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Can the Low-Temperature Heat Pump Defrost the Status Quo in the Space Heating Sector?

An E Source Multi-Client Study
(September 2005)

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The status-quo in the sleepy space heating sector is being threatened by a newcomer: the low-temperature heat pump (LTHP). This product has the potential to flatten peak loads associated with electric heating, improve heating system efficiencies, invade markets that have traditionally been hostile to heat pumps, and threaten the dominance of the natural gas furnace. As exciting as that potential is, numerous barriers loom and many questions remain to be answered, including:

  • Do these products perform as well as manufacturers claim?
  • Are they a cost-effective means for improving efficiency and reducing peak loads?
  • Are manufacturers capable of producing, distributing, and maintaining these units on a mass-market basis?
  • How will wholesalers, retailers, installers, and consumers react to this product?
To help utilities answer these and other important questions, we carried out a study of the LTHP and the market sector in which it currently competes. We not only characterize this new product and explore its technical features but also investigate market conditions and formulate a set of strategies that utilities can adopt to make the most of opportunities surrounding this technology.

For details, download the prospectus.

 

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