Energy savings of water-heater retrofits: Evidence from Hood River

Title: Energy savings of water-heater retrofits: Evidence from Hood River
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: February 1989
Published In: Energy and Buildings
Description: This paper assesses the energy savings of water-heater retrofits based on evidence from the Hood River Conservation Project (HRCP). It examines: (1) the electricity saved by the water-heater retrofit package as a whole; (2) the savings attributable to each of three individual measures (the water-heater wrap, pipe wrap and low-flow showerhead); (3) the impact of demographic and dwelling-unit characteristics upon savings; and (4) demand reductions during winter. Water-heater retrofits saved, on average, 540 kWh/year and were highly cost-effective. Each kWh of savings cost less than $0.04 (excluding the expense of the installer's visit), and the levelized cost over an assumed ten-year lifetime for the measures was only $0.0039/kWh. The water-heater retrofit was one of the most cost-effective components of the HRCP package. Its effectiveness was due largely to the water-heater pump. Water-heater demand also decreased at a cost of only $333 per kW. © 1989.
Ivan Allen College Contributors:
Citation: Energy and Buildings. 13. Issue 1. 51 - 61. ISSN 0378-7788. DOI 10.1016/0378-7788(89)90017-0.
Related Departments:
  • Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory
  • School of Public Policy