Optimal Mix of Gas & Electric Packaged Cooling Units

For buildings cooled by packaged rooftop systems, using a mix of electric and gas air conditioning can be a cost effective alternative to using either all electric or all gas equipment.  The substantial savings possible are achieved by using gas cooling to reduce a building’s peak electrical demand and enable it to switch from a higher electric rate to a lower one.  This project analyzed the electric and gas rates for 45 U.S. cities and performed energy and economic evaluations to identify where this concept could be successfully applied.