YORK Introduces Industry-first Screw Heat Pump Using R-1234ze Refrigerant

Johnson Controls announced the launch of the YORK YVWH Water-to-Water Dual Variable Speed Screw Heat Pump, the first screw heat pump in North America to use R-1234ze refrigerant. R-1234ze is a refrigerant with an ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) of 1, enabling the YVWH to go considerably beyond the refrigerant regulations that go into effect starting January 1, 2025, as currently proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The YVWH is three times more energy efficient than a typical boiler and four times more efficient than traditional boiler and chiller equipment when providing heating, cooling and hot water for light commercial buildings and industrial processes. By replacing a boiler or traditional equipment with the YVWH heat pump, commercial and industrial facilities can significantly reduce their energy use, water consumption and carbon emissions while keeping occupants comfortable and processes running effectively.

“Low-GWP refrigerants and the electrification of heating and cooling with heat pumps are two essential pieces of a successful sustainability strategy,” said Todd Grabowski, vice president and general manager of Applied Equipment at Johnson Controls. “Our teams engineered the YORK® YVWH heat pump to help our customers meet regulations and reach their net zero goals while satisfying their end-use applications. It’s another example of how we're engineering the future.”

With outstanding operational flexibility, the YVWH supports simultaneous heating and cooling functions and can be operated in three modes: heating only, cooling only or simultaneous heating and cooling. Especially advantageous for high-temperature hot water heating applications, the YWVH is the first screw heat pump that can provide water temperatures up to 176° F (80° C). At that temperature, the unit can provide 4,050 MBH of heating while simultaneously providing 200 tons of chilled water cooling at 41° F (5° C). The YVWH also features variable-speed drive and has excellent turndown that allows it to run with as low as 25% of the design-heating load.

Each YVWH unit is factory-tested to ensure performance and is highly scalable to meet application needs. Multiple units can be combined or work in parallel with other YORK water-to-water heat pumps like the CYK to increase capacity and application benefits.