Heat pumps have gotten a bad rap for not being adequate for cold climates. In the past, this was partly true, necessitating an electric resistance backup heat element which hurt their overall efficiency. However, times have changed. A new wave of cold climate heat pumps is entering the market, largely thanks to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge.
Heat pumps work by using the magic of the vapor compression cycle to move heat energy from cold outdoor air to warm indoor air in the winter (or vice versa in the summer). What’s even more impressive is that they can move more units of energy (often 3 or 4x), than is put in. The efficiency of this cycle however drops off with an increased indoor-to-outdoor temperature difference. For conventional heat pumps, this results in a loss of energy moving capacity, and the heat pump alone can no longer heat the home sufficiently.
These new cold climate heat pumps overcome this drawback largely by boosting the speed that the compressor operates, thus increasing the amount of energy moved. While this comes with an efficiency penalty, most of these heat pumps can still move 2 units of energy per unit of energy input, even on the coldest winter days. For context, that old electric resistance backup element gives a 1:1 energy return, so even when it is 5°F outside, your new cold climate heat pump is still twice as efficient.
2024 is on track to be the best year ever for heat pump installations. So with this new wave of cold climate heat pumps hitting the market, now is the time to call up your local distributor to make the clean and efficient all-electric switch for your new northern communities.