The High-Performance High-Capacity Heat Pump Field Study tested new, high efficiency heat pumps to determine both energy and peak demand reduction benefits. Recent heat pump (HP) advances (including both increased heating capacity at low outdoor temperatures and variable speed/variable capacity controls) can greatly reduce, if not eliminate, auxiliary electric resistance (ER) heating. These advances will unleash a new era of energy abundance by strengthening grid reliability and addressing the cost-of living crisis by reducing consumer utility bills.
The study evaluated both centrally ducted and multizone systems installed either prior to or as part of this study. Homes selected for participation had high ER baseline heat loads and often no existing cooling equipment. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) engineers, with support from hired consultants, metered the energy use from Spring 2022 through Spring 2025 and calculated the heating load for each site. In Heating Zone 1 (HZ1), BPA set a balance point target of 20ºF or lower to test whether ER heat could be eliminated. This same target was maintained in Heating Zones 2 (HZ2) and 3 (HZ3) because, although design temperatures drop below 20ºF, sizing to the design load could result in impractically large and uneconomical heat pumps. In total, this study monitored equipment in 57 homes, covering 34 unique systems from 7 manufacturers, comprising 22 product lines. The equipment ranged in nominal size from 2-5 tons.
