Heating and Cooling Solutions
High-Performance Heat Pumps (Air to Air)
High-performance heat pump units can be used by businesses for both your heating and cooling needs while saving energy and money. Units must meet the minimum HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) requirements in order to qualify for incentives from Efficiency Maine.
Click here to find out more about high-performance heat pumps and available incentives.
Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems
Variable refrigerant flow systems can simultaneously heat and cool different parts of a building. These systems can be very efficient because they can take waste heat captured in one part of the building (e.g., a server room, or the face of the building exposed to the sun) and deliver it to spaces requiring heat. Because they rely on a different distribution network than is present in most existing buildings, variable refrigerant flow systems are most often installed in new buildings or as part of large renovation projects. Click here for more details on incentives for variable refrigerant flow systems. You can read more about variable refrigerant flow systems here.
Packaged Terminal Heat Pumps
Packaged terminal heat pumps are heating and cooling systems used for individual rooms, typically seen in the hospitality industry. These “through the wall” systems are self contained with a permanent electrical connection. Outdoor air is used as a source of heat in the winter and cool air in the summer through a distribution fan.
Vertical Packaged Terminal Heat Pumps
Vertical packaged terminal heat pumps are very similar to the typical packaged terminal heat pump technology, except they offer a different option for installation space. The vertical units are self-contained heating and cooling systems with a permanent electrical connection. Outdoor air is used as a source of heat in the winter and cool air in the summer through a distribution fan.
Water Source Heat Pumps
Water Source heat pumps are systems that use the constant temperature of the ground (geothermal) below the frost line to heat and cool throughout different seasons. The water source can also be achieved by using high efficient hydronic boilers and a cooling system such as a cooling tower. Click here for more information.
Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) Systems
In a commercial setting ERVs are used to condition outside air that ventilates into a building, taking the load off of a heating or cooling system and making them more efficient. There are several types of ERVs depending on the needs of a building:
- Rotary heat exchanger – plastic or metal wheels that rotate between the exhaust and incoming airflow, picking up heat from one airstream and transferring it to another.
- Plate heat exchanger – a fixed core allows air to flow through channels, heating or cooling down material within the channels and allowing energy to transfer.
- Heat pipe heat exchanger – heat pipes, which are filled with refrigerant, are used to transport air between the exhaust and the outside airflow. One channel heats the refrigerant to cause evaporation while another cools the pipe to cause condensation.
- Runaround coil heat exchanger – a water coil is used in the exhaust and in the incoming ventilation air stream. Two coils are filled with a water and glycol mix to keep it operational. Heat is moved from one tube to the other.
Click here for more information on ERV incentives.
Get Started
Work with an Efficiency Maine Qualified Partner to install high-efficiency cooling solutions. Click here to find a Qualified Partner working near you. As part of the project approval process, you will accept the C&I Prescriptive Program’s Terms and Conditions.
If you work with a contractor that is not yet a Qualified Partner, urge your contractor to find out more information here.
Don’t see your cooling project listed here? Contact Efficiency Maine at 866-376-2463. Or you can learn more about these systems here.