Federal government incentives for improving housing energy are ending at the end of the year, so it’s time for decisions for anyone thinking about heat pumps. The right decision depends on where you live, how much you need to use, and how deeply you want to reduce emissions.
But rewards can be important.
Bill Jerosa spent about $6,700 a year to heat and cool her home about 30 miles (48 kilometres) north of New York City. He wanted to cut his costs and paid $13,000 for a ground source heat pump that was made more affordable by key state and utility incentives.
“I had to prove to myself and my wife that I wasn’t doing anything monumentally stupid,” he said.
Jerosa’s monthly energy use plummeted two-thirds. He installed solar panels at the same time to offset the rest, and his heating and cooling bills were virtually nothing. Last month – About seven years after installing the system, he recovered the costs involved in installing the system.
Heat pump 101
The easiest way to understand heat pumps is to collect heat from one location using electricity and move it to another location. Heat exchangers, compressors and refrigerants are part of the system. It’s a way that works for cooling as well as heating. In the summer, a heat pump can pull warm air out of the house and push it out.
It is also the secret to how heat pumps become more efficient than traditional heating technologies, and they need to generate heat before they can be distributed. It requires much less energy to simply transfer heat. International Energy Agency.
Ten years ago, a heat pump can be a pain when it gets really hot or really cold outside. But advances in technology mean that heat pumps today can keep your home cool even Three-digit temperature And even so, it’s warm It’s well below zero.
There is Two main types Heat pump: air and ground sources. The air source heat pump operates with the air around the heat pump. An underground heat pump, also known as geothermal, uses pipes that circulate underground fluid to collect and discharge heat.
Installation of an air source pump is cheaper and space is less because there is no need to run underground pipes. However, the operating costs are higher than ground source pumps. They are most effective in more medium climates.
The cost of a ground source pump is expensive in advance, and installing hundreds of feet of underground plumbing can destroy lawns and gardens. However, underground temperatures are much more constant than air temperatures, making them more efficient and cost-effective in the long run.
“They look at underground temperatures at around 50 degrees, not outside temperatures, so they really dominate efficiency, recovery, energy bills, peak demand for the grid, all of that.
Panama Vertholomy, executive director of the Union, noted that heat pumps cost more than gas furnaces and central air conditioners, but they can do both.
Excavating underground pipes required for a ground source pump can add approximately $10,000 to the project. US Ministry of Energy Estimates Additional installation costs will be recovered within 5-10 years thanks to higher efficiency.
The heat pump is the cleanest
Heat pumps are cleaner than systems with natural gas options, even when the power used in the heat pump’s power pump is primarily produced from coal. This is because heat pumps are 3-5 times more efficient. The National Institute of Renewable Energy has discovered that almost anywhere in the US will switch to heat pumps Reduce emissions.
“We should do that almost everywhere now,” said Mike Henchen, Head of Building Programs at Clean Energy Nonprofit RMI.
Hensheng said RMI analysis The biggest improvements have been found to occur in states where there are mild weather and cleaner energy options like wind and sun to provide electricity. “If you live in Southern California, that’s probably surprising. It’s probably five times better than a gas furnace in efficiency. If you live in North Dakota, it’s only twice better because winters are cold and performance is degraded.”
Technician Availability: The oldest technology still wins
Tiffany said it’s usually the easiest to find someone who replaces what you already have.
“If you have an oil furnace, the guy will try to sell you an oil furnace, because that’s the easiest thing to come back,” he said.
But new technology is catching up. It is available in the heat pump Disconnect the furnace Since 2021. They were out by them The largest margin last year.
Bartholomy said that most HVAC experts can install one because heat pumps are becoming more common. More difficult to find is the ground source heat pump installer.
“The availability of contractors is much less. So supply and demand are usually not many options that can get bids and lower prices,” he said.
There is map It shows a nearby geothermal installer. It could also take time for experts to learn how to install new technologies, Bartholomy said. “It’s disrupting what was going on for 75 years. It’s completely different. It’s not something they’ve installed in their area over and over again.”
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