Guest Bio
Ron Domitrovic manages the Grid-Edge Customer Technologies Program at EPRI, a non-profit energy research & development organization that works with industry and policy experts to enable clean, affordable, safe and reliable access to electricity for the public benefit.
Episode Summary
Host Vic Marinich, global marketing director for air conditioning at Danfoss, is joined by Ron Domitrovic of EPRI to discuss the common myths and misconceptions about heat pumps.
Main Points
- Heat pumps are increasing in use and importance, as the push to decarbonize increases. Heat pumps create and move heat without burning fossil fuels or exhausting emissions into the atmosphere.
- The heat pumps of today are different than they were even 20 years ago.
- Many heat pumps are reversible, particularly those in residential split systems, meaning they can perform both heating and cooling functions. In the summer, you’re taking heat out of your interior space and delivering it to the outside, whereas in the winter, you’re taking it from the cold outside and you’re delivering it to the warmer inside. It’s a function of how the refrigerant is flowing.
- While there may always be conditions that require combustion or fossil fuels, heat pumps can be created and engineered for a wide variety of thermal applications.
- Myth #1: Heat pumps only blow cold air. (10:43)
- Myth #2: Heat pumps only work in mild climates. (12:43)
- Myth #3: Heat pumps will only be effective and efficient in newer homes. (14:47)
- Myth #4: Heat pumps are expensive to operate and require a lot of maintenance. (15:50)
- Myth #5: Heat pumps are complicated and expensive to install (18:14)
- Myth #6: Heat pumps are noisy. (19:33)
- Myth #7: Cold climate heat pumps aren’t available. (21:20)
- Myth #8: Heat pumps take up a lot of space. (25:07)
Links
To learn more about the EPRI and its research, visit https://www.epri.com
To learn more about variable-speed technologies for HVAC systems, visit https://www.danfoss.com/en-us/markets/refrigeration-and-air-conditioning/dcs/variable-speed/#tab-overview
To read EPRI’s latest research on heat pump operation in extreme temperatures, visit https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002022772
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For more information and additional episodes of the EnVisioneering Exchange podcast, visit https://www.danfoss.com/en-us/about-danfoss/insights-for-tomorrow/envisioneering-exchange/