Trane Technologies has introduced its thermal battery storage source heat pump system, a first of its kind solution to advance electrified, low carbon heating in buildings, including in climates below zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Trane Technologies CEO, Dave Regnery, said the company pioneered the use of ice tanks in thermal storage for cooling, and now they are integrating these technologies for electrified heating.
“Through relentless innovation, our team continues to leverage creative new solutions to accelerate decarbonization of the built environment. As we scale this technology, we can dramatically reduce emissions for a more sustainable world,” he said.
- Thermal energy storage ice tanks, reclaiming and storing excess building heat like a battery, for optimal efficiency
- Air-to-water heat pumps utilizing a reverse vapor compression cycle to extract heat from the air outside to warm the building
- All-electric chiller-heaters, recovering the excess building heat from the ice tanks to expand air-to-water heat pump applications further into dense urban environments and cold climates
- Intelligent controls, maximizing occupant comfort and energy efficiency
The Thermal Battery Storage-Source Heat Pump System brings heating and cooling into one electric solution and can be three times more efficient than traditional heating methods.
Commonly referred to as ice storage, thermal energy storage ice tanks act like batteries – shifting all or a portion of a building’s heating and cooling electricity needs to off-peak hours while increasing energy efficiency and lowering costs.
The system will be deployed at Trane’s flagship facility in La Crosse, Wisconsin later this year.
Meanwhile, a coalition of 25 governors across the United States announced new commitments to install a total of 20 million heat pumps in their states by the end of the decade.
The organization, known as the US Climate Alliance, said the installation goal would more than quadruple the roughly 4.7 million heat pumps currently installed in the US.
Emissions from buildings, both direct and indirect, comprise more than 30 per cent of America’s greenhouse gas emissions.