Policies and Programs for Saving Energy through Enhanced Duct Systems

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has long recognized that distribution systems associated with forced air heating and cooling can cause substantial energy waste—as well as adversely affect the safety of homes and the health of those who live in them.  

The Energy Performance of Buildings Group of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory paints the national duct picture even more poignantly:  “Each year, U.S. residential duct leakage costs consumers $5 billion.  This energy loss is equivalent to the annual oil production from theArctic National Wildlife Refuge [or] the annual energy consumption of 13 million cars.  The carbon dioxide uptake of 7 billion trees is needed to offset the global warming impacts of this energy waste” (LBNL 2003).
 
Building homes with better distribution systems in them as well as retrofitting existing duct systems can yield substantial savings of fuels used for heating and cooling.