Reversible Heat Pumps for Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling in Canada

The pursuit of greener, more efficient, and more comfortable buildings has sparked innovations throughout the HVAC industry. Among these innovations are reversible heat pumps, which offer hybrid heating and cooling solutions for the challenging Canadian climate. Reversible heat pump technology offers a more flexible and energy-efficient approach to heating and cooling over conventional technologies. Where conventional hydronic systems use a combination of an air-cooled chiller and a boiler to supply water of various temperatures to different parts of a building, reversible heat pumps use electricity to perform heating or cooling, according to the loads.

“We call this the hybrid heat pump plant,” explains Chris DesRoches, P. Eng., Applied Product Manager, HVAC Division, with Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc. (”MESCA”). “Instead of a conventional chiller and boiler system, the chiller is replaced with a reversible heat pump so it can produce hot water or chilled water. That way, it can act as a chiller, but you also have the added benefit of using it to provide heat when your chiller would otherwise be shut off over the winter.”   “The idea is not to replace boilers outright”, DesRoches stresses. “Instead, these electrically-powered heat pumps are designed to take over for the boiler until conditions make it necessary to switch back.”

In this sense, heat pumps offer a cleaner and less expensive alternative to chiller replacements. Instead of replacing an old chiller with the same model, for example, owners can install a heat pump chiller that produces hot water to offset natural gas boiler usage during the colder Canadian seasons.

“Ultimately, it’s about using the energy that you have in your building as smartly as you can to minimize your carbon footprint” DesRoches adds.

Low carbon footprint and enviable COP (coefficient of performance) are natural advantages of reversible heat pumps. Other advantages include energy-saving features found in conventional boilers, such as outdoor reset technology - which increases or decreases water supply temperatures circulating throughout a building in response to outdoor conditions and changes in load conditions.

"Outdoor reset technology has been used in boiler systems for decades, and the same feature also exists in reversible heat pumps,” notes DesRoches. “In addition to offering the high energy efficiency of a Heat Pump, you can further increase energy savings by utilizing other energy saving features. Reversible heat pumps have features in common with, and operating principles that are similar to, conventional chiller and boiler systems except that reversible heat pumps use clean and renewable energy sources unlike their fossil fuel counterparts."

Reversible heat pumps have been proven and trusted solutions in markets like Europe and Asia for many years but have only recently found their footing in Canada. MESCA is leading the charge with its line of heat pumps designed by Climaventa, a European HVAC and HPAC manufacturer, and pioneer in higher-energy efficiency solutions for the built environment for over 45 years.

Climaveneta was acquired by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 2015 to provide energy efficient alternatives to traditional Hydronic HVAC systems and, more importantly, solutions that can handle challenging year round environments.

“We are excited to be launching Climaveneta in Canada, and the products we are introducing now are just the tip of the iceberg,” says DesRoches adding, “We need to start thinking about how we can use the energy we have in smarter and more efficient ways in order to achieve Canada’s Carbon emission reduction targets; and technologies like these are a big part of the solution.”

Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc. features solutions from Climaveneta, a brand of Mitsubishi Electric, a global leader with a vast portfolio of energy-efficient, non-carbon-based space and water heating and cooling solutions. For more details or information on training, visit www.Climaveneta.ca 

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What is a reversible heat pump?

A reversible heat pump is an HVAC system that can provide both heating and cooling. In hydronic building systems, it can produce chilled water for cooling or hot water for heating, giving building owners a more flexible alternative to a conventional chiller-only setup.

How is a reversible heat pump different from a conventional chiller and boiler system?

A conventional hydronic system typically uses an air-cooled chiller for cooling and a boiler for heating. A reversible heat pump can take on part of both roles by producing chilled water when cooling is needed and hot water when heating is needed, helping reduce reliance on fossil fuel boiler operation.

Why are reversible heat pumps useful in Canadian buildings?

Canadian buildings often require both cooling and heating across the year. Reversible heat pumps are useful because they can support seasonal heating and cooling needs while allowing boilers to remain available for colder outdoor conditions or peak heating demand.

What is a hybrid heat pump plant?

A hybrid heat pump plant combines a reversible heat pump with existing or supplemental boiler equipment. The heat pump handles heating or cooling when conditions are suitable, while the boiler can provide additional heating support when required.

How can reversible heat pumps help reduce a building’s carbon footprint?

Reversible heat pumps use electricity to move heat rather than relying only on fossil fuel combustion for heating. By offsetting natural gas boiler usage during suitable operating conditions, they can help reduce building emissions and support lower-carbon HVAC strategies.

• Natural Resources Canada — Electric Heat Pumps — Government of Canada overview of electric heat pumps as energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.
• International Energy Agency — The Future of Heat Pumps — Global report on heat pump adoption, efficiency, and emissions reduction.
• ASHRAE Journal — How Building Decarbonization Can Transform HVAC — Article on how heat pump systems can support lower-carbon HVAC strategies in buildings.
• Natural Resources Canada — Green Building Principles — Canadian guidance on improving building energy efficiency and reducing emissions.