To improve overall building efficiency without compromising hot water delivery, transitional housing facility River Haven partnered with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) to install a dual-fuel water heating system, including a commercial heat pump water heater (HPWH). By replacing one of the existing 199 MBH gas-fired water heaters with a storage tank connected to an electric HPWH, River Haven will effectively meet the building’s hot water demand for a fraction of the energy use. Meanwhile, the two remaining gas-fired water heaters will serve the remaining building’s water demand, including during times of peak load, with distribution adjusted as needed to optimize system performance.

As part of their Advanced Commercial Water Heating program, NEEA will meter and monitor the system for one year to track the performance and savings of this dual-fuel configuration. The River Haven project serves as the latest case study in the program’s ongoing efforts to optimize the region’s water heating efficiency by integrating more efficient technologies into gas and electric commercial and multifamily buildings.

To watch highlights from River Haven’s HPWH installation, check out this video from BetterBricks.