Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Mohit Gera, our Canadian Service Manager We discussed the nature of his work and the challenges he faces specifically while providing Zehnder service for both single-family and multi-family units.
Read MoreSANCO2 Heat Pump Water Heaters were a paradigm shifter when Small Planet Supply began carrying them in 2017. It seemed incredible that a water heater could achieve a COP of up to five while using a natural refrigerant with a GWP of less than one. The ability of a SANCO2 heat pump to produce an abundance of hot water began to spark the imagination of homeowners, innovators, and mechanical system designers alike. This blog post highlights three ways to utilize a SANCO2 in projects of all sizes, from smallest to biggest.
Read MoreIf you’ve explored our Small Planet Supply website a bit, you may have run into our SANCO2 for Space Heating page. If you haven’t, a SANCO2 combi system refers to when a SANCO2 heat pump water heater is also used to heat a home in addition to providing domestic hot water. This innovation of doing this in North America really started here in the Western United States. In fact, the first SANCO2 combi used in a retrofit application in North America was done by Small Planet Supply CEO Albert Rooks in 2015. If you’ve ever wondered about the backstory using a SANCO2 combi system in retrofit construction, this interview is worth a read.
Read MoreSANCO2 heat pump water heaters make for a super-efficient domestic hot water system (so great in fact, that they are a key component of the WaterDrop System, learn more here). These heat pumps work in a wide range of climates and are very efficient down to -27*f. Being used in such cold temperatures brings a common issue however, and that is the issue of ice. Read on to learn more about what’s happening to these units in super cold climates, and what ECO2 Systems has done to remedy the problem.
Read MoreSince Washington increased its energy efficiency credit requirements in the residential building code, I’ve run across a few blog articles that suggest ways to meet using natural gas heating or water heaters. Since a key reason for changing codes is to build homes or multi-family buildings that are better for the environment, I thought I’d take some time to look at the code and see how hard (or easy) it is to meet the code without using natural gas. WSU’s Energy Program was an excellent resource for learning about the code and all the informative graphics (except for the drain water recovery system) are from their PPT presentations.
A quick caveat: these totals are based on Washington State Building Code requirements there may be additional requirements for local building jurisdictions.
If you’re familiar with SANCO2 heat pump water heaters already, you know about the many great benefits they bring to the field of domestic water heating. Highly efficient with COPs approaching 5, hot water provided at ambient temperatures down to -14F, and of course the namesake CO2 refrigerant which is the lowest polluting and safest refrigerant on the market. SANCO2, previously made under the name of Sanden is now under the new flag of ECO2 Systems, and the new 4th generation of heat pumps is coming to market under that name. Worried about the changes? You shouldn’t be!
Read MoreSmall Planet University has just released its latest course, “Certification Course for SANCO2 Water Heating Plant Installers”. This course is largely focused on providing information for plumbing contractors to install a SANCO2 DHWP system as well as giving a high-level overview of system configuration concepts which can be useful to architects, engineers, utility teams and more.
Read MoreOur past blog posts have highlighted using the SANCO₂ heat pump water heater for combi-system (using SANCO₂ to perform both space and hot water heating) and multi-family applications. This blog post focuses on the basics of the technology that makes SANCO₂ a brilliant choice for energy-efficient hot water heating in most homes.
Read MoreMultifamily domestic hot water design need not be a complicated or expensive array of water heaters for each residence. A tidy and efficient design can be provided by a centralized heat pump system. To best achieve this, enter the SANCO2 hot water heat pump. These two-component systems can be used as building blocks of a much larger central DHW plant. The SANCO2 also boasts increased efficiency over electric heating element tanks, and lower global warming potential than natural gas and even other heat pump water heaters. Using a centralized DHW plant design, rather than individual units for each residence, the cost is spread out while still providing steady hot water to residents. Consider meeting new energy codes with a centralized hot water heat pump system that provides higher energy efficiency and a carbon free heating system.
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