Certified Energy Auditor Practice Exam

Which of the following is an example of a non-distributed HVAC system?

1. Geothermal heating

2. Central air conditioning

3. Forced air heating

4. Rooftop units

The correct answer is: Forced air heating

A non-distributed HVAC system generally refers to a centralized heating or cooling system that serves multiple spaces or an entire building from a single point rather than delivering air directly to each individual room or area. Forced air heating systems often involve a centralized furnace that heats air and uses ductwork to distribute the warm air throughout the building. This creates an integrated system where the heat is generated in one location and then distributed to the different spaces, without relying on individual room units, which aligns with the definition of a non-distributed system. In contrast, geothermal heating utilizes ground source heat pumps typically to heat or cool individual zones, making it more of a distributed system. Central air conditioning could also be considered a more distributed system depending on the configuration—if it uses ductwork to serve multiple areas, it falls into a different category. Rooftop units, like package units, provide localized heating and cooling but efficiently serve designated areas, thus functioning similarly to distributed systems.