Central heat pump hot water for 5 to 500 units, backed by modular Thermal Tanks that carry the morning shower peak. Keep the existing boiler as backup or replace it. At Cleveland Lofts, storage and rooftop PVT now cover 42% of the building's thermal demand.
Results depend on unit count, daily demand, electricity and fuel prices and installation. Case study figures apply to the building studied. Sizing, code and incentive decisions belong to the project's engineer, contractor, utility or tax advisor.
Cleveland Lofts, a multifamily complex with a central basement boiler, added 12 Thermal Tanks and 96 PVT panels on the roof to preheat domestic hot water. Figures are quoted as published in the case study.
54,000 kWh a year served from storage, cutting boiler energy from 131,000 to 77,000 kWh.
Enough to clear the decarbonization threshold for SBA green financing.
12 Thermal Tanks at a 95 °F differential, fed by a 60 kW-thermal PVT array.
Minimal maintenance. Net project cost $81,000 after $48,000 in incentives.
Source: Cleveland Lofts case study. Financing interest savings were not included in the published financial analysis.
A central heat pump sized for the 7 a.m. shower peak is oversized the other 22 hours. Thermal storage lets the heat pump run long and slow while the tank serves the rush.
Thermal Tanks preheat the feed to an existing central boiler, so electrification can start before the boiler is due for replacement.
Each tank is assembled on site from panels, so it reaches basements and rooftops a welded tank cannot. Tanks combine for larger buildings.
Measured decarbonization supports green financing, utility heat pump programs and multifamily electrification pathways such as Con Edison's.
An air-to-water heat pump, PowerPanel PVT or the existing boiler charges the Thermal Tank off peak. Fewer starts, higher efficiency, less wear.
A 350-gallon tank stores about 54.6 kWh at a 35 °C differential; a 700-gallon tank stores 108 kWh. Add tanks as unit count grows.
A load-side heat exchanger serves the morning peak from stored heat, so the heat pump is sized for average demand, not the rush.
Existing water heaters stay in place for boost and backup. The engineer of record confirms final sizing and controls.
It depends on unit count, metered daily volume and how sharp the morning peak is. Cleveland Lofts used 12 tanks for a central plant; smaller buildings often start with one or two. The mechanical engineer confirms sizing.
Yes. Thermal Tanks can preheat the boiler feed, so the boiler runs less and stays as backup. Full replacement with a heat pump plant is a later step if the owner wants it.
Often, through utility electrification programs and state or federal credits. Cleveland Lofts received $48,000. The Incentive Finder lists programs to check; the administrator and tax advisor decide eligibility.
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