I’m not sure that it would he equivalent - the AC has to fight a smaller temperature difference between outside and inside.
Also, I am not sure how much it’d really save for the extra complexity. A lower maintenance way of improving overall efficiency could maybe be some way of capturing that heat to warm water a bit, so that could save your water heater some work by preheating it perhaps. That would keep all plumbing internal, and the fridge may even fight a smaller temperature difference, since tap water is usually cold. Though now if your water heater and “warm water” tank are full what do you do for the fridge?
I do think that “better insulation for the house” or “just a more efficient fridge” probably trumps any of these changes in terms of energy saving for your investment in many cases.
Apparently it’s worth it for commercial kitchens, and most marine cooling systems use external loops since the water is always there. In a home setting it looks like insulation is almost always more cost effective though.
I’m not sure that it would he equivalent - the AC has to fight a smaller temperature difference between outside and inside.
Also, I am not sure how much it’d really save for the extra complexity. A lower maintenance way of improving overall efficiency could maybe be some way of capturing that heat to warm water a bit, so that could save your water heater some work by preheating it perhaps. That would keep all plumbing internal, and the fridge may even fight a smaller temperature difference, since tap water is usually cold. Though now if your water heater and “warm water” tank are full what do you do for the fridge?
I do think that “better insulation for the house” or “just a more efficient fridge” probably trumps any of these changes in terms of energy saving for your investment in many cases.
Apparently it’s worth it for commercial kitchens, and most marine cooling systems use external loops since the water is always there. In a home setting it looks like insulation is almost always more cost effective though.
I could see that, commercial has much larger cooling demands for big walk-in freezers etc., and in marine that makes a ton of sense.