@techreport{6722,
  author = {Alison Lu and James E McMahon and Eric R Masanet and James D Lutz},
  title = {Our Environment in Hot Water: Comparing Water Heaters, A Life Cycle Approach Comparing Tank and Tankless Water Heaters in California},
  abstract = {<p>Residential water heating is a large source of energy use in California homes. This project took a life cycle approach to comparing tank and tankless water heaters in Northern and Southern California. Information about the life cycle phases was calculated using the European Union{\textquoteright}s Methodology study for EcoDesign of Energy-using Products (MEEUP) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory{\textquoteright}s Life Cycle Inventory (NREL LCI) database. In a unit-to-unit comparison, it was found that tankless water heaters would lessen impacts of water heating by reducing annual energy use by 2800 MJ/year (16\% compared to tank), and reducing global warming emissions by 175 kg CO<sub>2</sub>eqv./year (18\% reduction). Overall, the production and combustion of natural gas in the use phase had the largest impact. Total waste, VOCs, PAHs, particulate matter, and heavy-metals-to-air categories were also affected relatively strongly by manufacturing processes. It was estimated that tankless water heater users would have to use 10 more gallons of hot water a day (an increased usage of approximately 20\%) to have the same impact as tank water heaters. The project results suggest that if a higher percentage of Californians used tankless water heaters, environmental impacts caused by water heating would be smaller.</p>},
  year = {2008},
  pages = {25},
  month = {08/2008},
  institution = {Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory},
  publisher = {Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory},
  address = {Berkeley},
  language = {eng},
}