Heat Pump Water Heater Day
#HPWHero #HPWHDay
An entire day dedicated to heat pump water heater (HPWH) education and awareness took place Oct. 25, 2023.
On HPWH Day we connect with advocates, manufacturers, installers, homebuilders, and HPWH owners to showcase ENERGY STAR certified HPWHs and the ways they help create a better future. Join us for events and resources all year long! Check out the action-packed agenda below with recording links and our many resources.
Agenda
8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT)—Welcome video
Michael Forrester, Assistant Director for Partnerships, State and Community Energy Office at the Department of Energy Office, welcomes everyone to Heat Pump Water Heater Day! In this short video, Michael relates how the Department of Energy is supporting the market transformation of heat pump water heaters through the rollout of Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and rebates, along with workforce training with a special emphasis on disadvantaged communities.
9:00 a.m. ET (6:00 a.m. PT)—Webinar: Efficiency Maine Fireside Chat
This webinar focuses on the successful HPWH programs in Maine which has the highest per capita adoption of HPWH in the country. (60 mins) Watch the recording.
10:15 a.m. ET (7:15 a.m. PT)—Share your super powers
Celebrating everyday HPWH heroes. Share your HPWH hero story or pictures. superhero costume optional. Three superhero masks and emblems are available for you to use.
10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT)—ENERGY STAR consumer marketing resource drop
11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT)—Commercial HPWH resource drop
11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)—Central skid-mounted HPWH video with HPWH Man
HPWH Man visits a Water Drop, a skid mounted, central heat pump water heater made by Small Planet Supply. Features Albert Rooks and a surprise guest superhero.
12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)—Webinar: Addressing Market Barriers to Central HPWHs
AWHI Commercial Working Group brought together panelists that include Association for Energy Affordability, Steven Winter Associates, Johnson Barrow, and Ecotope. Moderators include Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and D&R International. (60-75 mins) Watch the recording.
1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT)—HPWH training resource drop
1:45 p.m. ET (10:45 AM PT)—Residential customer resource drop
2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 AM PT)—Roundtable: Residential HPWH Manufacturers
In this special event done in partnership with California Energy Design Assistance (CEDA) we brought together major manufacturers of ENERGY STAR certified HPWHs. Panelist include: Rheem, A.O. Smith, Eco2Systems, American, Bits Limited, and Embertec. Moderators include ICF and NBI. (75 mins) Watch the recording now
4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT)—Homebuilder resource drop
4:30 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT)—120-volt HPWH resource drop
5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT)—Webinar: 120-volt HPWHs
In this webinar, we partnered with Electrify Now to discuss the water heater that plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet and heats all the water an average home will need. Panelist include: A.O. Smith, Rheem, and NBI. (75 mins) Recording link will be available soon.
7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT)
Closing / Next steps
Resources
Templates in our social press kit help participants share on social media. On social media Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook use the hashtags #HPWHDay #HPWHero and tag both @Advwaterheating and @ENERGYSTAR. Using these hashtags will connect all of our efforts together. Send us a note, if you have questions about HPWH Day activities. We hope to see you on HPWH Day!
ENERGY STAR Consumer Marketing Resources for HPWHs
ENERGY STAR HPWH Consumer Marketing Toolkit—For Contractors and Industry Professionals. Fully customizable, ENERGY STAR has provided turnkey marketing templates including factsheets, sample media posts, social graphics and more. Want to maximize your marketing efforts?
Commercial HPWH Resources
CHPWH.org: Supported by Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), this website aggregates resources (including tools, standards, technical information, reports, and more) for the rapidly growing central heat pump water heating market.
Bayview Towers Load Shifting Report: Comprehensive report that culminates the collaborative work between Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Ecotope, Mitsubishi, SkyCentrics, and Steffes to introduce the first load shift capable commercial HPWH system to the U.S. The project retrofitted an aging electric resistance water heating system in an occupied, 100-unit, affordable housing high-rise. The new commercial heat pump water heating system at Bayview Towers marked the first U.S. installation of Mitsubishi's HEAT2O (QAHV) system–the country's first large-capacity CO2 refrigerant–based domestic water heating system.
Supply Side Assessment for Central HPWHs: Report released in 2023 by NEEA and New Buildings Institute (NBI) provides an in-depth look at the roadblocks preventing HPWH adoption within the multifamily sector in California and the Northwest.
HPWH Training Resources
Installation Best Practices Manual: Released by Richard Health & Associates (RHA) in 2023 and developed collaboratively with industry experts, supporting the correct installation of HPWHs in the field and best practices to date for unitary HPWH systems.
Job Aids for the Retrofit Installation of Heat Pump Water Heaters: Released by RHA, this resource provides easy to follow guides and checklists for HPWH installations.
NEEA Installer Training Guides: Two free online courses from NEEA that provide knowledge, resources and support to increase technical understanding and familiarity with electric hybrid heat pump water heaters
HPWH Fundamentals Educational Tool: This online issue of Caleffi’s idronics, provides extensive background in HPWHs and evaluates HPWH technology in both retrofit and new construction applications.
Interactive HPWH Installation Guides: Interactive websites that show heat pump water heaters installed in two locations (Massachusetts and Maine), walking users through the experience of installing HPWHs in the Northeast and considerations taken for switching from fossil fueled water heating to heat pump water heating.
Residential Customer Resources
ENERGY STAR has a team of experts that help consumers find answers to common questions about HPWHs.
Is a Heat Pump Water Heater Right for Your Home?: Compared to a standard electric resistant water heater, a HPWH can save a family of four an estimated $550 a year on their energy bill with an expected average lifetime savings of more than $5,600!
When Should You Replace Your Water Heater?: Replacing your water heater before it’s too late can help you avoid a major headache when it fails.
Heat Pump Water Heaters Tax Credit: Tax credits effective for HPWHs purchased and installed between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2032.
Federal Income Tax Credits and Incentives for Energy Efficiency: New federal income tax credits provide up to $3,200 annually to lower the cost of energy efficient home upgrades. Improvements such as installing heat pump water heaters are covered by the tax credits and can help families save money on their monthly energy bills for years to come.
Find a qualified Installation Professional for your ENERGY STAR product: Enter your zip code to find local installers and retailers.
And just in time for HPWH Day, discover the environmental and financial benefits of upgrading to a heat pump water heater with Zwell's Heat Pump Water Heater Savings Calculator.
HPWH Market Trends
Heat Pump Water Heater sales in 2022 signal a decisive shift in water heating trends: Energy-efficient water heating took significant strides in 2022, according to the latest data released by ENERGY STAR. Learn more in this blog by Joe Wachunas, NBI project manager.
Homebuilder Resources
NEEA, Larson Energy Research, and AWHI teamed up with home builders to create example blueprints to show where to install heat pump water heaters in new construction. The blueprints include townhomes and single-family homes in a variety of climate zones. Access the blueprints here.
Plug-in 120-volt HPWH Resources
Plug-In heat Pump Water Heater Field Study Findings & Market Commercialization Recommendations: Lessons learned on the first ever third-party field validation effort on 120-volt HPWH technology through California-wide installations. The report includes a market assessment and recommendations for commercialization.
Water Heaters Put in a Plug for Decarbonization: Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are learning if hot-water-loving homeowners will warm to an emerging innovation that could reduce costs, energy use, and carbon emissions.
Conversation a with leading installer of 120-volt plug-in heat pump water heaters: Barnett Plumbing talks about how and why they switched to installing 120-volt plug-in heat pump water heaters to replace existing gas water heaters almost exclusively. They share recommendations and thoughts about this emerging technology.
