Bright Power, Inc.
At a Glance
Industry
Energy or Utility
Project Types
Clean and Renewable Energy, Commercial Energy Efficiency
Year
2021
Location
Oakland, CA
Summary
Apeksha analyzed data from Bright Power’s hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) installations to assess performance after key modifications, identify improvement opportunities, and implement effective maintenance measures for continued optimum performance.
Goals
Bright Power has identified hybrid central HPWH systems as a transitional technology with the potential to accelerate California’s building electrification agenda. There are challenges associated with electrifying and balancing domestic hot water systems in large multifamily building retrofits. Bright Power had extensive data monitoring in place and implemented several key modifications based on the 2020 EDF fellow’s analysis. In continuation of this work, Bright Power tasked Apeksha to evaluate performance before and after key modifications across different seasons and inform future system designs. In addition, she was also tasked with developing a succinct, easy-to-use project specific HPWH maintenance manuals. These manuals empower the property maintenance team to ensure the optimum performance of the domestic hot water system.
Solutions
Apeksha approached the project using a three-part process:
- Downloaded approximately 18 months of data from HPWH monitoring systems and created data visualization modules that display key performance indicators before and after modifications and aided investigations into the operating characteristics of hybrid and all-electric HPWH systems.
- Informed future designs using data to assess how tank sizing, piping configuration, entering air and water temperatures and indoor/outdoor installation affected central HPWH performance in Multifamily buildings.
- Developed user friendly HPWH maintenance manuals to empower the property maintenance team to efficiently upkeep, troubleshoot, and ensure the seamless operation of the domestic hot water system at site.
Potential Impact
Apeksha has created a rich set of data visualization assets indicating the performance of HPWHs before and after key modifications undertaken by Bright Power. This analysis can help inform project managers, energy engineers, and contractors of the benefits of hybrid HPWH systems and enable them to show tangible results to the building owners and incentive programs. In addition, the HPWH maintenance manual is a tool that was created for the property maintenance team, keeping their unique needs in mind to ensure continued optimum performance of these hybrid water heating systems. Apeksha’s efforts have ultimately solidified Bright Power as a leader of central HPWH retrofits.