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Greenbuilding Archive for April 2001
307 messages, last added Tue Nov 26 17:25:16 2002
[Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [GBlist] Zero Energy House on Washington Mall (fwd)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Carmine F. Vasile" <gfx-ch@email.msn.com>
To: "John Herbert" <john.herbert@kelcroft.com>
Cc: "Don Best" <letters@top.monad.net>; "Rolf Butters"
<rolf.butters@ee.doe.gov>; "Greenbuilding" <greenbuilding@crest.org>;
"Constructive Individuals" <constructive@cwcom.net>; "Donald R. Clem"
<donclem@swinter.com>; "John Lebo" <johnl@doucetteindustries.com>; "Mike
Buckwald" <senator@feinstein.senate.gov>; "Lisa Barnett"
<Lisa.Barnett@ee.doe.gov>; "Del Deletetsky" <rpdeletetsky@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: [GBlist] Zero Energy House on Washington Mall (fwd)


> John: Your "2 cents" worth took quite some time to answer. I apologize for
> neglecting to give a source for conversion-efficiency.  For simplicity &
> consistancy, I used conversion-efficiency values used by a NIST (then NBS)
> consultant in the DOE Grant Evaluation of our DHR system (GFX),
> Recommendation No. 382, OERI No. 009925 Dec. 1986.
>
>     Contrary to your statements below, the conversion-efficiency for a
> modern tankless electric water heater, like the Acutemp C-150 with solid
> state controls, is nearly 100%, with an EF between 0.98 & 1.0 per the
> Virginia Power funded evaluation summarized @
www.oikos.com/gfx/tests.html.
> The Bosch, tankless, pilotless gas water heater, Model WR 400-3KB  has a
> conversion eficiency of 77%, with an EF of 0.69, according to a May 1999
> report by Intertek Testing Services. (604-525-3321)
>
>     For tank-type water heaters, beloved by new builders & utilities &
water
> heater manufacturers, DOE's efficiency standards issued late last year
are:
> (a)    0.59, up from 0.54, basic 40-gallon natural gas;
> (b)    0.90, up from 0.86, basic 50-gallon electric;
> (c)    0.53, no change for oil. [See "DOE, Industry Squabble Over New
Water
> Heater Standards", Energy Design Update (EDU), September 2000]
>
>     OPEC wins again!

Again you have ignored the power station inefficiencies.  Electric heaters
are roughly 30% eff. from conversion of fuel to electricity and are
therefore far worse than any of your direct fueled heaters, which themselves
could be seriously improved with a higher insulation requirement.
Malcolm.


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