Mechanical Engineering: Water Heater Energy Consumption Report

This report provides an analysis of water heater energy consumption, a common household appliance. It begins with an introduction to energy consumption in households, highlighting the significance of water heaters. The report then details the key features of water heaters, including tank and tank-less systems, and their energy consumption patterns, which are influenced by usage like showering and dishwashing. The analysis identifies inefficiencies in consumption, such as the lack of fluctuations in energy use, and proposes measures to improve energy efficiency. These measures include purchasing energy-efficient appliances, using surge protectors, turning off the water heater when not in use, avoiding local brands, and considering solar water heaters. The report references several studies to support its findings and recommendations, making it a comprehensive resource for understanding and improving water heater energy efficiency. This report is a valuable resource for students looking for solved assignments and past papers on Desklib.

Water heater: Electrical
energy consuming appliance
Student Details:

Outline
Introduction
What is energy consumption in
households
The key features of Water Heater
Water heater: energy
consumption pattern
Inefficiencies in consumption
Measures to improve energy
efficiency

Introduction
 In general, there are number of household
appliances which consume electrical energy
on a daily-basis.
 Every electrical appliance has its own energy
consumption pattern and usage (Yohanis,
2012)
 The device chosen for talking about
electrical energy consumption is “Water
Heater”.

What is energy consumption in
households
The typical energy consumption in
households is as follows (Santin,
2011):

The key features of Water Heater
The electrical appliance used for
heating water through the process of
water heating is ‘Water Heater’.
A typical water heater is responsible for
around14% of energy use in home.
There are two types include tank-less
and tank-based system (Santin, 2011).
This device comes in tank and tank-less
shape and in various sizes as per the
heating capability.

Water heater: energy
consumption pattern
Water heater consumes
energy during applications
like showers, cleaning
dishes, cleaning clothes
Thus, on an average
consumption of water
heater is 400 kWh per
month Santin, 2011).Appliance Typical electrical
energy
Consumption
Per Hour
Cost Per Hour
(at 10 cents per
kilowatt-hour)
Water heater 4,000 watts 40 cents

Inefficiencies in consumption
The process of water
heating is depicted in the
diagram below.
There are no fluctuations in
terms of peak and average
energy consumption.
However, energy
consumption can be
reduced by improving
overall power factor of
energy supply (Willem et.
al., 2017).

Measures to improve energy
efficiency
The key measures to improve energy
efficiency through water heater are:
◦ Buy water heater appliance which can
meet the requirements of quality marks
and power rating (Han et. al., 2010)
◦ Set up a surge protector device at home
◦ To cut into the electrical energy
consumption, turn off the water heater
after checking the temperature of the
water and re-plug later.
◦ Do not use appliance of bad or local brands
◦ One can use solar water heater to improve
energy efficiency. (Santin, 2011)

References
Willem, H., Lin, Y. and Lekov, A., 2017. Review of
energy efficiency and system performance of
residential heat pump water heaters. Energy and
Buildings, 143, pp.191-201.
Han, J., Mol, A.P. and Lu, Y., 2010. Solar water
heaters in China: a new day dawning. Energy
Policy, 38(1), pp.383-391.
Yohanis, Y.G., 2012. Domestic energy use and
householders' energy behaviour. Energy Policy, 41,
pp.654-665.
Santin, O.G., 2011. Behavioural patterns and user
profiles related to energy consumption for
heating. Energy and Buildings, 43(10), pp.2662-
2672.