Development Requirements for Advanced Industrial Heat Pumps

DOE is attempting to advance the use of heat pumps to save energy in industrial processes. The approach has emphasized developing better heat pump technology and transferring that technology to the private sector. DOE requires that heat pump technology selected for development be both applicable to industrial processes and economically advantageous. To be applicable to industrial processes, heat pumps must be capable of temperature lifts and temperature operating ranges which are compatible with industrial processes. These two requirements for applicability appear to have more impact than all others. To be economically feasible, new technologies for pumping heat must have the potential to provide process heat at lower cost than can be provided by either alternative heat sources such as boilers or state-of-the-art heat pumps