Stiebel Eltron Accelera 300 Heat Pump Water Heater
(Free Shipping - Continental US by Truck In Contiguous U.S.)
Item #: accelera300

Heat pumps have been around for decades, but a heat pump water heater is a new concept. The Accelera® 300 works like an air conditioner but instead of dumping the heat outdoors, it puts it into the water. The Accelera’s compressor and fan consume only 1kWh of electricity to generate the heat equivalent of 3 – 5kWh. The efficiency of the unit goes up with increasing ambient air temperatures. This groundbreaking efficiency redefines what a water heater is capable of.

Features:
• 80 gallon storage capacity
• Reduces hot water costs by up to 80%
• Cools and dehumidifies the air around it
• Low stand-by losses through good installation
• Sacrificial anode rod
• 2.5 energy factor
• 10-year warranty

Advantages
Stiebel Eltron's Accelera 300 Heat Pump Water Heater is the most efficient offering of its kind on the market. While it may be more expensive than the 50 gallon units offered by GE and Rheem, this unit will provide much more usable hot water and vastly increased savings over any 50 gallon unit.

In terms of the 50 gallon versus 80 gallon, the reason there is such a large difference in 30 gallons comes from the way the units operate. During normal usage the energy efficiency of the unit comes from the heat pump drawing heat and humidity from the room and transferring it to the water in the tank. When the temperature in the tank decreases as water is used, the heat pump kicks on the increase the overall temperature as cold water replenishes the tanks volume. However, all heat pump water heaters have backup elements installed that kick on when the temperature in the tank decreases past a present level. This is critical, because once the elements are energized, the heat pump is turned off, and your heater is turned into a extremely expensive standard residential electric water heater. With a 50 gallon unit, the amount of water required to reach that element energizing temperature differential is extremely small compared to an 80 gallon unit. While the homeowner may not realize the elements are running instead of the heat pump, the energy savings that initiated the purchase of the heat pump water heater will never be realized.
Makes Sense For All Climates
In a warm climate, the unit can either be placed in the garage where it takes heat from the ambient air, or inside the house, where it helps with the air conditioning load. In a cooler climate, the unit is typically placed in the basement where it also acts as a dehumidifier. You get hot water at a discount and a dry basement as well.

Always There When You Need It
If the heat pump that is built into the unit alone cannot keep up with the hot water demand then an electric backup element with 1.7 kW loading will automatically activate.

How A Heat Pump Works
The heat pump system contains a fan that forces air through an evaporator (1). The evaporator contains a liquid refrigerant. This refrigerant evaporates and extracts heat from the ambient air.

The now warm gaseous refrigerant is then compressed (2) by the compressor which is driven by an electric motor. As it goes through the compressor the pressure and temperature rises. The refrigerant turns back into a liquid which is now hot.

The refrigerant then passes through the condenser (3), which in this case is wrapped around the water tank. The hot refrigerant loses its heat which goes into the DHW.

The now cooler refrigerant then passes through an expansion valve (4), where it goes back into a gaseous state and the process begins anew.

Tax Credit
In addition to saving money in the long term, homeowners who purchase this heat pump water heater before December 31, 2010 are eligible for a federal tax credit of 30% on the purchase and any installation costs up to $1500. To claim your tax credit, you need the Manufacturer's Tax Credit Certification Statement (see below).

Additional Information:
- Inside the Accelera 300
- Technical Data
- Manufacturer's Tax Credit Certification Statement (PDF)
- Brochure (PDF)
- Installation Manual (PDF)