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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 F E B R UA R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 4 E N E R G Y / E N V I RO N M E N T Exponential increase At SMRT Architects & Engineers in Portland, instal- lations have increased exponentially in sync with man- ufacturers expanding their product offerings, says Kate Everett, a senior principal and mechanical engineer. Roughly two-thirds of SMRT's projects are designed using some form of heat pump. at includes commercial solutions such as variable refrigerant flow systems that can connect to more indoor distribution systems to condition large spaces with fewer outdoor units, along with water source or geothermal heat pumps that use the constant temperature of the ground below the frost line, and heat pump water heaters. SMRT used a variable refrigerant flow system at Portland Commons, the new University of Southern Maine residence hall, expected to use approximately 50% less energy than it would if it met minimum energy code requirements in force at the time of design. e project received approximately $480,000 in finan- cial incentives from Efficiency Maine's commercial and industrial incentive program. "VRF is a highly efficient ductless air source heat pump system that heats and cools using piped refrigerant as opposed to air ducts," says Everett. "ese are similar to the residential style heat pump units that many of us have installed in our homes over the last several years, but these are larger scale systems connected to multiple indoor units. Depending on the space they serve, many of the indoor units allow simultaneous heating and cool- ing, which increases the user control and comfort on a large scale installation such as this." e project aligned with USM's goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, and Maine's Climate Action Plan's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, Everett notes. Additionally, "VRF systems don't need a lot of space to install compared to traditional equipment, so it actu- ally allowed us to have a lower floor-to-floor height in the building," she says. "at reduced the overall size of the building we constructed, and the associated volume that had to be heated and cooled, leading to both first cost and life cycle cost savings." A hybrid first SMRT is designing a new project in Falmouth that will use a hybrid VRF system — the newest evolution designed to maintain VRF benefits while minimizing the need for refrigerant leak detection in occupied spaces. "SMRT's project will be the first one in the state of Maine to utilize this system," says Everett. Ellen Belknap, a senior principal at SMRT, says commercial systems are coming into common use. "ey are no longer an emerging technology," says Belknap. "ey're no longer considered alternative and they are widely accepted because it's such a net positive to the environment. e huge win is that they're powered by electricity and that allows us to get off of fossil fuel." Belknap credits Efficiency Maine for the state's progress. "ey've done an exemplary job in the deployment and education and incentives around heat pumps," she says. "Maine is an early adopter state, and that's a great place to be. I feel Efficiency Maine under Michael Stoddard's leadership has gone the extra mile to get that uptake on heat pumps." Holistic next chapter Says Stoddard, "We've had a terrific run for the past 10 years, getting this new technology on its feet and the industry around it to make this new technol- ogy successful, and to make sure people are aware of what a great economic opportunity it is. Now we're entering a new chapter where we need to focus on transitioning entire buildings to this new technol- ogy. We're not just going to do onesies and twosies anymore. We need to take a holistic approach. at's the exciting new chapter for the next 10 years." L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t l s c h r e i b e r @ m a i n e b i z . b i z P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R They're no longer considered alternative and they are widely accepted because it's such a net positive to the environment. — Ellen Belknap SMRT Architects & Engineers F O C U S SMRT Architects and Engineers team members on the roof of the Portland Commons Residence Hall on the University of Southern Maine (USM) Portland campus (from left): Ellen Belknap, Kerry Dineen, Kristen Damuth and Katherine Everett.

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