ORNL Develops Energy-Efficient Heat Pump for Cold Climates
Also enhances air-source heat pump efficiency and comfort in milder climates
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), collaborating with Emerson Climate Technologies, developed a prototype for an air-source heat pump for the colder regions of the country — one that heats better and uses significantly less energy.
The technology also enhances air-source heat pump efficiency and comfort in milder climates where heat pumps are already common, which means significant national primary energy savings (about .04 quads annually) and greenhouse gas reductions (2.4 million metric tons annually) are possible.