The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today proposed new energy-conservation standards for commercial water heating equipment, including gas storage, instantaneous water heaters, and gas hot water supply boilers. The proposed standards would require commercial water heaters to incorporate condensing technology, which significantly reduces energy consumption by extracting additional heat from the combustion process. Energy efficiency is a key component of plan to reduce climate pollution while delivering savings.
“Water heating accounts for a considerable share of energy costs and domestic carbon emissions,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Modernizing commercial water heater technology will slash energy costs for schools, hospitals, and small businesses while removing carbon and methane from our atmosphere.”
If finalized, the proposed standards would save businesses and operators $140 million per year in operating costs. Over the next 30 years, the new standards are projected to generate $2.4 billion in savings, with an average life-cycle cost saving of $301 for a commercial building operator of a gas-fired storage water heater. According to the Energy Information Administration, gas water heating accounts for 18 percent of natural gas consumption in commercial buildings, which is primarily driven by inefficient, non-condensing water heating equipment that allows excess heat to escape.
In addition to the projected 30-year cost savings, the new standards will reduce carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to the annual emissions of 4.8 million homes. The new standards will also cut methane emissions by an amount equivalent to the annual emissions of 2.3 million gasoline cars.
Instead of mandating standards how about incentivizing companies to produce equipment that saves energy across the board. Positive enforcement, encourage new ways to do whatever with less energy or less pollution. Someone might find a way that has nothing to do with “condensing technology” and be far more efficient.
Instead of mandating standards how about incentivizing companies to produce equipment that saves energy across the board. Positive enforcement, encourage new ways to do whatever with less energy or less pollution. Someone might find a way that has nothing to do with “condensing technology” and be far more efficient.
Your suggestion has never worked very well. Regulations are the only way to get most companies to upgrade their businesses.
What???
Do you have any idea how many contracts the DOT includes financial incentives to companies for completing project(s) on time or ahead of time?
Hint: Almost all of them (90%+), we are talking about thousands and thousands of road jobs awarded every year in this country with this type of language included. And I only pointed out one sector.
Would you care to travel down the road with contractors working for the DOD and all of cash incentives awarded to them as well for the same reason?
Do you have any idea how many contracts the DOT includes financial incentives to companies for completing project(s) on time or ahead of time?
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You are totally off topic. Those DOT contracts are not new regulations.
Highway construction is not the same as regulations for energy saving water heaters. Now the Government may offer contracts which includes financial incentives to companies for completing water heater project(s) on time or ahead of time.
You are totally off topic. Those DOT contracts are not new regulations.
Highway construction is not the same as regulations for energy saving water heaters. Now the Government may offer contracts which includes financial incentives to companies for completing water heater project(s) on time or ahead of time.
Jaak
Oops
I accidentally read this on "Un-Threaded" mode and miss read the beginning of the thread.
Speaking of water heaters and savings, have any of you heard of a hybrid electric water heater that has hits own heat pump? We are all electric in our home and I had always hoped to get a gas hot water heater. I saw this and decided to try for myself. https://www.rheem.com/innovations/innovation_residential/hyb…
sp
Speaking of water heaters and savings, have any of you heard of a hybrid electric water heater that has hits own heat pump? We are all electric in our home and I had always hoped to get a gas hot water heater. I saw this and decided to try for myself.
Have you had this WH installed? Sounds great. Please post feedback on the operation and maintenance
I have this water heater, installed it myself 3 years ago. No problems of any kind. Unable to isolate any savings because we made a bunch of changes at the time, including adding some solar pre-heat for the water. Simple set up, others have complained about noise but I don’t hear it (we have an HVAC room), when it’s heating the water it pours cold air out. In the summer that’s a bonus. In the winter, not so much.
We have a heat pump water heater too. It is in our basement. The basement temp varies from a low of 54°F to a high of 62°F, basic wine cellar temps. The energy savings since we installed it run around 20%. It will probably pay for itself, but that is not why we bought it. As a side benefit it is a dehumidifier for our basement.
yes, I installed it yesterday.
Install was just a bit different: Inlet and outlet are out the side; there is also a condensate drain line. No harder than installing a conventional WH. the conventional WH is supposed to use about $415 of electricity per year; this one is supposed to use $105. We have it in the laundry room and it is no louder than the washing machine.
sp
Have you had this WH installed? Sounds great. Please post feedback on the operation and maintenance.
I have one too… about $25/month in electricity savings vs my old electric heater. That’s at 11-12 cents/kWh. Mine sits in my garage, which is typically 75-80 degree ambient. Mine’s about 5 years old, and has easily paid for itself. Zero maintenance required, so far so good.
Any problems or maintenance?
Mine has an anode rod but does not suggest ever replacing or even access - anyone know if anode rods are eaten away during heat pump mode as opposed to conventional mode?
other maint: clean air filter/screen; bleach to condensate discharge; annual flush from drain and momentary release from pressure relief valve.
sp
Germans are installing heat pumps because of the energy crisis in Germany and rest of Europe.
Handelsblatt
Deliveries of heat pumps are up 25 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year, challenging the dominance of gas-fired heating system in German homes. Gas heater sales fell particularly steeply, by 10 percent, in the second quarter of 2022 – compared to the same period in 2021, figures from the Federal Association of German Heating Industry (BDH) analysed by the business daily Handelsblatt showed. The news outlet said this transition is politically pleasing: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was recently seen fixing a screw into an almost-built heat pump during a visit to the production hall of German heating manufacturer Viessmann, as a sign of support.
High electricity prices and heat pumps’ expensive installation costs have not deterred customers, who are still turning to them as an alternative to gas, for which prices have been rising even quicker. There was a 4 percent increase in the share of heat pump heating systems in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, according to BDH figures. Thomas Nowak, secretary general at the European Heat Pump Association, called the figure “remarkable", while heating manufacturer Valiant has said heat pumps are currently the company’s fastest-growing product category. However, supply problems pose an obstacle to mass distribution. A spokesperson for the German Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning Association (ZVSHK) said that “if you order a heat pump today, you can’t expect it to be installed until spring of next year at the earliest.”
The German government currently plans to install half a million new heat pumps a year – a target that has been described as “ambitious but feasible” by the industry. Heat pumps have become increasingly recognised as important alternatives to gas heating systems in Europe ever since gas supplies from Russia began dwindling