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Pilot Project in Seattle Shows Central Heat Pump Water Heaters Can Act as Massive Hot Water Batteries

Central heat pump water heaters (CHPWHs) present a tremendous opportunity to reduce the substantial energy used in water heating and can act as giant thermal batteries. They do this by using energy to heat water during times of low grid demand and storing it for later use, enabling them to limit their energy use during peak times for the electricity grid. Leading organizations in the Advanced Water Heating Initiative (AWHI)’s Commercial Working Group are showing the grid asset implications of this in the first of its kind Bayview Tower pilot project in Seattle, Washington.

Bayview Tower is a low-income public housing facility for senior citizens located in downtown Seattle. Hot water for the residents of Bayview was provided by an inefficient electric resistance water heater that used a lot of electricity to heat water. The CHPWH selected had the potential to reduce the energy used to heat water—which accounts for about 25-35% of the average multi-family building’s energy usage—by a factor of three.

Get the full story on how this CHPWH meets the Bayview Tower residents’ hot water needs while saving an estimated 135,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually and significantly reducing CO2 emissions and electricity bills.

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