U.S. startup Transaera will test its all-electric rooftop heat pump system in a multifamily residential building in Washington, D.C., with support from a $125,000 grant. The technology uses metal–organic frameworks for dehumidification and reportedly cuts energy consumption by around 40% compared with conventional rooftop HVAC units.
U.S. startup Transaera announced it will test rooftop heat pump technology in a multifamily residential building in Washington D.C., United States.
The project is backed by a $125,000 grant from the National Deployment Grant Fund of The Clean Fight, a New York-based nonprofit that supports the early deployment of proven clean energy technologies.
“Building owners deciding how to electrify need operating cost reduction and want to see performance data from a building like theirs before they commit,” said Sorin Grama, CEO and co-founder of Transaera. “This project lets us prove, with independent data, that a more efficient system works as well to properly condition a whole apartment building as it does in an Amazon warehouse. Working with the largest apartment owner in the country means those results will go directly to the people making these decisions.”
The company describes its technology as a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), a type of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system that conditions incoming outdoor air for ventilation separately from a building’s primary heating and cooling equipment.
The all-electric system combines cooling, heating and dehumidification in a single platform. Operating as a heat pump, it eliminates the need for gas-fired reheating while managing both sensible and latent cooling loads in commercial buildings.
According to Transaera, a key feature of the technology is its approach to humidity control. Unlike conventional HVAC systems, which typically cool air below its dew point to remove moisture through condensation before reheating it, the DOAS uses solid desiccant materials based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to extract moisture from incoming air before cooling. By separating dehumidification from the cooling process, the system is designed to reduce energy consumption and improve overall efficiency.
The company claims the technology can reduce energy use by approximately 40% compared with conventional packaged direct expansion (DX) rooftop units. It is also designed to maintain efficient operation in hot and humid climates, where high latent cooling loads make humidity management particularly challenging.
Transaera has designed the system as a drop-in replacement for conventional rooftop HVAC units. According to the manufacturer, its dimensions and weight are comparable to those of existing equipment, allowing installation within standard rooftop footprints without major structural modifications. The system can also be maintained using standard HVAC servicing procedures, eliminating the need for specialized technician training.
The technology is primarily aimed at large commercial buildings, including warehouses and logistics facilities, where managing humidity and high latent cooling loads can be particularly demanding.
In May, Amazon announced it was conducted a six-month field trial of the rooftop heat pump at one of its logistics facilities in the United States.
“At Amazon, we seek technologies that support our Climate Pledge goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Our work with Transaera has moved from field trial to readiness for first commercial use, and this new collaboration supports expanding use of this technology within our global network of buildings,” said at the time Asad Jafry, Director of Global Energy, Sustainability and AGV at Amazon.
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