Johnson Controls heat pumps help deliver 70% of Vancouver’s False Creek low-carbon thermal energy

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 6, 2025 – Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has supported a significant expansion of Vancouver’s False Creek Neighborhood Energy Utility (NEU) waste heat initiative with the installation of two ultra-efficient YORK^® CYK centrifugal heat pumps. These advanced systems recover thermal energy from wastewater and convert it into clean, low-carbon heating for 47 buildings totaling 7 million square feet of residential, academic and public space.

The upgrade triples the NEU’s previous capacity and delivers hot water at efficiencies exceeding 300%, meaning the system generates three times more working energy than it consumes. It now provides sustainable heating to 10,000 residents as well as to the Emily Carr University, Creekside Community Centre and numerous small businesses. This expansion supports the City of Vancouver’s goal of delivering cost effective low-carbon thermal heating. Existing and new heat pumps combined are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7,000 tonnes annually.

“Heat pumps are unlocking the potential of energy that’s been hiding in plain sight around the world, from wastewater to industrial byproducts,” said Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer at Johnson Controls. “By capturing and transforming waste heat into clean, reliable energy, cities like Vancouver are proving that climate action can be rooted in economic strength and community resilience. This project shows how advanced heat pump technologies can turn ‘free energy’ into lower costs, reduced emissions and a more secure energy future.”

Johnson Controls engineered a custom solution to fit two 3.3 MW heat pumps into a mechanical space originally designed for half that output, overcoming significant spatial and technical constraints. In collaboration with KWL Engineering Consultants and local contractors, Johnson Controls delivered a high-performance, space-efficient energy system that enables direct sewage heat recovery in an urban environment. The innovative system captures waste heat from screened municipal sewage using CYK high-temperature, high-lift centrifugal heat pumps, which deliver over three units of thermal energy per unit of electricity used. The heat pumps produce 155°F heating water, which is distributed through underground piping to neighborhood buildings. Each building is equipped with its own energy transfer station that delivers the heat to the building for its space heating and domestic hot water.

“A lot of heat goes down our drains and into our sewer system, where it’s ultimately wasted,” said Derek Pope, Associate Director of the False Creek NEU. “These heat pumps are helping us harvest that waste heat, generate hot water at high efficiencies and turn wastewater into an energy resource for the community. We are proud to be leading the way in this work in North America; delivering long-term value to taxpayers by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering operating costs.”

False Creek’s NEU has been harnessing thermal energy from wastewater since 2010, setting benchmarks for low-carbon municipal energy systems. By expanding sewage heat recovery and reducing gas consumption, the project supports the NEU’s mission to run entirely on low-carbon energy by 2030.

Johnson Controls was among the first providers of heat pumps and today offers one of the world’s most comprehensive portfolios for commercial, institutional and industrial applications. Its advanced heat pump technologies deliver measurable competitive advantages to customers across sectors—from global manufacturers and hospitals to municipalities and utilities—while significantly reducing environmental impact. In 2024 alone, Johnson Controls’ commercial heat pumps helped customers cut annual heating costs by an average of 53% and reduce emissions by 60% compared to conventional natural gas boilers.

Learn more about efficient and cost-saving heat pump solutions.

About Johnson Controls: 

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

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