HVACO2 – Air handling unit with reversible CO2 heat pump

The HVACO2 project aims to develop a new energy efficient air handling unit with heat recovery and reversible heat pump technology using the natural refrigerant CO2 for the HVAC market. Today, only a few HVAC solutions with natural refrigerants are available in the market despite an increasing demand for sustainable solutions for the building stock and an increased commercial value in sustainable building improvements. The HVACO2 project will optimize the air handling unit by the development of a circuit design with ejector, benefitting the operation in warmer climates and thereby expanding the export potential. The project will develop new technology introduced in a model range with excellent performance enabling the lowering of the seasonal energy consumption for heating and cooling of the fresh air supply by approximately 25 % compared to the products available today. The market for HVAC solutions is huge and air-conditioning alone is estimated to account for 10 % of the global electricity use. The air handling unit with reversible heat pump using CO2 as refrigerant is expected to achieve significant market shares contributing considerably to the phase out of fossil fuels.