Hot h2o

Hot Water Audit

In thinking about how to install our solar hot water system we wanted to get a clear idea of how much energy our house (Miller Farm) was already using to heat hot water, and how much it was costing us. Estimating the energy cost and hot water usage for Miller Farm turned out to be an involved process. In attempting to produce a reasonable estimate we used- multiple online hot water cost and energy usage resources, online manufacturers provided equipment model information, experimental data collection, and our best guesses.

We began with a list of hot water considerations:

• What fixtures use hot water at Miller Farm?
• How often are these fixtures used?
• What is the averge hot water consumption for each use?
• Can the current water heater accomidate the peak use (i.e. is all hot water used fully heated)?
• How much energy is needed to provide the averge daily hot water used?
• What is the monthly cost of heating water at Miller Farm?

Our Work and Findings:

• The Farm: Appliances and Usage
• Research and Resources
• Labs