| High efficiency heat pumps offer an energy | | | | costs because they take advantage of relatively |
| efficient alternative to furnaces and air | | | | constant ground or water temperatures. |
| conditioners in areas with moderate climates | | | | The installation of this type depends on the size |
| requiring moderate heating and cooling. These | | | | of your lot, the subsoil and landscape. However, |
| function similarly to a refrigerator as it uses | | | | these types of high efficiency heat pumps can be |
| electricity to move heat from a cool space into a | | | | used in more extreme climatic conditions and is |
| warm space. This makes the cool space cooler | | | | not limited to moderate climatic conditions as |
| and the warm space warmer. | | | | compared to the air source type. In addition, |
| During the warm season or summer, this device | | | | customer satisfaction of this device is very high. |
| moves heat from the cool outdoors into your | | | | Efficiency of heat pumps is usually calculated using |
| warm house. During the cooling or winter season, | | | | several methods. The first method is through the |
| this device moves heat from your cool house into | | | | coefficient of performance, which is the ratio of |
| the warm outdoors. Because this device moves | | | | heat output to the amount of energy input of a |
| heat rather than generate heat, high efficiency | | | | heat pump. So for example, a heat pump delivers |
| heat pumps can provide up to four times the | | | | three units of heat for every unit of energy input |
| amount of energy they consume. | | | | then the coefficient of performance is three. It is |
| The most common type of this device is the air | | | | also calculated through the energy efficiency ratio |
| source model. This device transfers heat between | | | | or EER, which measures the cooling efficiency of |
| the house and the outside air. If heating is done | | | | a heat pump. |
| with electricity, the device can trim the amount of | | | | Another is method for calculation the efficiency is |
| electricity you use for heating by as much as | | | | the heating season performance factor (HSPF), |
| 30% to 40%. This device can also dehumidify | | | | which is a measure of the overall heating |
| better than standard central air conditioners. This | | | | efficiency of a heat pump. This can be regarded |
| results to less energy usage and more cooling | | | | as an average coefficient of performance for an |
| comfort in the summer months. The | | | | entire heating season. It is also common to |
| disadvantage of this device though is that as the | | | | compare BTUs of heat output to watts of |
| heat source drops dramatically at low | | | | electrical energy input. For example, HSPF of 6.8 |
| temperatures, this can lower the efficiency of this | | | | can be compared with an average coefficient of |
| device as a heat source. Thus, this makes this | | | | performance of two and a HPSF in the range of |
| device unsuitable for cold climates. There are | | | | 5-7 is acceptable. |
| systems that can overcome that problem. | | | | The last method for calculating high efficiency |
| If you are looking for a higher efficiency device, | | | | heat pumps is through the seasonal energy |
| this can be achieved with geothermal or ground | | | | efficiency ratio or SEER, which is a measure of |
| source or water source heat pumps. The | | | | the seasonal cooling efficiency of a heat pump or |
| geothermal or ground source or water source | | | | a consumer central air conditioning system. Thus, |
| type can transfer heat between your house and | | | | the SEER should be at least 13 to be sold in the |
| the ground or a nearby water source. The only | | | | United States. A device with a SEER value above |
| problem with this device is that they cost more | | | | 20 is a very efficient system. |
| to install. The geothermal type has low operating | | | | |