Quilt Heat Pump Update: How OTA Boosted Performance

Software Updates Revolutionize the HVAC Industry

While software is rapidly transforming numerous sectors, some industries have been slower to fully embrace its potential. The pervasive expectation of improvement through software updates, common with products like iPhones and Teslas, hasn't yet become standard practice across all markets.

Heat Pumps Lead the Charge

This is beginning to shift, surprisingly, with the emergence of heat pumps. Quilt, a heat pump startup, recently demonstrated the power of over-the-air updates by enhancing the performance of already installed units.

The update wasn't merely a correction of errors; it significantly increased the heating and cooling capacities of the units by over 20% overnight.

A New Paradigm: Software-Defined HVAC

“We intentionally designed our systems for continuous improvement through over-the-air updates from the outset,” explained Paul Lambert, CEO of Quilt, in an interview with TechCrunch. “This approach has gained momentum in the electric vehicle industry, but hadn’t been applied to HVAC before.”

He further stated, “Similar to how vehicles are now described as software-defined, we believe we’ve created software-defined HVAC.”

According to heat pump specialist Drew Tozer, this update appears to be a pioneering achievement in the field.

Drawing Talent from Tech Giants

Traditionally, HVAC equipment receives attention only when malfunctions occur. However, Quilt’s team boasts backgrounds from companies like Nest, Google, Apple, and Tesla, where frequent updates are commonplace.

Isaac McQuillen, the engineer leading the capacity increase project, previously worked at Lucid Motors, managing thermal systems for both passengers and batteries.

Responding to Customer Needs

“We received requests from both installers and customers for a slightly higher maximum operating capacity,” McQuillen noted. Some users had larger spaces or open floor plans requiring greater heating or cooling power.

The team investigated whether the existing heat pumps possessed untapped potential.

Data-Driven Improvements

Quilt’s heat pumps were equipped with more numerous and higher-quality sensors than typically found in residential HVAC systems. These included additional pressure sensors and more precise temperature and current sensors.

This detailed data collection proved crucial to the project’s success.

Software and Firmware Enhancements

After confirming available capacity, the team rigorously tested new parameters on internal units to ensure both performance and reliability. The updates encompassed both software and firmware for the main processor and microcontrollers within the indoor and outdoor units.

Increased Capacity and Performance

Initially, the outdoor unit of a Quilt heat pump delivered up to 19,700 BTUs of cooling and 20,500 BTUs of heating per hour.

Following the update, these figures have increased to 24,000 BTUs per hour for cooling and 25,200 BTUs per hour for heating.

These new ratings do not affect the efficiency of the heat pumps, but they do enhance their ability to handle extreme temperatures.

The Value of Connectivity and Data

Implementing over-the-air updates requires investment. Quilt utilized higher-quality sensors, closely monitored data, and incorporated networking capabilities to receive updates, resulting in a slight increase to the bill of materials.

However, the company believes the benefits significantly outweigh the costs. “While there’s an initial investment in sensors, the value derived from the additional data is substantial, making its integration worthwhile,” McQuillen explained.

Lambert added, “The primary challenge lies in effectively integrating all the necessary software and systems to support this functionality.”

Expanding Market Reach

This approach allows Quilt to cater to a wider customer base without the need to develop and market entirely new models, presenting a mutually beneficial outcome.