Install an indirect water heater
Indirect systems are more efficient than most conventional water heaters.
In an indirect system, a hot-water loop from the boiler heats water in a separate storage tank via a heat exchangerDevice that transfers heat from one material or medium to another. An air-to-air heat exchanger, or heat-recovery ventilator, transfers heat from one airstream to another. A copper-pipe heat exchanger in a solar water-heater tank transfers heat from the heat-transfer fluid circulating through a solar collector to the potable water in the storage tank.. The system is efficient, and it enjoys a longer service life and lower operating costs than standard water heaters. The boiler runs only when water in the storage-tank water is drawn down enough to activate the thermostat. Avoid tankless boiler/water heaters, which use a heat exchanger inside the boiler to provide hot water. These are very inefficient, especially in the summer, because the boiler fires each time hot water is called for.
Green points
NGBSNational Green Building Standard Based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and passed through ANSI. This standard can be applied to both new homes, remodeling projects, and additions. /ICC-700: 1 point for indirect water heaterWater heater that draws heat from a boiler used for space heating; a separate zone from the boiler heats potable water in a separate, insulated tank via a water-to-water heat exchanger. See tankless coil. storage tank for a boiler.
Learn more in the Green Building Encyclopedia
