In a bid to address the nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions emitted by buildings, Johnson Controls has joined forces with the Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate the electrification of heating and cooling systems in commercial buildings. One powerful tool to decarbonize buildings are heat pumps. However, less than 15% of commercial buildings in the United States currently utilize heat pumps, highlighting the need for a concerted effort to promote their adoption. Heat pump adoption is especially low in cold climates where the performance and availability of commercial building equipment lags behind residential systems.

"The electrification of heating and cooling in commercial buildings is a critical step towards decarbonization," emphasized Chris Forth, VP Regulatory, Codes and Environmental Affairs at Johnson Controls. “We continue to see an emphasis on renewable energy sources and a demand for high-efficiency HVAC systems that include heat pumps. Cooperation across the industry, like this DOE initiative, is proving essential to speed up the path to net-zero buildings.”

Under the DOE's accelerator program, Johnson Controls, along with other leading manufacturers, will collaborate with commercial customers as well as the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to drive the development and demonstration of cold climate commercial heat pumps in packaged rooftop applications within an accelerated timeframe.

Johnson Controls offers a comprehensive range of heat pumps and is committed to providing sustainable solutions for decarbonization, both for commercial and residential uses. The company has previously participated in the DOE Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge for residential applications. The DOE's initiatives, including the rooftop accelerator program, aim to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in commercial buildings.

Through this public-private collaboration, the DOE hopes to accelerate and advance the adoption of cold climate commercial heat pumps used in rooftop applications. The objective is for heat pump manufacturers to achieve higher efficiencies in heating while maintaining life cycle cost-effectiveness, which will significantly lower overall building emissions. DOE will provide resources and guidance to end users and other stakeholders to increase adoption of both existing and emerging technologies to meet market demand.

Read more about this initiative here.