Heat pump startup Quilt has significantly enhanced its systems’ performance with a pioneering remote software update, boosting both heating and cooling capacity by over 20%. This marks a significant move in the HVAC industry, adopting a model of continuous improvement more commonly seen in electric vehicles.
“From the very beginning, we wanted to design systems that could be continuously improved and updated over the air,” Quilt CEO Paul Lambert explained to TechCrunch. “It’s a pattern that’s happened in EVs and gotten a lot of traction, but no one had really done that before in HVAC. We feel like we’ve created software-defined HVAC.”
The update was developed in response to demand from customers with large, open-plan homes who needed more efficient climate control. It successfully increased the system’s cooling capacity from 19,700 to 24,000 BTUs per hour and its heating output from 20,500 to 24,000 BTUs per hour.
Quilt’s approach differs sharply from the traditional HVAC sector, where updates are rare unless there is a major hardware or software issue. The company, staffed by veterans from technology giants like Google and Apple, equips its units with higher-quality components than standard residential systems, including more accurate temperature and current sensors, along with additional pressure sensors.
“We think there’s just so much value to be gained from that extra data that we felt that was worth it to integrate them,” said Isaac McQuillen, the engineer who led the project.
This innovation highlights the potential of heat pumps as an eco-friendly and cost-effective replacement for conventional gas furnaces and air conditioners. While the initial investment may be higher, these energy-efficient systems work by moving heat rather than generating it, often cutting a household’s energy bills in half and substantially lowering its carbon footprint.
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