Next Step to Simple Energy
Savings
First Large Scale Multi-Family
Drain Heat Recovery Project
Portland, OR.
---March 20,2002---TR Strong Building Systems, Inc. (an energy and resource
conserving building products supplier) based in Olympia, Washington today
announced the installation of the largest residential drain heat recovery
project in the nation.
202 GFX
heat exchangers are being installed into Troutdale Terrace, a large apartment
complex located in Troutdale, Oregon. The development project is aimed at
providing affordable housing with affordable utilities. The project is receiving
Oregon State tax incentives for energy efficiency.
The GFX (Gravity Film eXchanger) is a simple plumbing
device that replaces a section of vertical drainpipe with an all copper heat
exchanger. The heat exchangers consist of 2” and 3” diameter by 60” lengths of
copper drainpipe with half inch tubing coiled tightly around them. As hot water
is used it goes down the drain clinging to the inside surface as a thin film
that efficiently transfers the heat through the copper drain line to the cold
water as it simultaneously flows up through the GFX coils. 50-85% of the heat
can be transferred to the cold supply water through the copper without
contamination. The heat transfer significantly preheats the incoming water,
therefore reducing the work of the water heaters and cutting the amount of
energy/money spent to heat water.
With 55% of the heat transferred from 96-degree drain water
into 45-degree cold supply water, a full sized 60” GFX can save Troutdale
Terrace residents 2.06 KWh per 12-minute shower. If electricity costs $.11 per KWh, $.23
can be saved every shower. Assuming 404 people taking showers every day, the
potential savings is $2,826.32 a month or $33,915.80 a year for the 202
GFX’s. The avoided energy costs
means the system can pay for itself in 2-3 years. Enough energy is saved by the
GFX per shower to light up approx. 187-11 watt compact florescent lights for an
hour. Energy costs
and savings may vary by area.
The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information
Administration (EIA) estimated that in 1995 residential water heaters consumed
740 Billion KWh of energy and commercial water heaters consumed 320 Billion
KWh. Approximately 80-90% of all
this hot water energy goes down the drain carrying with it billions of KWh
and billions of dollars. Much of this wasted heat/energy can be recovered with
the GFX technology.
“Wow, what a lot of wasted energy! We provide solutions for
energy efficiency, there is a huge amount of energy to be mined from our waste
stream” says Tom St. Louis, President of TR Strong Building Systems, Inc. GFX is
long lasting, has no moving parts and requires no maintenance, so it will return
the investment quickly and provide continuing energy cost reductions in any
location using and draining hot water including, high rises, health clubs,
hotels and homes.
Troutdale Terrace is being developed by Winkler Development,
Co. and designed by Sullivan Architecture, LLC. The general contractor is R+H
Construction Co. and the plumbing contractor is Tapani Plumbing, Inc. The
Troutdale Terrace apartment project is the largest in a series of applications
for GFX drain heat recovery. Some of the other recent installations have been
for flight-type commercial dishwashers, commercial laundry facilities, gyms,
salons, and single-family residences to name a few. GFX is supplied throughout the West by
TR Strong Building Systems, Inc. they may be contacted at (360) 705 2868 or
www.baubuilder.com.
