Development of a Home Energy Alert (HEAL) system. Final report
This report discusses the engineering analyses and laboratory tests of energy consumption by six major household appliances and presents two Home Energy Alert (HEAL) systems that identify inefficient operations of these appliances and provide diagnostic procedures to help owners or repairmen make required adjustments or replacements. Each HEAL system consists of three major elements: (1) sensors; (2) transmitters which send signals through house wiring to a receiver console, and (3) an annunciator panel with receivers, a microprocessor, AC driver clock, digital display, and control panels. The annunciator should be located in a central area, preferably the kitchen. The report provides data on sensors and measurement locations most advantageous to the HEAL system and sensor costs in terms of a payback period for the following appliances: gas forced - air furnace, water heater, refrigerator/freezer, central air conditioner, clothes washer, and electric clothes dryer. Also presented is a design and cost analysis of a prototype HEAL system. The HEAL program specified that a system should be able to pay for itself within 5 years or less from energy conserved. The report presents two possible configurations; an ideal system which involves using more sensors and diagnostic features and a practical system with fewer devices and features. To reach a large group of energy conscious homeowners, the system must be reliable, simple, easy to install and monitor, and moderately priced at about $200. However, even the practical HEAL system does not fall into this price range. Therefore, the study suggests developing a small instructional kit to show homeowners how to make simple checks of appliance energy use and general operating conditions. References, tables, diagrams, and photographs are supplied.
- Research Organization:
- IIT Research Inst., Chicago, IL (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6698875
- Report Number(s):
- PB-84-188390
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
AIR CONDITIONERS
APPLIANCES
BUILDINGS
CLOTHES DRYERS
CLOTHES WASHERS
DRYERS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FURNACES
GAS FURNACES
HEATERS
HOUSEHOLDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PAYBACK PERIOD
REFRIGERATORS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
WATER HEATERS