A Manhattan high-rise has found a unique way to keep hot water flowing while cutting pollution by capturing heat from the building's own exhaust air.
What happened?
When the owner of a multiunit residential building in Battery Park, Manhattan, had to replace a gas-fueled domestic hot water system, they were beholden to laws requiring the upgrade to prioritize energy savings that would significantly reduce the high-rise's carbon footprint.
As stated by New York City's Local Law 97, part of the 2019 Climate Mobilization Act, buildings over 25,000 square feet that fail to significantly reduce carbon pollution will face a per-ton carbon penalty, as reported by PHCP Pros.
Because of the building's layout, options were expensive and slim. Alternative Sustainability CEO John Stevens and the manufacturers' representative Wallace Eannace, Inc. came up with a solution and proposed using the building's general exhaust air to supply a compact Lochinvar Veritus air-source heat pump water heater.
The unit's smaller size made it possible to travel through the old building's freight elevator and tight stairways, making installation that much easier. The approach offers a space-saving retrofit that could serve as a model for older city buildings facing stricter climate rules.
Why does it matter?
Dense cities are filled with aging properties that need cleaner heating systems but have very little extra space to work with.
Replacing an outdated hot water system in an older building can be costly, but heat pump water heaters can help reduce energy bills since they move heat rather than generate it the way resistance heaters do. Actual savings vary depending on building size, hot water demand, and utility rates, though the technology generally uses much less energy than conventional electric options.
New York City power costs run roughly 50% higher than the national average, according to PHCP Pros, making efficiency especially valuable. The Veritus unit has a coefficient of performance of up to 4.61, meaning it can deliver significantly more heat energy than the electricity it uses.
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Exhaust fans send warm building air into the plenum room where the unit was installed. The heat pump then uses that stream as its air source, and PHCP Pros says the discharge is routed outdoors so it does not recirculate through the system. Three additional electric water heaters were installed as backup for when the heat pump can't keep up during peak-demand periods.
That level of efficiency can help cut climate pollution while keeping hot water service dependable for residents. PHCP Pros reported the heat pump room stayed at 65 degrees while outside temperatures fell to 9 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to the exhaust-air recovery setup.
As Stevens put it, "The Veritus meets the base load of the DHW. In typical day-to-day operations, the backup electric water heaters rarely turn on — that's how well the Veritus unit has been performing."
What's being done?
With utility prices climbing and more people wanting to rely on cleaner energy appliances, more people are turning towards heat pump water heaters — especially those who live in older homes with dated insulation and energy-guzzling heaters.
Homeowners looking for cleaner efficiency have several options to choose from. Cala makes smart heat pump water heaters designed to anticipate household hot water use and store heat for when it is needed most. Its customizable smart heat pump water heaters help homeowners decrease their energy bills by heating water exactly when it's needed.
They can also help households better align water heating with lower-cost electricity periods instead of constantly reheating water. For anyone planning a replacement, it may be worth comparing incentives, installation requirements, and products from Cala and other heat pump water heater makers with a qualified contractor.
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