Energy Savings Potential from Addressing Residential Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Installation Problems

Chris Neme, John Proctor, and Steven Nadel

February 1999

ABSTRACT

Over the past decade, both government and electric utilities have sponsored a variety of programs to promote the sale of central air conditioners and heat pumps with high-efficiency ratings. Those efforts have undoubtedly resulted in significant energy savings. However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that efforts to improve the manner in which equipment is installed could have even greater impacts on actual operating efficiency, while also providing substantial non-energy benefits such as improved comfort, reduced maintenance costs, and longer equipment life. Concentrating on four key installation issues—equipment sizing, refrigerant charging, ensuring adequate air flow, and sealing ducts—this report summarizes the results of dozens of studies that both documented typical installation practices and assessed the benefits from improved practices. The report demonstrates that improved residential electric heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) installation practices could save an average of 24 percent of energy use in existing homes and 35 percent in new construction. It also demonstrates that aggressive programs to improve installation practices could potentially yield national savings on the order of 15,000 terawatt-hours (TWhs), 40 gigawatts (GWs), and 12 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide.

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