Heat pumps have a bit of a problem. They outsold gas furnaces for the second year in a row, and homeowners who install gas furnaces are eligible to receive thousands of dollars in incentives under the Inflation Control Act. But they're not growing as fast as they probably should. Getting consumers to adopt new technology isn't always easy. Especially if it's something as basic as heating and cooling.
Consumer hesitation was the main thing Paul Lambert had in mind when bringing Kilt's new heat pump to market.
“No matter where someone comes from today or what situation they're in, we want them to feel like they're upgrading,” said the startup's co-founder and CEO. CEO Lambert told TechCrunch.
Heat pumps are so different from existing heating and air conditioning setups that many consumers give up. Part of it is in the design. The most common installation uses a mini-split inside the house. This is basically a large plastic appliance that is hung high on the wall. It's not something you can proudly brag about to your friends.
Quilt says its heat pumps address these concerns and promise a sleek design that can be installed in more indoor locations than competitors' products. The company has only released teaser images so far. It looks promising, but we'll have to wait until the final product is unveiled on May 15th to make a final judgment. The company designed the core of the system in-house, but works with manufacturing partners to produce the units.
Design is not the only challenge facing traditional heat pumps. Many customers are disgusted by the way it operates. In most homes, one mini-split (known as the “head”) handles both heating and cooling for her one room. Each head has its own thermostat or remote control, so if you want to adjust the temperature throughout your home, you'll have to visit every room.
Instead, Quilt has centralized control of the system. Each room still has a head with a means of sensing temperature, but the user only needs one physical control to adjust the settings for the entire house. Alternatively, you can use Quilt's app.
“If you have a thermostat in your bedroom and you want to make sure it's turned off in the living room, or you want to change the temperature in something like your kids' room, you can just swipe into that room and change it from the thermostat,” Lambert said. Ta. If you don't want to make tweaks to individual rooms, “you can also set the temperature for your entire home from the thermostat.”
Quilt's control setup suggests a level of integration that most consumer heat pumps don't offer.
“It's like a Wi-Fi mesh network, all working together to heat and cool your home,” co-founder and CTO Matt Knoll told TechCrunch. “But they also have all the control of each space.”
In addition to the regular thermostat, each quilt head is equipped with a millimeter wave occupancy sensor. Most heat pumps have passive infrared sensors built into them, which tend to send out false vacancy signals when people aren't moving, such as when they're watching TV or sleeping. Quilt's sensor has no such issues. The company's software uses data from these sensors to map the room and determine when people are present, but Lambert points out that it doesn't create an actual image.
“We don't put cameras in anyone's home. These are just signals on a graph that, when interpreted, say there are people here or there aren't,” he said. “This gives you greater confidence in whether a room is empty or not, meaning you don't waste energy heating or cooling an empty room.”
In anticipation of future product introductions, Quilt has raised a $33 million Series A round led by Energy Impact Partners and Galvanize Climate Solutions with participation from Garage Capital, Gradient Ventures, Incite Ventures, MCJ Collective, Lowercarbon Capital, and “Property Brother” Drew. raised dollars. Scott. This is a huge raise considering the company announced a $9 million seed round less than a year ago.
The startup plans to use the new capital to expand its marketing efforts and installer capabilities. Quilt heat pumps will initially be rolled out in a few regions and then further expanded. “We've built this core research and development organization and now it's kind of turning into a real company,” Lambert said.