HVAC

Designed to use one-third the electricity of traditional residential electric water heaters, new product ensures dependable, efficient hot-water delivery.

Noritz America, a leader in tankless water heaters and high-efficiency combination boilers, recently previewed its new, ENERGY STAR-certified Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater for residential domestic hot water applications.

Making its debut in Chicago at the 2024 AHR Expo in January, this newest addition to the Noritz offering consumes up to one-third of the electricity required by a standard residential electric water heater with a resistive element, yet maintains the same level of hot-water delivery. The “hybrid” designation denotes the inclusion of dual 4.5-kilowatt electric elements positioned at the top and bottom of the tank to provide backup water heating or accelerate recovery times when necessary.

Set for an official launch on July 1, the new Hybrid Electric Heat Pump unit efficiently transfers heat from air to water, resulting in substantial energy savings for consumers seeking to reduce their utility bills. The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump is eligible for government rebates of up to $3,000, the kind of incentive that has made heat pump installations so attractive for both contractors and homeowners.

Handling hot water temperatures ranging from 50°F to 160°F, the product will be available in four sizes, with the model numbers here indicating the gallon storage volumes: (NHP50, NHP65, NHP80, and NHP120). The 120-gallon model, still a rarity in today’s market, is available by special order. UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) ratings range up to 3.48, highlighting its energy efficiency when compared to similar products in the market.

“At Noritz, our dedication to providing our customers with diverse water heating solutions drives our innovation,” explains Jason Fleming, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Noritz America. “The introduction of the Hybrid Electric Heat Pump not only addresses recent market and regulatory shifts nationwide, but also offers a product designed to save energy, lower maintenance and operating expenses for customers, and streamline installations and servicing for contractors.”

Key Features

• Cement lining: The specially formulated cement lining of the unit’s storage tank is designed to prevent the corrosive effects of hot water. By negating the need for a sacrificial anode rod, the lining all but eliminates maintenance requirements and the necessity for regular checks. (Neglecting to replace the anode rod can lead to premature tank failure in a conventional electric water heater.)
• Five operating modes: The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump offers users five different ways to operate the unit, depending upon user demand and current conditions: hybrid (standard), electric only, heat pump only, super (for high-demand situations), and vacation.
• First Hour Rating: The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater’s first hour ratings are 58 gallons (NHP50), 70 gallons (NHP65), 86 gallons (NHP80), and 105 (NHP120).
• High-pressure rating: The unit has a pressure rating of 150 pounds per square inch (psi) WP and 300 psi TP. A temperature and pressure relief valve comes with the unit, pre-installed.
• Warranties: The cement-lined tank and all parts are covered by ten years of protection, plus a one-year warranty on reasonable labor.
• Approvals include AHRI, UL1995, CSA 22.2 No. 236, Low Lead.

For more information on the new Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater, visit: https://noritz.com/heatpump/

Carrier and Bryant have announced the recipients of the Distributors’ Education Foundation scholarship for the 2024-2025 school year. Carrier and Bryant are part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions.

Since its inception in 1981, the Distributors’ Education Foundation, established to honor the late William A. Blees and his many years of service as an advisor to Carrier and Bryant distributors, has provided over $500,000 in assistance to more than 400 students working towards their undergraduate or vocational degrees. The scholarship is awarded to children and grandchildren of Carrier and Bryant contractors who demonstrate academic excellence, community service, and participate in extracurricular activities. This year, scholarships will be going to students in 25 cities from 11 states coast to coast.

“For over 40 years, Carrier and Bryant distributors have significantly contributed to the growth of the HVAC industry by funding the Carrier and Bryant Distributors’ Education Foundation,” said Spencer Atkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Weathertech Distributing and President, Scholarship Program Board of Directors. “Since inception, the Foundation has provided over $500,000 in scholarships and we plan to continue our support. This scholarship program is a crucial element in developing future leaders for our industry.”

“The Distributors’ Education Foundation scholarship is a unique way for our distributors to give back to their contractors’ families,” said Nick Arch, Vice President and General Manager, Residential HVAC Solutions, Carrier. “We’re honored to support this outstanding initiative and wish all recipients luck in their academic endeavors.”

To learn more about Carrier and Bryant, visit www.carrier.com/residential and  www.bryant.com respectively.

Company’s prototype enabled 15-20% average energy bill savings

Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, today announced its successful completion of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP) Challenge for high-efficiency heating in extremely cold temperatures.

After surpassing DOE laboratory tests, the Trane® high-efficiency, Cold Climate Heat Pump prototype, installed at a Boise, Idaho residence, successfully warmed the home for two winters by extracting heat from the air – relying on its backup electric heat strip only 10% of the time. During field trials over two full summer and winter seasons of cooling and heating, the prototype delivered the homeowner 15-20% average energy bill savings.

“We were confident going into the Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge in our ability to deliver cutting-edge, highly-efficient climate control solutions – the results were outstanding and we’re proud of our performance,” said Dwayne Cowan, president, Residential HVAC, Trane Technologies. “Backed by our purpose-driven strategy and relentless investment in innovation, we are ready to continue scaling today’s technology for a sustainable tomorrow.”

“Our modeling was spot on with how the prototype functioned in the field, and we were thrilled to hear of the homeowner’s outstanding reviews as well as their energy savings,” said Katie Davis, vice president of engineering and technology, Residential HVAC, Trane Technologies. “We are excited to advance electrification of heating in homes while maintaining both comfort and efficiency for its occupants.”

Trane Technologies is one of the first companies to successfully complete the CCHP challenge. The company’s prototype has been relocated to its Tyler, Texas manufacturing facility, where it will continue to undergo robust performance evaluations at the site’s new state-of-the-art psychrometric testing labs – used for new product development programs and capable of withstanding temperatures as low as negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The company will complete the design for its new Trane residential Cold Climate Heat Pump, with additional comfort and efficiency enhancements, in 2025. The Cold Climate Heat Pump will be compatible with advanced, connected comfort solutions including Trane Link, enabling seamless integration with Trane’s comprehensive ecosystem of smart home technologies. Additionally, all heat pumps 15 SEER and higher in the company’s newly-announced residential portfolio meet the requirements for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit and incentives and rebates available through the Inflation Reduction Act – significantly reducing upfront costs and achieving long-term energy bill savings for homeowners.

Through bold, industry-leading action and innovation, Trane Technologies is advancing its 2030 Sustainability Commitments, including the Gigaton Challenge to reduce customer emissions by a billion metric tons and its pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company’s emissions reduction targets have been externally validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

Amy O’Grady went from the fashion industry to an effective contractor and leader in the heating and cooling industry 

Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trades, today announced it has appointed industry sales and marketing expert and licensed HVAC contractor Amy O’Grady as its first executive director.

O’Grady brings more than 13 years of experience as a licensed contractor, sales and marketing director and events manager to the WHVACR family. She also served four years as the executive director for the North Florida Air Conditioning Contractors Association (NFACCA).

“Women in HVACR has always been a completely volunteer-only organization, but since we now offer such a long list of networking events, educational programs and scholarship funds to our members, we needed someone on our permanent staff to manage all the good work that we do,” said 2024 WHVACR President Lori Tschohl. “With her background in the HVAC industry and executive director leadership, Amy brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic vision to our organization. We are confident she will provide the necessary oversight to help our board achieve its goals and take Women in HVACR to new heights.”

O’Grady is a graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in textiles and consumer sciences. After starting her career as a product developer and assistant buyer in the fashion industry, O’Grady began honing her leadership skills in business development, marketing and event planning as a  marketing manager for a regional grocery chain and for Charlie’s Tropic Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

“It was during my tenure as marketing director for Charlie’s Tropic that I discovered my passion for the HVAC industry and entrepreneurship,” O’Grady said. “I was able to modernize the company’s identity by crafting unique content and developing data-driven marketing programs to stay on top of the ever-changing digital market.”

She also reached a significant milestone at the HVAC company by becoming a licensed contractor, which helped her master her craft and put her on her current career trajectory.

Her next position was as the executive director for the NFACCA, where she demonstrated her adaptability and willingness to learn new skills. She spent more than four years in this role before accepting the position at WHVACR.

“My role at NFACCA certainly helped prepare me for the job I’m taking on at Women in HVACR,” she said. “I look forward to bringing my industry knowledge to our team so that I can help this organization grow and create a dynamic environment that inspires more women to start careers in the skilled trades.”

For more information about Women in HVACR, visit www.womeninhvacr.org/.