Heat Pump Decision Support Tools

Many analyses, including the Renewable Thermal Vision Report, identify electric heat pumps as a critical opportunity to decarbonize low-temperature industrial heat generation, which accounts for 29% of total U.S. industrial thermal emissions. Heat pumps have garnered attention for their ability to utilize heat from ambient (air, water, ground) or waste heat sources, allowing companies to eliminate pollution from fossil fuel combustion and decrease energy costs across a range of geographies and industrial applications. However, while engineers widely understand heat pumps’ use for space heating and acknowledge its potential for industrial processes, many lack the time and resources to undertake the preliminary studies necessary for implementation.

To help close the knowledge gaps preventing heat pump deployment, the Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC), along with energy specialists Verco, has developed a suite of three Heat Pump Decision Support Tools:

1. An Initial Screening Tool;
   
2. A high-level Feasibility Tool to perform initial technical and commercial viability assessments.
3. A Supplier Database detailing heat pump suppliers by geography and service offerings.

The tools aim to bridge the gap between those planning to reduce emissions across multiple sites and technical engineering teams implementing solutions on the ground.

The concept driving the tools arose from a working group of industrial energy buyers convened by the RTC to address the barriers challenging their renewable transition. To participate in future collaborations accelerating renewable thermal technology deployment, join the RTC. To learn more about our work on beneficial electrification, click here.