Performance Metrics of Micro Heat Pumps Through Laboratory Testing

This project collected comprehensive heating, cooling, and dehumidification performance dataon commercially available micro heat pumps in a laboratory environment, and expanded on priorperformance data collection efforts from CalNEXT project ET23SWE0034. Micro heat pumps areself-contained units that plug into standard 110/120-volt National Electrical ManufacturersAssociation 5-15 outlets—without requiring field-installed refrigerant lines. They can providespace cooling and heating in both single-family and multifamily buildings, and somecommercially available models can operate in ambient temperatures from 115⁰F to below 5⁰F.This new generation of technology has the potential to rapidly displace in-unit gas-firedfurnaces, window air conditioners, and electric resistance space heaters by avoiding many ofthe cost barriers associated with the design, installation, and permitting requirements oftraditional heat pumps.Testing efforts resulted in capacity and power consumption measurements, and the cooling,heating and dehumidification findings led to some recommendations for future measurepackage development in California. The testing results can also aid the development of energymodeling performance maps of micro heat pumps across. The project findings also led to arecommended approach on reducing overall test burden on industry, so that California’sconsumers can continue to reap the benefits of product features that innovative and affordable.