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Tag: heat pump

  • This L.A. startup uses SpaceX tech to cool data centers with less power and no water

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    As the artificial intelligence industry heats up, Karman Industries is trying to cool it down.

    The Signal Hill startup says it has developed a cooling system that uses SpaceX rocket engine technology to rein in the environmental impact of data centers, chilling them with less space, less power and no water.

    It recently raised $20 million and expects to start building its first compressors in Long Beach later this year.

    “Our high-level thesis is we could build the best compressor out there using the latest and greatest technology,” said David Tearse, chief executive of Karman. “We want to reduce that electrical consumption of cooling so that you have the most efficient way to cool these chips.”

    The high-end, expensive chips that power AI can slow down or shut off when they overheat. They can reach more than 200 degrees, but need to be below 150 degrees to work best.

    Cooling warehouses packed with tens of thousands of them can require fields full of equipment and huge quantities of water.

    Karman has developed a cooling system similar to the heat pumps in the average home, except its pumps use liquid carbon dioxide as refrigerant, which is circulated using rocket engine technology rather than fans. The company’s efficient pumps can reduce the space required for data center cooling equipment by 80%.

    Over the years, data centers have used fans and air conditioning to blow cold air on the chips. Bigger facilities pass cold liquid through tubes near the chips to absorb the heat. This hot liquid is sent outside to a cooling yard, where sprawling networks of pipes use as much water as a city of 50,000 people to remove the heat.

    A 50 megawatt data center also uses enough electricity to power a mid-sized city.

    As AI has super-sized data centers, adding more and more chips, they have needed increasing amounts of space and power for cooling.

    “It’s kind of a losing battle, especially when you keep densifying your chips,” said Tearse.

    Cooling systems account for up to 40% of a data center’s power consumption and an average midsized data center consumes more than 35,000 gallons of water per day.

    Nearly 100 gigawatts of new data center capacity will be added by 2030 and energy constraints have become the biggest barrier for expansion. U.S. data centers will consume about 8% of all electricity in the country by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

    Communities across the U.S. have begun protesting data center construction, fearing that the power and water needs could strain infrastructure and boost costs to consumers. The cooling systems are projected to use up to 33 billion gallons of water by 2028 per year.

    Big tech companies and venture capital investors are spending billions of dollars to replace old-school technologies with energy-efficient solutions. Microsoft announced a new data center design that uses zero water for cooling. It recently vowed to ensure its data centers don’t increase the electricity costs or deny water to nearby communities.

    The data center-cooling market is projected to grow from about $11 billion in 2025 to nearly $25 billion by 2032.

    To serve this seemingly insatiable market, Karman has developed a rotating compressor that spins at 30,000 revolutions per minute — nearly 10 times faster than traditional compressors — to move heat.

    “Three or four years ago, it was very challenging to do just because the motors didn’t exist. Automotive components are getting up to those speeds,” said Chiranjeev Kalra, co-founder and chief technology officer of Karman.

    About a third of Karman’s 23-person team came from SpaceX or Rocket Lab, and they co-opted technologies from aerospace engineering and electric vehicles to design the mechanics for the high-speed motors.

    The system uses a special type of carbon dioxide under high pressure to transfer heat from the data center to the outside air. Depending on the conditions, it can do the same amount of cooling using less than half the energy.

    Karman’s heat pump can either reject heat to air, or route it into extra cooling, or even power generation.

    One of the potentially biggest selling points for the systems is that they don’t require water, which will enable data centers in spots where water is scarce.

    In really hot places such as Texas and Arizona, cooling systems struggle, either using excessive water to cool or having to throttle the chips to stop them from overheating.

    Karman’s latest funding round brings the total money raised to more than $30 million. Major participants included Riot Venture, Sunflower Capital, Space VC, Wonder Ventures, and former Intel and VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger.

    Karman said it will begin customer deliveries in the summer of 2026 from its Los Angeles manufacturing facility that is designed to make 100 units per year. The plan is to eventually quadruple capacity.

    If successful, Karman could dent the market share of Trane Technologies and Schneider Electric, the leaders in heat rejection systems.

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    Nilesh Christopher

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  • HVAC installers see major backlog after homeowners rush to score enormous, new heat pump rebates: ‘The only real downside right now is [the] wait time’

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    Mile-high Coloradans have an opportunity for steep savings thanks to a heat pump rebate plan from the state’s electricity provider, Xcel Energy.

    CBS News reported that Xcel incentives worth thousands of dollars for the cleaner upgrade have HVAC pros scrambling to fill orders.

    “The only real downside right now is wait time,” Terry Hartzell, owner of Hartzell Heating and Air Conditioning, said in the story. “We’re booked two to three weeks out.”

    At issue nationwide is an increasingly challenged energy grid that faces powering enormous data center demand, estimated by Goldman Sachs to spike by 165% by 2030.

    The result is rising energy bills, reported by CBS to increase by 18% in the coming years, which is much faster than the 2.7% inflation rate.

    At home, more than half of electricity demand goes to space heating and air conditioning, per government data. That’s why the switch to more efficient tech is a great way to cut power draw, air pollution, and your utility bill.

    Experts widely agree that heat pumps are much more efficient than standard HVAC setups. The units use compressed refrigerants to move hot air inside or outside, depending on the season, according to the MIT Technology Review.

    There are several types, including popular mini splits, and finding the right one can be complicated. LG is one trusted brand that can help you navigate the process.

    For their part, heat pumps are cleaner on multiple fronts.

    “Most of the systems we’re replacing are 15 to 20 years old, using outdated refrigerants that have been banned by the EPA,” Hartzell told CBS. “They’ve been around for decades, but only in the last few years have we really seen them take off in Colorado.”

    Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump?

    Lower energy bills

    Better temperature control

    Helping the planet

    I’d never buy a heat pump

    Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

    Xcel’s program provides “$2,250 per ton of cooling capacity” for cold-climate air-source heat pumps, according to CBS News.

    The program is backed by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which reimburses Xcel for lost revenue from reduced electricity demand if the provider meets mandated energy-saving benchmarks, the publication added.

    Federal tax incentives for heat pumps are still available, but they are set to expire at the end of the year. That makes now a perfect time to upgrade, as fast action could save you thousands of dollars via the tax credits. LG can also help you snag rebates (with its free rebate finder tool) and find a pro installer in its trusted network who is working in your area.

    Clean energy is a money-saving hack that’s also planet-friendly. Cutting energy demand reduces the amount of dirty fuels burned to make electricity, limiting planet-warming fumes.

    NASA has linked Earth’s overheating to increased severe weather and heat wave risks that could make some places uninhabitable. Air pollution has even been associated with dementia risks.

    Hartzell told CBS that 80% of his business is now heat pump installation as more people shift to the cleaner setup.

    “These new systems are removing heat from the air twice as fast as the old ones, and they’re whisper quiet,” Hartzell said. “They adjust as needed, which saves a ton on your electricity bill.”

    Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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  • Proud dad shares how his super-efficient home setup covers his son’s utility bills: ‘I assure you every word is true’

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    A Boston-area homeowner is singing the praises of combining solar panels with a heat pump, saying his setup works well enough that he can even donate extra energy to his son.

    The homeowner shared his energy story on the r/heatpumps subreddit. A few years ago, his family replaced their air conditioner with a two-ton capacity with an equally-sized heat pump, unsure of how it would handle Massachusetts’ cold winters.

    “It is meeting our full heating load, down to 15 degrees [Fahrenheit] quite nicely,” he wrote. “The house is about 4,500 sq. ft. with lots of windows. We keep the temp at whatever we want — often around 72 degrees.”

    Heating and cooling are responsible for more than half of the average home’s energy usage, so upgrading to an energy-efficient HVAC can result in major monthly savings. And the less energy you use, the less heat-trapping pollution you create.

    This is especially true with heat pumps, which don’t rely on burning dirty fuels like natural gas to create heat. Instead, they capture heat from the outside air, ground, and water to keep your home comfortable, while also providing the same cooling benefits as a traditional air conditioner. LG is one company making it easy to find the right heat pump for your home, offering a large array of cost-effective heat pumps.

    Some commenters expressed skepticism that a two-ton heat pump could heat such a big house, but the OP responded by saying, “I assure you every word is true.”

    The heat pump joined an existing set of rooftop solar panels to create a wildly energy-efficient home. In fact, the homeowner wrote, they generate so much electricity that they can donate the surplus to their son’s family, who is also a part of the same utility.

    As this homeowner shows, adding solar panels to a home can be the ultimate energy hack, allowing you to not only bring your energy bills down to almost nothing but also generate surplus energy. Using EnergySage’s free tools, you can compare quotes from local, verified solar installers, allowing you to save up to $10,000.

    Using tools like this can be extremely helpful on your energy journey because finding the right installer and price is tough. For HVAC systems, including heat pumps, LG has another free tool to make upgrading even cheaper; the company will find you heat pump rebates just based on your ZIP code.

    In this case, many commenters shared their own experiences with heat pumps, and most were wowed by the efficiency of the OP’s system.

    Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump?

    Lower energy bills

    Better temperature control

    Helping the planet

    I’d never buy a heat pump

    Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

    “This sounds great,” one wrote.

    Some commenters expressed disbelief about the outcome, to which the OP replied, “I agree it is hard to believe, but I’m living it. It’s true.”

    Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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  • Heat Pumps: How to get an incentive from your utility from Emerald to EWEB

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    As the southern Willamette Valley slogs through another extreme heat watch, residents may wonder how they can cool their homes without breaking the bank.

    If you live in Lane County, there’s a good chance your utility provider will offer you a loan or rebate to install a heat pump.

    Here’s what to know about incentives that may help homeowners pay for air conditioning.

    Why do utilities offer air conditioning rebates and loans?

    Many local utilities offer incentives that will help customers use less electricity and one way is to install a heat pump. These heating and cooling systems feature a compressor installed outdoors which can transfer air both into and out of your home.

    Heat pumps are usually more expensive to install than traditional air conditioning, but they’re more energy-efficient.

    Lane County utilities generally offer both rebates and no or low-interest loans for heat pump installation, with exact terms varying depending on factors such as the utility, household size and income, and credit history.

    Incentives for air conditioning from EWEB

    • EWEB offers incentives for ducted and ductless heat pumps. For a ducted heat pump, the utility offers $1,000 as a standard rebate and up to $15,000 in zero-interest loans. Income-qualified households may be eligible for higher rebate amounts. EWEB offers a standard rebate of $800 for ductless heat pumps and up to $14,000 in zero-interest loans depending on the number of units. See all of EWEB’s incentives here: myaccount.eweb.org/Portal/pre-application-enroll

    Incentives for air conditioning from SUB

    • Springfield Utility Board offers incentives for both ducted and ductless heat pumps. For ducted heat pumps, rebates range from $200 to $1,400 and zero-interest loans are available up to $7,200, depending on the type of conversion. For ductless heat pumps, SUB offers rebates of $800 or $900 and zero-interest loans up to $4,700. See all of SUB’s incentives, as well as advice for saving electricity and water here: subutil.com/conservation/for-your-home/

    Incentives offered by other Lane County utilities

    • Energy Trust of Oregon offers rebates for Pacific Power customers. Rebates range from $800 and $1,800 for ductless heat pumps, and $1,000 and $3,000 for ducted heat pumps. See all Energy Trust’s residential incentives here: energytrust.org/residential/incentives/

    • Emerald PUD offers rebates for both kinds of heat pumps. Homes can get an interest-free loan of up to $7,500 to install a ductless heat pump, or an $800 rebate if the heat pump is replacing Forced-Air Electric Furnace or Zonal Electric Heat. For a ducted heat pump, you can get a $7,500 interest-free loan or a rebate between $500 and $1,000. See all incentives at epud.org/energy-efficiency/energy-incentive-programs/

    • Lane Electric Cooperative offers most customers a cash rebate of $800 or a 48-month, zero interest loan for up to $9,000 for installing a heat pump. Low-income customers can receive a $6,000 grant to install a ductless heat pump. For more information see laneelectric.com/programs-services/heat-pump-program/

    • Central Lincoln PUD offers an $800 rebate for ductless heat pumps or a $1,000 to $1,200 rebate for a ducted heat pump. See all of CLPUD’s residential rebates at clpud.org/energy-efficiency/residential-rebates/

    Federal tax credits sunset at end of this year

    The federal government also offers a slate of tax credits related to making homes more efficient. Among the many changes in Congress’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is a sunset to these incentives, but Americans still have until the end of 2025 to apply for them.

    Heat pumps as well as traditional air-conditioners can both earn their buyers tax credits. The tax credits for either device are worth 30% of its cost, capped at $600 for air conditioning and $2,000 for a heat pump. To access either tax credit, submit IRS Form 5695.

    Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached by email at atorres@registerguard.com, on X @alanfryetorres or on Reddit at u/AlfrytRG.

    This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: How to get money for a heat pump in Lane County

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  • Opinion: Heat pumps cut costs and pollution. So why isn’t it easier to install one in California?

    Opinion: Heat pumps cut costs and pollution. So why isn’t it easier to install one in California?

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    The nation’s electric utilities have voiced overwhelming support for reducing carbon emissions. Eighty percent of U.S. electricity customers are served by a utility with a 100% carbon-reduction target, according to the Smart Electric Power Alliance, and utility executives have touted their sustainability plans at the U.N. Climate Conference, Davos and beyond.

    So why is it so hard to get help switching to a climate-friendly heat pump?

    Marvels of modern engineering, heat pumps provide heating and cooling by transferring warm or cold air into or out of a home, eliminating the need to generate heat. They have been shown to substantially slash consumer heating costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions up to 50%.

    Like so many other Americans who helped fuel a residential construction boom following the onset of the pandemic, I recently embarked on a wholesale remodel of my home in the Bay Area. Unlike most of my fellow remodelers, I make my living analyzing trends in customer experience with the nation’s electric, gas and water utilities. As an energy nerd, I saw the project as a chance to delve into the various incentives that the utilities have been promoting to facilitate my conversion from a gas-fired furnace to an electric heat pump.

    What I found was a tangle of red tape, well-meaning but tragically ill-informed customer service representatives, and hours upon hours of filing forms, chasing down obscure information and questioning contractors — all in a quixotic quest to claim my local, state and federal rebates.

    Heat pumps loom large as a component of electric utility sustainability initiatives. The Biden administration recently announced that $63 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding would be used to spur domestic manufacturing of heat pumps, and local, state and federal incentives have been deployed in most jurisdictions nationwide to encourage consumers to make the switch.

    At the federal level, consumers are eligible for a tax credit that covers 30% of the cost of buying and installing a heat pump, up to a maximum of $2,000 per year. The TECH Clean California program offers incentives to contractors to install heat pumps, and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and other utilities offer rebates and other benefits. In Marin County, where I live, state, county and local incentives promised to bring the total rebate on my project to almost $5,000.

    That prospect, along with the long-term value of increased efficiency, was enough to persuade me to take the plunge on a system that was a bit more expensive than a comparable gas furnace. Moreover, my extensive research on the subject was enough to overcome widespread misconceptions about the technology and its ability to comfortably heat and cool my home.

    The good news is that my heat pump works wonderfully! It’s so good that I’ve started recommending one to my friends and neighbors. It isn’t loud or dry like traditional heat; it’s even and smooth. The system allowed much more flexibility in our construction and design. And, best of all, I now have central cooling for the first time.

    Unfortunately, I’ve also put hours of work into chasing rebates I still haven’t received.

    Ironically, the easiest part of the process was applying for a federal rebate through the Internal Revenue Service. When the IRS sets the benchmark for customer service, you know you have a problem.

    Among the challenges I faced were an hour-plus conversation with a friendly Pacific Gas & Electric Co. representative who knew absolutely nothing about heat pump programs; an apologetic county official who informed me that I would need to fill out a commercial form even though my project was residential because “that’s the way the paperwork is written”; and even a request to provide detailed photos of my old gas furnace — the one that had already been removed — to prove I had made the switch.

    Fortunately, because I was documenting the process partly for my own education, I had those photos and welcomed the opportunity to find all the hurdles consumers face. But will typical consumers — those who don’t spend their workdays analyzing the minutiae of utility customer experience — even bother to deal with this craziness? Probably not.

    Perhaps that has something to do with the widespread customer apathy toward electric utility sustainability efforts. J.D. Power’s most recent study of this topic found that just 19% of customers were even aware of their utility’s carbon reduction initiatives.

    We’re living in an era of amazing technological innovation, and we have public policies designed to catalyze consumer adoption of these breakthroughs. But if the same old bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way of access to those programs, no one wins.

    There is a huge opportunity here for innovative utilities to take the lead on improving not only our policies but also the mechanisms that make them work. As a utilities industry professional, I’m optimistic that our leaders will take up this cause. As a consumer, I just hope I eventually get my rebate.

    Andrew Heath is the vice president of utilities intelligence at J.D. Power.

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    Andrew Heath

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