EP241 Hydronics, Storage, and a Single Box: Berlin Raj's Totex Vision (September 2025)

Totex co-founder Berlin Raj joins Eric and "Overkill Bill" to unpack a single-box, hydronic monoblock system that combines space conditioning, domestic hot water, pool heating, thermal + lithium storage, EV charging integration, and backup power. Born from Berlin's lifelong tinkering (and many shocks), the idea: stop wasting condenser heat—capture it for hot water while cooling.

The system keeps all refrigerant sealed in the outdoor unit and runs PEX supply/return to indoor air handlers (ducted or ductless), avoiding field flares and refrigerant line runs. Install looks familiar—set the pad, pipe PEX, fill a glycol loop, wire power/control—yet it adds clever tricks: load matching from ~1.5–6 tons, dynamic load limiting for small panels (even ~20–30A circuits), modular thermal storage (~100 kWh cooling / ~55 kWh heating), a ~10.5 kWh lithium pack, and app/10" touchscreen controls over Modbus with hooks for BMS and home automation. In cooling-plus-hot-water mode, field tests show very high effective COP (Berlin cites "9+") because the unit harvests both sides of the cycle.

Engineered for residential and light commercial (think houses, small offices, QSRs), the unit can supply hot water up to ~165°F, support radiant/underfloor at lower temps, operate down to about -7.6°F, and be manifolded for capacity and redundancy. Texas is the target U.S. beachhead (long cooling seasons = months of "free" hot water), with pilots in Australia and U.S. pilots planned; broader availability is aimed for mid to late next year. Berlin's closing note? "People, people, people"—comfort and outcomes start with humans.

Notable Quotes:

"Why dump condenser heat when you can use it? Cool the house and make hot water at the same time." — Berlin Raj

"Dynamic load balancing means a heat pump that plays nice with a 100-amp panel." — Eric Kaiser (paraphrased)

"People, people, people. Comfort is ultimately about humans first." — Berlin Raj

Berlin on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/berlinrajm/

Totex website: https://www.totexenergy.com/

Come visit with Berin in person at the www.USHeatPumpSummit.com

This episode was recorded in September 2025.