Wayne-White Electric has rebates for heat pumps, but....how do they work?
Maybe you were in the process of buying a new home, watching the latest episode of your favorite house-hunting reality show, or just making small talk at the office water cooler when you heard the term “heat pump.” Perhaps you then wondered what it is or what it does. Although it has the word heat in its name, it does more than help warm your home.
What are heat pumps and how do they work? In general, a heat pump extracts heat from one place and transfers it to another (similar to how an air conditioner or refrigerator cools). In warmer months, a heat pump takes heat from inside a home and relocates it outdoors, helping to make your home cooler. In the cooler months, a heat pump produces heat energy from the outside and moves it inside, which helps to warm your home.
Do they save energy? Since heat pumps move heat, instead of creating it, they do save energy. Energy.gov estimates that today’s heat pumps can reduce a home’s electricity use for heating by up to 75% compared to traditional systems like furnaces and baseboard heaters.
Heat pumps for larger homes can save energy with a zone-heating feature, warming only rooms that are in use. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard systems, resulting in less energy usage.
Is there more than one type of heat pump? Four primary types of heat pumps exist:
- Air-to-Air or Air-Source pumps are the most common and are powered by electricity. They have an outdoor compressor/condenser unit that warms or cools the coils inside the air handler. It then circulates the warmed or cooled air through the system and pushes the air through ducts back into rooms. For homes without air ducts, air-source heat pumps are also available in a ductless version called a mini-split heat pump.
- Air-to-Water heat pumps are actually a special type of air-source heat pump called a “reverse cycle chiller” that generates hot and cold water rather than air, allowing it to be used with radiant floor heating systems.
- Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source or water-source heat pumps, can heat, cool, and even supply hot water to a home by transferring heat to or from the ground (or nearby water source), according to Energy.gov. Geothermal pumps cost more to install than other versions but have lower operating costs since they take advantage of relatively constant ground or water temperatures. They are typically more efficient and can be used in more extreme climates than air-source heat pumps (although air-source technology has improved).
- Absorption heat pumps are similar to air-source heat pumps except instead of using electricity to operate, they use alternative energy sources such as natural gas or propane (also known as a dual fuel heat pump), or solar- or geothermal-heated water.
As you have read in previous newsletters, Wayne-White Electric provides rebates on new heat pump installations as an incentive to make your home more efficient. Rebate amounts are determined by the type of heat pump installed, and the SEER2 and HSPF2 ratings of the unit.
To determine the best heat pump system for your home, contact a reputable heat pump installer/contractor to assess your home’s needs.
To learn more about our rebates or find a list of area HVAC contractors, visit our website at www.waynewhitecoop.com/energy-solutions/rebates.
For questions, give us a call at (618) 842-2196.