Heat pumps cut greenhouse gas emissions by replacing or supplementing fossil-fuel heating with efficient, low-carbon systems that work year-round and integrate with renewables, a press release from Copeland said.

Traditionally, heat pumps had been less effective in cold climates, needing backup heat at low outdoor temperatures. The Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge aimed to develop high-efficiency heat pumps that perform at temperatures as low as -15°F. Similarly, the newer Commercial Building Heat Pump Technology Challenge seeks to create emissions-effective heat pump rooftop units to help organizations meet energy-efficiency and decarbonization goals.

“Our partnership with Copeland will help us meet the rigorous standards of the DOE’s Commercial Building Heat Pump Technology Challenge,” said Brent Stockton, director of engineering at AAON. “Copeland’s commitment to research and development and their innovative technologies are essential in helping us deliver solutions that meet and exceed performance expectations in the most challenging environments.”

“As the U.S. shifts toward cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, AAON is tackling the challenge head-on, developing more resilient and efficient cold-climate heat pump solutions,” said Mark Bills, vice president and general manager of commercial HVAC at Copeland. “Our engineering expertise and advanced heat-pump technologies are designed to help our OEM partners achieve rigorous performance standards and facilitate greater adoption of these new technologies.”

Two DOE grants awarded to Copeland in 2024 further fuel the company’s ability to advance the research and manufacturing of cold-climate heat-pump technologies. One grant funds research and development for modular heat-pump technology with integrated thermal energy storage, while the other grant expands Copeland’s production capacity for heat-pump compressors across key U.S. manufacturing facilities.