Learn more about the savings achieved through the ODE rebate program that is currently being conducted in Southern California.
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On-Demand Efficiency Program Text:
Summary: The On Demand Efficiency (ODE) rebate program was established in 2008 as a collaboration between Enovative Group and Benningfield Group, with funding from the Southern California Gas Company, in order to promote demand–‐ based energy efficiency technologies. The program subsidizes the cost and installation of Enovative’s D’MAND CIRC® recirculation pump in multi–‐unit buildings such as apartments, offices, and government buildings. By monitoring hot water demand in a building, the pump is able to shut itself down when it is not in use, saving energy by preventing unneeded waste.
Methodology: After being validated by independent research as a legitimate energy efficient technology, the question for Benningfield and Enovative was just how much energy the D’MAND CIRC® could be expected to save. To find out, Enovative installed and monitored data logging devices on various test sites that had been retrofitted with the D’MAND CIRC® through the ODE program. These devices measured the duration of time in which the pump was actually running, and the amount of gas being used to heat water in the buildings. The pumps can be manually switched from a demand–‐ based setting to be continuously running, which is the standard operation method in the majority of existing recirculation pumps in the market. During the data collection, the pumps were alternated between these two settings in order to establish a baseline for the D’MAND CIRC® numbers to be compared to.
Efficiency Findings: By the summer of 2009, a total of 39 sites had been monitored and tested. The results showed an average savings of approximately 1500 therms, or 10–‐30% less gas used by the water heater than standard continuously running pumps. The demand–‐based setting averaged a daily running time of just under two hours for the pump, giving a savings of 1300 kWh or 84% over the electricity used when a pump is left running continuously for 24 hours each day. The projected annual savings for the 300 ODE participating buildings is 450,000 therms and 390,000 kWh roughly a 5.5MM pound reduction of CO2 gases being emitted.
Conclusion: Based upon the findings, the ODE program will be continued in the future as a way to promote energy efficiency. Future collaborations will expand both the number of rebates allocated as well as more sites tested for gathering more data.