For most homeowners, efficiency is an important part of selecting HVAC systems. The good news for folks who want a more sustainable home is that modern HVAC technologies offer plenty of solutions. Here is a look at some of the top high-efficiency HVAC options for a sustainable home.
Heat Pumps
A heat pump works on the same principle that drives an air conditioner. Refrigerant allows you to transfer heat from one point to another. Even in very cold conditions, there is enough latent heat in the outdoor air to use for heating your house. You simply run the reverse of a normal AC flow, bringing the heat indoors rather than taking it outside. Even better, you can also use your heat pump as an air conditioner in hot weather.
The top modern heat pumps achieve 400-500% efficiency in the best operating conditions. They also maintain 100% efficiency even as the temperature approaches zero, making them more efficient than a typical furnace or other type of heater. Likewise, a heat pump operates in air conditioning mode with about the same efficiency as a typical AC unit.
You may wonder: How is more than 100% heating efficiency possible? Heat pumps don’t create heat. Instead, they transfer it. Consequently, a heat pump at peak efficiency might transfer four units of heat for every unit of energy it needs for the transfer.
There are also dual-source options for homeowners who want a backup heating supply in case of very extreme cold. These systems use either a gas or electric furnace to provide heat even after the outdoor temperature drops below ideal conditions.
Notably, today’s heat pumps remain fairly efficient down to -15°F. For reference, the coldest recorded air temperature in our region was -3°F in 1950. However, it is nice to have the extra capability of a hybrid heat pump just to be sure.
High-Efficiency Furnaces
There are several ways for furnaces to operate at impressive efficiency levels. Condensing furnaces extract heat from exhaust gases, recycling it for use. There are also modulating burners that now allow a furnace to fine-tune its operating temperature in 1% increments rather than a simple on-off cycle.
Similarly, many furnaces use a two-stage system that achieves a similar result at a low cost. Two-stage systems run at a lower output level for a longer period. This maintains indoor temperatures at steadier levels, reducing the need for recovery heating periods. Ultimately, this is more efficient.
Today’s high-efficiency furnaces achieve performance in the 95-98% range, based on AFUE ratings. AFUE ratings indicate how much of the system’s heat goes to actually warming your house versus waste heat. Based on a 95% efficiency rating, a system is effectively putting 95 cents out of every heating dollar spent toward warming your home.
Smart Thermostats
Simple tricks are often the best tricks, and that’s especially the case when it comes to smart thermostats. A smart thermostat is a highly programmable system that typically uses algorithms to find the most efficient heating and cooling patterns for your house. They can reduce run times by targeting greater performance when you’re home and better efficiency when you’re away. Likewise, smart thermostats can learn when you go to bed and lower the temperature.
Some smart thermostats also integrate with a number of sensors. For example, an occupancy sensor can tell a smart thermostat to dial back heating when there’s a large crowd in your home. Not only is this more efficient, but it makes your place more comfortable.
Desirable features for smart thermostats include app integration, custom alerts, and even predictive maintenance. Apps allow you to monitor and even control your HVAC remotely. Custom alerts warn you when something is wrong. Predictive maintenance monitors run cycles and notifies you when it’s time to schedule system maintenance.
One reason smart thermostats are such a great investment is their short payback period. A typical smart thermostat pays for itself in energy savings in 18 months or less.
Variable-Speed Systems
Variable-speed controls eliminate one of the greatest inefficiencies in HVACs, the on-off cycle. Variable-speed systems can reduce heating or cooling performance without turning the HVAC off. This allows it to gradually ramp up and down.
Not only does this improve efficiency, but it also reduces wear and tear on components. Consequently, the HVAC is likely to last longer.
Ductless Mini-Splits
The traditional HVAC model usually involves a duct system that carries climate-controlled air to different parts of your home. Even the most efficient versions lose heating and cooling along the way, though.
One way to reduce waste is to eliminate the ductwork. Instead, a ductless mini-split uses refrigerant lines to carry heat to and away from a heat exchanger. Refrigerant lines tend to be better insulated, and refrigerant itself suffers much less loss than air. The net effect is greater efficiency.
Another big benefit of ductless mini-splits is the ability to target specific rooms. If you just want climate control in a handful of rooms, you can run the lines to exchangers in those spaces. You can always expand the number of lines later, if desired.
Ductless mini-splits are most common as air conditioning units. However, the ductless approach is also becoming more common in heat pumps.
Zoned HVAC
To a certain extent, every home with adjustable vents technically has HVAC zoning. The goal of HVAC zoning is to allow more airflow in some parts of a house and less in others.
Modern zoned HVAC solutions, however, take things further than just tweaking a few vents. Solutions add dampers, fans, and blowers to accurately target airflow. Many models even provide controllable systems that talk with sensors and smart thermostats. This allows you to create very specific zones.
A simple version of a zoned HVAC addresses a large discrepancy between a home’s sunny and shady sides. In the summer, the sunny side might get more cooling. Likewise, the shady side would get more heat in the winter.
Another common zoned HVAC solution addresses the differences between upstairs and downstairs conditions in a house. Extra cooling upstairs in the summer can keep it comfortable without being inefficient.
Multiple zones are possible, too. You can configure your bedroom differently from the rest of your house. This can help you really leverage a smart thermostat by targeting less HVAC usage in unoccupied zones.
A well-designed set of HVAC zones can have a noticeable benefit. Typical savings often hit 20-35%.
Get Help Making Your Home Sustainable Today
Midway Heating Company serves the people and businesses of Clackamas, OR and the surrounding Portland metro area. We handle a wide range of heating and cooling jobs, including residential and light commercial work. You can have our technicians perform installations, repairs, upgrades, and maintenance. We even offer 24/7 emergency service.
People rely on us because our company has been in business since 1959. We bring a customer-first attitude to every situation. Free estimates are available for most projects, too. Check our specials page to find more ways to save on your HVAC needs.
If you’re interested in how high-efficiency HVAC systems can make your Clackamas home more sustainable, contact Midway Heating Company right away.
