Six accept cold climate heat pump challenge

USA: Six leading manufacturers will partner with the US Department of Energy to improve the performance and energy-efficiency of cold climate heat pumps.

Carrier, Daikin, Johnson Controls, Lennox, Mitsubishi Electric and Trane are to participate in the Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP ) Technology Challenge which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of cold climate heating solutions by improving the efficiency and affordability of new heat pumps in the field.

It’s anticipated that the partnership will build upon recent industry advancements to accelerate the market’s shift to more-efficient, clean cold-climate heat pumps for consumers and help reach the Biden Administration goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. 

“Cold climate heat pumps are a win-win for American families to comfortably heat their homes and businesses while significantly cutting down carbon pollution and lowering their energy costs,” said secretary of energy Jennifer M Granholm. 

The six manufacturers will partner with DOE, Natural Resources Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency, States, and other efficiency programme and utility stakeholders to demonstrate the performance of prototypical products and launch field demonstrations and pilot programmes to accelerate adoption. 

The CCHP Technology Challenge is focused on residential, centrally ducted, electric-only HPs. The Challenge has two segments: one for a CCHP optimised for 5°F (-15°C) operation and the other for a CCHP optimised for -15°F (-26°C) operation. Manufacturers can choose to participate in one or both segments of the challenge. 

The next generation of cold climate heat pumps developed under this challenge are expected to offer greater efficiency and demand flexibility, along with increased performance and heating capacity at lower ambient temperatures.

Throughout the challenge, the DoE will host regular workshops with manufacturers, as well as utility and state partners, to coordinate the lab and field-testing activities.