Dehumidification in Wisconsin

Environmental & Economic Research and Development Program Dehumidification in Wisconsin

About the Research Project

The purpose of this project was to help Focus on Energy identify potential savings opportunities from new, energy efficient standalone (portable) dehumidifiers for single-family basement applications and to explore the load flexibility and demand savings of these units via testing curtailment during peak load conditions.

Contributor: Center for Energy and Environment
Project Timeline: August 2020 – November 2021

Research Objectives:
Research objectives focused on determining how Focus on Energy can take advantage of the remote-control hardware on dehumidifiers to create a combined energy efficiency and load shaping offering. Research objectives include:

Determine the energy efficiency potential of the existing fleet of dehumidifiers compared to the new energy efficiency standards that took effect in 2019 (Federal Minimum Efficiency Testing Standard and ENERGY STAR® v5.0)
Identify controls or strategies available and effective for remote dehumidifier control.
Determine the potential demand savings from controlled dehumidifiers.
Determine the impacts on performance, comfort, and building health when remotely controlling standalone dehumidifiers in Wisconsin homes.

Research Project Highlights

The research suggests the energy efficiency and load control potential from dehumidifiers is high, and Wi-Fi controls and other models can offer a low-cost method to capture load shaping potential. This load shaping potential represents an added value stream for participating utilities that could further justify and help fund Focus on Energy program investments, as dehumidifiers are currently a gap in the Program’s portfolio. The project conducted research and analysis in four areas:

Energy Efficiency Potential
Existing Program Review & Program Opportunities
Load-Flexible Dehumidifier Literature and Equipment Review
Load-Flexible Dehumidifier Testing

Key Findings

The research provided the following conclusions:

Standalone dehumidifiers represent strong energy efficiency savings potential for Focus. Average savings of 343 kWh can be expected from relatively simple swaps of existing dehumidifiers for new ENERGY STAR rated units when old units are retired.
Programs can be challenging due to resource constraints, though community-based programs merit consideration. Programs verifying retirement of existing dehumidifiers are key to savings. Community-based approaches that can accumulate many old dehumidifiers for simultaneous recycling will target cost barriers troubling conventional appliance recycling programs plus enable additional engagement with customers on energy use and dehumidification best practices.
There are added load management benefits to be realized alongside energy efficiency savings. Standalone dehumidifiers are high energy-use plug loads. They consume moderate power but run extensively during peak residential load periods. This research has shown dehumidifiers can be reliably interrupted via remote control to affect appreciable demand savings. The effort to integrate smart dehumidifiers into existing load management programs, especially for manufacturers already active in this space, seems especially low and may be a reliable and unobtrusive way to expand load management programs

Learn More

Project Reports:
Final Report

Questions?

Contact the Future Focus team at futurefocus@focusonenergy.com