Articles tagged with "heat-pump"
Major success from the Electric Home Show - 3 months before it even happens - CleanTechnica
CleanTechnica is organizing its first large-scale event, the Electric Home Show, scheduled for April in Honolulu. This three-day festival includes a professional day for contractors followed by two days of consumer-focused trade shows featuring talks and workshops centered on earth-friendly technologies. The event aims to address a key market challenge: contractors often push traditional fossil fuel systems like gas water heaters because they are more familiar with them, limiting the adoption of efficient electric technologies such as heat pump water heaters. By educating contractors through Pro Day sessions—including technical training, marketing support, and rebate information—the show seeks to empower them to confidently install and promote advanced, energy-saving products. The Electric Home Show has already achieved significant early success, exemplified by connecting a local AC installer with Quilt Technologies, a company offering energy-efficient cooling systems. This partnership could lead to widespread adoption of Quilt’s products in Hawaii, reducing residential and commercial energy demand, lowering electricity costs, and accelerating the state’s transition to 100% clean energy. The event has
energyheat-pumpenergy-efficiencyclean-technologyHVACrenewable-energysustainable-livingMIT alumnus reinvents centuries-old steam boiler with new heat pump
MIT alumnus Addison Stark has developed a modular heat pump to replace traditional combustion steam boilers, aiming to decarbonize industrial steam production—a critical but historically unchanged process since the Industrial Revolution. Through his startup AtmosZero, founded in 2022 with collaborators Todd Bandhauer and Ashwin Salvi, Stark seeks to reduce the significant carbon footprint of steam generation, which currently emits about 2.2 gigatons of CO2 annually, accounting for 5% of global energy emissions. Their innovation centers on optimizing refrigerant compressors to maximize efficiency while producing steam at temperatures comparable to combustion boilers, enabling seamless integration into existing industrial operations without added complexity. AtmosZero’s heat pump uses ambient air to heat a liquid transfer material that evaporates refrigerant, which is then compressed and heated through a series of heat exchangers to boil water and generate steam. This approach allows the system to function like a conventional boiler but with significantly lower emissions. A pilot system is currently operational at a customer site in Colorado
energyheat-pumpdecarbonizationindustrial-steamsustainable-technologyAtmosZerorenewable-energyHeat battery breakthrough shrinks storage space while storing heat
Researchers from the Norwegian organization SINTEF and Swiss company COWA Thermal Solutions have developed a novel thermal battery system that transforms home heat pumps into efficient heat storage units. This innovation allows heat pumps to store thermal energy when electricity rates are low and release heat during peak demand periods, addressing the challenge of variable renewable energy availability. The system uses salt hydrates—phase change materials that absorb and release heat through a solid-liquid phase transition—to store significantly more heat than water while occupying up to four times less space than traditional hot water tanks. Salt hydrates are safe, non-toxic, non-flammable, and cost-effective, making them suitable for residential applications. A key advancement in this technology is the use of cooling fins made from recycled aluminum to evenly distribute heat within the salt hydrates. Aluminum’s light weight, excellent thermal conductivity, and ease of forming make it ideal for this purpose, while recycling reduces environmental impact and cost. To prevent corrosion caused by impurities in recycled aluminum interacting with salt hydrates,
energythermal-batteryheat-pumpsalt-hydratesphase-change-materialsrecycled-aluminumsustainable-energy-storageHow Quilt solved the heat pump’s biggest challenge
Quilt, a smart home startup, has launched a three-zone heat pump system that significantly improves efficiency under challenging conditions that typically hinder traditional heat pumps. This new system features one outdoor unit capable of driving three indoor heads, simplifying large installations, reducing costs, and minimizing the outdoor footprint. Central to Quilt’s innovation is its extensive use of data collected from over a thousand internet-connected units equipped with numerous sensors. By analyzing real-world operational data, Quilt engineers enhanced heat pump capacity by 20% through a software update and developed the three-zone unit that overcomes common multi-zone heat pump challenges, particularly maintaining compressor stability at low speeds. Unlike most systems that sacrifice efficiency and comfort by stopping the compressor at low speeds, Quilt’s data-driven approach and design improvements—including a larger copper coil paired with a smaller compressor—allow the unit to operate efficiently even at very low temperatures (down to -13˚F/-25˚C). This design delivers nearly 90% of its rated capacity without losing low-demand performance
energyheat-pumpsmart-homeIoTHVACenergy-efficiencysensorsDIY-ing Our Ductless Heat Pump Install Was Hard, But We Saved $7,000 - CleanTechnica
The article recounts the author's ambitious experience of DIY-installing a ductless heat pump system consisting of five indoor units and two outdoor units in a duplex, aiming to assess the accessibility of such systems for DIYers and to save money. Despite having moderate DIY skills and no prior heat pump installation experience, the author successfully completed the project over about a week, saving approximately $7,000 compared to professional installation quotes that exceeded $15,000. The motivation included curiosity about the installation process, cost savings, and the desire for effective cooling on the duplex's upstairs level, which conventional whole-house systems struggled to provide. The author purchased a Mr. Cool DIY heat pump kit for $6,500 and spent an additional $2,000 on labor help and parts. Preparation involved extensive research and video tutorials, but finding professional HVAC assistance proved difficult, as contractors were reluctant to work on equipment they did not supply, likely due to liability concerns and profit motives. The installation challenges included drilling multiple large holes through
energyheat-pumpDIY-installationductless-systemhome-energy-efficiencyHVACcost-savingsCanada’s self-powered solar home cuts energy use, emissions by half
A team of Canadian engineers from Western Engineering and Ivey Business School has developed a self-powered solar home in Komoka, Ontario, that significantly reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions. The house integrates solar panels, a heat pump, and a thermal battery to achieve near net-zero energy performance by capturing solar electricity, converting it to heat, and storing it for later use. Early data shows the system cuts electricity bills by 45% and carbon emissions by 55%, with the thermal battery increasing solar energy utilization by 60%, thereby reducing reliance on the grid. The innovative system is designed to be highly efficient and scalable, making the home four times more energy efficient than traditional setups. Equipped with sensors and smart wiring, the house allows real-time monitoring of energy use via a mobile app. The project aims to validate the system’s effectiveness over a year and expand its adoption across Canada and globally, potentially eliminating fossil fuel use in home heating. This approach addresses the high heating costs in Canada and offers a pathway to
energysolar-energythermal-batteryheat-pumpnet-zero-homeclean-energyenergy-efficiencyStartup to test closed-loop geothermal drilling to tap Earth’s heat
Rodatherm Energy Corporation, a Canadian geothermal startup based in Alberta, has secured a $38 million Series A investment from TDK Ventures to develop and deploy its innovative closed-loop geothermal system (AGS). Unlike traditional geothermal plants that require drilling into hot rock and use water or steam, Rodatherm’s AGS technology operates without drilling, water use, or emissions. The system uses a fully sealed, pressurized loop optimized for sedimentary basins, harvesting heat through conduction and convection into a new working fluid isolated from the ground. This design eliminates environmental risks such as contamination and fracking, while achieving 50% higher efficiency than conventional binary-cycle geothermal systems and using five times less fluid. The AGS system acts like a large underground heat pump and is modular, scalable, and capable of providing reliable baseload and dispatchable power. It is engineered to operate in diverse geological settings with minimal maintenance over decades and has a small surface footprint without requiring fresh water. Rodatherm plans to build its first
energygeothermal-energyclosed-loop-systemsustainable-energyheat-pumprenewable-energyenergy-efficiencyLG’s Gorgeous Heat Pump Water Heater Will Look Great At Your Next Dinner Party - CleanTechnica
LG has introduced a visually striking heat pump water heater (HPWH) to the U.S. market, originally designed for the European market where water heaters are often visible in smaller homes. This unit combines high efficiency with an attractive, modern design, making it unique in a category not typically associated with aesthetics. The LG HPWH features a variable speed compressor, a first for unitary HPWHs in the U.S., which enhances energy efficiency (up to 3.93 UEF, about four times more efficient than standard electric water heaters), reduces noise levels to around 42-45 dBA (comparable to a quiet library), and allows faster hot water recovery—producing 76 gallons of hot water in the first hour, exceeding average daily household use. Additionally, it can operate effectively in temperatures as low as 23°F, which is beneficial for installations in colder environments like garages. LG integrates this HPWH with its ThinQ smart home app, enabling users to control multiple LG appliances
energyheat-pumpwater-heatervariable-speed-compressorenergy-efficiencyLG-electronicssmart-home-integrationNew heat pump with built-in EV charger cuts costs, speeds setup
Mitsubishi Electric and EVHACS have jointly developed the world’s first integrated heat pump and electric vehicle (EV) charger, combining renewable heating, cooling, and smart EV charging into a single compact unit. This innovation simplifies infrastructure by requiring only one electrical connection, reducing installation complexity, speeding deployment, and lowering total system costs for both homeowners and commercial operators. The system intelligently shares electrical capacity between heating, cooling, and EV charging to prevent overloads, avoid costly grid upgrades, and maintain optimal performance during peak demand. The integrated solution offers two EV charger versions—a 1-phase 7.4 kW and a 3-phase 22 kW device—with tethered charging cables designed to preserve building aesthetics. By merging Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced heat pump technology with EVHACS’ patented EV charging, the product supports AC charging and integrates seamlessly with home energy management systems. This convergence of technologies aims to make low-carbon energy solutions more accessible and practical, helping users decarbonize buildings and vehicles
energyrenewable-energyheat-pumpelectric-vehicle-chargerenergy-efficiencysmart-home-technologysustainable-buildingGE’s New Heat Pump Water Heater Takes The Technology To New Heights - CleanTechnica
General Electric (GE) is re-entering the heat pump water heater (HPWH) market with a fourth-generation product that introduces significant technological advancements. GE was an early pioneer in HPWHs, launching the Geospring model in 2008 shortly after ENERGY STAR certification for such products began. After selling its HPWH line to Bradford White in 2015 and exiting the market, GE has spent years researching and developing innovations to address common challenges in HPWH technology. This new model marks GE’s return with features designed to improve efficiency, convenience, and performance. Key innovations include a dual-voltage design that allows the unit to operate on both 120-volt and 240-volt electricity, making it versatile for different household electrical setups. This feature enables easier replacement of gas or electric water heaters without immediate rewiring, facilitating a smoother transition to heat pump technology. Another major advancement is the integrated electronic mixing valve, which allows the water heater to store water at temperatures up to 160°F
energyheat-pumpwater-heaterGEenergy-efficiencydual-voltagehome-appliancesTwo Leading Manufacturers Bring New Heat Pump Water Heater Updates To Market - CleanTechnica
energyheat-pumpwater-heaterefficiencysmart-technologyhome-efficiencyHVAC