After air heating and cooling, home water heating is the largest in residential energy consumption. Hot water heaters are responsible for about 17% of residential energy use.
The new industry-exclusive GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is designed to provide the same hot water homeowners are accustomed to, but requires only about half the energy to produce it.
The water heater first uses a heat pump to bring the water up to the temperature of the ambient air. Then the electric water heater takes over, bringing the water up to 140 degrees F. This takes longer than direct heating but it only consumes 550 watts of power. If you need more power for visitor’s showers, then the electric element kicks in providing more hot water with a shorter recovery time.
The GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is designed for easy installation because it uses the existing water and electrical connections and occupies the same footprint as a traditional tank water heater, making it perfect for new construction or a replacement upgrade.
A 30% federal tax credit may kick in for those qualified, alongside some state side Energy Star savings.
* Consumes up to 62%* less energy than a standard electric water heater
* Results in energy savings of $320 per year*
* Exceeds ENERGY STAR® minimum requirements of 2.0 Energy Factor (EF) with 2.35 EF
* Available November 2009 in 50 gallon size
Not so sure about this one. I think it would just transfer the burden of heating the water onto the home heating system. There would be NO energy savings in a heating climate with electric heat, and I can’t see it being better than gas in any climate.
I would agree with Reya IF the unit was installed in the home’s heated space such as a utility room. I’ve installed a Rheem HPWH in my unheated garage so the heat comes from the outside air. Since I am located in the Southern zone (NC) the efficiency should be good. Since it is in the garage the little sound of the heat pump is muted by the insulated wall. Also the entire installation qualifies for a 30 % Fed. tax credit which puts it close to the installed price of a regular electric water heater.
It could be elsewhere on this site, but a heat recovery ventilator will replace the moist air with fresh air from outside that is dry. This happens using a fan to create a constant slow incoming flow of outdoor air while concurrently having an outward flow of indoor air that has become stale. In essence, fresh air is in constant supply as the allergens and other pollutants are regularly being escorted out.
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