Your PUD
News Release
Cold Climate Heat Pump shows promise, but manufacturing delayed
Chelan County PUD
News Release
4/1/2005
Preliminary tests of the new Cold Climate Heat Pump show significant energy savings over standard air source heat pumps. But the super-efficient heat pumps are not yet available to customers.
Chelan County PUD purchased a Cold Climate Heat Pump last year for testing purposes. The unit was installed at Wenatchee Valley College and tested against a conventional heat pump this past winter.
Chelan County PUD was the first utility west of the Mississippi to install and test the Cold Climate Heat Pump, which was reported to reduce heating costs by 40 percent over standard air-source heat pumps.
Preliminary results of the unit purchased by the PUD and installed at the college, showed a 60-percent reduction in energy use. But more tests are needed to confirm those findings, said Jim White, PUD senior Energy Services engineer.
“Our preliminary tests have shown that incredible efficiency improvements are technically achievable today,” White said. “After seeing the results, we were very disappointed to find that the new heat pumps are no longer being manufactured.”
Funding and licensing problems reportedly have held up production of the Cold Climate Heat Pump. The inventor and patent holder has revoked manufacturing rights from Nyle Industries, which was manufacturing the unit. Nyle may develop another product under the same name, while a new product may be developed under a new manufacturer in association with the inventor.
Staff from the PUD’s Energy Services Department will be watching for any new developments, since the heat pump has the potential to reduce the customer’s heating costs by half, with the cost to a new home of only $1,500 or so. Retrofitting an existing home with the new heat pump was estimated to cost from $4,000 to $5,000.
The test unit remains at Wenatchee Valley College’s Refrigeration and Environmental Systems laboratory and will continue to be monitored and evaluated.
In addition to being more efficient, the Cold Climate Heat Pump maintains its high efficiency down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and below. This past winter, the test unit maintained comfortable indoor temperatures, without electric resistance backup heat, at temperatures as low as 6 degrees.
The cold climate heat pump differs from familiar air-source heat pumps because it was designed with heating in mind. Most heat pumps are essentially converted air conditioners. The cold climate heat pump was designed as a heating unit first and foremost. It uses two compressors instead of one to produce warm inside air from cold outside air.
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For more information, contact Mark Wiser, 661-4382, or Jim White, 661-4829, at Chelan County PUD.
Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
509.661.4320, office
509.679.6858