Practical Application of an Absorption Heat Pump to Commercial Water Heating

Commercial hot water heating in the US accounts for 780 Trillion Btu/year of primary energy use, with over half of this amount from natural gas fired heaters. A commercial absorption heat pump could achieve a level of savings much higher than possible by conversion to the best available non-heat-pump gas fired alternatives (instantaneous condensing). The ammonia-water system has the added advantage of zero Global Warming Potential and Ozone Depletion Potential. This seminar presents the development of a practical absorption heat pump cycle with laboratory-measured performance metrics, outlines potential installation layouts, and presents the economic case for adoption in commercial buildings.