ST. LOUIS — HVAC manufacturer Aaon and several other OEMs have selected Copeland to help advance standard and cold-climate heat pump solutions.

These partnerships follow the issuance of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) residential and commercial building cold-climate heat pump technology challenges.

Heat pumps have traditionally have been less effective in cold climates, needing backup heat when outdoor temperatures are low. The DOE’s Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge, which ended its field-testing phase last fall, aimed to develop high-efficiency heat pumps that perform at ambient temperatures as low as -15°F, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional heating. Similarly, the newer Commercial Building Heat Pump Technology Challenge is intended to spur the development of 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, in a press release. “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.”  

These OEM partnerships highlight Copeland’s role in advancing cutting-edge heat-pump technologies designed to perform efficiently in colder climates, the press release said.

“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 these activities and the company’s ability to advance the research and manufacturing of cold-climate heat-pump technologies, the press release said.

One grant funds the research and development of modular heat-pump technology with integrated thermal energy storage, while the other expands Copeland’s capacity to build heat-pump compressors at key U.S. manufacturing facilities. These investments in facilities in Ava and Lebanon, Missouri, Sidney, Ohio, and Cudahy, Wisconsin, further enable Copeland to meet the growing demand for high-efficiency, cold-climate heat pumps across residential, commercial and industrial markets, the press release said.