A Department of Energy competition proved that heat pumps can perform great in winter.
The scoop
In 2021, the Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge invited manufacturers to come up with the best winter-ready heat pumps they could.
Bosch, Carrier, Daikin, Johnson Controls, Lennox, Midea, Rheem, and Trane Technologies all took a shot and successfully made working prototypes. Carrier said its unit could work in temperatures as low as minus-23 degrees Fahrenheit.
Twenty-three homes were kitted out with new heat pumps from eight of those manufacturers, and data was gathered on their performance for a year. All the cold-climate heat pumps that went through this field test are moving forward to production, some as soon as this fall.
💡Save thousands with a heat pump
A heat pump can save you thousands of dollars in heating and cooling costs — but first you have to find the right installer at the right price.
Use EnergySage's free tool today to find local options, compare prices, and see how much you can save.
The Cool Down may receive a commission on signups made through links on this page, but we only promote partners we vet and believe in. For more cool tips like this one, check out our solutions marketplace here.
Heat pumps work by shunting heat into or out of a home using a compressed gas that flows in a loop. It's the same thing as your fridge, except the loop can flow in reverse, depending if you want to heat or cool the home.
One of the key technologies at work in the competition was variable-speed compressors. Normally heat pumps only have single on and off settings for the gas compressor. Being able to dial that compressor speed up or down based on temperature helped improve efficiency.
How it's helping
"Cold-climate heat pumps can lower bills while maintaining comfort in very low temperatures, especially for people who use inefficient systems that rely on propane, oil or electric resistance," said Lacey Tan of energy think tank RMI, according to The Washington Post.
Heat pumps use much less energy than other forms of home climate control, but that can be compromised when backup systems need to kick in at low temperatures. This competition shows that the technology is evolving to deal with that issue.
Got a ductless mini split? Swap your outdated remote for a smart controller to elevate your cooling experience Klima is a smart thermostat and controller that's very different to a traditional Nest or Ecobee. It’s designed specifically for ductless heating and cooling — like room A/Cs, window A/C units, and mini split heat pumps — regardless of brand or age. Klima helps you save on energy bills and make your life easier by automatically regulating your home’s temperature to exactly how you like it. You can even control your A/C from your phone and monitor usage no matter where you are. Learn more → |
Besides bill savings, pollution from home energy use is high in America. Making heating and cooling more efficient can bring that down and help the environment in the long haul. Despite all that upside, the upfront cost of a heat pump can still be challenging.
|
Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Lower energy bills 💰 For now, incentives exist to get over the financial hump of a heat pump purchase, but they may not be around forever. An act of Congress could remove Inflation Reduction Act funding that heat pump incentives depend on. If you act soon, you can take advantage of thousands of dollars of savings while it's still available. Take a look at the EnergySage heat pump marketplace whenever you're ready to make the switch.
Heat pumps are just one way to improve your home's energy efficiency. Check out our weatherization guide to find out more ways you can save on your utility bills.
What everyone's saying
Redditors were impressed with the results of the competition.
"This is huge, it should be a big help in getting wider adoption here in Canada," the top commenter said.
"The units coming out of this challenge should be a meaningful, if incremental, improvement over what's currently on the market," another user wrote.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
