Continuing from our previous blog, this discussion looks at hot water technology and how it can facilitate peak power demand control to optimise electricity costs.
If you have a demand type tariff, switching off or load shedding equipment will provide electricity cost savings, without inconveniencing building operations or company manufacturing. Often walk-through energy audits will identify hot water savings on demand type tariffs of up to $5,000 by load shedding electric hot water units.
Before load shedding hot water units, check if the units have sufficient storage and recovery capacity. Sufficient storage is required to make sure hot water is always available for your use, even during periods when the hot water elements are switched off. Premises not on demand type tariffs may also benefit from cheaper hot water by using time-of-use and off-peak tariffs.
We have found many clients up for refurbishment, extensions or maintenance look at the short-term options. Often perceptions in hot water technology are based on product marketing influence and experience gained from residential use. Some factors to consider in deciding hot water technology are:

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Cost of the hot water unit over its lifetime (life cycle analysis), including maintenance after installation
• Running cost between electricity and other fuels like natural gas
• Running costs between small and standard storage size electric units
• Fit for purpose.

Often small under-sink electric hot units have large running costs, due to the demand tariff.  The small hot water unit has insufficient storage to switch off or load shed hot water elements during peak power demand periods.

Please contact Susmet for a Peak Power Demand Control analysis on your site or building premises.

Disclaimer:

This blog is part of a continuing series discussing sustainability and energy management issues. Contributions featuring achievements, techniques, products, and processes are welcome. Please feel free to contact Susmet to suggest ideas on future issues. Whilst every effort is made to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or statement appears in this blog, Susmet accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the consequences of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion, or statement.