Heat Pumps—An Energy-Efficient Option
Heat pumps can help reduce your environmental impact.
If you're thinking about replacing your heating or cooling system and are looking for an energy-efficient option, you might consider a heat pump, powered by an increasingly greener grid.
What is a heat pump?
Heat pumps transfer heat from one space to another. For example, during heating season, heat pumps move heat from outdoors into warm spaces inside your home. In the summer, the opposite occurs—heat pumps remove warm air from your home and move it outdoors.
A refrigerator is a heat pump! It uses electricity to move heat from inside the fridge to the surrounding room, so food stays cold. Air conditioners also are heat pumps, moving heat from indoors to outdoors. Heat pumps are more energy efficient as they concentrate and transfer heat rather than generate it.
Energy efficiency benefits
Heat pumps can be used for both heating and cooling, potentially reducing the need for two different types of equipment. They typically have a lifespan of around 15 years, require low maintenance and are powered by electricity, reducing their environmental impact and the cost of heating and cooling when compared to conventional electric-resistance, propane or oil-heating sources.
Types of heat pumps
A cold climate air-source heat pump is able to heat or cool a home by transferring heat to and from the air through refrigerant lines. These refrigerant lines then work with an inside air-handler unit and ductwork to distribute heated or cooled air throughout the home.
There also are ductless versions available (often called mini splits) consisting of an outdoor compressor unit that connects to indoor units (often called cassette heads). These are small wall- or ceiling-mounted units that blow the heated or cooled air into the living space.
A geothermal or ground-source heat pump heats or cools your home by moving heat to and from the ground through a series of buried tubes that have a water and antifreeze mixture. These tubes work with an inside air-handler unit and ductwork to distribute heated and cooled air throughout the home. A "desuperheater" can be added to a geothermal heat pump to provide water heating.
Dual-fuel systems allow for the flexibility of heating with a heat pump and/or with a more traditional natural gas or liquid propane (LP) furnace. The colder the outside air temperature, the less heat there is available, and heat pump efficiency can decrease. This makes a backup heating source a good idea in a colder climate. A dual-fuel system also can give customers the opportunity to use each system optimally based on costs and environmental benefits.
Current incentives
MGE's partner in energy efficiency, FOCUS ON ENERGY®, is offering incentives for purchasing and installing various heat pumps. Find more information at focusonenergy.com.
The Inflation Reduction Act's Home Efficiency and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program will be launching soon, offering income-eligible households an instant rebate on qualified heat pumps. To learn more, visit focusonenergy.com/ira-hear.
published: Oct-29-2024