The Innovation Fueling the Heat Pump Boom

By: Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts

When considering a new HVAC system, you’ve probably seen heat pumps. While they’ve been around for more than a century, in 2020 they finally passed gas heaters in sales. Unlike traditional heaters, which use natural gas, propane gas or oil for heating and electricity for cooling, heat pumps only use electricity.

Heat pumps are appealing since they are very energy efficient and environmentally friendly; they don’t use fossil fuels like natural gas. Heat pumps are seen as a big solution for lowering carbon emissions and studies reveal that heat pumps are a more environmentally friendly option for efficient heating. That being said, doubts about their effectiveness in cold weather have discouraged some people. But that’s no longer an issue—thanks to advances in technology.

Find out how heat pump technology innovations are making these systems more appealing than ever for a comfortable, energy-efficient home.

Why Heat Pumps

Capable of generating quadruple the amount of energy than it takes, a heat pump is far more efficient than conventional gas furnaces and can even be more efficient than a high-efficiency make/model. And despite the fact that coal-based energy plans still function today, new renewable energy sources like 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 offering up to $2,000 for qualified heat pumps are a key reason behind the rise of heat pumps. When paired with other state and local rebate or incentive programs, homeowners can save even more.

“Heat pumps are becoming more energy efficient than typical gas heaters, and they can help you substantially cut your power bill—and for some homeowners, by $500 or more annually,” said Cary Reed, a Service Experts HVAC professional.

How It Works

When it’s cold outside, heat pumps use heat from the outside air to use it for home heating by transporting it through coils. The heat is released indoors, maintaining the home’s temperature. The main component here is the heat pump’s refrigerant, which changes from liquid to gas–and then back to liquid–as it gathers and releases heat during the heating cycle.

In summer, the process reverses. Heat is taken out of the home and sent outside through the same coolant coils.

This is how the cycle works:

• When it’s cold, a coil heat exchanger together with a metering device transfers heat from the outside air to the liquid refrigerant inside the coil. Even at lower outside temperatures, there is still heat accessible in the outside air. As the heat is absorbed by the refrigerant, it boosts its temperature to its boiling point and turns it from liquid to gas.

• Then, a compressor pushes the gas refrigerant around the system, boosting the gas pressure where the heat is expelled into the home by a fan or blower. As the heat is discharged, the refrigerant becomes a liquid again. 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 managed by the thermostat and will change the cycle during the summer, sending heat from the home to the outside.

New Technology Push Efficiency Even Further

When the outdoor temperature decreases, heat pumps become less efficient and have trouble maintaining the same heating capacity. But top brands have implemented significant technological advancements to boost every aspect of the performance of heat pumps in the winter.

As an example, the top heat pump manufacturers are creating new system designs to achieve higher SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating standards. Installing a heat pump with a high SEER rating means lower operating costs for the system. While SEER largely applies to cooling, the heat pump’s energy and cost savings during the summer increase significantly as minimum SEER standards rise.

When it comes to heating capacity, leading brands have engineered heat pumps that maintain optimal efficiency and heating capacity even in temperatures as low as -15 degrees. This marks a dramatic 20- to 30-degree improvement compared to what was typical just five years ago.

“How are they making this happen? Manufacturers have improved variable-speed compressors to reduce the time it needs to adjust power while using less of it overall. In addition, the heat exchangers designed for modern units are considerably larger, which allows them to transfer heat around more effectively. And for the longest, coldest winters, the systems will utilize backup heaters that turn on below certain temperatures.

This new technology has been partly spurred by the Department of Energy’s Residential Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge, a federal program designed to speed up heat pump innovation.

“The heat pump boom is actually a perfect storm,” Reed said. “People want to do the right thing for the climate while reducing energy costs, and there are strong incentives. We are even seeing some customers, who purchase a heat pump, will also upgrade their insulation to maximize their energy efficiency and savings.”

For details about our available heat pumps, stop by serviceexperts.com/heat-pumps. To set up an appointment with a member of our staff, visit our scheduling page.