Exploring Energy Efficiency Using Air Source Heat Pumps
 

During the summer, an air conditioner removes heat from the cooler air inside a house and releases it in the warmer air outside the house. An air source heat pump is basically an air conditioner that can move heat in the opposite direction during the winter, providing heating as well.

Unlike an oil or gas heating system that creates heat by burning fossil fuels, a heat pump is only transferring heat between locations. It can move multiple units of heat for every unit of energy it consumes. A typical air source heat pump with an HSPF efficiency rating of between 8.5 and 9.0 provides about 3 kWh's of heat for every kWh of electricity it consumes. In many applications, this can result in large savings on heating costs.

How much can I save on heating costs?

How much you can save on your utility bills depends on several factors:

1. The winter climate in your area. An air source heat pump is highly efficient in mildly cool winters, but loses its capacity to produce heat as temperatures drop below freezing. Homeowners in the non-coastal northern US might want to consider geothermal heat pumps, which are much more expensive but are very effective in any winter climate.
2. Electricity prices in your area. Electricity prices are lowest in the Northwest and highest in the Northeast. Heat pumps are thus more appealing in the Northwest, except for Northeastern homes that currently use heating oil (see next factor).
3. Your current method of heating. Using an oil burning furnace or boiler is the most expensive way to heat a home, and homeowners who use oil systems have the most to gain with a heat pump. Owners of newer high efficiency gas units have less potential for savings.
4. Your current heating costs. If you have a large, poorly insulated house that you keep at 73 degrees all the time, then you should have high heating costs, and a greater potential for savings. A larger capacity heat pump only costs a bit more than a smaller one. If you have a small, well insulated house and wear a sweater to keep your heating costs down, then you won't be able to save as much off of your already low heating costs.
5. Need for air conditioning. A heat pump can double as a new high efficiency air conditioner, while costing about 25% more.

Installation

Installation will usually take a 2 person crew about 2 days. Easier installations may take one day, but it might take 3 if a new furnace is being installed as well. A back up furnace or boiler is usually required for the few weeks a year when the temperature drops below freezing and the heat pump lacks the capacity to provide all the heating.

An outdoor unit (similar looking to an air conditioner's outdoor unit) will be placed outdoors, and an indoor unit will be placed above the furnace. Two small copper pipes to carry the refrigerant (the fluid that is heated or cooled in the outdoor unit), along with power and communication wires, must be run between the indoor and outdoor units. These lines will be run between ceiling joist spaces, through attics or crawlspaces, along the side of the house, or however else is necessary.

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