Energy Savings and Cost-Effectiveness of Heat-Exchanger Use as an Indoor Air-Quality Mitigation Measure in the BPA Weatherization Program

摘要

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has proposed a ten year program to encourage the weatherization of electrically heated homes in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of this program is to reduce residential electrical energy demand for space heating. If air infiltration rates are reduced by employing house tightening measures, indoor air quality mitigation measures may be required in residences with significant sources of indoor air contaminants. The use of residential air-to-air heat exchangers has been proposed as a possible strategy to assure that indoor air quality is not substantially degraded by house tightening. The energy impact and cost effectiveness of heat exchanger utilization in tightened homes in the BPA region is examined. Significant energy savings are predicted if homes are tightened and heat exchangers are utilized. From the homeowner's perspective, the results of our economic analysis indicate that, at the relatively low residential electric rates in the BPA region, the use of heat exchangers in existing homes that are tightened is not economically viable. On the other hand, from the utility perspective, it may be cost effective to use heat exchangers in the weatherization program if the marginal cost to the utility is compared with the cost of conserved energy. (ERA citation 08:007795)