As the cost of electricity continues to rise and concerns about climate change grow, it’s essential for homeowners to explore ways to lower their electric bills while maintaining a comfortable living space. One innovative solution is the introduction of super-smart thermal batteries that can significantly reduce energy consumption.
It was previously mentioned that nearly half of all energy use is spent on heating something, from melting steel to providing warm showers and drying agricultural crops. This highlights the importance of exploring new technologies for residential applications. The concept of “Heat-as-a-Service” may seem novel, but I only imagined it applied to industrial processes. However, my surprise grew upon discovering that a high-efficiency thermal battery is now available in the form of a heat pump water heater for homeowners.
Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWHs) have been sold on the U.S. market for about fifteen years by well-known distributors through nationwide hardware store chains. These devices work similarly to your kitchen refrigerator but in reverse. Instead of pulling heat from a cold space and releasing it outside, an HPWH pulls heat from the surrounding air and transfers it into water. Ambient warm air is drawn into the device where warmth turns a refrigerant from a liquid to a gas.
Source: www.forbes.com