What Do a National Lab, a Home Builder, and an Elephant Have in Common?

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Reply: They’re all advancing warmth pump water heaters!

Late final yr I went on an epic Heat Pump Water Heater Tour across America — the place I visited a bunch of fantastic people and organizations making warmth pump water heaters the de facto scorching bathe supplier of the twenty first century. I additionally introduced my warmth pump water heater (HPWH) costume and did a warmth pump boogie with the good individuals I interviewed. In Colorado, I finished to go to three key orgs which might be on the entrance traces of this motion — doing analysis, constructing new properties with HPWHs, and serving to join the dots for shoppers attempting to get one of their dwelling.

HPWH Analysis at Nationwide Renewable Power Lab

First, I hit up the Nationwide Renewable Power Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, the place cutting-edge analysis is being carried out on warmth pump water heaters. I chatted with researcher Bethany Sparn who confirmed me round their integration lab. Right here, NREL researchers experiment with how HPWHs and different electrical home equipment work together with the grid. They check the load shifting capabilities of warmth pump water heaters to see if the gear can efficiently function at off-peak occasions of electrical energy utilization with out impacting householders’ wants for decent water. NREL can also be testing the brand new 120-volt HPWHs that plug into a normal outlet. Bethany talked to me a couple of recently funded project to make 120-volt HPWHs even smaller to allow them to match into tight areas like closets in multi-family residences. Nifty!

Watch my tour of NREL’s lab here.

HPWHs in New Development with Thrive Residence Builders

Subsequent, I went to go to Thrive Home Builders in Denver, who’re putting in HPWHs in all their new dwelling building. Thrive is transferring to HPWHs each as a result of native codes are beginning to require them and since prospects are demanding increased effectivity from their water heaters. I toured one among Thrive’s new abodes and was impressed by the truth that the homebuilder was efficiently in a position to set up a HPWH in a townhome. This could be a problem as a result of HPWHs want air area (to extract warmth from) and townhomes can have much less area than single-family properties. Thrive overcame this downside by designing their HPWHs into closets the place they duct them outdoor.

Watch my tour of a Thrive townhome here.

Elephant Power Serving to Customers sInstall Warmth Pump Water Heaters

Earlier than ending my tour, I went to Elephant Energya local weather tech startup that’s serving to householders electrify their properties. Elephant helps shoppers create their very own electrification roadmap after which facilitates every step of their journey to all-electric properties. A giant a part of that journey contains getting a warmth pump water heater. Elephant reps described how they information householders by means of the method, tailoring the method primarily based on the place their water heater is situated and what sort of current water heater they’ve. Elephant coordinates the HPWH installers who come and substitute water heaters and helps shoppers apply for rebates. All this work helps make the method of getting a HPWH straightforward breezy for shoppers that could be intimidated in any other case.

Watch my interview with Elephant Energy here.

The Colorado stops on my HPWH Tour Throughout America had been enjoyable, informative, and provoking. These three Colorado-based organizations are leaders making heating water inexpensive and higher for our planet. Innovation and market transformation in favor of HPWHs is taking off right here in Colorado and throughout america.

For those who geek out as a lot as I do about warmth pump water heaters and their potential to avoid wasting the planet, take a look at the Advanced Water Heating Initiative for all the pieces you have to know in regards to the know-how!