Split Heat Pump Water Heaters Are Having a Moment, Spurred on by Innovation Prize

cleantechnica.com Jul 13, 2026

Split Heat Pump Water Heaters Are Having a Moment, Spurred on by Innovation Prize

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jul 13, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Split heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) that separate the compressor from the storage tank are gaining traction in the United States. After a decade with only the SanCO2 model, two new split HPWHs—Ecological’s tall skinny unit and A. O. Smith’s low‑boy options—entered the market in the past year. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) launched a Hot Water Innovation Prize to push manufacturers toward low‑cost, compact designs that can fit tight spaces typical of apartments, condos and manufactured homes. The prize, judged at ACEEE’s summer study in August, will reward a prototype that balances affordability with performance. NEEA estimates more than two million homes annually could benefit from such compact units, expanding the energy‑saving potential of HPWHs beyond traditional basements and garages nationwide.

💡 Why It Matters

· By fitting into cramped living spaces, split HPWHs could unlock energy‑saving upgrades for millions of renters who previously lacked viable options.

Capsules Energy

Read full article on cleantechnica.com

Indigenous Organizations And Tribal Nations Are Innovating Energy Solutions

Indigenous-led organizations and tribal nations across the United States are bypassing uncertain federal clean‑energy policy to build their own power solutions, focusing on affordable bills, local jobs and cultural sovereignty. Groups such as Navajo Power, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians are deploying microgrids, distributed solar, battery‑free installations and next‑generation zinc‑based storage to hard‑to‑reach communities. The Electric Innovation Initiative, a ten‑year program co‑founded by California’s energy commissioner and a Hawaii senator, is channeling government, industry and philanthropic resources into these projects, creating scalable models for nationwide electrification. By simplifying permitting, reducing investment risk and integrating tribal values, these efforts aim to deliver reliable, low‑cost electricity while fostering employment and preserving heritage on tribal lands.

💡 Demonstrating that culturally attuned, community‑driven energy models can achieve resilience and affordability, these initiatives provide a replicable blueprint for electrifying underserved regions nationwide.

cleantechnica.com · Jul 14

Canada Has Named Five Interties. It Still Has To Build A National…

Ottawa has announced five new electricity interties—British Columbia–Yukon, Alberta–British Columbia, Alberta–Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan–Manitoba and Prince Edward Island–New Brunswick—marking the first concrete steps toward a national grid. The government’s shift from broad clean‑power rhetoric to specific provincial crossing points highlights the transition from policy aspiration to potential infrastructure. Analysts note that the true impact depends on each line’s capacity, frequency of power flow, generation displaced, reliability benefits, ownership, Indigenous participation and commissioning dates. The Saskatchewan–Manitoba link is seen as especially strategic because Manitoba’s flexible hydro can balance Saskatchewan’s fossil‑heavy mix and variable renewables. Alberta’s ties aim to broaden clean import options, while the BC‑Yukon line could cut diesel reliance for remote northern projects, and the PEI‑NB cable addresses Maritime reliability and subsea‑cable risks. Yet without detailed implementation plans, the interties remain proposals rather than operational assets.

💡 The announced routes convert the abstract idea of a Canadian supergrid into a tangible build order, setting the stage for cross‑provincial clean‑energy trade and grid resilience.

pekingpress.com · Jul 14

Nexon Geochem Eyes Fully Integrated 1200 MPTA NdFeB Permanent Magnet Manufacturing Facility…

Nexon Geochem Private Limited of Hyderabad signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Giredmet, the Russian State Research and Design Institute of Rare Metal Industry under Rosatom, to accelerate rare‑earth processing in India. The partnership targets a production capacity of 1,200 metric tonnes per annum of neodymium‑iron‑boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets by fiscal year 2033. It will create an integrated platform that converts rare‑earth oxides into finished sintered magnets, leveraging Giredmet’s century‑long expertise in high‑purity separation and material systems. The MoU includes joint R&D, scale‑up from lab to pilot, analytical methodology development and academic programmes. The venture aims to close India’s reliance on imported high‑performance magnets as domestic demand, driven by electric‑vehicle and renewable‑energy growth, is projected to reach 12,500 MTPA by 2031.

💡 Securing a domestic NdFeB supply chain gives India strategic control over a critical component for electric vehicles and defense, cutting reliance on a globally concentrated market.

energy-storage.news · Jul 14

Australia’s Queensland government reportedly shelves 20GWh pumped hydro project

Queensland’s state government has shelved the AU$6 billion Mt Rawdon pumped‑hydro project, ending its support for a scheme that would have repurposed the open‑cut pit of a gold mine into a 2 GW/20 GWh energy‑storage facility. The decision follows a Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) review of four competing pumped‑hydro proposals, including the larger 2 GW/48 GWh Borumda project, which received AU$324 million for early works despite a cost estimate of AU$18.4 billion. Mt Rawdon, backed by Evolution Mining and ICA Partners and slated for a seven‑year build, had attracted AU$50 million from the state and a commitment from CleanCo. The move continues a pattern of abandoning costly pumped‑hydro plans, such as the 5 GW Pioneer‑Burdekin scheme, while the government pursues storage initiatives to meet Queensland’s renewable targets by 2035.

💡 By choosing a far more expensive, delayed project over a cheaper, mine‑site solution, Queensland signals a willingness to prioritize scale over immediate cost savings, reshaping the state’s energy‑storage roadmap.

cleantechnica.com · Jul 14

The Climate Deal Trump Won’t Kill

The UN’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), launched in 2016, remains the only global climate pact the Trump administration has not targeted, largely because it imposes minimal obligations on the United States and airlines. Originating as a compromise after the EU’s 2012 attempt to price all aviation emissions was blocked by Russia, China and the Obama administration, CORSIA allows carriers to offset growth in international emissions through carbon credits, preserving “carbon‑neutral growth.” The EU’s new Climate Commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, must assess CORSIA’s effectiveness by July 17 and decide whether to re‑impose a comprehensive carbon price on flights departing Europe. Meanwhile, ICAO urges avoidance of regional measures, a stance that shields U.S. airlines from stricter rules as Europe contemplates tighter controls amid rising jet‑fuel costs and supply shocks.

💡 Europe’s pending decision could force the world’s largest aviation market to adopt a genuine carbon‑pricing regime, breaking the low‑impact status quo that CORSIA currently provides.

energy-storage.news · Jul 14

Thailand is creating a ‘flexible and competitive environment’ for energy storage market…

Thailand’s energy ministry unveiled new market rules aimed at spurring investment in grid‑scale battery storage, positioning storage as a cornerstone of the country’s net‑zero‑by‑2050 plan. Director‑General Wattanapong Kurovat highlighted the role of storage in providing flexibility, reliability and resilience for a power system increasingly reliant on intermittent renewables. At the Energy Storage Summit Asia 2026, he outlined a four‑pillar strategy that includes smart‑grid integration, domestic manufacturing, market‑mechanism reforms and cross‑border trading. The policy shift introduces direct power purchase agreements that give large users and producers, such as data centres and renewable developers, open grid access. Thailand currently hosts only three utility‑scale solar‑plus‑storage projects, far fewer than regional peers, underscoring the urgency of the reforms to accelerate Thailand’s clean energy transition.

💡 Direct PPAs unlock previously barred investors, turning storage from a niche add‑on into a revenue‑generating asset that can fund the country’s renewable expansion.