Chuck Booten and Jon Winkler are on the brink of a breakthrough. The pair of engineers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed the EcoSnap-AC Heat Pump System—an affordable, wall-mounted unit that takes just minutes to set up.

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Targeted for the do-it-yourself customer, the duo’s prototype is an easy-to-install heating and cooling unit that frees up your window and places the evaporator on one side of a wall and the condenser on the other—similar to a mini-split heat pump. The difference is in the connection and cost. Unlike mini-splits that require professional installation, EcoSnap-AC sets up in minutes by simply drilling one small hole and “snapping” a few connections together without any tools.

“The connection eliminates the skill involved, so you don’t need to pay extra for labor,” said Booten. “You can connect and disconnect with just a couple of clicks.”

Booten and Winkler first came up with the EcoSnap-AC concept almost four years ago while working on a performance mapping project on window air conditioning (AC) units for the Energy Department. Momentum started to build in 2015 when they participated in EERE’s first Lab-Corps cohort. Part of EERE’s Technology-to-Market program, Lab-Corps is designed to help lab researchers commercialize their technologies.

“Lab-Corps really helped us take this concept and define its value proposition,” said Winkler. “We determined there was a market need, and it was addressing people’s specific problems.”

With a true market defined to compete with window and portable ACs, which free up window space but are less efficient options that take up valuable floor space, Winkler and Booten quickly built their first prototype. They’re currently searching for additional funding and private investment opportunities. Once commercialized, they envision a price point between $50 and $100 more than current window ACs, which average around $250 according to NREL.

EcoSnap-AC—which has been nominated for an R&D 100 Award by R&D Magazine, a publication that recognizes the most innovative technologies—is estimated to be at least 15% more efficient than standard window units. By mounting the model on the wall, it virtually eliminates air leakage and water infiltration, and it improves home security (a concern for many consumers). The design also includes less refrigerant charge than a mini-split system, which reduces its impact on the environment.

“The key point in all of this is keeping the cost down,” said Booten.

“We want to give people what they want, at a price they want to pay. What the Energy Department wants in terms of energy efficiency sort of comes along for the ride.”    

Amped Up! Magazine is the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s publication that highlights breaking technologies and achievements in renewable power, energy efficiency and sustainable transportation that influence global change toward a clean energy economy.