DESC0024968

A systems-based approach to heat pumps can allow for major decarbonization of spaceconditioning. To better facilitate the uptake of heat pumps in cold climates, work must be done to address the following challenges: creation of heat pump systems that physically fit in the available space and can be integrated seamlessly with the existing system, improving the controls logic of heat pumps systems in cold climate, and allowing for easier installation/set-up of the physical systems.The objective of this Phase I proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of a ductless heat pumpsystem that has improved control logic to integrate with existing fuel oil heating appliances.The heat pump joining technology allows easy installation without specialized tools and is particularly valuable in rural areas where skilled trades are in short supply. The ductless heat pump physically fits homes that are currently heated by oil burning appliances. The smartcontrol allows switching between devices at a predetermined temperature based on the heat pumpĺs coefficient of performance.In Phase I of this project, a smart thermostat solution for locking out an oil burning heating appliance will be developed and the heat pump joining technology will be engineered and tested with a cold climate mini split heat pump. The whole system will be tested to show that seamless integration can be achieved between the heat pump, the oil-burning stove, and the thermostat control. Heating performance will be demonstrated in the laboratory and it will be shown that the cold climate heat pump is installable in less than 1 hour without specialized equipment. This solution finds its market in extreme cold climate regions, including Alaska, northern Canada, and the Pacific Northwest. It addresses rural, energy-cost burdened households, reduces carbon emissions, and enables distributed energy resources. Thousands of households in Alaska and other cold climate regions rely on oil burning stoves for survival in extreme cold conditions, but are burdened with high fuel costs. With a heat pump, these households have the opportunity to to reduce energy costs, and increase resiliency by having multiple sources of heat. However, though heat pump technology has improved to handle cold weather, the most extreme cold weather cases are still outside their capabilities and result in very low efficiency. smart controls allow the system to automatically switch between the two solutions at a predetermined temperature before heat pump efficiency reaches a low enough point that electricity costs become prohibitive.