Skip to main content

Bosch’s IDS Ultra Cold Climate Heat Pump just hit the market

Bosch is now the first manufacturer to bring a cold-climate heat pump to market as part of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge.

The new Bosch IDS Ultra Cold Climate Heat Pump is designed to keep homes warm even in frigid temperatures, which makes it a solid option for those who are ready to move away from fossil fuel heat sources.

Cold-climate heat pumps are much more energy-efficient compared to traditional oil or propane heating systems, and they also reduce homeowners’ carbon emissions and lower energy bills. Plus, they work year-round for both heating and cooling.

“The IDS Ultra has been rigorously tested to withstand low temperatures while maintaining strong performance,” said Mohamad Nasab, senior product manager at Bosch. “With this latest innovation, Bosch is proud to be the first to market with an extreme heat system, as well as play a role in making energy-efficient home heating and cooling more accessible across almost all climate zones in the United States.”

The DOE’s Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge was launched in 2021 to improve the performance of traditional heat pumps in extremely cold temperatures. Bosch worked alongside Oak Ridge and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, as well as manufacturers like Carrier, Daikin, Lennox, and others, to develop and test heat pumps that work efficiently in cold weather. Bosch is the first to launch a product from this challenge.

The IDS Ultra is capable of maintaining 100% heating capacity down to 5F, and it can operate in temperatures as low as -13F (-25C). This performance is possible thanks to Bosch’s Enhanced Vapor Injection (EVI) compressor, which borrows heat from the hot side of the refrigerant cycle to keep homes cozy, even during the coldest days. The unit is also compliant with new low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant requirements and features demand response capability, allowing utilities to help manage energy load during peak demand.

The IDS Ultra qualifies for federal tax credits and rebates up to $2,000 as an Energy Star V6.1 Cold Climate-certified product. The system is now available for HVAC professionals to purchase ahead of the 2024 winter season.

Electrek’s Take

“You’ve been vice president for three and a half years, what the hell have you been doing during all that time?” – J.D. Vance, indirectly addressing Kamala Harris

Top comment by Tom Power

Liked by 4 people

I have heat pumps at two locations in Pennsylvania. Both have variable speed condensers and variable speed blowers. They maintain the temperature to within a few tenths of a degree and I hardly feel the air blowing since they usually run in low speed. They not only don’t have the wider temperature swings like with a gas furnace they also have more even temperatures throughout the house. If you have a particularly difficult layout you can leave the air handler running continuously in low speed to even out the temperature.

View all comments

Among countless other things that work to reduce emissions, the Biden-Harris administration has been implementing initiatives like this DOE program, J.D. Vance. The Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge went from innovative concept to commercial product in just a couple years. That’s something to celebrate, and it benefits everyone.

Read more: Seriously good cold-climate heat pumps are headed to the US market


To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Michelle Lewis Michelle Lewis

Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.


Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications