If we want to make our world more sustainable, we must find a way to stop using gas to heat houses. Heat pumps are currently the golden standard to achieve this, but they are not suitable for older houses that are not insulated and the unit you need to place outside can be loud and unattractive. That is why Tarnoc co-founders Vincent Wijdeveld and Tijmen de Jong decided to develop a different kind of heating system: an electric Turbine Heat Pump, that can heat houses without an outside unit.
Rowing association
The journey started when Vincent and Tijmen met at a student rowing association in Delft. At some point in 2018 they got to talking about the energy transition, and Tijmen shared his passion for heat pumps. With his physics background, he was fascinated by the technique and how it could be improved. At the time, heat pumps for houses were available but not widespread yet. Vincent was a Computer Science student, so he didn’t know a lot about these machines, but he was infected with the passion and wanted to help with the energy transition. So they decided to start Tarnoc.
Soon, they came across a technology called reversed breaking cycle, and they realized this could be a good alternative to existing heat pumps. They developed a Turbine Heat Pump with this cycle, that doesn’t require a refrigerant or an outside unit. It can extract heat from the air outside the house, and reach higher temperatures than a heat pump, similar to a gas boiler
Two-thirds of the energy use in a house goes to heating, so we wanted to find a more sustainable and cost-efficient way to heat a house.
Older homes
Because it can reach high temperatures, the Turbine Heat Pump is useful for older homes that are not well insulated. It can be attached to the existing heating system without much modification, and the radiators will give off similar heat when the heat pumpturns on. So Tarnoc currently focuses on getting their system ready for private home owners to buy. Since they are currently the only company developing this technique, they also see a lot of interest from housing corporations and municipalities.
The biggest compliment we got is people saying they don’t really notice that we put in the Turbine Heat Pump. We are crazy about heating systems, but we understand not everybody is, so we make sure it works similar to a central heating system. People don’t really notice the change, except in their gas bill.
Building a network
Tarnoc has been collaborating with YES!Delft from the start. In 2019, they participated in the validation lab programme and developed their prototype. Later they also joined the accelerator programme, and they are still located in the YES!Delft building. According to Vincent, these programmes helped them develop their network, and find the connections needed to take their product as far as they have now.
Tarnoc has already tested the system in 13 different pilots, and more than 10.000 people have declared interest in the Turbine Heat Pump via the sign-up sheet. They are currently working on their final prototype before they will start small-scale production and sales. So far, Tarnoc was funded by the Rabo Impact Fund and some early investors. For the next step, they are looking for new investors that can help them bring their product even further.
Your dream can become a reality too!
As long as you want to make a change, don’t miss the opportunity to boost your startup by joining the YES!Delft Validation Lab or Accelerator Program. However, if working for a startup resonates more with your ambition, we got you! Check out vacancies placed by our startups.
Be the change, as change starts with you.
