Inflation and rising energy costs have heavily impacted household energy consumption rates, making efficient technologies like heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) financially out of reach. To address this, we developed the “Retro Loop”—an add-on heat pump module that retrofits with existing electric water heater tanks. Designed to heat water during off-peak hours, the Retro Loop reduces energy consumption and cuts utility bills, without requiring homeowners to invest in a completely new system. By reducing utility bills by 67-80%, our product provides substantial relief from rising energy expenses.
Image 2: Group photo of design team. From left to right: Jacob Owens, Jonathan Schertzer, Olivia Wilson, and Diego Prado
This project was a 2024-2025 challenge level winner for the Department of Energy competition, Jump into Stem. This win allowed members of the project to attend a laboratory day at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and internships at NREL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
