Heat Pumps Get OTA Update That Boosts Capacity

Software is finally eating more than phones and cars. Quilt, a heat pump startup, pushed an over-the-air update to units already installed in customers' homes that increased heating and cooling capacity by more than 20% overnight.

What Quilt delivered

Quilt combined firmware changes on microcontrollers and software updates on the main processor to raise outdoor unit ratings from roughly 19,700 BTU/hr cooling and 20,500 BTU/hr heating to about 24,000 and 25,200 BTU/hr respectively. The update didn’t harm efficiency but improved performance in extreme temperatures.

This was possible because Quilt specified higher-fidelity sensors, extra pressure sensors, and better temperature and current monitoring than typical residential HVAC equipment. The richer telemetry let engineers validate headroom in hardware and safely unlock it via software.

Why it matters

Heat pumps aren't the usual place you expect software updates to materially change performance, but this move shows how connected hardware can evolve long after it ships. For manufacturers, it reduces SKUs and lets a single platform serve wider markets. For installers and building owners, remote upgrades mean fewer callbacks and better comfort in edge-case homes.

Broader implications include new lifecycle economics, opportunities for product differentiation via ongoing software innovation, and potential grid benefits as units become more controllable and responsive to demand signals.

• Fewer physical upgrades — improve installed base via OTA instead of replacement
• Better field diagnostics thanks to richer sensor arrays and telemetry
• New service and upgrade revenue models for vendors and distributors
• Grid-interactive potential as aggregated, software-tuned units respond to demand-side signals

How organizations should respond

If you build, install, or manage HVAC equipment, consider these practical steps to enable software-defined performance gains:

• Specify higher-resolution sensors and record conservative baselines during commissioning
• Build secure firmware pipelines with staged rollouts, telemetry checks, and rollback paths
• Invest in analytics to detect headroom, quantify gains, and continuously validate field behavior
• Design commercial offers around upgrades and long-term performance commitments rather than one-time hardware specs

Quilt’s update is a concrete example of how hardware companies can unlock extra value with software — but it also shows the engineering and product work needed to do it safely. Higher-cost sensors and networking matter, and integration across software, firmware, and field operations is the hard part.

For manufacturers, utilities, and building owners aiming to scale software-defined HVAC, the path runs through disciplined telemetry, rigorous validation, and controlled OTA practices. The payoff: better performance in extreme conditions, reduced onsite work, and evolving product value long after installation.