One Home Builder Grows the Entire Heat Pump Water Heater Market by 30%

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Clayton, a number one single-family dwelling builder, lately made massive environmental information by deciding to transform practically all the 42,000 trendy manufactured properties it builds yearly to be licensed ENERGY STAR and Zero Power Prepared Houses (ZEHR). These certifications imply that its manufactured properties will likely be far more environment friendly, save owners cash on their utility payments (as much as 50%) and supply premium energy-efficient home equipment which might be usually thought of unaffordable to the typical household.

Clayton’s swap to ZERH additionally means practically all of its properties now include a warmth pump water heater (HPWH), which probably represents the one largest procurement of HPWHs within the historical past of the expertise. To place it in context, the complete HPWH market in 2022 shipped 141,000 unitsand Clayton alone will enhance this complete by 30%!

The Causes Clayton Made This Transfer

Clayton’s choice to change to warmth pump water heaters is successful story for the Inflation Discount Act (IRA). The IRA increased the tax credit dwelling builders obtain for each ENERGY STAR-rated properties (from $1,000 to $2,500) and Zero Power Prepared Houses (from $2,000 to $5,000). Warmth pump water heaters proved to be one of many key applied sciences that helped Clayton qualify for the complete ZEHR tax credit score. Ron Powell, president of producing for Clayton Residence Constructing Group, stated, “Based on how we built ENERGY STAR 2.0 homes, one of the easiest ways to meet 3.0 standards was to swap the traditional dual element water heater for a heat pump water heater and add a heat pump for electric homes. But once we committed to the heat pumps, the conversation then turned to, ‘Why don’t we go all the way by building DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes?’”

Clayton is looking its new Zero Power Prepared dwelling eBuilt®. The corporate had 39 of its 40 dwelling constructing services licensed to supply to this commonplace by Could 2023, and immediately 96% of all new Clayton dwelling orders are eBuilt®. The properties function LED lighting, sensible thermostats, low-e home windows with argon fuel, insulated doorways and thermal envelope, extra insulation, a warmth pump water heater, and most of the properties have a warmth pump for area conditioning as effectively. Because of the IRA tax credit, Clayton was capable of provide a complete of 25 effectivity options with out elevating its costs to the tip client.

36,000 eBuilt properties have already been manufactured, and within the first 6 months of manufacturing, Clayton constructed extra ZEHR licensed properties than all the opposite ZEHR licensed properties constructed by different dwelling builders since 2013.

A Warmth Pump Water Heater Success Story

Clayton made a pair adjustments when including HPWHs to all their properties. First, they redesigned their dwelling flooring plans for the warmth pump water heater, making a utility closet that accommodates the warmth pump air handler. This helps preserve the noise produced by the water heater followers (normally round 45 dB like a quiet dishwasher) from bothering anybody. Clayton additionally ships the water heater with nylon straps as an alternative of metallic, which reduces vibration if the straps aren’t eliminated as soon as the water heater is put in.

The swap to HPWHs hasn’t been fully with out challenges. Clayton has gone to important lengths to guard the HPWH whereas the house is being constructed (see photographs under), however some installers I’ve talked to are discovering issues with the HPWH ducting after the house has been commissioned and are having to supply repairs. Different trade insiders are questioning Clayton’s choice to duct simply the HPWH exhaust, as it could create unfavourable strain inside the dwelling. Clayton reviews that it has since modified the way in which warmth pump water heaters are vented to remove the unfavourable strain danger.

However total, Clayton is receiving very optimistic suggestions from the tens of 1000’s of recent eBuilt owners. They heard from one longtime Clayton home-owner who switched to a brand new eBuilt dwelling and stated that their power invoice had gone from $250 a month within the winter to $75. The decrease power  payments that include these Zero Power Prepared licensed properties sort out the problem of the “hidden mortgage,” the place month-to-month possession prices, like power payments, might be nearly as a lot because the mortgage itself. “Energy costs rose 14% in 2022 – double the cost of inflation – and 20 million families currently struggle to pay their power bill,” stated William Jenkins, Clayton Residence Constructing Group’s senior director of atmosphere and sustainability.

Clayton’s historic transfer to warmth pump water heaters and different energy-efficient options in its eBuilt house is a win-win-win. Householders profit from decrease utility payments, the atmosphere advantages from drastically lowered emissions, and the corporate advantages from good press and sensible tax credit. It exhibits how even one firm can considerably speed up market transformation. Kudos to Clayton for making this massive transfer in the direction of an energy-efficient, low-cost future.

Watch a video of Clayton Houses presenting on its transfer to HPWHs to the Superior Water Heating Initiative here.