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Heat and Energy Efficiency News

BPA tests out heat pump water heaters in Pacific Northwest

Heat pump systems could mean a 50% or more saving in electricity use, the BPA believes

The Bonneville Power Administration is testing out air-source heat pump technology to see whether it can provide significant electricity savings in the Pacific Northwest.

The Oregon-based federally-owned electric utility is working with the Electric Power Research Institute and 11 regional utilities as part of a national pilot project focusing on heat pump water heaters.

About 40% of homes in the Pacific Northwest have electric water heaters, with the BPA stating that water heating accounts for 15-20% of electricity use in these homes.

It believes “substantial” savings could be achieved if water heaters were more efficient, with new heat pump water heaters offering a potential savings of 50% or more.

“This is a unique opportunity to research a tried and true technology that works in other parts of the country to see if we can realize significant savings in our neck of the woods,” explained BPA Residential Sector Lead Sarah Fielding Moore.

“In addition, this demonstration project is a chance to work with our partners at the NW Energy Efficiency Alliance and major manufacturers to see if there are potential changes to the products that would improve performance and success in our cooler climate.”

Technology

The heat pump technology being researched by the BPA initiative works by taking heat from the surrounding air, and transferring it to an enclosed tank to heat water. The principle is similar, but reversed, to how a refrigerator cools its contents.

While it said the technology offers results in hotter regions of the country, the BPA now wants to determine the effectiveness of the technology in the colder climates of the Pacific Northwest.

Field tests will involve 40 single-family homes around the region, as part of a national test involving 160 homes, along with lab tests to provide more data from a controlled environment.

The tests are set to be completed by December 2011.