Early Reverse Cycle Chiller Research

What We Did and How

Ecotope researched and developed an innovative application for Reverse Cycle Chiller (RCC) heat pump technology to provide domestic water heating in multifamily buildings in the Pacific Northwest. The heat pumps are located in below grade parking garages to take advantage of the thermal buffering effect of the ground and recover heat from lights, cars, and garage exhaust air.  This research was funded through Bonneville Power Administration’s Emerging Tech program.

The Results

Pilot projects of this technology are active in three buildings in Seattle. Early energy use data indicates that energy for water heating is reduced by nearly a factor of three. Integration of this technology into new and existing multifamily buildings has the potential to save up to 20% of the energy used by these buildings.