Installing a heat pump in your Coachella Valley home is a great way to save energy all year long. Just as with furnaces and air conditioners, it’s important to understand the efficiency ratings of a heat pump when you’re deciding between various units. Today we’re going to talk about the three different heat pump efficiency ratings and how you can use them to choose a new heat pump for your home!
Heat pump efficiency ratings for the cooling season
Because heat pumps operate almost exactly like air conditioners, they also use the same efficiency ratings. Just like air conditioners, heat pumps are given a SEER rating and an EER rating to describe how efficiently they can remove heat from your home.
- SEER rating: Stands for “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.” This number is calculated by taking the total amount of heat that is removed from a conditioned space during a typical cooling season in our area (in Btu’s) and dividing it by the total amount of energy consumed by a given unit over that same time period (in watt-hours).
- EER rating: Stands for “Energy Efficiency Ratio.” This is calculated the same way a SEER rating is measured, except that it measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump in a controlled environment instead of taking into account the typical cooling season in our area.
Heat pump efficiency ratings for the heating season
Heat pumps use a special efficiency rating to describe how efficiently they operate during the heating season.
- HSPF rating: Stands for “Heating Season Performance Factor.” This number is calculated by taking the total amount of space heating required during the typical heating season (in Btu’s) and dividing it by the total amount of energy consumed by a given unit over that same time period (in watt-hours).
How to use heat pump efficiency ratings when choosing a unit
All three of the efficiency ratings listed above can be used to choose the heat pump that is right for your home. Because we live in a warm climate, a higher SEER or EER rating should take precedence over a high HSPF rating if you need to decide between the two.
In addition, it’s always good to look for a heat pump that meets Energy Star’s requirements for a high-efficiency unit.
- In order to receive the Energy Star rating, split-system heat pumps must have a SEER rating of at least 14.5, an EER rating of at least 12 and an HSPF rating of at least 8.2.
Remember that high efficiency heat pumps will give you a great return on investment in future energy savings, so it’s best to choose a unit with the highest efficiency ratings that meet your budget for a new system.
If you have any questions about heat pump efficiency ratings, or if you’d like a heating and cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Indio, CA, heating and air conditioning contractor.
