The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the launch of the Better Buildings Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator, a program that will see manufacturers produce “higher efficiency and life cycle cost-effective heat pump rooftop units” that will be implemented and evaluated by commercial end users, including Amazon, Target and IKEA.
Accelerating development: According to the DOE, heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut energy costs by up to 50% compared to RTUs using natural gas. However, fewer than 15% of commercial buildings in the U.S. have heat pumps installed.
- The DOE’s new accelerator aims to change that, with a goal of bringing “more efficient, affordable next-generation heat pump RTUs” to the market by 2027.
- Manufacturers will be tasked with building prototype heat pump RTUs that meet an “advanced technology specification” created by the DOE. Any manufacturer of commercial heat pumps can participate in the accelerator.
- The DOE, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other labs will assist manufacturers in developing and testing prototypes as well as with facilitating field tests with end users. Commercial participants will be provided with “resources and guidance” in deploying heat pumps.
What it means for NatRefs: While the press release announcing the accelerator did not mention natural refrigerants, when reached for comment, the DOE confirmed to NaturalRefrigerants.com that they are a focus.
- “The accelerator is framed in two phases, with the first working to maximize efficiency via today’s technologies and the second focusing on higher-performance and very-low-GWP refrigerants,” the DOE told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “DOE is supporting research on very-low-GWP refrigerants, including natural refrigerants, working closely with safety and building code organizations, and supporting workforce development to accelerate the development and adoption of very-low-GWP refrigerant technology.”
- The accelerator runs through December 2027. By then, ASHRAE may have already approved a charge limit increase of up to 4.9kg (10.9lbs) for flammable refrigerants, such as propane (R290), used in indirect outdoor heat pump systems. Even if approved by ASHRAE, the charge limit increase would need to be approved by UL and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
All in: In addition to its new accelerator, the DOE has been providing funding to ramp up domestic production of heat pumps in the U.S. and to increase the adoption of industrial heat pumps in industry.
- In the past year, the agency has announced $232 million (€217 million) in funding to ramp up domestic production of residential heat pumps.
- More recently, it awarded $20.9 million (€19.6 million) to Unilever and $170.9 million (€160.4 million) to Kraft Heinz to assist both companies in incorporating heat pumps into their operations to help decarbonize their process heat.
Quotable: “Since 2011, DOE’s Better Buildings Initiative has helped pave the way for cost-effective energy efficiency and decarbonization solutions across America’s building sector,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Our new Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator builds on more than a decade of public-private partnerships to get cutting edge clean technologies from lab to market, helping to slash harmful carbon emissions throughout our economy.”
Announced manufacturing partners:
- AAON
- Budderfly
- Carrier Global Corporation
- Lennox International
- Rheem Manufacturing Company
- Trane Technologies
- York International Corporation
Announced commercial partners:
- Amazon
- Budderfly
- Columbia Association
- IKEA
- kW Engineering
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- Life Time
- South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER)
- Target
- Whole Foods Market
