Unit Heaters Deserve Attention for Commercial Programs

Harvey M. Sachs

April 2003

Summary

The goal of this report is to draw the attention of program planners and the policy community to the savings potential of commercial and industrial unit heaters. Although annual shipments are less than one-tenth of those for residential furnaces (roughly 200,000 and 3,000,000, respectively), the median size of unit heaters is several times larger, so the aggregate potential for savings from greater efficiency is relatively large.

In this report, we evaluate alternative strategies for improving efficiency in the unit heater market. Available options include incentive programs for power-vented and condensing unit heaters, and elimination of gravity-vented unit heaters by banning pilot lights and gravity vents, through federal or state regulations.

14 pp., 2003, $16.00, A031

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