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TRENDS

Home Energy Magazine Online January/February 2000

trends
in energy

Which New Technologies Work?

A study published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) examines new energy efficiency technologies and practices and classifies them according to their effectiveness. Results of the study were published in a report, Emerging Energy-Saving Technologies and Practices for the Buildings Sector. In the report, high-priority measures are defined as those that have the potential to reduce building sector energy use by 0.5% or more after full market penetration; low-priority measures as those that have the potential to reduce building sector energy use by no more than 0.25%; and medium-priority measures as those that fall in between the first two categories. All the medium and high-priority measures were required to be cost effective to the end user.

The study's authors, ACEEE, Davis Energy Group, and E-Source, found there are 9 high-priority and 12 medium-priority emerging residential technologies and practices that, if adopted, could lead to substantial energy savings. The high-priority ones are: high-efficiency vertical-axis clothes washers; integrated gas- and oil-fired space-conditioning/ water-heating systems; aerosol-based duct sealing; dual-source heat pumps; improved ducts and fittings; improved heat exchangers for HVAC systems; reduced-cost and/or higher-efficiency compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs); metal halide lamps to replace incandescents; and integrated new-home designs.

The medium-priority technologies and practices are: low-leak home electronics; 1 kWh per day refrigerator/freezers; high-efficiency dishwashers; improved-efficiency air conditioning and refrigeration compressors; advanced clothes washer and dishwasher controls; residential heat pump clothes dryers; integrated electric space-conditioning/ water-heating systems; residential heat pump water heaters; switched-reluctance (synchronous AC electric) motors; indirect-direct evaporative coolers; evaporative-condenser air conditioning; and high-R (greater than R-4) windows.

The results of the 1998 study were compared to those of a similar study conducted in 1992, in order to identify trends and lessons learned. ACEEE found that in many cases (for example, that of a microwave clothes dryer), energy savings estimates from individual technologies are lower now than they were six years ago, because some potential uses did not pan out. Commercialization dates have also been delayed for many of the technologies (such as a coated-filament lamp and a combination refrigerator/water heater). This led ACEEE to conclude that energy savings and commercialization projections tend to be optimistic.

However, four emerging technologies from the earlier study that are applicable to the home were left off the 1998 study because they have already gained a greater than 2% market share. These were: a horizontal-axis clothes washer, a high-spin-speed clothes washer, a low-powered color TV, and thermal bridging for fluorescent fixtures. Many experimental technologies from the 1992 study were not included in the 1998 study because they resulted in lower than expected energy savings, or because commercialization has been delayed beyond 2005. Nevertheless, the success of these four measures shows that some experimental technologies can eventually go mainstream.

--Daisy Boll-Leung

Daisy Boll-Leung is a graduate of San Francisco State University's Technical/Professional Writing program and a former intern at Home Energy.

For more information:

To obtai a copy of the ACEEE report, contact:

ACEEE Publications
1001 Connecticut Ave. NW
Suite 801
Washington, DC 20036
Tel:(202)429-0063
Fax:(202)429-0193
E-mail: ace3pubs@itnetcom.com
Web site: www.aceee.org.

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