around that peak oil time (2005-2007), our society was built primarily to suck up as much oil as possible. this naturally lead to "advances" in technology for fuel-consuming applications that were substantially less efficient than the "obsolete" older models. most evident in the personal vehicles market, this tendency had started to play out in the realm of appliances and other durable goods, and in some cases i believe the industry might be caught with it's pants down.
case in point is the Tankless Water Heater. since it's introduction to the US market this replacement for the traditional tank-style water heater has been heralded as the future of domestic water heating. it's conveniently small, wall-mountable casing was considered an aesthetic advantage in the crowded mechanical rooms of businesses and homes. but the eco-friendly and penny-saving aspects of this delivery system were based largely on faulty science, or a lack of understanding of the variables of water heating. in my opinion, this design might be the Hummer of home appliances, due to it's high cost and gas-guzzling appetite.
the tankless heater purported to save energy because it only heated water at the moment of use. since there was no tank requiring constant heat to maintain desired water temperature, operating costs for infrequent use go down. what's not mentioned is that in order to instantaneously heat incoming cold water to the desired 120 F, an exceptionally large shotgun-blast of gas-powered is required, and for normal household rates of use gas bills are substantially higher. in short, as a device to reduce energy demand, this technology only works for vacation homes and other infrequently occupied areas as a cost-saving measure.
and how many people are going to have a primary home, not to mention a "summer home?"
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