Federal incentives for home energy improvements are running out at the end of the year, so it’s decision time for anyone who has been thinking about a heat pump. The right decision can depend on where you live, how much you have to spend and how deeply you want to cut emissions.
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But the payoff can be significant.
Bill Gerosa was spending about $6,700 annually to heat and cool his house about 30 miles north of New York City. He was eager to bring down his costs, and shelled out $13,000 for a ground-source heat pump that was made more affordable by significant state and utility incentives.
“I had to prove to myself and to my wife that I wasn’t doing something monumentally stupid,” he said.
Gerosa’s monthly energy use plunged by two-thirds. He installed solar panels at the same time to offset the rest, and his heating and cooling bills fell to virtually nothing. Last month — about seven years after installing the system — he’s recovered what it cost to install the system.
The simplest way to understand a heat pump is that it uses electricity to gather heat from one place and move it to another. Heat exchangers, compressors and refrigerants are part of the system. That’s how it can work not just for heating but for cooling — in summer, a heat pump can pull warm air from a house and push it outside.
That’s also the secret to how heat pumps can be more efficient than conventional heating technologies, which have to generate heat before they can distribute it. It takes a lot less energy to simply transfer heat, according to the International Energy Agency.
A decade ago, heat pumps could struggle when it got really hot or really cold outside. But advances in technology mean today’s heat pumps can keep homes cool even in triple-digit temperatures and warm even when it’s well below zero.
There are two main types of heat pumps: air source and ground source. Air-source heat pumps work with the air around the heat pump. Ground-source heat pumps — also known as geothermal — use pipes that circulate liquid underground to either gather or discharge heat.
Air-source pumps cost less to install and require less space since there’s no need to run underground pipes. But operating costs are higher than ground-source pumps. They’re most effective in more moderate climates.
Ground-source pumps cost more up front and installing hundreds of feet of underground piping can be disruptive to lawns and gardens. But they’re more efficient and cost-effective in the long run because underground temperatures are far more constant than air temperatures.
“They’re seeing the ground temperature of about 50 degrees, not the outside air temp. So that’s where they really dominate on efficiency, payback, energy bills, peak demand on the grid, all of those things,” said Ted Tiffany, senior technical lead for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for green energy use in buildings instead of fossil fuels.
Panama Bartholomy, the coalition’s executive director, noted that a heat pump costs more than a gas furnace or central air conditioner, but can do the work of both.
Drilling for the underground piping that a ground-source pump requires can add around $10,000 to the project. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the added installation costs are recouped within five to 10 years thanks to the higher efficiency.
Heat pumps are also cleaner than systems powered by natural gas options, even if the electricity used to power heat pumps is primarily generated from coal. That is because heat pumps are three to five times more efficient. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that almost everywhere in the United States, switching to a heat pump reduces emissions.
“We should do it now, pretty much everywhere,” said Mike Henchen, buildings program principal for the clean energy nonprofit RMI.
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Henchen said RMI’s analysis found the biggest improvement happens in states with milder weather and with more clean-energy options like wind and solar to provide the electricity. “If you live in Southern California, that’s probably amazing. It’s probably five times better than a gas furnace on efficiency. If you live in North Dakota, maybe it’s only two times better because it’s cold in winter and that diminishes the performance.”
Tiffany said it’s typically easiest to find someone to replace what you already have.
“If you’ve got an oil furnace, a guy’s going to try to come sell you an oil furnace because it’s the easiest thing that goes back in,” he said.
But the newer technology is catching on. Heat pumps have outsold furnaces since . They outsold by their biggest margin last year.
Bartholomy said as heat pumps have gotten more common, most HVAC professionals can install one because the technology isn’t that different. It’s the ground source heat pump installers that are more difficult to find.
5 minutes reading
Equipping your home with a heat pump keeps your indoor temperature ideal all year round, while substantially lowering your electricity consumption. But with so many different models on the market, how do you know which one is right for you? Here are five useful tips to help you choice.
There are a few things you need to consider before heading to the store. Namely, just what are your heating and cooling needs? Various factors will come into play here: your home’s surface area and how well it’s insulated, your geographical location and the local climate. If you live in an area with harsh winters, you’ll need a unit that’s powerful enough to operate efficiently in very cold weather.
Air‑to‑air, air‑to‑water, geothermal: there are three kinds of heat pump, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. We’ve summarized them, below:
To maximize your investment, aim for maximum energy efficiency. Below are two helpful indicators:
Units with higher ratings are more energy efficient—and that’s exactly what you’re looking for.
Certain efficient heat pumps are more efficient during very cold weather. They’re called high-efficiency heat pumps.
High-efficiency heat pumps can:
Some heat pumps have additional features like premium air filters, programmable controls and a quiet operation mode. Consider your preferences and the options that make the most sense for your lifestyle.
Call on a specialist who can assess your needs, recommend the most suitable model and install the unit so as to guarantee its optimal performance.
Don’t forget that Hydro‑Québec’s LogisVert Efficient Homes Program offers up to $6,700 in financial assistance for certain models—a serious boost that will make your purchase even more advantageous. Not to mention the substantial and recurring savings you’ll enjoy on your electricity bill, thanks to your new heat pump!
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