Energy Consumption in America?

Keeping people comfortable in their homes is what the HVAC industry is all about, when energy was cheap grossly oversized boilers operating at 70% and 8 SEER air conditioning systems with Ozone depleting refrigerants where the norm.  As energy prices increased higher efficiencies and SEER ratings have begun to take over the market.  However, the United States still wastes approximately 58% of its total energy consumption, according to the US Department of Energy.  In 2012 the United States is forecast to consume 99.46 Quadrillion [i]BTU’s of energy at an estimated overall efficiency of 42%.

The answer to energy waste in the US is not that simple since people still want to be comfortable in the homes, have plentiful hot water at the disposal and drive their car to the mall.  A lot has been said about the emerging renewable energy market yet it will produce a little over 2% of all the energy consumed in 2012. 

While we have a long way to go to eliminate the energy wasted in this country there are a few changes we all can make that can have a big impact on saving energy with little or no impact on comfort. 

1. Reduce the thermostat setting on your water heater by 10° to save between 3-5%.   While there is a very slight risk of promoting legionellae bacteria when hot water tanks are maintained at 120 degrees, this level is still considered safe for the majority of the population.[ii]
2. If you have an Indirect Water Heater lower your boiler setpoint by 10° this week if you still have sufficient hot water lower it again.
3. If you have an oil furnace check your nozzle size, many of these units have adjustable firing rates.  When my wife and I lived in Maine we changed the 1.00GPH nozzle for a .65GPH nozzle, the house heated fine the unit was much quieter and we reduced our oil consumption by 20%.
4. When setting up the outdoor reset curve on a hydronic system lower the top and bottom end down 10° below where you normally do and explain the benefits to your customer.
5. If you have a boiler without a reset control that is set to 180° drop the setting to 170°
6. If you haven’t already done so take Masssave up on their offer to audit your house and give you free energy efficient light bulbs, money toward insulating and weather responsive controls.
7. And if you’re a contractor next time you offer a high efficiency heating system don’t forget to offer an Indoor feedback system, which is basically automatic outdoor reset, that Masssave will pay about ½ the cost of the control.

For 2012 lets all find a way to be part of the energy consumption solution in America.

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[i] U.S. Energy Information Administration

[ii] U.S. Department of Energy