Improving heat pump commissioning with connected diagnostics tools

As the market moves to put more air-source heat pumps in as many homes as possible, contractors can only benefit from more tools that can help ensure they install systems correctly.

On behalf of the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Slipstream will explore how to improve the commissioning of new heat pumps with advanced, connected diagnostic tools and software. These enhancements have the potential to forestall common installation defects, make system installation more manageable, and provide rich documentation of proper commissioning.

Taken together, these factors could improve performance and reduce the likelihood of poor heat pump installations, which could harm this new technology's reputation and hinder widespread adoption.

Our study will map the capabilities of available products and services that address common installation defects, put selected tools in the hands of technicians to commission recently installed heat pumps, provide insight on initial defects in installations, and illustrate a road map for how utilities can integrate connected diagnostics into their CIPs for heat pumps and central air conditioners.

This research was made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources through the Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) program, which is funded by Minnesota ratepayers.