The Propane Education & Research Council released a video for commercial builders and contractors that provides a comprehensive overview of tankless water heaters. The video details how the systems work and their role in meeting LEED certification. It also outlines the importance of maximizing space and efficiency in commercial buildings, given that water heating is a major energy consumer in many buildings — particularly older buildings in need of renovations. According to PERC, nearly 80 per cent of water heating energy use in the U.S. occurs in buildings built before the year 2000.
The CPA’s latest market research shows that demand for water heating applications is growing in Canada. In Fuelled Up, conducted by the Conference Board of Canada, energy demand for water heating in the commercial sector was 10 per cent of total energy demand in 2015 (the highest demand comes from space heating and cooling applications at 60 per cent, auxiliary equipment and motors at 20 per cent and lighting applications 10 per cent). Canada’s commercial sector is large and diverse, including business and government services as well as numerous building types such as offices, schools, hospitals, warehouses, shopping centers, hotels, and restaurants – to name a few.
In Canada’s residential sector, demand for water heating applications was about 20 per cent of the total demand for propane in the residential sector in 2015. While space heating applications accounted for the highest amount at almost 80 per cent, water heating applications have registered growth in the last decade, according to the market study.