U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Energy Management Program

New and Underutilized Technology: Heat Pump Water Heater

The following information outlines key deployment considerations for heat pump water heaters within the Federal sector. This information spans:

• Benefits
• Application
• Key Factors for Deployment
• Ranking Criteria
• Resources

Benefits

With heat pump water heaters, air-to-water heat pumps replace electric resistance water heaters.

Application

Heat pump water heaters are applicable in most building categories with tank type water heaters.

Key Factors for Deployment

Federal agencies should consider heat pump water heaters for residential type applications with 50-gallon capacity water heater tanks or larger.

Ranking Criteria

Federal energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and probability of success are ranked 0-5 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 5 representing the highest ranking. The weighted score is ranked 0-100 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 100 representing the highest ranking.

Resources

The following resources are available:

• Heat Pump Water Heaters: Energy Savers overview of heat pump water heaters provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

• ENERGY STAR Heat Pump Water Heaters: Overview, specifications, buying guidance, and frequently asked questions on ENERGY STAR-qualified heat pump water heaters.

• New Opportunity – Heat Pump Hot Water Heaters: Overview of heat pump hot water heaters as an emerging technology provided by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership.

• Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Assessment Projects on Heat Pump Water Heaters: Presentation originally presented by PG&E in May 2010.

• Considering Heat Pump Water Heaters for the Pacific Northwest: Bonneville Power Administration presentation originally presented May 2010.