|
Click here to view our "Season after Season"
video!
Click here to download our "Season after Season" brochure!
Website Credits
©1997-2002 Energy Kinetics, Inc.
All rights reserved.
For more information call
1-800-323-2066.
|
 |
Under contract with the United States Department of Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratories confirms: U.S. energy guide (AFUE) ratings miss significant areas of energy loss.1
- Savings with System 2000 are much greater than comparably rated heat and hot water systems.
- System 2000 had the highest annual efficiency in the study – even better than the 95%AFUE boiler tested.
“An annual efficiency that considers domestic hot water as well as heating provides a better measurement of performance than AFUE alone. So the reevaluation of AFUE measurement is needed to help consumers reduce energy use.” - Dr. Butcher, Lead Scientist at Brookhaven
|
AFUE (government efficiency) ratings can be off by 25% or more, an error that can under-estimate fuel consumption by up to 47%.
What are Department of Energy National Laboratories? Find Out More.
REAL FUEL EFFICIENCIES*
Comparison of fuel efficiencies among typical and top rated available home heat and hot water systems.
*This means that some AFUE efficiency ratings under-estimate fuel consumption by as much as 47%
The study shows that a consumer who purchases a home heating system based only on a comparison of AFUE ratings may actually spend as much as $800 per year more on fuel with one system, compared to a second system with a nearly identical AFUE rating. This difference in real annual efficiency is determined by a characteristic of all heating systems called idle loss, a performance factor which is not evaluated for AFUE on units which provide both heat and hot water. Idle loss includes two primary areas of heat loss on conventional home heating systems: standby loss, and jacket loss. Also almost entirely neglected are draft regulator, draft hood, and room air losses.
In the study, the reduction of idle losses is identified as a primary factor in improving real system efficiency. Only when idle losses are reduced or eliminated is it possible for real efficiency to approach the AFUE rating of a heating product. In fact, significant idle losses may lead to actual efficiencies as low as 55%. This real annual efficiency rating may determine system performance even when the government AFUE rating is established in the 80-95 percentile range.
The study also reports that the cold start and cold finish operation of Energy Kinetics' System 2000 has the lowest overall idle loss and the best annual efficiency performance among all home heating systems tested to date, including 95% AFUE condensing gas and oil systems.
The study revealed that outdoor reset controls may save up to 5%, but need trial and error adjustments over the course of a heating season. By comparison, using proven Hybrid Energy Recovery, System 2000 automatically adapts to heating loads. The result is a home heating system that delivers the best documented efficiency.
View our efficiency checklist to see how your heating system idle loss compares. [ View Checklist ]
| AFUE ratings do more harm than good... |
Right Click and Save As
|
AFUE ratings don't help consumers make educated decisions about a boiler heating system's efficiency. This article indicates how the AFUE rating system allows some boiler manufacturers to put high efficiency ratings on low efficiency products. Click here, for additional information on AFUE ratings.
|
How much of your home's energy is used for heat and hot water?
The above chart source data from Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Forms EIA-457 A-G of the 2001 Residential Energy Consumption Survey. New England and Mid-Atlantic states. Air conditioning percentage is an aggregate for the region and may not be representative of specific home usage.
|
|
Oil Boilers - Top (7) things to look for to help determine real efficiency here.
Gas Boilers - Top (7) things to look for to help determine real efficiency here.
|
|
Cast Iron should be Cast out...
|
Cast Iron has been used in heating systems for centuries and does not deliver the superior performance of modern materials such as steel. This article reveals some of the facts and myths about cast iron and indicates why steel is simply a better material for hot water boilers.
[ Get The Facts About Cast Iron Boilers ]
|
| |
|
1Data and conclusions are drawn from the report “Performance of Integrated Hydronic Heating Systems” (paper and presentation), prepared for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and National Oilheat Research Alliance by the Energy Resources Division, Department of Energy Sciences and Technology, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven Science Associates, Upton, NY, Under Contract No. DE-ACO2-98CH10886 with the United States Department of Energy by Dr. T. Butcher; and Chimney Related Energy Losses in Residential Oil-Fired Heating Systems (1990). Available on request.
|
|
U.S. Coast Guard saves an average of over 30% by replacing new 85%-86 1/2% AFUE cast iron boilers with System 2000.
In this multi-year study, the U.S. Coast Guard in Kodiak, Alaska, replaced (24) new 85% to 86 1/2% AFUE cast iron boilers of various makes, indirect water heaters, and electric water heaters with System 2000 in residences.
The tremendous savings led to the 2007 replacement of another (150) cast iron boilers as part of a Super Energy Saving Performance Contract (Super ESPC) which is run by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). The best savings decisions are based proven performance, not AFUE.
[ View Details ]
|
