"Watter$aver"
Heat Pump Water Heater Wins R&D 100 Award;
Second Prestigious Technology Win for ECR International, Inc.
For more Info:
Ray Hull NYSERDA: 518-862-1090 x3356
Edith Buffalohead ECR: 315-797-1310 x4169
Albany, Oct. 26–ECR International's "Watter$aver"
heat pump water heater (HPWH) has won the prestigious R&D Magazine,
R&D 100 Award for 2001. The New York manufacturer's "drop
in" replacement, 50 gallon HPWH offers three times the efficiency
of ordinary electric resistance hot water heaters. The unit is the
result of cooperative support of the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
"This is a very prestigious technology award, and ECR is proud
to have our efficient and cost-effective design recognized by this
international publication," said Tom Reed, Chairman of ECR
International, Inc. "We have worked with NYSERDA and Oak Ridge
over the years, and our cooperative efforts have now yielded this
second R&D 100 Award," he noted.
About half of all domestic water heating is done using electric resistance
storage water heaters. The most efficient electric water heaters have
an Energy Factor (EF) of 0.95. By utilizing the heat in the ambient
air the Watter$aver attains a much higher EF rating of 2.47, nearly
three times as efficient as the most efficient electric water heaters.
"ECR's design takes existing heat pump technology and improves
it through simplicity. In the process, it brings home savings by
reducing unit complexity, manufacturing costs and energy consumption,
and it features ease of installation. Due to these factors, the
unit can pay for itself in 2 to 5 years," according to William
M. Flynn, President of NYSERDA. In 1998, with NYSERDA's assistance,
the Dunkirk Boiler Division of ECR won the award for their high-efficiency,
low-emissions Quantum Leap boiler. "As recognized by Governor
George Pataki recently, ECR is an outstanding NYSERDA partner and
we continue to work with them on new products," he said.
Since 1999 NYSERDA has cost-shared the "Watter$aver" project
with more than $709,500 in funding. The U.S. Department of Energy
contributed to the development of the unit, through Arthur D. Little,
and tested the unit at at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The HPWH
design takes advantage of standard refrigeration coil and compressor,
and packages them in a way that the unit is significantly simpler
than existing heat pump designs. The unit may be installed by a single
trade and operates in the same footprint of conventional electric
water heaters.
The R&D 100 Awards are judged and presented by the editors of
R&D Magazine, Oak Brook, IL, and have been dubbed the "Oscars
of Invention." Over the years, such innovations as the fax machine,
automated teller machine, HDTV and liquid crystal display have been
named winners of the award.
NYSERDA is a public benefit authority created by law in 1975. Its
R&D program and its New York Energy $martSM programs are designed to lower electricity costs by encouraging energy efficiency as the state's electric utilities move to competition.
The programs are funded by, and available to all, electric distribution
customers (residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial)
of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, Niagara Mohawk, Orange and Rockland,
and Rochester Gas and Electric. NYSERDA administers the System Benefits
Charge (SBC) programs under an agreement with the Public Service Commission.
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www.nyserda.org
www.ecrinternational.com
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