GE to manufacture Energy Star water heaters in U.S.

Highly energy efficient hybrid electric water heaters will be manufactured at the GE facility in Louisville, KY, creating about 400 jobs.

By Control Engineering Staff June 17, 2009

GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater features an easy-to-use electronic control panel.

GE’s Consumer & Industrial division announced that it will manufacture highly energy efficient hybrid electric water heaters in Louisville, KY, at the company’s Appliance Park facility, creating about 400 jobs.According to GE, the new hybrid patented technology will make GE the first manufacturer to introduce a water heater that will meet the new 2009 Department of Energy Star standards for heat pump hot water heaters.The new GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is designed to provide hot water in the quantities homeowners demand, but uses only about half the energy of conventional water heaters to produce it. Based on the standard 50-gallon tank water heater that uses approximately 4800 kWh per year, the new GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is designed to:

Use less than half of that energy — or about 2300 kWh per year (a savings of approximately 2500 kWh per year).

Save approximately $250 per year ($2,500 savings in energy costs over a 10-year period based on 10 cents per kWh).

This hybrid technology is designed to absorb heat in ambient air and transfer it into the water. Since this requires much less energy than the energy used to generate radiant heat—as used in a conventional electric water heater—the GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater is said to be more economical to operate.The decision to locate production of this product in Louisville came as a result of cooperative efforts, investments, and incentives involving GE, the IUE-CWA, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and Louisville Metro government.Up to $17 million in incentives from the state and metro government will be made available for the design and construction of the new energy-efficient hybrid electric water heater and for several other investments that GE will make at Appliance Park over the next several years, which will total more than $69 million.Production of the hybrid electric water heater in Louisville is scheduled to start in the second half of 2011. Click here to view a video on how the hybrid electric water heater works.Read other Control Engineering Energy Star- and GE-related articles:

Toyota receives Energy Star Award for sustained energy management

GE’s 2008 ecomagination revenues rise dramatically

– Edited by David Greenfield , editorial director

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