How the Harvest Thermal Battery System Works
Your Harvest Thermal Battery System uses five primary components to supply your home with heating and hot water:
- the Heat Pump, which is a SANCO2 heat pump water heater,
- the Tank, which is a SANCO2 water tank, typically with 119 gallons storage (although one or two 83-gallon tanks may be installed),
- the Harvest Pod,™
- the Air Handler, which may be in your attic or crawl space,
- the Air Conditioner, which is a reversible heat pump (we often call it a heat pump A/C outdoor unit),
The heat pump water heater and Pod work together to maintain a supply of hot water in the storage tank. That hot water is used directly in the home for showers, etc., and is also directed through the air handler for heating. When hot water passes through the air handler, the heat is transferred to air blown through the unit’s heat-exchanging coil, and the warm air then heats the home.
The Air Conditioner unit provides cooling in the warmer months. In addition, it supplements the heating provided by the heat pump water heater to maximize the thermal battery system's ability to shift heating loads away from times of peak cost and peak greenhouse gas emissions.
The Harvest Pod manages all of these components, serving three primary purposes:
- maintains just the right amount of hot water in the tank
- monitors and predicts heating and hot water demand based on the weather forecast and occupant usage patterns, and
- optimizes the heat pump water heater operating schedule to shift electricity from times of high prices and emissions to times and low prices and emissions, while always delivering heating and hot water whenever needed (see Leveraging Time-of-Use Rates to take best advantage for this feature)
