Overcoming Key Barriers to Electrification of Foodservice Hot Water in California

This research project addresses a key barrier to decarbonizing foodservice water heating systems: the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH) Water Heater Sizing Guidelines (Guidelines). The Guidelines are enforced by California county health and safety departments and do not currently include guidance for heat pump water heaters (HPWH), a high-efficiency technology critical to decarbonizing water heating systems. To address this barrier and increase the adoption of HPWHs in the foodservice sector, the project gathered present-day hot water usage data from full-service restaurants and developed an HPWH sizing approach to inform updates to the Guidelines. This report documents the literature, data, and policy review, learnings from engaging with environmental health stakeholders, and findings from field data collection at three full-service restaurants. It concludes by providing specific recommendations for revising the CCDEH Guidelines, building codes, and standards enhancements, and outlines future research needs.