Related Resources: hvac-systems

Estimated Costs of Heating Systems

Civil Engineering and Design
HVAC Design and Engineering

Estimated Seasonal Efficiencies and Annual Costs of Heating Systems

Systems	Seasonal Efficiency
Gas Fired Gravity Vent Unit Heater	62%
Energy Efficient Unit Heater	80%
Electric Resistance Heating	100%
Steam Boiler with Steam Unit Heaters	65%-80%
Hot Water Boiler with HYD Unit Heaters	65%-80%
Oil Fired Unit Heaters	78%
Municipal Steam System	66%
INFRA Red (High Intensity)	85%
INFRA Red (Low Intensity)	87%
Direct Fired Gas Make Up Air	94%
Improvement with Power Ventilator Added to Gas Fired Gravity Vent Unit Heater	4%
Improvement with Spark Pilot Added to Gas Fired Gravity Vent Unit Heater	1/2%-3%
Improvement with Automatic Flue Damper and Spark Pilot Added to Gravity Vent Unit Heater	8%

Annual fuel use may be determined for a building by using one of the following formulas:

Electric Resistance Heating
H / ( ΔT x 3413 x E ) x D x 24 x C_D = KWH/YEAR

Natural Gas Heating
H / ( ΔT x 100,000 x E) x D x 24 x C_D = THERMS/YEAR

Propane Gas Heating
H / ( ΔT x 21739 x E) x D x 24 x C_D = POUNDS/YEAR H/( D T x 91911 x E) x D x 24 x C D = GALLONS/YEAR Oil Heating

H / ( ΔT x 140,000 x E) x D x 24 x C_D = GALLONS/YEAR

Where:

ΔT = Indoor Design Minus Outdoor Design Temp.
H = Building Heat Loss
D = Annual Degree Days
E = Seasonal Efficiency (See Above)
C_D = Correlation Factor C_D vs. Degree-Days

Considerations Used for Corrected Values
1 - 0°F Outdoor Design (See Corrections)
2 - Slab Construction—If Basement is involved multiply final BTUH by 1.7.
3 - Flat Roof
4 - Window Area is 5% of Wall Area
5 - Air Change is .5 Per Hour.

Source

Engineering Cookbook, A Handbook for the Mechnical Designer
Second Edition

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