Carrier’s cold climate heat pumps ready to roll

USA: Carrier has completed the US Department of Energy’s Cold Climate Challenge and will now begin production of cold climate residential heat pumps at its factory in Collierville, Tennessee.

Under the DOE’s Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge, three Carrier Infinity variable speed heat pumps with Greenspeed Intelligence and advanced cold climate technology trial units were installed in Syracuse homes for the 2022-2023 heating and cooling seasons. 

The units are reported to have operated reliably at 100% capacity at 0ºF, down to -13ºF in the field and down to -23ºF in Carrier labs.

“We looked at this challenge as more than an opportunity to help electrify colder climates, we saw unlimited potential in what our heat pumps could do in even the harshest regions,” said Nick Arch, Carrier’s vice president and general manager, residential HVAC solutions. 

“Incorporating advanced technologies that provide consistent comfort without sacrificing efficiency in frigid temperatures was key to driving adoption,” commented Adam Finney, Carrier’s director of global ducted residential systems. 

In addition to meeting the challenge criteria, these units are the first in Carrier’s residential ducted heat pump portfolio to provide 100% rated heating capacity at 5ºF. 

Units include Bluetooth modules for digital monitoring and servicing through Carrier’s Connected Portal for dealers, have an observed operating range of almost 130º, going up to 125ºF and as low as -13 degrees in field trials. They will use R454B refrigerant. 

A new feature, advanced defrost, monitors the outdoor coil to detect the presence of frost. It then adjusts the compressor speed to ensure the unit defrosts on time, and once the unit has sensed completion of the frost melt and drain, the defrost mode concludes.