Thinking about making a change to your home’s heating and cooling system? If your furnace or air conditioner is old, needs repairs more and more frequently, or has just been struggling to keep your home comfortable, you could likely benefit significantly from installing a new HVAC system.
Over the last ten years, an all electric, energy-efficient alternative to traditional furnaces and air conditioners has emerged on the market: heat pumps. If it’s been a while since you looked into these HVAC systems, you might be wondering: Is heat pump efficiency in cold weather and warm weather better than it used to be, and can you rely on heat pumps to keep your Massachusetts or New Hampshire home comfortable all year long?
Why Today’s Mitsubishi Electric Heat Pumps Are Better Than Ever
Heat pumps are a little different from other HVAC systems—they transfer heat from one location to another via a refrigerant line, instead of creating it. In the summer, heat pumps absorb heat in indoor air and bring it outside to cool you down. In the winter, the process is reversed, and heat pumps can take heat from outdoor air (even cold air contains some heat) and bring it inside to warm you up.
7-10 years ago, heat pump technology wasn’t as good as it is today. Efficiency ratings were lower than they are today, and for many homes, heat pumps weren’t a cost-effective option. That’s changed. Mitsubishi Electric has been leading the charge on heat pump technology, and in the same way that the average car gets more miles per gallon than they used to, today’s heat pumps are more powerful and require less energy to run.
Understanding Heat Pump SEER Ratings
There are a few different ways to rate heat pump efficiency, including HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) and EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio). But the most common rating you’ll find is SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Both heat pumps and air conditioners are given SEER ratings, which can start at 13 and increase to the high 20s or even low 30s.
Mitsubishi Electric mini splits and ducted heat pumps come in a wide variety of models and SEER ratings, from budget-friendly to top-of-the-line, ultra efficient units. But regardless of which model you choose, today’s heat pumps are significantly more advanced than the technology available even a few years ago, and as such, many of the common criticisms of heat pumps (that they aren’t that much more efficient than a furnace or AC; or they struggle to heat your home when the weather’s cold) aren’t a factor anymore!
Save More with Kearney HVAC and Mass Save Heat Pump Rebates
Not only are today’s heat pumps more efficient, but thanks to local rebates available, upgrading your home or business with Mitsubishi Electric heat pumps from Kearney HVAC is affordable as well!
The Mass Save program offers a number of different rebates for energy efficiency upgrades in your Massachusetts home, including savings of up to $10,000 for heat pump installation, as well as 0%, 7 year loans. Kearney has a long history of working with Mass Save, making it easy to reduce your upfront costs and start saving sooner on your heating and cooling costs.
