Brookhaven National Laboratories (BNL), long a place of research and innovation, was the ideal location for the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) to kick-off a new era of research and development (R&D). NORA held its first R&D Conference/Workshop since Congressional re-authorization at the renowned venue on June 3-4.           

The current NORA statute requires NORA to allocate no less than 30% of its annual budget ($3-4 million per annum, $15-$20 million over five years) to R&D of new oilheat products, systems and solutions to benefit the seven million homes and businesses using heating oil for space heating and hot water. How to best spend this money was the focal point of the  event.

Participating in the Conference/Workshop were a mix of oilheating marketers, installers, technical experts, manufacturers and other interested parties. The research had an expanded vision, including core research; understanding our product and how it compares to competitors; improvements; working to make Bioheat an option; and transitioning and facilitating energy efficient equipment and practices

Over the two days, participants received updates of the current state of R&D. Following this, the group was divided into smaller "working groups" where specific ideas and directions for future R&D were brainstormed and subsequently presented to the conference as a whole for discussion and weighting.

 

Research Topic Prioritization

Biofuels received the most votes from participants (27%), with the top priorities within Biofuels scoring a tie between Technical/ Climate Change Information Getting to State Energy Offices/ Stakeholders (25%) and Addressing Biofuel myths with Technical Data Sheets and Handouts for Stakeholders.

            Other research topics getting top consideration were Field Demonstration/ Documentation (19%); Low Cost/ High Efficiency Appliances (18%); Controls & Emerging Technologies (14%); Combustion/ Advanced Burners (11%); and Fuel Quality (11%).

 

NORA Research Management

The next step of the Research Committee is to issue a Program Opportunity Notice (PON) for soliciting projects. The first NORA PON will be issued in September 2014. There will also be an Annual Research Conference; the time and place have yet to be determined.

Research & Development funds will be allocated based upon careful review by the NORA Executive Board, Board of Directors and the Research & Development Committee.

The Conference/Workshop's intent was to continue the process of moving oilheating technology forward and to provide maximum benefit for U.S. oilheat consumers.

  

Inside the Mind of the Home Comfort Consumer
At NEFI's Visions Conference last month, Ken Reese presented the 2013 version of Warm Thoughts' biennial, extensive, data-rich American Home Comfort Study. More than 35,000 homeowners were included in the study. Below are some of the highlights:

• Consumers in the Northeast will spend an average of up to $847 to improve home comfort, $654 to improve energy efficiency and $596 to improve indoor air quality.
• The most prevalent motivation for recent HVAC buyers was to have lower heating bills.
• The most prevalent reason for purchasing new HVAC equipment was because the existing installation broke down and was too expensive to repair.
• 43% of homeowners use the internet to gather information about new equipment.
• 49% of purchasers receive just one bid before making a purchase.
• 48% of purchasers select their contractor due to an existing relationship, be it a prior installation or an existing service agreement.
• 74% of purchasers selected the contractor first, and then the brand of equipment. You have to be the brand.
• The most prevalent brand of recently purchased central boilers was Weil-McLain, followed closely by Bryant.
• The most prevalent brand of recently purchased central air conditioners was Carrier, followed closely by Trane.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4899, the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America that Works Act seeking to achieve energy independence for the U.S. by lowering costs of gasoline, heating oil and other fuels. Among other things, passage of the bill would further encourage off-shore drilling--with certain caveats regarding environmental and safety regulations, expand land areas approved for production of oil and natural gas and allow the U.S. to begin tapping into oil shale (kerogen shale) resources. H.R. 4899 passed the House by a wide margin. It is not expected to get through the Senate.

Did you know....?

Hot water baseboard heating systems work great with high efficiency modulating/condensing boilers. Some people think baseboards are for high temperature hot water systems only, and not well suited for use with a high efficiency mod/con boiler in which water temperature below 130�F is required to operate efficiently. In reality, baseboard heat delivers great comfort for water temperatures below 130�F.

Honeywell unveiled Lyric, the company's first self-programming thermostat. WiFi enabled, Lyric syncs with smart phone location data to determine whether residents are home or not and adjusts itself accordingly, leading to increased efficiency and energy savings. Lyric not only responds to indoor temperature, but also outdoor temperature, humidity and weather forecasts. Currently available through select certified contractors, Honeywell plans to release Lyric to the retail market in August.

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