Homeowners and commercial building owners across North America are searching for better ways to get more out of their energy dollar. Many have found that the geothermal heat pump can help. There were a few new geothermal heat pumps introduced at the 2009 Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo).

Airedale, a Modine Company (www.Airedaleusa.com), displayed its new Schoolmate HE heat pump, specifically designed for the school environment. The units are available in model sizes of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, and 5 tons, with components packaged in a single cabinet. The water-source units are designed to use the building’s heating and cooling system to provide energy savings in the spring and fall. The ground-source units are designed to use the natural heat sink of the earth for energy efficiency.

A self-contained air conditioning/heat pump is standard in each unit, along with a hermetic two-speed scroll compressor, MERV 8 filters, and an aluminized steel casing cabinet.

Comfort-Aire and Century, two divisions of Heat Controller Inc. (www.heatcontroller.com), introduced their GeoMax2® Series geothermal heat pumps.

The downflow-counterflow HTD models are new to Comfort-Aire’s line. With an expanded range of models from 2- to 6-tons, the units feature EERs as high as 28.5 on partial load, said the company. The two-stage system is designed to save energy by shifting between part load and full load, adjusting accordingly to optimize comfort, it said. The manufacturer said it does this by running at 67 percent capacity most of the time, maintaining a constant temperature and humidity level. When there’s a greater demand for conditioning, such as during weather extremes, the unit shifts to 100 percent capacity, explained the manufacturer.

Century’s HTS models are enhanced by a multi-stage, unloading scroll compressor and their split-system design are “ideal for applications where a package unit won’t fit in the existing space,” said the company. Not only is the HTS cabinet compact, the company said the heat pump can be stacked for multiunit installation.

Meanwhile, the HTV Series (Comfort-Aire) and the HTS Series (Century) each use R-410A. The extended operating range of 20o to 1,20o°F makes each of these units suitable for virtually all applications and climates, said the manufacturer.

ClimateMaster (www.climatemaster.com) featured its new Tranquility water-to-water (THW) Series heat pumps, which include a high-temperature scroll compressor, coupled with a heat exchanger designed specifically for water heating. The company said the combination of a coaxial (tube-in-tube) heat exchanger for the source (ground loop) side and a brazed plate heat exchanger for the load (heating and/or hot water) side provide for very high efficiencies.

Daikin AC (www.daikinac.com) is coming out with a new water-source heat pump, expected to be available in May. The new heat pump features the company’s inverter technology and controls. The company said the 3- and 4-ton, R-410A, single-phase water source heat pumps have cooling capacities up to 48,000 Btuh (water loop) and heating capacities up to 56,800 Btuh (water loop). Each module is available with an optional left- or right-return air configuration for design and installation flexibility, explained Christina Trondsen, Daikin AC director of marketing.

“The product will give our dealers a product that is an ideal upgrade for a replacement project and the single and multi-level residential application,” she said.

The new water-source heat pump is geothermal ready as standard, with an entering water temperature (EWT) as low as 35°, noted Trondsen. A MERV-11 filter is standard. Also, it will have an electronically commutated motor (ECM), designed to provide quiet, efficient operation.

Publication date: 03/02/2009