A new AI-powered water heater could save families thousands of dollars on their energy bills. The innovative tech company Cala has created an intelligent heat pump water heater that learns your household’s habits and heats water only when necessary. For the average family of four in the Northeast switching from a propane water heater, the savings could exceed $6,000.
Even homes using natural gas could save over $2,000 throughout the system’s lifetime. Federal incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides up to $2,000 in tax credits for heat pump water heater installations, increase these savings. Traditional water heaters heat water regardless of whether you need it or not.
This new system, however, thinks ahead. Using smart technology similar to a Nest thermostat, it predicts when you’ll need hot water based on your daily routine. The system uses heat pump technology, which works like your refrigerator in reverse.
Instead of creating heat by burning fuel, it moves heat from the surrounding air into your water.
Cala’s intelligent heat pump technology
This process is up to 500% more efficient than conventional water heaters.
The real genius is in the intelligence. If you typically shower after work, it’ll slowly heat water during the day when energy is cheaper and cleaner. It can even prepare for incoming storms by filling the tank before potential power outages.
Water heating accounts for nearly 20% of energy use, with many families spending up to $1,000 annually just to heat water. Cala’s smart heat pump water heater tackles this challenge head-on, offering savings while maximizing comfort by ensuring hot water is available when needed. The system’s features can even sync with solar panels and optimize for using clean energy when it’s most abundant.
“Other heat pump water heaters leave both money and emissions savings on the table because they don’t use the core technology as effectively as possible,” Tom Ferguson, general partner at Burnt Island Ventures, said. “Cala’s unit is the only one that seamlessly integrates with the home and the customer’s lifestyle to deliver an exceptional experience and maximum savings.”
“Our vision is really simple,” Michael Rigney, CEO of Cala, added. “125 million water heaters in America should heat up when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining.
That’s going to be really inexpensive over time, and it’s also going to decarbonize 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the whole country.”
