High Efficiency Dehumidification System Field Study

The field test results showed that high efficiency dehumidification systems have the potential to substantially reduce both electricity and gas consumption, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions of any traditional dehumidification system running in constant or variable air volume. To accelerate the market adoption of this technology and help California achieve its energy goals, the project team recommends that utilities should consider this technology  for rebates or incentives through an energy efficiency program. Additional work — such as modeling simulations — will likely be required to validate the consistency of the technology’s performance with different air handler unit sizes, climate zones, and building load types to establish the rebate or incentive amount. The technology may also be a key to electrifying dehumidification systems, as it greatly reduces required reheat energy and therefore makes it possible for a system to be retrofitted with heat pumps. A follow-up study to investigate this possibility may help accelerate electrification in sectors that are typically considered difficult to electrify.