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Flow Environmental Systems
Based in Rogers, MN, Flow Environmental Systems manufactures and distributes patented commercial CO2 heat pumps to decarbonize multifamily buildings, offices, schools, and public buildings while making them more energy efficient.
- Startup: Flow Environmental Systems
- Headquartered: Rogers, MN
- Technology: CO2 Heat Pump
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Innovators Network partner: Local 455
Pipefitters/Steamfitters Union - Project location: Saint Paul, MN
Flow designs and manufactures a patented commercial CO2 heat pump to decarbonize multifamily buildings, offices, schools, and public buildings while making them more energy efficient.
About the Company
Flow Environmental Systems is a Minnesota-based engineering and manufacturing company bringing commercially viable and environmentally responsible heating and cooling technologies and solutions to the North American market. They specialize in CO2-based heat pump systems that can simultaneously produce chilled water, domestic hot water, and boiler temperature hot water for the commercial market.
These units are a “mechanical room in a box”, replacing traditional HVAC systems (chillers, and heaters/boilers for domestic hot water and comfort heating), with high-efficiency, fully electric heat pumps designed for a 30-year+ life.
Innovator Network Partners
Local 455 Steamfitters/Pipefitters will host the project demonstration, with support from the City of Saint Paul and Full Stack Saint Paul.
Additional Project Partner
SVL serves as Flow’s regional Sales and Service Partner, providing local product sales, marketing, training, educational outreach, customer installation support, and service.
About the Technology
Flow’s ANSWR™ heat pump platform is a 100% electric system that operates as cooling-only chiller, heating-only heat pump or boiler, domestic water heater, or all three at the same time as a simultaneous heating and cooling system from a single power feed.
The ANSWR™ heat pump can operate in cold climates down to -40 F, which is especially relevant in Minnesota. This new technology simplifies retrofitting existing buildings by plumbing into existing building hydronic systems and, in most cases, by using no more than the existing electrical power to replace fossil fuel heating – no costly electrical upgrades are required!
The system, using ANSWR ™ technology is available in 20T-120T air and water source units and outperforms synthetic refrigerant-based heat pumps by:
- Operating in all US environments (-40F to 120 F) without significant loss of capacity or efficiency.
- Avoiding defrost derating or need for redundant equipment during defrost, thereby reducing amount of equipment required as well as footprint and weight.
- Providing heating or cooling at large or small differential temperatures up to 180F, for easy adoption in gas-fired boiler retrofits.
- Using a safe, natural refrigerant, free of PFAS (forever chemical) toxins and with an ultra-low GWP of 1.
- Combining heating, cooling, domestic hot water, and energy recovery while managing thermal loads independently producing COPs (coefficient of performance) between 2-7 depending on configuration and ambient conditions.
- Being highly efficient and producing up to 180F water, which, together with its modular design, allows easy “plug and play” into existing piping and electrical infrastructure to reduce project scope and minimize disruptions to existing building activities; both elements resulting in major reductions in overall project cost.
About the Demonstration Project
Flow and SVL will install a 20-ton ANSWR CO2 heat pump at the Local 455 Pipefitters/Steamfitters building in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The ANSWR will be demonstrated in comparison to a fossil fuel-based heat pump to demonstrate performance and emission profiles.
This demonstration will have interactive displays and educational information and be integrated into the Pipefitters/Steamfitters training program for workforce development.