The Technology Behind More Heat Pump Sales
By: Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts
When considering a new heating and cooling system, you’ve likely come across heat pumps. While they’ve existed for more than 100 years, in 2020 they finally passed gas heaters in sales. Distinct from traditional heaters, which depend on natural gas, propane gas or oil to generate heat and electricity for cooling, heat pumps only use electricity.
Heat pumps are appealing because they are extremely energy efficient and eco-friendly; they don’t burn fossil fuels like natural gas. Heat pumps are seen as a major solution for cutting carbon emissions and studies indicate that heat pumps are a more environmentally friendly option for your home heating system. However, worries about their efficiency in cold weather have discouraged some people. But that’s changing—thanks to new technology.
Find out how heat pump technology advancements are making these systems more appealing than ever for today’s eco-conscious homeowner.
The Benefits of Heat Pumps
Generating about four times the amount of energy than it takes, a heat pump is more efficient than conventional gas furnaces and can even be more efficient than a high-efficiency make/model. And while coal-based utilities still provide a portion of our power, new renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are increasing, making all-electric heating and cooling systems even more appealing to today’s environmentally aware consumers.
Additionally, federal tax credits that provide up to $2,000 for qualified heat pumps are a key reason behind the popularity of heat pumps. When added to other state and local incentives, homeowners can save even more.
“Heat pumps are becoming more energy efficient than conventional gas furnaces, and they can help you dramatically reduce your power bill—and in some cases, by $500 or more annually,” said Cary Reed, a Service Experts heating and cooling pro.
How It Works
In winter, heat pumps extract heat from the outside air to use it for home heating by pumping it through refrigerant coils. The heat is sent to one or more indoor units, maintaining the home’s temperature. The key player here is your coolant supply, which transforms from liquid to gas–and then back to liquid–as it gathers and releases heat for each cycle.
In warmer weather, the process reverses. Heat is extracted from indoors and moved outdoors through the refrigerant coils.
The process works as follows:
- In colder weather, a coil heat exchanger together with a metering device transfers heat from the outside air to the liquid refrigerant inside the coil. Even at cold outdoor temperatures, there is still heat accessible in the outside air. As the heat transfers to the refrigerant, it increases its temperature to its boiling point and turns it from liquid to gas.
- Then, a compressor moves the gas refrigerant through the system, increasing the pressure of the gas so the heat is expelled into the home by a fan or blower. As the heat is released, the refrigerant changes back to liquid. The process goes on until the home’s thermostat is satisfied.
- A reversing valve is used to reverse the system from heating to cooling. The reversing valve is regulated by the thermostat and will invert the cycle during the summer, sending heat from the home to the outside.
New Technology to the Rescue
Once the outdoor temperature decreases, heat pumps become less effective and have trouble maintaining the same heating capacity. But manufacturers have adopted important technological improvements to boost both the efficiency and capacity of heat pumps during cold weather.
For one thing, the top heat pump manufacturers are designing systems to reach higher SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) minimum ratings. The highest SEER rating means lower energy use for the system. While SEER primarily relates to cooling, the heat pump’s energy and cost savings throughout the summer go up noticeably as minimum SEER standards rise.
When it comes to heating capacity, top brands have created systems that maintain maximum efficiency and heating capacity even after the temperatures fall as low as -15 degrees. This marks a sharp 20- to 30-degree improvement compared against standards just five years ago.
“How are they making this happen? Manufacturers are using improved variable-speed compressors to adjust power more rapidly while using less energy. Also, the heat exchangers used in modern units are significantly bigger, which lets them move heat back and forth more efficiently),” Reed {described. In case of extreme cold weather, the systems will utilize backup heaters that turn on below a specific temperature.
These advancements have been in some part due to the Department of Energy’s Residential Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge, a government initiative aimed at accelerating heat pump innovation.
“The heat pump boom is actually a perfect storm,” Reed said. “People want to do their part for the climate while cutting costs on monthly bills, and there are strong incentives. We are even seeing some customers, who purchase a heat pump, will also upgrade their insulation to increase their energy efficiency and cost savings.”
To learn even more about high-efficiency heat pumps, go to serviceexperts.com/heat-pumps. To schedule an appointment with a member of our staff, visit our scheduling page.