After residential success, DOE will test heat pumps for cold climates in commercial sector

All eight manufacturers in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge completed rigorous product field testing to demonstrate energy efficiency and improved performance in cold weather.

On the heels of that success, DOE is working with nine heat pump manufacturers to test heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) for commercial buildings through a new technology challenge. For commercial buildings, heat pump RTUs are estimated to reduce greenhouse emissions and energy costs by up to 50% compared with conventional RTUs fueled by natural gas. But while overall demand is growing, adoption has lagged in cooler climates because of reduced performance in cold weather, DOE says.

DOE is now working with heat pump manufacturers AAON, Addison, Carrier, Daikin, Johnson Controls, Lennox, LG, Rheem, and Trane Technologies to improve energy efficiency and performance of RTUs in cold weather. The manufacturers will create prototypes and test product performance and durability. DOE will then lead field validations with Better Buildings partners, including Amazon, General Motors, Ikea, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Target, Whole Foods, and others.

The initiative is part of the Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator that includes the technology development challenge and a targeted campaign to promote product adoption. The accelerator is slated to run through December 2027.

The residential program included field testing of heat pump units that proved to reliably provide heat with little assistance from auxiliary elements, even during the coldest winter periods.