Add-On Heat Pumps Marketing Program as of July 1, 2007

• Mid-Ohio Energy will pay up to a $400 rebate for new qualifying electric heat pump units utilizing an electric resistance back-up system.  These units, require installation of an radio-controlled switch (RCS) designed to control summer peaking. Again, this payment will be applied as a credit to the electric bill.

Pump up your home’s heating and cooling
Heat pumps offer efficient option to furnaces, air conditioners by PAM BLAIR, Ruralite Services

Imagine using a single unit to both heat and cool your home — and saving up to 72 percent on your electricity use, compared to conventional furnaces and air conditioners. That translates into savings on your energy bill and a reduced impact on the environment. An energy-efficient heat pump taps into the outdoors to improve the comfort indoors.

Heat pumps work on the fundamental principle that heat exists in the air and ground even at extremely low temperatures. In the winter, a heat pump extracts heat from outside air and delivers it indoors. To cool a house on hot summer days, it works in reverse, extracting heat from room air and pumping it outdoors.

Because a heat pump moves heat from one place to another — rather than actually creating heat — it is up to four times more efficient than a fossil-fueled furnace.

Air or ground
In moderate climates, an air-source heat pump — which costs about the same as a conventional heating and cooling system — is a good option. By transferring heat between the house and outside air, an air-source heat pump can trim electricity use as much as 40 percent and deliver one and a half to three times more heat energy than the electricity it consumes.

However, the efficiency of most air-source heat pumps drops dramatically in regions with frequent sub-freezing temperatures. Because a household in a cold climate needs more heat than the air can provide, the backup heating system runs more often. Manufacturers are working on new designs to address that problem. Ground-source “geo exchange” heat pumps work well in all climates. Unlike the air — which varies significantly in temperature — the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature a few feet below the surface. Like a cave, the ground temperature normally is warmer than the outside air in the winter and cooler than the air in the summer.

Although initially more expensive, a geothermal system can reduce energy consumption more than 72 percent compared to electric resistance heating and cooling, and more than44 percent compared to an air-source heat pump.

It also can save 20 percent to 50 percent in cooling costs, compared to fossil-fueled systems. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal heat pump shave the lowest lifetime cost of all conventional home-heating systems available.

Buying a heat pump
When shopping for a heat pump, look for the Energy Star® label. Air-source systems bearing the label have a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor of 7.7 or more and a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of at least 13. Correct sizing to the heating load is critical. For a ground-source system, the Coefficient of Performance is at least 2.8 and the Energy Efficiency Ratio is 13or greater.

• By resetting your programmable thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight hours a day (for instance, while no one is home or while everyone is tucked in bed) you can cut you heating bill by up to 10 percent.