Established in 2021, the residential CCHPC was launched to develop, test, and commercialize heat pumps that could deliver as much heat as needed without using auxiliary heating.
The Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge aims to foster collaboration among manufacturers, utilities, and other stakeholders to develop next-generation heat-pump technology capable of delivering reliable and energy-efficient heating in extreme winter conditions.
The DOE's new Rooftop Accelerator program encourages manufacturers to develop efficient commercial rooftop heat pumps for cold climates, which could reduce GHG emissions and energy costs by up to 50%.
As heat pump technology advances and begins its march into colder climates, industry experts are expecting rooftop units to continue to gain popularity in both new construction and retrofits.
Traditional air-source heat pumps can provide reliable heating when outdoor temperatures are moderately cold. However, once the weather reaches subzero temperatures, heat pumps suffer a drastic loss of performance due to frost accumulation on their outdoor units.
Trane has surpassed DOE requirements for the residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge for high-efficiency heating in freezing temperatures and will begin field trials later this month.