Heat pumps are a proven and reliable technology in Canada. They can provide year-round comfort control by supplying heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. Upgrading to a heat pump system has several benefits for heating and cooling your home, using less energy than traditional furnaces and air conditioners, and reducing energy bills.
Heat pumps can be an excellent choice in a variety of applications, including new homes and retrofits of existing heating and cooling systems. When replacing existing air conditioning systems, the incremental cost to move from a cooling-only system to a heat pump is often relatively low. Understanding the various system types and options can be helpful when making the right choice for your home.
Heat Pump Basics
A heat pump extracts heat from a low-temperature source (a source) and delivers it to a higher-temperature source (a sink). Heat naturally flows from places with higher temperatures to locations with lower temperatures. A heat pump uses additional electrical energy to counter the natural flow of heat and pump the energy available in a colder place to a warmer one. The source’s temperature is reduced as energy is extracted from a source. If the home is the source, thermal energy will be removed, cooling this space. This is how a heat pump operates in cooling mode and is the same principle used by air conditioners and refrigerators. Similarly, as energy is added to a sink, its temperature increases. If the home is used as a sink, thermal energy will be added, heating the space. A heat pump is fully reversible, meaning that it can both heat and cool your home, providing year-round comfort.
Thermal Energy Sources
The two thermal energy sources most commonly used for heat pumps in Canada are Air Source and Ground Source.
- Air-Source: Air-source systems are the most common in the Canadian market, with over 700,000 units installed across Canada. An air-source heat pump draws heat from the outside air during the heating season and rejects heat outside during the summer cooling season. Even when outdoor temperatures are cold, a good deal of energy can still be extracted, allowing the heat pump to provide a good deal of heating even during colder weather.
- Ground-Source: A ground source, or geothermal heat pump, uses the earth, groundwater, or both as the source of heat in the winter and as a reservoir to reject heat removed from the home in the summer. Its primary advantage is that it uses the ground as a constant-temperature source, resulting in the most energy-efficient type of heat pump system. Although ground-source heat pumps are less common than air-source units, they are becoming more widely used in all provinces of Canada.
Sinks: In Canada, two sinks for thermal energy are most commonly used.
- Indoor air is heated through:
- A centrally ducted system or
- A ductless indoor unit, commonly through a wall-mounted unit.
- The water inside the building is heated. The water is then used to heat terminal systems like radiators, a radiant floor, or fan coil units via a hydronic system.
Air-Air Heat Pump Options
These air-source units heat or cool the air inside your home. The following classification types are based on the type of installation:
- Ducted: The heat pump’s indoor coil is located in a duct. Air is heated or cooled by passing over the coil before being distributed via the ductwork to different locations in the home.
- Ductless: The heat pump’s indoor coil is located in an indoor unit. These indoor units are generally located on the floor or wall of a specific space, and heat or cool the air in that space directly. Ductless units are available in either mini-split or multi-split:
- Mini-Split: A single indoor unit is served by a single outdoor unit.
- Multi-Split: Multiple indoor units are served by a single outdoor unit.
Hybrid Heat Systems
A hybrid system comprises both a heat pump and a gas furnace. Depending on the season and temperature, a hybrid system alternates between using each, maximizing efficiency to heat and cool your home. The hybrid system uses the heat pump in hot or mild temperatures and the furnace in colder temperatures. The system switches between the two depending on which is more efficient for the circumstances. Hybrid systems are great for any climate, function year-round, and are more energy-efficient than stand-alone HVAC systems.
With the many options available, we recommend reviewing them with one of our experts.
No matter which solution you choose, you can have peace of mind knowing you will have an energy-efficient heat pump system that provides year-round comfort.