Technology Services: Building Research Projects: Heat Pump

Heat Pump

Caneta has been involved in different aspects of both air-source and ground-source heat pump systems for over 15 years. We prepared Committee drafts of the first CSA Standards for design and installation. As well, we authored the first ASHRAE Design Manual in 1995 and developed the GS2000™ ground heat exchanger design program about the same time. We have extensive knowledge of the technology and its application.

Design and Standards

• Developed ground-source training content for residential designers, contractors and commercial designers for the Canadian Geoexchange Coalition
• Preparation of a retrofit guide for the U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program
• Background research, analysis and performance standard revisions in connection with a new edition of CSA C273.3
• Performance Standard for Split System Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps

Case Studies

• Mole Hill Community GHP System Retrofit for CMHC;
• Update of Greenhouse Gas Impact of Geoexchange Systems for Natural Resources Canada;
• Prepared engineering and decision maker case studies on a large number of North American Commercial ground-source systems for ASHRAE, Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium Inc. (GHPC),Washington;
• Prepared a document for the IEA CADDET (Analyses Series No. 27) entitled Learning from Experiences with Commercial / Institutional Heat Pump Systems in Cold Climates;
• Survey, analysis and reporting on service and maintenance costs of commercial ground-source systems for GHPC, Inc.;

Utility Programs and Market Studies

• Performance and economic estimates for GHP systems in different building types and locations for Northland Power Inc.
• Background research, modeling and analysis for the development of technical criteria and installation requirements for an air-to-air heat pump promotional program on behalf of Nova Scotia Power and Newfoundland Power
• Canadian market study, barrier analysis and strategy development for ground-source heat pumps for Hydro Quebec
• Development of technical criteria for a revised heat pump incentive program on behalf of Aquila Networks (formerly West Kootenary Power)

Technology Development

• Research on behalf of a small Quebec based manufacturer wanting to develop a new air source heat pump;
• Development of HVAC Advisor, software program for comparing performance of various types of air-to-air heat pumps and conventional furnaces. Program was developed for Natural Resources Canada and was distributed by HRAI;
• Investigated retrofit of GSHP systems to electrically heated MURBs for CMHC;