You may have heard about how energy-efficient heat pumps are, and how they can help save you money on your heating and cooling bills. But did you know that, with a heat pump, you can actually be more than 100% energy efficient?
That's according to several heating experts who spoke with CNET about the amazing technology behind these appliances.
As CNET noted, "These units can actually reach above 100% efficiency — usually in the range of 200% to 400% —- allowing you to receive more energy than you put in to begin with."
That's a big deal, considering that heating and cooling account for more than half of the energy used in an average American home. TCD's HVAC Explorer is a one-stop hub to answer your HVAC questions and connect you with partners that can help you save up to 50% on your heating and cooling bills, including some options that feature no down payment.
Furnaces work by burning dirty fossil fuels to create heat, which then gets blown through a home. Standard gas furnaces typically reach 80% to 95% energy efficiency.
But heat pump engineer Gwendolyn van der Linden told CNET that number may actually overestimate the efficiency of gas furnaces. The electricity used to power fans is not calculated in furnace efficiency ratings, she said, and air can lose heat as it moves through air ducts.
Heat pumps, meanwhile, don't generate heat — they capture it from the outside. That allows them to generate up to 400% efficiency, meaning they create four times as much energy as they use. And unlike furnaces, the efficiency rating for heat pumps does account for all fans and blowers used to move air throughout a home.
"Efficient home heating systems give you more heat for less energy," Mark Woodruff, an HVAC product manager, told CNET. "The more efficient we are with the energy we use, the less energy we need."
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Using TCD's HVAC Explorer, you can find out exactly how to bring this energy-efficient technology into your home.
As one example, partner Palmetto can help you lease a new HVAC system for $0 down and monthly payments as low as $99. It can knock down your heating and cooling costs by up to 50%, and Palmetto will even include 12 years of free maintenance that could reduce your overall lifetime HVAC spend.
Those savings can be even greater when you power a heat pump with electricity generated by rooftop solar panels (TCD's Solar Explorer is a great jumping-off point for your solar journey). And the free Palmetto Home app could help you earn up to $5,000 in rewards on home upgrades.
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Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
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