Project Report


Getting It Right the Second Time:
Measured Savings and Peak Reduction From Duct
and Appliance Repairs

Paper Presented at ACEEE 1992 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Report Dated: 1992
By: John Proctor and Ronald Pernick

Abstract

This paper reports on potential energy and peak savings in residential air conditioners, heat pumps and gas forced air furnaces. In four different pilot projects, the state of the space conditioning systems of over one thousand homes was documented.

Duct leakage, air flow through the appliance and refrigerant charge on compressor systems were measured before and after repairs were made. Intensive monitoring was utilized in one project to determine the actual behavior of the system and the human occupants.

In two of the pilots, sixty-one air conditioners were submetered to record use at 15 minute intervals. The pre-/post-metering took place on homes divided into three groups:

  1. Random customers
  2. High-use customers
  3. High-use customers that complained of high utility bills.
Submetering results are compared to similar recorded peak and kWh use of a group of nonparticipants.

Also see Energy Efficiency Research

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