Efficiencies Gained by Using Water to Move Energy

Space heating and water heating consumes the same amount of energy as transportation in the USA. The baseline is low in terms of energy efficiency for water heaters and forced air, leaving lots of room for improvement.

Max Rohr is passionate about using water to move energy. Growing up, Rohr would accompany his father, a master plumber, to work. After realizing a career as a dentist wasn’t for him, he returned to the skilled trades and held a few different roles in the industry before joining the Caleffi team. 

Rohr works as the education and industry engagement manager at Caleffi. Throughout his career, he has enjoyed designing plumbing systems that are energy efficient and incorporate renewable energy sources.  

He stresses the importance of the less glamorous efficiency and sustainability upgrades for homeowners. He asks, “How do we get people excited about something that’s hidden behind the walls–the furnace, boiler or water heater?” 

The result of upgrading these systems is profound. Rohr cites a statistic from the Energy Information Administration, stating that “space heating and water heating in your house is about 25 percent of the energy we use as a country.” 

There is a lot of progress to be made, and the industry is moving towards energy efficiency without sacrificing comfort. Rohr believes incorporating hydronic systems has the greatest potential to increase performance and efficiency. Water is 3,400 times more efficient at moving energy than air, meaning it can retain heat much longer.

Watch Green Builder Media’s interview with our latest addition to the Next Generation Influencer Group to learn more about the advancements in the plumbing and heating field relating to sustainable innovations, job outlooks, and demand-side energy management.

Publisher’s Note: This content is made possible by our Today’s Home Buyer Campaign Sponsors: Whirlpool, Vivint, myQ, and Jinko Solar . These companies take sustainability seriously, in both their products and their operations. Learn more about building and buying homes that are more affordable and less resource intensive.