Johnson Controls heat pumps deliver 32% reduction in annual heating costs while cutting heating emissions by 55%

MILWAUKEE, May, 21, 2026 – Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, today shared results showing how its commercial and industrial heat pump portfolio is helping customers reduce costs and emissions while delivering reliable performance in demanding and complex mission-critical operating environments. In 2025, global customers saved an estimated 32% in annual heating costs while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 55% (1.6 million metric tons), compared to a conventional gas boiler – equivalent to taking nearly 400,000 cars off the road for a year.

“Heat pumps aren’t a future promise, they are delivering double digit competitive advantage right now,” said Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer at Johnson Controls. “As customers scale deployment across their critical operations, they’re cutting costs, reducing emissions and boosting their operations by driving out waste and inefficiency. That’s what smart climate action looks like.”

Real world results across sectors

Johnson Controls heat pumps are being deployed across industries where reliability, performance and economics are critical, demonstrating results at commercial, industrial and district scale.

In healthcare and manufacturing, customers are using large-scale heat pumps to replace or supplement heating fuel needs, delivering significant savings while reducing emissions through waste heat recovery and electrification. At the New Aalborg Hospital in Denmark, a district cooling system uses a nearby body of water for free cooling and combines advanced Sabroe ChillPAC chillers and Sabroe HeatPAC heat pumps for peak demand, helping the hospital cut electricity costs by 80% while cutting emissions by 80-90%.

Municipal and district energy projects are also leveraging high-capacity heat pumps. In Vancouver, two ultra-efficient YORK CYK centrifugal heat pumps 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 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 for 10,000 residents and area businesses.

Rethinking cold weather performance: it’s about the heat source

A common misconception is that heat pumps cannot operate efficiently in cold climates. In many commercial, industrial and district energy applications, performance depends not only on outdoor air temperature, but also the temperature of the heat source feeding the system. Johnson Controls heat pump solutions are designed to operate across a wide range of conditions, including cold-weather environments.

While air source systems draw heat from outdoor air, many large-scale applications instead source heat from stable, higher temperature processes like data center operations or process steps in critical industries like pharmaceutical or food & beverage manufacturing. Recapturing heat that would otherwise be wasted can dramatically improve efficiency, even in winter. In one application, the heat source temperature was closer to 80°F as compared to outdoor air of 40°F, reducing power demand by up to 50%, significantly lowering compressor work while improving overall system efficiency.

Scaling heat pump solutions for the next phase of customer demand

As demand for efficient, resilient and lower-carbon heating grows, heat pumps are becoming the standard for larger deployments across campuses, districts and critical facilities. That shift requires systems that can work with existing infrastructure, adapt to different operating needs and deliver dependable heating and cooling over time. Johnson Controls’ heat pump portfolio has one of the industry’s widest operating ranges, with solutions that operate reliably in conditions as low as -13°F (-25°C) or able to produce hot water over ~248°F (~125 °C) from waste heat, a capability that was once not achievable. These advancements allow heat pumps to work in many applications to help customers make that transition in practical, cost-effective ways. While using less energy, cutting emissions and getting more value from the systems they already operate.

That shift is already impacting how heat pump systems are being developed and applied. The company was recognized in New York’s Empire Technology Prize, a competition to advance building technologies for low carbon heating system retrofits in tall commercial and multifamily buildings in New York State. The team developed an innovative heat pump solution that delivers cooling and heating with a heat pump that runs on ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant, in combination with zero-GWP mechanical vapor recompression technology. The innovative solution saves a significant amount of energy and water, compared to a conventional system that includes a standalone chiller and boiler.

“Customers can’t wait for perfect conditions, they need robust solutions that work in the real world,” McGinty added. “Heat pumps are delivering real savings, real emissions reductions and real resilience as deployment scales. That’s progress you can count on.”

To learn more about Johnson Controls heat pumps visit johnsoncontrols.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Danielle Canzanella
Direct: +1 203.499.8297
Email: media@jci.com

###

About Johnson Controls:

Johnson Controls, a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, helps customers use energy more productively, reduce carbon emissions, and operate with the precision and resilience required in rapidly expanding industries such as data centers, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher education.

For more than 140 years, Johnson Controls has delivered performance where it really matters. Backed by advanced technology, lifecycle services and an industry-leading field organization, we elevate customer performance, turn goals into real-world results and help move society forward.

Visit johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnsoncontrols on social platforms.