Central heat pump water heater (CHPWH) systems are playing a pivotal role in the decarbonization of multifamily and commercial buildings. These systems can provide electrified, efficient hot water for both new and existing buildings while minimizing grid impact and energy costs with load shifting...
The initiative is centered on exploring and implementing innovative DR methodologies, such as the Whole Home concept, to significantly enhance both customer benefits and grid performance. This strategic program aims to integrate emerging technologies that have DR capabilities, including electric...
Indoor agriculture in California faces increasing demands to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact while delivering high-quality yields. Recent Department of Energy (“DOE”) data highlights that horticultural lighting alone consumed 9.6 Terawatt Hour ("TWh") of electricity nationwide in...
As multifamily buildings adopt heat pumps and other sophisticated technologies, they are encountering problems with maintenance and operations. Multifamily buildings tend to have no central controls and either no permanent...
CHPWH systems in multifamily and commercial buildings serve two purposes: heating city water entering the building to usable hot water temperatures for occupants and maintaining the water temperature in the distribution and recirculation system. Temperature maintenance typically makes up about 30%...
HVAC Contractors working on energy efficiency and building electrification projects face technical and regulatory challenges. To support them, various organizations—including for-profits, non-profits, manufacturers, and state agencies—have developed software-based tools. These tools assist with...
This project strives to collect comprehensive laboratory test data on the heating, cooling, dehumidification, and native controls performance of Micro Heat Pumps (MHP), that are of interest to California’s consumers. This effort will build on the data collected under CalNEXT Project ET23SWE0034 -...
This project demonstrates the energy-saving benefits of phase change material (PCM) in drop ceilings to reduce cooling energy in California schools, where HVAC systems account for 50% of energy use (Energy Information Administration, 2018). Cooling dominates HVAC loads in warm classrooms due to...
More than 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 are already built and are existing buildings. Created for new construction projects, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guideline 36 (G36), “High-Performance Sequences of Operation for HVAC...