Smart controls manage hot water energy use for multifamily units

At the EEBA Local Toolbox builder conference in Phoenix, the unique requirements of building in the Southwest climate zones were a hot topic on a day that topped 108 degrees.

Larry Acker, CEO of Advanced Conservation Technology (ACT), Inc. D'MAND, reviewed his company's new control system for multifamily and commercial systems

Regardless of whether a building has a tank or tankless water heater, the water in the lines between the water heater and the fixture loses heat. Depending on how long those lines are, it may take many seconds for hot water to run through the pipes to reach the fixtures.

All that water goes down the drain, including the energy used to move it, treat it and heat it, as well as the energy used to process it as sewage.

Hot water recirculation pumps reduce the wait for hot water to next to nothing.

Acker said the control system can be fitted to existing pumps to control the movement of water for maximum efficiency, without reducing the supply of hot water when people want it.

Read more about water saving devices.