What Are The

Major Benefits of Air-Source Heat Pumps

Installing an air-source heat pump can offer you a number of benefits. This section explores how air-source heat pumps can benefit your household energy footprint.

Efficiency

The major benefit of using an air-source heat pump is the high efficiency it can provide in heating compared to typical systems like furnaces, boilers and electric baseboards. At 8°C, the coefficient of performance (COP) of air-source heat pumps typically ranges from between 2.0 and 5.4. This means that, for units with a COP of 5, 5 kilowatt hours (kWh) of heat are transferred for every kWh of electricity supplied to the heat pump. As the outdoor air temperature drops, COPs are lower, as the heat pump must work across a greater temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor space. At –8°C, COPs can range from 1.1 to 3.7.

On a seasonal basis, the heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) of market available units can vary from 7.1 to 13.2 (Region V). It is important to note that these HSPF estimates are for an area with a climate similar to Ottawa. Actual savings are highly dependant on the location of your heat pump installation.

Energy Savings

The higher efficiency of the heat pump can translate into significant energy use reductions. Actual savings in your house will depend on a number of factors, including your local climate, efficiency of your current system, size and type of heat pump, and the control strategy. Many online calculators are available to provide a quick estimation of how much energy savings you can expect for your particular application. NRCan’s ASHP-Eval tool is freely available and could be used by installers and mechanical designers to help advise on your situation.