[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Re: Tankless Water Heaters

[Lawrence Lile]

Gas demand is not really a problem for gas suppliers.  Electric demand is a problem, but in the grand scheme of things, a 20KW water heater is not a really big load.  There is probably a chiller in the local hospital that wastes more than 20KW just idling. Utilities pay more moeny to buy electricity at peak demand times, usually in air conditioning peaks. Demand is a management issue for the utility, but has nothing to do with energy savings.  That's why it's a phony argument. 
 
 
Electricity as a fuel is considered less desireable than gas, because of the inefficiency of producing electricity from heat, then transporting it long distances, then turning it back into heat.  You get about 40% of the energy back.  If you burn gas directly, you've created the heat where it is needed, and on a coal fired utility you've created less carbon in the process.  Historically, gas appliances were cheaper to run than electric, but that is changing as 
energy fluctuates.  That being said, an electric tankless is a great problem solver in the right application.  
 
I wish Dr. Vasile well in his crusade to make the DOE start thinking rationally!
 
Lawrence Lile, PE, LEED AP

________________________________

From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org on behalf of Reuben Deumling
Sent: Thu 12/21/2006 11:36 AM
To: Dr. C.F. Vasile
Cc: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org; Nick Pine
Subject: [BULK] Re: [Greenbuilding] Tankless Water Heaters



I certainly am not privy to the negotiations with and within the DOE in
relation to tankless water heaters, but the idea that at higher saturations
they (electric and gas tankless water heaters) could increase morning and
evening peaks seems plausible. Why do you consider them 'phony arguments'?
Reuben Deumling

On 12/21/06, Dr. C.F. Vasile <gfx-ch at msn.com> wrote:
>
> If only that were true. One of the reasons given against tankless gas
> heaters was that they would increase the peak demand on gas pipelines --
> which is totally false. They used the same phony argument against tankless
> electric heaters.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nick Pine" <nick at early.com>
> To: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 8:51 AM
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Tankless Water Heaters
>