Texas (U.S.)-based manufacturer Lync, part of Watts Water Technologies, has said its Aegis CO2 (R744) hot-water heat pumps are now in use across the U.S., with multiple installations in California, Florida, New York and Tennessee.
According to Ryan Brown, Sales Director of Engineered Solutions at Lync, who presented the company’s Aegis heat pump range at AHR Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, February 6–8, the units are being used in a range of light-industrial and commercial applications, including in multi-family residential buildings and at a space hangar in Florida.
The Lync brand and its Aegis heat pumps were launched by Watts in April 2021.
Five times greater efficiency
Using heat pumps for hot water productions can be up to five times more efficient than alternative options, such as electric water heaters and indirect systems, said Brown during his presentation. This is largely because of the small amount of electricity required to operate a heat pump compared with the amount of heating produced, he added, noting that CO2 heat pumps are particularly well suited to this application.
“CO2 systems are tailor-made for domestic hot water production,” said Brown. “They can hit temperatures up to 230°F [110°C] in transcritical operation and can operate in ambient temperatures down to -4°F [-20°C].”
When temperatures drop below -4°F, he recommended the use of thermal storage, resistance heating or adding another unit in series with the heat pump.
“CO2 systems are tailor-made for domestic hot water production.”
Ryan Brown, Lync by Watts
The Aegis A – Lync’s air-source heat pump – can provide hot water temperatures up to 185°F (85°C) in ambient temperatures as low as -4°F, while the Aegis W – the water-source model – can produce hot water up to 185°F in ambient conditions down to 14°F (-10°C).
According to Brown, Lync offers the largest-capacity CO2-based hot water heat pump in North America, with the Aegis brand covering up to 146.5kW (41.6TR). By offering high-capacity systems, Lync is able to meet customers’ needs with fewer units and less piping, he said.
A holistic view
Lync is looking at “holistic solutions” for the built environment, said Brown, adding that a similar view is also needed for systems within it.
“We all need to work together to get the highest efficiency out of a system,” he added.
With Lync, Brown said that the entire plumbing system can go electric, and the company is also working towards developing systems for space heating.
CO2 heat pumps at AHR Expo
Lync was among several commercial domestic-hot-water heat pumps showcased by exhibitors at AHR Expo.
Japanese manufacturer Mayekawa and Canadian manufacturer Transom both unveiled CO2-based hot water heat pumps for the U.S. market at the event. Mitsubishi and ECO2 Systems also have similar products available in the U.S.
While relatively new in the U.S., CO2 hot water heat pumps have been extremely successful in Japan and other Asian markets, like South Korea, for many years.
