A research team at Simon Fraser University is turning one of the planet's most overlooked resources — wasted heat — into a new kind of air conditioner and heat pump that runs on hot water, CityNews reported.
The prototype, called the sorption heat transformer and thermal storage system (SORT), is on display at Burnaby City Hall in British Columbia. By channeling hot water and air through the back of the unit, it produces cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Unlike conventional AC unis, which rely heavily on electricity from dirty energy sources, SORT taps into district energy systems such as Burnaby's and turns wasted heat into usable energy.
While the demonstration model is too large for home use, lead researcher Majid Bahrami says a smaller version is already in development. "We are hoping to bring it to the market," Bahrami told CityNews, noting that the team is in talks to pilot the system in one of the city's community centers next year.
The timing is crucial. Demand for air conditioning is rising rapidly as the changing climate drives hotter weather, but traditional units add to the problem by consuming large amounts of electricity that often comes from dirty fuels, increasing pollution and thus boosting rising temperatures. Bahrami calls waste heat "the largest untapped energy source on the planet," and systems such as SORT could unlock that potential while giving residents a cleaner, more affordable way to stay comfortable.
The project is federally funded and designed to support Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. If scaled, it could reduce both air pollution and utility costs for households while providing a blueprint for cities around the world.
Similar innovations are already changing energy use across sectors, from solar installations that lower bills and cut pollution to industrial systems that recycle heat back into power. SORT joins that wave of technology with a practical, community-focused approach.
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With its first real-world trial expected in Burnaby next year, this invention is poised to show that the future of air conditioning might not be electric at all but powered by heat we've been wasting all along.
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