Webb Basin Dairy Retrofit and M&V

Everett, Washington

Advancing High-Efficiency Heat Pump Technology in Agriculture

Ecotope designed and supported the 2024 installation of a high-efficiency water-to-water heat pump (WWHP) system at Webb Dairy, a 1,200-cow facility in rural Idaho. The retrofit was developed to reduce propane consumption by capturing waste heat from the milk cooling process to meet the facility’s daily demand for over 3,000 gallons of hot water. The project successfully transitioned the dairy’s primary water heating to an all-electric system, with propane retained only for backup. Ecotope is currently leading the ongoing Measurement & Verification (M&V) effort, collecting and analyzing real-time data to confirm performance, quantify energy and emissions savings, and ensure reliable system operation through our custom-built EcoDash platform.

The installed WWHP system produces hot water above 170°F, stored in a 1,000-gallon tank for use between milking cycles. With a measured heating COP of 4.1 and combined heating and cooling COP of 4.9, the system is expected to save the facility over $28,000 annually in utility costs by displacing propane with low-cost electricity. The retrofit also supports efficient milk cooling, leveraging thermal energy from the milking cycle. Ecotope’s M&V services include high-resolution monitoring, performance assessment, and data reporting to validate system efficiency and support future replication in agricultural settings.