Partner Spotlight: Ecotope + U.S. Water Heating Solutions LLC
At Howard Apartments in Chicago, IL., Ecotope and U.S. Water Heating Solutions teamed up with Intellihot to install the first-of-its-kind Intellihot hybrid water heating system — pairing four Intellihot iE1 Std heat pump water heaters with an Intellihot iN199 gas-fired unit.
The four Electron iE1 heat pumps are piped in parallel upstream of the gas water heater to pre-heat both recirculation and incoming cold water. In most cases, the iE1s carry 100% of the load, with the gas unit stepping in only during peak demand or extreme cold — ensuring year-round reliability.
This hybrid approach is a bridge to full electrification. When the building upgrades from a 600-Amp to a 1200-Amp service, the iN199 can be swapped for an iE1. Installed monitoring equipment will track system performance to right-size that future water heater — or possibly prove it unnecessary.
The project was designed by Ecotope with assistance from Intellihot’s applications team. US Water Heating Solutions ensured a reliable installation.
This project is a powerful example of how hybrid systems can serve as a bridge to full electrification — especially in dense urban multifamily settings. It delivers:
Ecotope counteracts the climate crisis with research-proven engineering and visionary leadership. They drive the building industry toward transformative and scalable low-carbon solutions, informed by four decades of learning and technical innovation. Their clients seek holistic designs that optimize energy efficiency and are in harmony with the future grid.
U.S. Water Heating Solutions is a family owned and operated business that was founded in early 2018 on the premise of transparency and quality, coupled with family values. Some of their team members have over a decade of experience in the water heater industry alone, while other executive staff members have a combined 100+ years of electrical and plumbing knowledge/experience flowing through their veins.
2900 W Main St.,
Galesburg, IL 61401
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