Heat
Pumps vs Air Conditioners
Geothermal heat pumps is a great
alternative to air conditioning, and in many cases, switching
from a central air conditioning system to a heat pump system is
rather direct.
If you have or want a
system based on ducts, you may implement or
switch to a ducted heat pump system (if the ducts are large enough).
But you may also decide for a heat pump split system instead of
ductless or a room air conditioner.
Heat pump
systems
The alternative
Air Conditioner vs. Heat Pumps is mainly an alternative
involving ground-heat pumps (also called geothermal heat pumps).
Air heat pumps
aren’t such a good alternative: the initial
investment is lower than that of ground-heat pumps, but the
energy savings aren’t so substantial, or aren’t significant
where gas is available as an option.
So, consider
first of all the ground-heat pump solution as an alternative to
other heating and cooling systems, and namely to air
conditioning.
Geothermal
Heat pumps Energy savings
According to
EPA, geothermal heat pumps can reduce energy consumption up to
72% compared to home air-conditioning (and up
to 44% compared to air-source heat pumps). These values are very
significant, and make ground-heat pumps a very eco-friendly
solution, as well as a sound economical solution.
The average
savings in home environment range $1,300-$1,500 (where replacing oil, LPG or
electricity) and $400-$600 (where replacing gas), according to
the Energy
Savings Trust.
Environmental impact
Installing a
ground source heat pump may have a very positive impact on
energy savings and on CO2 production. A single geothermal home
heat pump will avoid the production of around 4-5 tonnes of CO2 per year, that is, around
100 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.
Initial
investment: Geothermal heat pumps versus air conditioners
Ground -heat
pumps involve an higher investment and pre-conditions that may
not exist in urban sites (namely a place for a hole and for
digging and installing the pipes).
In a home with
ductwork, a standard central air conditioning system may cost
you between $3,000 and $6,000, while an equivalent geothermal
heat pump (installation included) may cost something around
$7,000 to $12,000 (an air-source heat pump cost is closer to the
air conditioning system cost).
Just consult a
heating and cooling professional. If your duct system is
insufficient to support a high-capacity heat pump, you may seek
a solution involving a combination of a smaller heat pump
(accommodated to the ducts dimensions) with other cooling and
heating strategies.
Geothermal Heat Pump vs Air Conditioners Payback
Since the
initial investment in a geothermal heat pump is much higher than
the investment in a central air conditioning system, the
competitiveness of a geothermal heat pump investment depends on
the energy savings it allows, and on the cost of that energy
(and the energy type).
Since savings provided by a geothermal heat pump may easily attain $1,000
per year, you will recover the initial extra investment
(comparatively to the cost of air conditioning) in 6 years or
less. All depends on your consumption and on the
type of energy you are replacing. If it is gas, then the
advantages of geothermal heat pumps is much smaller and the
economical advantage may not exist.
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