Oct. 29, 2014: New Study Quantifies Efficiency Losses Due to Improper HVAC Installation
The Report Presents Faulty Installation Practices That Are Commonly Performed
ARLINGTON, Va. — ACCA has announced the availability of a new report that the association says confirms that HVAC equipment requires a quality installation (QI) in order to perform at rated efficiency. The research, undertaken by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), found that substantial equipment efficiency is lost due to design and installation deficiencies. The NIST report presents faulty practices commonly performed by contractors and details the resultant additional energy consumption.
The recently-published report is the culmination of a three-year study that included the impact of building effects, equipment effects, and climate effects on HVAC equipment efficiency. The study found that installation faults significantly increase annual energy consumption. Extensive laboratory testing and computer simulations indicated that the following installation faults have the most potential to significantly degrade equipment efficiency: duct leakage, refrigerant undercharge/overcharge, low indoor airflow, and oversized equipment with undersized ductwork. The report also shows that when two or more simultaneous faults occur, the efficiency degradations can be additive, compounding the increased energy consumption.