The goal of this demonstration is to validate a cost-effective and energy-efficient approach to retrofitting existing domestic hot water systems and provide supplemental dehumidification to Department of War (DoW) barracks, dormitories, lodging, and hotels. This project will seek to demonstrate at least a 60% energy cost savings for a domestic hot water system retrofit, while providing much needed dehumidification to improve indoor environmental quality in DoW barracks and installation lodging facilities. The project will also aim to demonstrate a novel, life cycle and cost-effective retrofit approach that meets the Energy Service Company’s (ESCO) financing hurdles with the broad goal of scaled adoption by the DoW ESCO community.

The technology will validate and demonstrate a highly efficient wastewater heat recovery and cooling system that uses a specialized water-to-water heat pump and heat exchangers. This heat pump recovers energy directly from wastewater from barracks and lodging facilities, and uses this energy source to produce hot water. Sharc Energy has recently developed an integrated hybrid product, a PIRANHA HC water-to-water heat pump. It includes packaged wastewater heat recovery, supplemental cooling, and domestic hot water heat pump systems.

New high-efficiency dehumidification and water heating technologies, such as the PIRANHA, may be able to reduce operating costs of water heating systems and improve indoor air quality within DoW facilities. Reducing energy demand and increasing demand flexibility would also improve energy resilience and provide a more reliable energy supply for mission-critical loads. This project will demonstrate domestic hot water heating equipment that could improve efficiency and energy resilience while enabling grid integration to maximize energy savings. In addition, PIRANHA’s integrated hybrid system design could optimize space dehumidification and water heating to provide further energy and cost benefits, including improved indoor air quality in barracks and lodging facilities. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2028)