Harvest Thermal: Adds Intelligence to Hydronic Systems
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Pierre Delforge, co-founder Harvest Thermal
The world of smart technologies is moving forward at an alarming pace. Sometimes it isn’t easy or economical to retrofit an entirely new “smart” system, or maybe you want to install a system that boasts some of the highest efficiency in the market but doesn’t come with “smart” features out of the box. Harvest Thermal can help bridge the gap from a basic hydronic combi system to an optimized smart system poised to harness the most energy from a heat pump water heater and take advantage of the growing implementation of demand/response utilities program. I had the chance to sit down with Pierre Delforge, Head of Operations and Product at Harvest Thermal, and pick his brain on how this new system came about and how it can benefit homeowners.
One of the first things I wanted to know from Pierre was what exactly is the Harvest Thermal system all about, and what’s going on inside these “pods” they’re selling. He explained that the system is comprised of two parts, a mechanical and an electrical controller. The first part, the electronic controller is the brains of the system and takes in information from many different sources which allows it to schedule on/off times for the heat pump and hydronic systems. The Harvest Thermal pod works with all hydronic systems, be it radiant panels or an air handler, and always regulates the return water temperature to 85°F, allowing the paired SANCO2 heat pump to continue operating at max efficiency.
The electronic controller acts as the brains of the system, providing a link between the equipment and data, and allowing the system to respond to external stimuli. By measuring the charge of the tank, the controller can allow the system to produce enough hot water during off peak hours before it is needed and store it for use when demand is high. This relieves stress on the grid and allows for thermal energy production during times when electricity may be priced lower. The smart controller is capable of monitoring not only current conditions but is also able to monitor predicted weather reports and the individual usage and performance of the home.
Harvest Thermal Pod
The data based predictive modeling approach allows the Harvest Thermal system to augment the rated output capacity than the SANCO2 alone could provide, upwards of 2x as much in ideal conditions. This means that during periods of high demand the system will be capable of providing ample hot water for domestic use and hydronic usage. This is achieved by treating the storage tank as a thermal battery of sorts and allowing the heat pump to run concurrently with water usage.
The second piece of the Harvest Thermal system is the mechanical controls. This is the “pod” that connects all the mechanical elements of the system together and passes information and controls between the electronic controls and system components. The mechanical pod consists of many sensors, pumps, and valves, all factory assembled and tested to make field installation easy. Systems like this already exist, albeit site built and only in the realm of commercial and industrial applications. Harvest Thermal has taken the same concept and assembled it into an affordable and compact component that makes it easy to install and operate in a residential setting.
Configured this way, Harvest Thermal allows a SANCO2 heat pump and tank to act as a thermal battery supplying domestic hot water and pairing with radiant heating or a hydronic air handler. This is a much more elegant and versatile setup than the traditional method of doing a combi system using only a heat exchanger and circulator. Harvest Thermal’s electronic controls can intercept and send signals accordingly, and the mechanical controls respond to the demands of the system and situation.
Development of the Harvest Thermal ecosystem began 5 years ago in Pierre’s own home. The initial system showed promise, but quickly revealed that software and smart controls were required for the concept perform at its best. Over the next several years much research and development was done to provide the necessary software to make this vision come to light. By 2021 prototypes were being deployed in customer trials, allowing further improvements to be made system wide.
One of the great things about how Harvest Thermal is configured is that since it is primarily software based, it is easy to update and continually improve performance and add features. Customers can look forward to receiving continued support and any future updates to the Harvest Thermal system. This can see the cost savings increase from the already impressive 30-40% the current configuration is achieving.
Over time the cost savings seen from this system can greatly offset the initial cost of installation. This isn’t the only way to offset the cost though. More utilities companies are offering incentives and rebates for installing efficient heat pump systems. Pairing the incentives with the overtime energy savings offers an extremely efficient system at a competitive price over the lifetime of the system.
Harvest Thermal is a comprehensive system capable of working not only with heat pumps, but also hydronic systems, and can leverage environmental and situational factors to produce thermal energy at the optimal times for the highest efficiency. By providing a proactive rather than reactive approach, Harvest Thermal can ease the load on the grid, and use energy in a cleaner way by scheduling hot water production during times when more renewable resources are available, such as wind or solar. With continued support and improvements, investing in a Harvest Thermal smart system is a smart move.
Wondering if a Harvest Thermal System is the right product for your home?
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