Hot water heat recycling
Encyclopedia
Water heat recycling is the use of a heat exchanger
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact...

 to recover energy
Energy recovery
Energy recovery includes any technique or method of minimizing the input of energy to an overall system by the exchange of energy from one sub-system of the overall system with another...

 and reuse heat from drain water from various activities such as dish-washing, clothes washing and especially showers. The technology is used to reduce primary energy
Primary energy
Primary energy is an energy form found in nature that has not been subjected to any conversion or transformation process. It is energy contained in raw fuels, and other forms of energy received as input to a system...

 consumption for water heating
Water heating
Water heating is a thermodynamic process using an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water are for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating...

. Standard units save up to 60% of the heat energy that is otherwise lost down the drain when using the shower.

The technology is fully recognized in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and USA by LEED for homes, Energy Star for New Homes Canada.

Typical retail price for a domestic drain water heat recovery unit ranges from around $400 to $1,000. For a regular household, water heating is usually the second highest source of energy demand. The energy savings results in an average payback time for the initial investment of 2–10 years according to Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Center for Housing Technology and US DOE.

See also

  • Heat recovery ventilation
    Heat recovery ventilation
    Heat recovery ventilation, also known as HRV, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, or MVHR, is an energy recovery ventilation system using equipment known as a heat recovery ventilator, heat exchanger, air exchanger, or air-to-air heat exchanger which employs a counter-flow heat exchanger between...

  • Green building
    Green building
    Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...

  • Renewable heat
    Renewable heat
    Renewable heat is an application of renewable energy and it refers to the renewable generation of heat, rather than electrical power ....

  • Zero energy building
    Zero energy building
    A zero-energy building, also known as a zero net energy building, Net-Zero Energy Building , or Net Zero Building, is a popular term to describe a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. Zero energy buildings can be independent from the energy grid supply...

  • Low-energy building
  • Pinch analysis
    Pinch analysis
    Pinch analysis is a methodology for minimising energy consumption of chemical processes by calculating thermodynamically feasible energy targets and achieving them by optimising heat recovery systems, energy supply methods and process operating conditions...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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