Lead Performer: Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Oak Ridge, TN
Partners:
-- ASHRAE - Atlanta, GA
-- Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) - Arlington, VA
DOE Funding: $960,000
Project Term: October 2011 - September 2015

Project Objective

HVAC and water heating services to U.S. buildings are responsible for about 56% of all residential and 44% of all commercial building energy consumption. Meeting the DOE/BTO 2030 goal to reduce building energy use by 50% vs. a “business as usual” scenario will require development and market implementation of advanced, highly efficient building HVAC and water heating equipment options by 2020. The IHP concept was developed for BTO by ORNL to meet this challenge. Several CRADA projects have been undertaken to develop commercial IHP products with at least one already on the market – the ClimateMaster Trilogy 45 system.

Generation of a rating standard, with supporting test procedure, approved by the cognizant bodies (ASHRAE and AHRI) is a necessity in order for these products to viably be marketed and compared, as appropriate. A new standard test procedure (ASHRAE Standard 206) was completed and published by ASHRAE in 2013. However, no active, recognized rating standards yet exists for an IHP so current and future project effort is focused on working with AHRI to issue a rating standard based on the ASHRAE Standard 206 method of test.

Project Impact

The 2030 maximum adoption potential energy savings for IHPs applied to residences as estimated by the BTO Prioritization tool in May 2014 is 1482 Tbtu/y with a $6.10/MMBtu levelized cost of conserved energy. Cumulative value of this energy savings potential from 2016-2030 is over $120B (based on 2010 average residential electricity cost of $0.115/kWh). This enabling project aims to facilitate market penetration of IHP products, and thus the projected energy savings, by prompting the establishment of the testing and rating standards necessary for market success.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Tony Bouza
Performer: Ed Vineyard, Oak Ridge National Laboratory