Advanced commercial water heating

More efficient and resilient water heating

Commercial building owners and operators can increase performance, enhance resiliency, and reduce operating costs by serving their gas water heaters with either electric or gas heat pumps. Using outdoor heat pumps to heat water before it enters the indoor tanked gas water heater(s) reduces the demand on the less-efficient equipment. Whether incorporating a gas or electric heat pump, this holistic system is far more efficient than traditional water heater and storage tank designs.

Two approaches

Gas heat pump with gas water heaters

Provides efficient, resilient hot water by incorporating an outdoor gas heat pump with gas water heater(s) in a
unified system.

 

Dual-fuel water-heating system

Provides efficient, resilient hot water by incorporating an outdoor electric heat pump with gas water heater(s) in a unified system.

 

Benefits

  1. Increases efficiency

    Preheats water with heat pumps to reduce strain on less-efficient equipment resulting in a smarter, more efficient system overall.

  2. Reduces costs

    Cuts energy use and fuel demand, helping lower operating costs over time.

  3. Enhances resiliency

    Supports evolving energy codes and performance standards, helping future-proof your system.

  4. Advantageous alternative to all-electric systems

    Delivers efficiency gains without requiring full electrification or major infrastructure upgrades.

  5. Offers fuel flexibility

    Works with electric or gas heat pumps, giving you more control over energy choices now and in the future.

Featured Project

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. The system will be metered and monitored for one year to track the performance and savings of this dual-fuel configuration.

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