Optimizing thermal comfort: a new air-to-water heat-pump installation with Kolostat-Krome

A high-performance air-to-water heat pump

A new structural platform was installed on this building's roof to accommodate a high-performance air-to-water heat pump. The new system will deliver optimal heating through the winter and efficient air conditioning through the summer, replacing a setup that leaned heavily on natural gas and municipal water.

This is a Kolostat-Krome project for our client Capreit, with our partner Thermal Air (Rick Premich).

What the project changes

The installation targets several outcomes at once:

• Refresh aging mechanical installations — putting modern, efficient equipment in place of equipment that would otherwise face an end-of-life replacement under reactive conditions.
• Reduce dependence on natural gas — significantly lowering the building's GHG profile.
• Reduce water consumption — the heat pump replaces water-intensive equipment and improves overall plant efficiency.
• Improve occupant thermal comfort — better load matching across the building means more stable temperatures and quieter operation.

Why air-to-water for this site

Air-to-water heat pumps are well-suited to large multi-residential buildings: they integrate cleanly with hydronic distribution, deliver both heating and cooling from a single piece of equipment, and provide a credible path off natural gas without rebuilding the entire heating system. For property managers planning long-horizon decarbonization, this kind of installation is one of the highest-impact single moves available.

Congratulations to everyone who helped reach this important milestone — including our partner Thermal Air, Rick Premich, and the Kolostat-Krome crews on site.