Performance and economics of eight alternative systems for residential heating, cooling, and water heating in 115 US cities

Technical Report · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6670951

Nephew, E A; Abbatiello, L A

This study updates the results of a previous report, ORNL/CON-52, to take into account the effects of 1981 costs and technology on the performance and economics of five electrically driven heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and water-heating systems for residences. In addition, the present study extends the analysis to include three fossil-fuel-fired systems. Current life-cycle costs and annual efficiencies are presented for 115 cities in the United States for each of the following residential systems: (1) an electric furnace, central air conditioner, and electric resistance water heater; (2) a high-performance air-to-air heat pump with electric resistance water heater; (3) a high-performance air-to-air heat pump with desuperheater water heater; (4) a minimum annual cycle energy system (ACES) of the brine-chiller type; (5) a full ACES of the brine-chiller type; (6) an advanced gas furnace, central air conditioner, and gas water heater; (7) an oil furnace, central air conditioner, and electric resistance water heater; and (8) a pulse gas furnace, central air conditioner, and gas water heater. Of the electrically driven systems, the full ACES is found to exhibit the highest annual efficiency and the highest life-cycle costs for most regions of the nation. The gas furnace system generally exhibits lower life-cycle costs than any of the other residential heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and yields reasonably good annual efficiency.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6670951
• Report Number(s): ORNL/CON-89; ON: DE83003196
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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