The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) commended the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the agency's recent announcement, which enables water-to-water residential geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) to earn the Energy Star label for the first time. 

The stringent specifications for this new category of geothermal heat pumps, which were requested by AHRI's Applied Packaged Equipment Section, will help protect the environment and reduce energy costs — up to 45 percent more efficient than conventional models.

The EPA worked with industry stakeholders to revise the requirements in response to growing consumer demand for water-to-water geothermal heat pumps — demand partly brought on by the significant federal tax credits that are available for the products. "We are grateful to EPA staff for their willingness to work with AHRI to add this new GHP category to the Energy Star program," said Karim Amrane, AHRI's vice president for Regulatory and Research. 

The new requirements for water-to-water equipment complements existing efficiency and performance requirements for water-to-air and direct geoexchange GHP models. Homeowners who install geothermal heat pumps with the Energy Star are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

 
Source: AHRI