Oct. 17, 2014: DOE Announces Funding to Develop Next Generation HVAC Systems
Development of Non-Vapor-Compression HVAC Systems Could Potentially Save an Estimated 40 Percent
WASHINGTON — The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $8 million to support research and development of next generation HVAC technologies. The R&D will focus on developing regionally appropriate HVAC solutions that would offer significant potential energy savings for new and existing buildings, and on developing innovative approaches that could replace current vapor compression HVAC technologies.
Currently, HVAC systems account for the largest proportion of energy used in buildings, consuming almost 14 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of primary energy annually — or nearly 30 percent of all energy used in commercial and residential buildings, said DOE. Developing non-vapor-compression HVAC systems could potentially lead to an estimated 40 percent primary energy savings over current technologies.