Midea exceeds cold climate challenge
16th October 2023
USA: Midea America’s soon to be launched 3 ton heat pump has exceeded performance benchmarks in the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge.
The Midea model is said to have achieved 118% of rated capacity heating output at -15ºF (-26ºC) meaning with a COP of 1.92 – surpassing the Energy Star cold climate benchmark of 1.7 COP at 5ºF (-15ºC).
The DOE’s Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge was launched in 2021 to encourage the collaboration of manufacturers, utilities and other stakeholders in developing next-generation heat pumps for colder climates.
In addition to Midea, eight other heat pump manufacturers signed up as partners – Carrier, Daikin, Johnson Controls, LG, Lennox, Mitsubishi Electric, Rheem and Trane.
The DOE Challenge stipulates the use of a refrigerant with a GWP of no more than 750 under AR4. Midea has not yet revealed details of its new heat pump, but has confirmed that it uses a low-GWP A2L refrigerant. This suggests either R32 or R452B. The company is using R452B in its unitary air conditioning units in the North American.
However, the company does reveal that the Midea heat pump relies on its Enhanced Vapor Injection (EVI) technology – a two-stage refrigerant compression process, with an intermediary injection of additional refrigerant vapour.
Midea’s cold climate heat pump system now advances into the DOE’s field test phase, with production units slated to be available in the summer of 2024.
Related stories:
Rheem meets cold climate heat pump challenge – 14 April 2023
USA: Rheem has announced that one of its heat pumps has met the challenge set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop more efficient heat pumps for cold climates. Read more…
Trane passes heat pump challenge – 4 November 2022
USA: Trane claims to have surpassed the US Department of Energy requirements in its challenge to improve the performance and energy-efficiency of cold climate heat pumps. Read more…
Lennox rises to cold climate heat pump challenge – 21 June 2022
USA: Lennox is reported to be the first partner in the US Department of Energy’s challenge to develop a more efficient prototype heat pump for northern climates. Read more…
Six accept cold climate heat pump challenge – 10 November 2021
USA: Six leading manufacturers will partner with the US Department of Energy to improve the performance and energy-efficiency of cold climate heat pumps. Read more…
