With a heat pump, you can save money on space cooling, space heating and water heating and at the same time drastically reduce environmental pollution.
Heat pumps transfer heat from one area to another. The most common heat pumps are refrigerators and air conditioners.
However, when heating professionals use the term “heat pump” they mean a device that can either cool or heat – a reversible air conditioner. Most heating / cooling devices in motels and hotels are actually heat pumps.
Cleaner and cheaper to run
Heat pumps reduce pollution. As vehicles become more efficient and emit fewer pollutants, future air pollution will largely be caused by the burning of fossil fuels to heat rooms and water in buildings and houses.
Heat pumps are electric and do not produce any local pollution. As our electricity becomes cleaner with renewable energies, overall environmental pollution is reduced.
Rocky Mountain Power continues to add more wind and sun and reduce coal consumption. Provo City is doing the same and is committed to getting 60% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Heat pumps save money. You can save 14-80% in operating costs compared to conventional systems. If you have an electrical resistance heating system (baseboard), the US Department of Energy says a heat pump could cut your electricity bills in half.
That’s because transferring heat from one place to another like a heat pump is more efficient than generating heat through electrical resistance or burning fossil fuels.
However, installing heat pumps for heating and air conditioning usually costs more than ordinary systems, but it immediately reduces operating costs.
Air source vs. ground source
Like an air conditioner, many heat pumps only use the outside air to cool or heat an indoor space because this is easy and initially inexpensive. Such heat pumps are called “air source” units.
However, it is more efficient to connect your heat pump to pipes in the ground to radiate and collect heat, since the earth’s temperature is constantly around 50 degrees. Such a heat pump is known as a “ground source” (or geothermal) and is potentially twice as expensive to install, but is so incredibly efficient that its return on investment is only five or ten years.
Air source heat pump system installation can vary from $ 3,875 to $ 13,000, depending on the model. In a mild climate, however, you can save up to 40% on your energy costs compared to central air conditioning and a fossil-fuel furnace system.
Geothermal heat pumps for a medium-sized home can cost $ 22,000 or more. But the US Department of Energy reports: “A geothermal heat pump can save you up to 80% of your future energy costs and can work at full capacity even in the coldest temperatures.”
And ground source systems tend to last longer than air source units.
Where could heat pumps be installed?
In existing structures, all stoves and water heaters have a finite lifespan of 10-30 years and could eventually be replaced by heat pumps.
In new buildings, because of the enormous ecological and economic advantages, more heat pumps should be used for space heating, hot water preparation and air conditioning.
Provo’s new super-efficient town hall and Fire Station No. 22 both have air heat pumps for heating and cooling, but they do not use fossil fuels. The town hall architect estimates that utility bills will be 18% lower than for a typical new build of this size.
Heat pumps are becoming the standard in construction in Europe. The UK will ban all gas heating in new homes by 2025 and demand low carbon alternatives.
The new Utah building code now being enacted by our lawmakers should mandate heat pumps for all structures. The wiring, the power of the switchboard and the sockets for the heat pumps should also be specified.
And insulating structures well is the most important first step in reducing costs and pollution.
Incentives
Federal tax credits of 26% are available for the installation of geothermal heat pumps until January 2023. After that, the credit drops to 22%.
Current Utah tax law allows up to $ 2,000 or 25% of the installation cost, whichever is less, but only for geothermal heat pumps.
Federal air source heat pump tax credits are only $ 300, and these must be Energy Star certified.
There are currently no Utah state loans available for air source heat pumps, although local entities may issue development bonds.
Fortunately, Rocky Mountain Power offers $ 1,300 to $ 1,700 in incentives for ductless air source heat pumps for residential buildings. For businesses installing either air or ground source heat pumps, RMP offers discounts of $ 125 / tonne (a 4-ton unit is needed for a space of 2,400 square feet and would qualify for a $ 500 discount).
To reduce energy costs and global warming, heat pumps are a great option.
Don Jarvis chairs the Provo Sustainability and Natural Resources Committee. His opinions do not necessarily reflect Provo City’s official guidelines.
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