Cold Climate Packaged Terminal Heat Pumps in NYC: Early Insights from the Field

Neale Misquitta
Proposal Status
Ready for Committee Review
Username
Neale Misquitta
Proposer First Name
Neale
Proposer Email
nmisquitta@swinter.com
Proposer Last Name
Misquitta
Proposer Phone
(203) 970-2626
Proposer Job Title
Building Systems Analyst
Proposed Session Description
There are hundreds of thousands of packaged terminal ACs in New York City. They are inexpensive to install, but inefficient, relying on electric resistance or central system supplements for heating. New PTHP technology promises a more efficient solution. Our team collected real-world operational data on PTHPs in multifamily buildings in NYC and proposes to present key findings. The presentation will cover considerations for energy consumption, occupant comfort, and cold climate performance.
Why is this session important?
As the city and state try to electrify buildings to lower GHG emissions, packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs) offer a cost-effective, low-carbon way to provide heating and cooling in new construction or in retrofitted multifamily buildings. Historically, PTHPs have been inefficient in cold climates, swapping over to electric resistance heating or central heating at temperatures below 40℉. But new cold climate PTHPs should be capable of heating at ambient temperatures down to -5℉, while maintaining relatively high coefficients of performance. Our team has conducted multiple studies now on cold-climate PTHPs that have been installed in new construction projects in NYC. Our findings offer a more nuanced view and offer suggestions for greater performance and ultimately tenant comfort. In this presentation we hope to provide some background on PTHP units and discuss findings from two research projects. We would also provide an overview of our experimental method and the lessons learned during data collection to help inform future research.

Comments

Elizabeth Engoren Tue, 05/16/2023 - 3:33 pm

Round 1: YES - Good topic but I'm interested to see how much data they have. If we select this talk, the proposer needs to expand the speaker panel to include a heat pump contractor who can talk about the installation process/best practices.

Martin Robertson Sun, 05/21/2023 - 9:48 pm

Round 1.YesI like that they have performed some studies and seem to be prepared to provide actual findings. As this is a hot topic in NYC, especially amongst multi-family buildings I think this is worth further review.

Ben Sachs-Hamilton Thu, 05/25/2023 - 10:54 am

Round 1 discussion: - It would be great to add a contractor to add a different perspective- They have data, just did not include in proposal (How big is the data set? Is demand being considered as well?)

Lea Keating Wed, 06/14/2023 - 10:14 am

Review Notes:Data set is fairly large. Two NYC based projects being discussed:1. New Contruction L&M building 12 units monitored for 1 year. Data includes trend analysis as well as Extreme Day performance in both hot and cold weather.2. Retrofit Related building: replaced old PTACs in 3 units. Very granlular minute by minute data here.  Interesting note: One unit was removed mid project and replaced with old unit at resident's insistence after complaint of not being able to cool to 67* Thought it was interesting to hear end user feedback.Neale confirmed that they will be able to expand the panel to include an installer/manufacturer rep as well as an owners rep in order to provide various perspectives and insights.

Diversity and Inclusiveness
Not addressed in session
Learning Objectives
Describe current market conditions and existing technologies in New York City/State
Summarize the potential advantages of PTHPs in the context of climate and building management goals
Outline study methodologies and analysis
Communicate real-world finds and discuss potential implications for decarbonization solutions
Has this session been presented before?
No
Additional Comments
One speaker presented packaged terminal heat pumps in passive house buildings as part of NYC Accelerator.
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 1 - No prior knowledge needed.

NYC 2023 Areas of Focus

Session Format Details
One 30/40 minute presentation followed by Q&A
Recommended Length
60-minute session
Reviewer 1
Engoren, Elizabeth
Reviewer 2
Keating, Lea
Proposal #
179
Committee Decision
Being Considered

Presenters