DOE partners make cold-climate heat pump advances in commercialization program

The US Energy Department is advancing its public-private partnership to commercialize cold-climate heat pumps as a growing number of companies achieve the program's goals.

Eight heating, ventilation and air-conditioning manufacturers have now developed cold-climate heat pumps capable of providing 100% of a building's heating capacity without backup systems, the DOE said in a Jan. 8 news release. The prototypes met the target at an outdoor temperature of 5 degrees F, according to the agency.

Bosch, Daikin Industries Ltd., Midea Group Co. Ltd. and Johnson Controls International PLC were the latest companies to pass the laboratory testing phase in the DOE's Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge. Launched in 2021, the program aimed to accelerate cold-climate heat pump deployment by overcoming technical challenges and market barriers.

"Deploying next-generation technologies like heat pumps is critical to the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to ensure that Americans have access to more affordable clean heating and cooling options — no matter where they live," US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.

Electric-powered heat pumps condition heat from the air, water or ground to provide indoor heating and cooling without combusting fossil fuels on-site. While they are highly efficient because they move more energy than they consume, air-source heat pump performance declines as temperatures drop.

Lennox International Inc. was the first company to achieve the DOE challenge's objectives. Carrier Global Corp., Trane Technologies PLC and Rheem Manufacturing Co. Inc. have since produced heat pumps that hit the program's targets.

In the next phase of the challenge, the DOE expected manufacturers to install and monitor more than 23 prototypes across a range of cold-climate locations throughout the US and Canada. Nearly 30 states, utilities and other partners signed up to the challenge to help encourage heat pump adoption, the DOE said.

The agency said it will work with those partners to develop programs, incentives and other campaigns to educate consumers about the technology.

In November 2023, the DOE announced awards to support heat pump factories in 13 states, the first time the agency used Defense Production Act authority invoked by President Joe Biden to invest in clean energy manufacturing.

The department has also launched Inflation Reduction Act programs to subsidize home electrification and help cities and states implement stricter building energy codes.

The DOE's final Earthshot program, launched in October 2023, seeks to lower the cost of decarbonizing affordable homes, including through uptake of cold-climate heat pumps.