The Future of Heat Pump Systems: Distributed Supplemental Heating 

The global drive for decarbonization is accelerating the shift to electrified heating in commercial buildings, but significant challenges remain. Heat pumps, while efficient in ideal conditions, often require larger units and costly infrastructure upgrades to meet heating demands, particularly in older buildings or challenging climates. These barriers increase capital and operational expenses, complicating electrification efforts and limiting the feasibility of a heat pump-only approach.
Supplemental heating technologies offer a practical solution to these challenges. By integrating additional heating sources, particularly as distributed heating units, the reliance on oversized heat pumps can be minimized, reducing both capital expenditures (CapEx) by 30% to 75% and operational costs (OpEx) by at least 7%. Various approaches, including dual-fuel systems, resistive heating, and ohmic heating, achieve this, and contribute to additional GHG reduction when supplemental heating is electrified. These strategies also have the benefit of improving energy use precision, reducing infrastructure strain, and optimizing heating performance based on occupancy and time-of-day demand.
This paper examines the role of supplemental heating in improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Data from URBS on ohmic heating units shows notable GHG savings, reduced peak demand, and enhanced system reliability in addition to cost savings. By supplementing heat pumps with these solutions, scalable, sustainable pathways for electrification are achievable.