The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a partnership with Lennox International, a U.S. heat pump manufacturer, to develop cold climate heat pump technology for residential applications.
The pump can heat homes in cold northern climates more efficiently than existing heat pumps. Cold climate heat pumps (CCHP) provide efficient heating at cold temperatures with no greenhouse gas emissions and can save households up to $500 a year. The technology is a big step toward providing reliable clean heating and cooling for millions of American homes and is critical to lowering energy costs and achieving the NATION's goal of a net zero-carbon economy by 2050.
Air conditioning and water heating account for 46 percent of annual emissions from U.S. buildings and more than 40 percent of residential and commercial energy; It accounts for 56 per cent of household energy bills.
The U.S. Department of Energy launched the CCHP Technology Challenge in 2021 to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation heat pumps by supporting INNOVATION and manufacturing in the United States. Lennox, based in Richardson, Texas, developed the first heat pump model, achieving the Technology Challenge standards a year ahead of schedule. The model meets 100% of heating demand at 5°F and 70% to 80% at -5 and -10°F with twice the efficiency. The Performance and efficiency of the Lennox prototype was verified by the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge is part of the Improved Energy, Emissions and Equity Initiative (E3 Initiative), which is run by the Office of Building Technology, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Lennox is one of nine U.S. manufacturers participating in the CCHP Technology Challenge. Its products and others that meet CCHP's technical challenges will be tested in cold climates over the next two years to demonstrate performance, efficiency and comfort throughout winter applications, with deployment and commercialization planned for 2024.