March 2, 2016 - People in cold climates who heat with electricity could realize savings of up to 70 percent with a new heat pump developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Emerson Climate Technologies. The tandem compressor system, developed through a cooperative research and development agreement, was effective at temperatures down to minus-13 degrees Fahrenheit without needing any supplemental resistance heat, according to the report led by Bo Shen of ORNL’s Whole-Building and Community Integration group. Guided by ORNL’s Heat Pump Design Model and EnergyPlus, the research team conducted an exhaustive technology survey to select energy-efficient and cost-effective components. A unit employing the chosen technology was field-tested at an occupied house in Ohio, where the homeowner realized savings of more than 40 percent compared to the baseline heat pump during a month with an average ambient temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
This prototype heat pump installed at the Ohio field test site in January 2015 produced savings of more than 40 percent compared to the baseline heat pump.
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