Midea, an appliance and HVAC-equipment manufacturer, announced its heat pump water heater (HPWH), a residential water heater that meets the highest levels of energy efficiency certification, NEEA Tier 4 and CEE Advanced Tier.
Midea said its heat pump water heater is almost four times more efficient than traditional water heaters that use either fossil fuels or energy-intensive resistance heating. According to Midea, the HPWH can output about 4 kW of heat per 1 kW of input, whereas electric storage water heaters convert 1 kW of heat input into about 1 kW of heat.
Midea HPWH uses air-source heat transfer technology to efficiently move thermal energy from the surrounding air into water.
Heat pumps are a cleaner alternative because instead of generating heat, they transfer it, which reduces energy use. Homes traditionally use methods such as electrical resistance heaters and gas-fired water systems to heat water, which are not energy efficient and thus, are high in both cost and carbon emissions.
Air-source heat pumps were found by German researchers to have among the best eco-efficiency of different types of heating systems for two-story dwellings.
Midea’s heat-pump water heater may qualify for federal tax credits, covering up to 30% of the project cost with a cap of $2,000 annually, and for the Home Energy Rebate Program, which has an $8,000 rebate cap for heat-pump installation costs.
(See also: With or without PV, air-source heat pumps are among cheapest residential heating sources)
A key focus of the transition to clean energy is the conversion of HVAC systems from gas or fossil fuel-sourced systems to all-electric heat pumps.
In 2023, as part of Biden Administration’s Investing in America program the Department of Energy announced $250 million in federal funding opportunity to incentivize the domestic heat pump manufacturing in the U.S.
“Electric heat pumps offer a cheaper, more reliable option for heating and cooling that isn’t prone to dramatic price swings and helps to strengthen the nation’s energy independence,” U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, said at the time.
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