Approximately 25% of multifamily units in buildings with four units or fewer and more than 40% of units in larger multifamily buildings (MFB) in Minnesota are heated with electric resistance heat (MN Energy Efficiency Potential Study, 2018). This is particularly prevalent in lower-income buildings whose occupants can least afford high heating costs. Technological advances in cold climate air source heat pump (ccASHP) technology offer an opportunity to reduce heating energy use and occupant energy costs in this underserved housing sector. However, retrofit applications of ccASHPs to MFBs is distinctly different from that in single-family homes, and it is crucial to effectively recognize and address these differences for ccASHPs to meet their truly large savings potential in MFBs.

Hear key findings from Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) on a field study of a sample of ccASHPs in four Minnesota multifamily buildings, where CEE installed, monitored and evaluated the performance of these ccASHPs over at least one full heating season. The presentation will cover the detailed performance data to unpack the trade-offs of different ccASHP applications and approaches, installation best practices, the importance and impact of good controls and interactions with existing and supplemental heating sources.