Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps are part of an ever-advancing technology providing an alternative heating and cooling source to those looking to reduce their fossil fuel usage. Working similarly to a refrigerator or air conditioning unit, heat pumps can take heat from places like the surrounding air, ground, or potentially nearby water. Heat, in this case, is being transferred instead of generated, making heat pumps more efficient than your usual boiler/furnace or electric baseboards. 

This might have you curious about how a heat pump can take heat out of the air when its cold outside. Heat energy is present whenever the temperature is above zero degrees. This means that even on cold winter days, your heat pump units will be able to take heat out of the air, run through its normal procedures and provide warmth inside your building. Heat pumps in cold climate are, in some instances, used in combination with a fossil fuel system. When the temperature outside becomes too cold, the other system inside the home will kick on to provide auxiliary heat. 

Air Source Heat Pumps 

Air source heat pumps transfer heat in the air from outside to inside your home. They consist of a compressor, two copper or aluminum coils, and fins to aid in the heat transfer. While heating, the liquid refrigerant inside the outdoor system removes heat from the air and evaporates into a gas. The indoor coil releases the heat, and the gas turns back into a liquid. This system would work in the opposite direction in cooling season as you would change the direction of the refrigerant flow.

For homes without duct systems, a mini-split heat pump option is available. You may see these in homes and businesses, which typically have a wall-mounted system that allows for circulation of warm and cool air.  

Geothermal Heat Pumps 

Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground-source or water-source heat pumps, transfer heat from the ground or nearby water source to your home. Though they can be more expensive to install than air source heat pumps, geothermal systems can be quieter, last longer, do not depend on the temperature of the air outside, and require less maintenance. These heat pumps operate with a three-part system. First, the underground heat collector circulates fluid through the surrounding soil by way of looped pipe systems that are buried horizontally or vertically, and either absorbs or deposits heat depending on whether the outside air is warmer or cooler than the soil. Once the fluid passes through the exchanger, it then moves into a heat pump, and then finally through the heat distribution system, which is usually ductwork that moves the heated or cooled air throughout the home or business.  

For additional information on heat pumps, check out the links below! 

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-source-heat-pumps

https://www.blocpower.io/posts/cold-climate-heat-pumps

https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geothermal-heat-pumps#:~:text=A%20heat%20pump%E2%80%94When%20ambient,building%20and%20deposits%20it%20underground

https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-heat-pumps/how-a-heat-pump-works

Last updated August 30, 2023