Mod-tions

S R Denny

Is there any ongoing third party research on energy savings using new hot water technology in real world settings? I've seen recent energy data on domestic hot water equipment comparisons, but nothing on hot water heating or combination equipment.

jp_2

real world, real trouble

there really is no 'real world' study. too many variables.

you can not predict 'saving' when you have no idea of the efficiency of an existing system? taking numbers off an old boiler tag isn't going to do it.

it will alway be more efficient to heat with the lowest 'warm' temperature possible.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Search the web deeply for sources from the European Union and/or the United Kingdom.

It's been a while since I searched for such, but I seem to remember a few real-world studies and many theoretical studies.

Unfortunately though it can be very difficult to compare between western Europe and North America. TRVs are nearly ubiquitous. Single-family detached homes and "stick" construction are comparatively rare. Weather is generally more consistent. Homes are generally kept much cooler and in multi-unit dwellings occupants will generally only have the TRVs for temperature control with the supply curve limited to a degree that many North Americans would consider inadequate for "suitable" room temperatures.

The Europeans also never forget that the structure itself is essentially the most important part of the heating system. Not only are their shells generally more efficient and more suited to the local climate, but their exterior walls are typically solid and massive with exterior insulation. With so much thermal mass in the structure inself, user-requested and rapid space temp changes become not only impractical, but terribly inefficient. I've been told that some German boiler engineers have a secret envy for the ability of the air temp in our stick-built homes to be changed quite rapidly without the sort of efficiency hits they face in their typical structures. But guess what? They design for their typical structures--not ours...