Canadian startup unveils residential air source heat pump for cold climates
Terravis Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian technology company Worksport Ltd., has presented a prototype of a residential air source heat pump intended for use in heating and cooling applications.
“Our heat pump utilizes the phase change of a proprietary fluid to transfer heat,” the company’s CEO, Lorenzo Rossi, told pv magazine. “The prototype is currently undergoing testing in Worksport’s climate chamber in Toronto.”
The company conducted tests at its facility in Ontario to monitor the system performance across a range of 12 temperature points from -10 C to -35 C. It also tested refrigerant pressure zones, airflow, and the energy consumption of all heat pump components. Furthermore, it said conventional heat pumps on the market are not efficient at providing sufficient comfort levels at temperatures under -20 C.
“Our heat pump’s goal is to provide heat to homes in as low as -35 C, which we believe will make us the most effective heat pump technology in the market,” Rossi added.
The heat pump showed a coefficient of performance (COP) of around 1.8 and a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of approximately 3.0. “It’s essential to note that these values are influenced by our local climate conditions and might differ in other regions”, Rossi explained.
The prototype is currently using R32 refrigerant, which has a global warming potential (GWP) of 675, which the company said aligns with the new mandate for 2024 requiring refrigerants to have a GWP of 750 or less in Canada.
The company also said the heat pump system doesn’t utilize expensive electric resistance heating.
“The price of the Terravis Energy heat pump is expected to align with current market offerings, though it might be slightly higher, in the range of $1,000 to $2,000,” Rossi stressed. “This increase can be attributed to the advanced technology and AI software embedded in the motherboard, as well as the inclusion of new hardware components, which contribute to its advanced features and capabilities.
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What is the COP at -35 ?
1.8 for R290 at -35C. Where I live in southwestern Ontario the coldest temperature ever recorded was -28.9 °C in 1976. The normal coldest day is -25 C for a day or two.
R290 works efficiently in colder climate, been experimenting with older AC’s topping up with 300-400g Camping gas butane to 100g of R134a left in the system or just pure propane and can confirm they run just fine! I can advise you if you live in a smaller property and need heating only DO NOT bother with heat pumps! You can easily install 2-3kW AC unit in each room and they will be much cheaper overall standard R290 AC unit these days give average COP of 4.7 at 35degC or if heating water at 55degC COP is around 3. For those handy people out there, you can easily convert normal AC unit to heat your water for 1/3 of heat pump price, leave all the guts in the cabinet, and connect home made heat exchanger (if you are on the tight budget) or plate heat exchanger instead of the condenser. You can easily convert 8kW AC to heat 200m^2 house and produce 55degC water.
Canadian startup sound promising. Will heat pump be available in UK any time soon?
A2L and A2 refrigerants are not allowed in the quantities required for systems of that size in Ontario. “AI” is just marketing garbage. If they can’t specify exactly what this “advanced technology” is, then it’s not very important. Other companies already hold patents for vapour injection, and/or mid stage exhaust ports, etc. Variable speed is standard across that sector of the industry. I definitely won’t be trusting a startup to design and build a product that should have a lifespan longer than 10 years. We have no guarantee that they will even exist long enough to honour warranties.
R290 can be used in a ATW mono-block legally because the refrigerant is all contained outside.
Well said Mike, this is a space that is heavily populated by both experienced manufacturers and scammers, and the solid backing and customer service that a manufacturer like Trane or Mitsubishi bring to the table is what keeps the product operating. Without that, the product is useless, and I’m not seeing anything here that would make me wish to part with my hard earned money.
R32 is not a satisfactory for residential RCAC, given its high GWP.
On the other hand R290 or similar hydrocarbon refrigerant has a GWP of around 3.
Natural refrigerants are the only good option at the moment, though are a bit hard to source.
We have been installing R290 RCAC for a few years now
I agree that R290 is far a superior refrigerant. When used in a ATW mono-block the refrigerant is all contained in the outdoor condenser/evaporator and only hot (or cold) water enter the house so the “flammability” of R290 is less a problem than even your propane BBQ. These heat pumps can heat your home, Heat your domestic hot water and cool your home in summer while also heating domestic hot water. They can also be used with a fan coil for heating and cooling your home if you are replacing a forced air furnace/AC unit by inserting a water to air exchanger in the fan coil plenum of the old furnace/AC.
I wholeheartedly agree!
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