nephew, E A; Ballou, M L

The efficiency and life-cycle costs of the ACES are compared with those of three conventional electric HVAC systems in 115 cities in the United States. The three conventional systems are (1) an electric furnace with a central air conditioner and an electric resistance water heater, (2) a high-performance air-to-air heat pump with an electric resistance water heater, and (3) a high-performance air-to-air heat pump with a desuperheater unit for producing domestic hot water. Based on average weather conditions for each locality, monthly requirements for space heating, water heating, and space cooling for a reference single-family house are calculated. The initial cost and annual energy consumption of the ACES and conventional systems, designed to deliver identical energy services to the reference house, are computed and compared. (Power and equipment costs for the year 1979 are used.) Results of the study show that, over most of the United States, the ACES consumes one-third to one-half of the electrical energy required by conventional HVAC systems and delivers the same annual loads at comparable life-cycle costs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6618189
• Report Number(s): ORNL/CON-52
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
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32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
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Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
AIR CONDITIONERS
AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ANNUAL CYCLE ENERGY SYSTEM
APPLIANCES
BUILDINGS
COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
DATA
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC FURNACES
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FURNACES
HEAT LOSSES
HEAT PUMPS
HEATERS
HEATING LOAD
HEATING SYSTEMS
HOUSES
INFORMATION
LIFE-CYCLE COST
LOSSES
MAINTENANCE
MAPS
PAYBACK PERIOD
PERFORMANCE
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
VENTILATION
WATER HEATERS
WIND