Heat pumps are gaining market share these days, and there’s an obvious reason for it: energy efficiency. They’re a common sight here in Vero Beach, FL if you know what to look for. However, there’s quite a bit of confusing or misleading information out there about heat pump efficiency. Many sources offer pie-in-the-sky energy savings projections that don’t capture the real-world heat pump experience. To clarify things, here is all the information you need about heat pump efficiency.
Why Heat Pumps Are Efficient
One of the tricky things about understanding heat pump efficiency is that they don’t function like other HVAC equipment. For example, a gas furnace uses combustion to generate heat. So, furnace efficiency is a function of how completely a furnace can burn its fuel and capture the resulting heat. That’s why the average furnace has an efficiency in the low 80% range. A high-end furnace will achieve efficiencies above 95%. And no matter how advanced a furnace gets, it can never achieve an efficiency greater than 100%.
However, a heat pump has no fuel involved in the process. It only moves already-existing heat from one place to another. In cooling mode, a heat pump works exactly like an air conditioner. It extracts heat from your home’s air and expels it outside. In heating mode, it does the exact opposite. It gathers heat from the outdoor air and uses it to heat your home. Therefore, heat pumps aren’t bound by any maximum theoretical efficiency.
A heat pump’s efficiency is a function of how much electricity it consumes to gather the required heat. To understand that, it’s helpful to look at another efficiency measure: the coefficient of performance (COP). COP is the number of kilowatts of heat a heat pump provides for every kilowatt of electricity consumed. Today’s heat pumps boast COPs that hover between 3 and 5. Their actual performance, however, varies based on real-world use conditions.
How Weather Affects Heat Pump Efficiency
In cooling mode, heat pumps typically compare well to the most efficient standard AC options on the market. In this part of the country, most new AC units have a COP in cooling mode around 3. In heating mode, however, things can get a bit tricky. At 40 degrees and higher outdoor temperatures, a standard heat pump will operate at a COP between 3 and 5. However, when the outside temperature reaches 20 degrees, a heat pump’s COP may drop as low as 1. At that point, they’re barely more efficient than a gas furnace. There’s another thing to consider, however.
In the real world, comparing a heat pump’s efficiency to a gas furnace is useless. That’s because natural gas is significantly cheaper than electricity. You’ll see a more complex picture if you account for that difference. Given that, a heat pump must average a seasonal COP of 2.8 to reach operating cost parity with a furnace. The good news is that the temperature here in the Sebastian and Vero Beach area rarely drops below 40 degrees in winter. So, it’s reasonable to expect a new heat pump to exceed the needed COP average handily.
The Bottom Line on Heat Pump Efficiency
The takeaway is that Vero Beach’s climate is ideal for installing a heat pump. Our yearly temperature averages are in the perfect range to support high heat pump COPs. However, despite all you may have read about heat pump efficiency, don’t expect a miracle. If you’re upgrading from an electric furnace or baseboard heating, you’ll experience significant savings. According to the Department of Energy, homes in that situation see heating cost reductions of around 50%. If switching from a gas furnace, expect savings between 15% and 20%.
There are some ways to maximize your heat pump cost savings. One way is to improve your home’s insulation. That will keep more conditioned air inside and cut your demand for heating and cooling. You can also install a rooftop solar power system. That will slash your average electricity cost per kWh and, therefore, your heat pump’s operating costs.
Local Efficient HVAC Experts
Family Heating and Air, Inc has served Vero Beach and Sebastian residents since 2016. We have over 85 years of combined experience on staff. Our expert HVAC technicians can see to all of your cooling and heating installation, repair, and maintenance needs. We’re also available 24/7 for any HVAC emergencies that arise. To know what to expect, check out our numerous positive customer reviews. If you’re interested in a new heat pump for your Vero Beach home, call Family Heating and Air, Inc immediately!
