Solar Water Heating Without Panels: New Air Conditioner Captures Heat, Makes Hot Water

May 28, 2011 - PRLog -- Chesapeake VA- HotSpot Energy has released their new Air Conditioner Water Heater (ACWH), a SEER 18 mini-split air conditioner with a built-in heat recovery circuit. The ACWH provides high efficiency indoor cooling and can make up to 100 gallons of hot water per day without consuming any extra energy for water heating. The ACWH leverages the fact that a home or other building acts as a giant solar thermal collector, gaining solar heat that is then thrown away by an air conditioner. Instead of throwing away the collected heat like a normal air conditioner would, Hotspot’s new air conditioner recovers the waste heat and transfers it into the user’s hot water tank. Detailed information about the HotSpot ACWH can be seen at http://www.hotspotenergy.com/air-conditioner-water-heaters/

The ACWH air conditioner water heater is a ductless mini-split unit designed to cool one large room up to 1,000 square feet. It was designed primarily for southern climates where air conditioners must operate most of the year, to provide indoor cooling and domestic hot water.  It is sized for a room addition, converted garage or attic, workshop, etc. It also has commercial applications in all climates, wherever hot water is needed and where a persistent cooling load exists, for example, a restaurant kitchen, laundry facility, server room cooling, etc.

The HotSpot ACWH18 system is configured similarly to a solar water heating system, except that instead of connecting the hot water tank to panels on the roof, the water heating tank connects to the ACWH outdoor condenser unit. The solar heat absorbed by the building is compressed and rejected from the indoors just like when using a standard air conditioner, but instead of throwing the heat away, the heat is transferred into the water tank by a UL-Listed double-wall, all copper, vented heat exchanger that is certified safe for drinking water. For thermal safety, the water temperature is controlled by a limit switch so that it will not exceed 140F.

According to HotSpot company spokesperson Dan Diver, “For customers in the south, the air conditioner water heater  saves about 30% in electric costs, and up to 100% in water heating costs, compared to a standard air conditioner and water heater, so the system can pay for itself as quickly as one to two years”.

HotSpot offers the Air Conditioning Water Heater through a network of dealers in North and Central America. According to Diver, the company is actively seeking dealers all around the world, and will sell directly to users in areas where no dealers have been established.

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About HotSpot Energy - HotSpot is a leading thermal engineering and development firm with a focus on water heating. The HotSpot team has a long history in solar and heat recovery engineering and has developed a number of unique air conditioning, solar and waste heat recovery products. HotSpot manufactures a complete line of heat recovery water heating equipment. More information is available about HotSpot at http://www.hotspotenergy.com