This causes the temperature to drop, and the refrigerant becomes a low-temperature vapour/liquid mixture. Actual savings are highly dependant on the location of your heat pump installation. This is how a heat pump operates in cooling mode, and is the same principle used by air conditioners and refrigerators. The vapour is then compressed, reducing its volume and causing it to heat up. On average, a well designed ground-source system will yield savings that are about 10-20% more than would be provided by a best in class, cold climate air-source heat pump sized to cover most of the building heating load. Current performance has evolved significantly over the last 15 years, driven by new developments in compressor technology, heat exchanger design, and improved refrigerant flow and control. Time-temperature defrost is started and ended by a pre-set interval timer or a temperature sensor located on the outside coil. As with air-source heat pump systems, ground-source heat pumps must be designed and installed by qualified contractors. It is important that horizontal and vertical loops be installed by a qualified contractor. Installing an air-source heat pump can offer you a number of benefits. In an open system, the ground water is then pumped back out and discharged into a pond or down a well. Supplementary heating may also be required when the heat pump is defrosting. As the outdoor air temperature drops, COPs are lower, as the heat pump must work across a greater temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor space. See discussion in previous sections on minimizing temperature setbacks. During the cooling cycle, the heat pump also dehumidifies the indoor air. Typical water temperatures entering the ground-source heat pump are generally above 0C, yielding a COP of around 3 for most systems during the coldest winter months. The sensor is usually set to shut off at the temperature corresponding to the economic balance point, or at the outdoor temperature below which it is cheaper to heat with the supplementary heating system instead of the heat pump. In Canada, where air temperatures can go below 30C, ground-source systems are able to operate more efficiently because they take advantage of warmer and more stable ground temperatures. As a result, the demand-frost method is generally more efficient since it starts the defrost cycle only when it is required. Vertical loops require little space and result in less lawn damage. Selecting the source and sink for your heat pump system goes a long way in determining the performance, capital costs and operating costs of your system. As such, it is very important to examine the supply airflow of your system, and how it may compare to the airflow capacity of your existing ducts. But the road to a low-carbon future has its challenges. Operating temperatures in the hydronic system are critical when evaluating air-water heat pumps. Ground-source heat pump systems have three main components: the heat pump unit itself, the liquid heat exchange medium (open system or closed loop), and a distribution system (either air-based or hydronic) that distributes the thermal energy from the heat pump to the building. If the outdoor temperature falls to near or below freezing when the heat pump is operating in the heating mode, moisture in the air passing over the outside coil will condense and freeze on it. As a result, a ground-source heat pump can provide more heat over the course of the winter than an air-source heat pump. While this is happening, the heat pump is cooling the air in the ductwork. A 200 ampere electrical service is normally required for the installation of either an all-electric air-source heat pump or a ground-source heat pump. All installations should meet the requirements of CSA C448 Series 16, an installation standard set by the Canadian Standards Association. The heat from the hot gas is transferred to the indoor air, causing the refrigerant to condense into a liquid. In addition to these regulations, your province or territory may have more stringent requirements. The heating system would normally warm this air as it is distributed throughout the house. Heat pump systems generally supply a greater volume of airflow at lower temperature compared to furnace systems. The higher efficiency of the heat pump can translate into significant energy use reductions. You should not use water from a spring, pond, river or lake as a source for your heat pump system. Your contractor or equipment manufacturer can tell you what level of water quality is acceptable and under what circumstances special heat-exchanger materials may be required. There, you can find discussion of options for how to program your system to transition between heat pump use and supplementary heat source use. To appropriately size your heat pump system, it is important to understand the heating and cooling needs for your home. A heat pump is fully reversible, meaning that it can both heat and cool your home, providing year-round comfort. The heat from the hot gas is transferred to the outdoor air, causing the refrigerant to condense into a liquid. A performance standard specifies tests and test conditions at which heat pump heating and cooling capacities and efficiency are determined. This type of system can meet all cooling loads and most heating loads on low speed, with high speed required only for high heating loads. Likewise, if a heat pump is oversized, the desired energy savings may not be realized due to inefficient operation during milder conditions. These types of systems typically have higher SEER and HSPF values, with some systems reaching SEERs up to 42, and HSPFs approaching 13. This is due to the fact that underground temperatures are higher in winter than air temperatures. It is important to note that these HSPF estimates are for an area with a climate similar to Ottawa. Variable speed air-source heat pumps are now available that are designed to vary the capacity of the system to more closely match the heating/cooling demand of the house at a given moment. This section provides a brief overview of common sources and sinks for residential applications in Canada. No need for an outdoor thermostat control on add-on heat pumps. Air-water heat pumps operate more efficiently when heating the water to lower temperatures, i.e., below 45 to 50C, and as such are a better match for radiant floors or fan coil systems. No need for outdoor thermostats, as the electronic thermostat calls for supplementary heat only when needed. Another way to release the used water is through a rejection well, which is a second well that returns the water to the ground. Heating and cooling loads should be determined by using a recognized sizing method such as CSA F280-12, "Determining the Required Capacity of Residential Space Heating and Cooling Appliances.". CanmetENERGY: science at the service of all Canadians. What Is a Heat Pump, and How Does It Work? As in the heating cycle, the liquid refrigerant passes through the expansion device, changing to a low-pressure liquid/vapour mixture. This water can then be used to serve terminal systems like radiators, a radiant floor, or fan coil units via a hydronic system. Just like a steeper hill requires more effort to climb on a bike, greater temperature differences between the source and sink of the heat pump require it to work harder, and can reduce efficiency. wide. The Heating Cycle: Providing thermal energy to the building, The Cooling Cycle: Removing thermal energy from the building. Today, air-source heat pumps represent one of the most promising technologies for heating and cooling our homes. Actual energy savings will vary depending on the local climate, the efficiency of the existing heating system, the costs of fuel and electricity, the size of the heat pump installed, borefield configuration and the seasonal energy balance, and the heat pump efficiency performance at CSA rating conditions. If transitioning from a natural gas or fuel oil based heating system, it may be necessary to upgrade your electrical panel. How much of my annual heating and cooling needs can a heat pump provide? The only change in the water returned to the environment is a slight increase or decrease in temperature. A variety of sizes of systems are available to suit the Canadian climate. The amount of frost buildup depends on the outdoor temperature and the amount of moisture in the air. Generally, the indoor unit contains a heat exchanger coil, and may also include an additional fan to circulate heated or cooled air to the occupied space. Find an explanation of single speed and variable speed heat pumps in the Air-Source Heat Pump section. The vapour is then compressed, reducing its volume and causing it to heat up. Ground-source systems continue to operate regardless of the outdoor temperature, and as such are not subject to the same sort of operating restrictions. The pipe is connected to the indoor heat pump to form a sealed underground loop through which an antifreeze solution or refrigerant is circulated. For enquiries,contact us. It is recommended that a heating and cooling professional be retained to undertake the required calculations. Find an explanation of single speed and variable speed heat pumps in the Air-Source Heat Pump section. Water inside the building is heated. Ductless residential air-source heat pumps are typically installed with a single stage heating/cooling thermostat or in many instances a built in thermostat set by a remote that comes with the unit. Range, SEER in Market Available Products: 14 to 42, Minimum HSPF (Canada): 7.1 (for Region V), Range, HSPF in Market Available Products: 7.1 to 13.2 (for Region V), Range, Heating COP in Market Available Products: 3.8 to 5.0, Range, EER in Market Available Products: 19.1 to 27.5, Range, Heating COP in Market Available Products: 3.2 to 4.2, Range, EER in Market Available Products: 14.6 to 20.4. They are also an option when replacing existing air conditioning systems, as the incremental cost to move from a cooling-only system to a heat pump is often quite low. Unlike air-source heat pumps, where one heat exchanger is located outside, in ground-source systems, the heat pump unit is located inside the home. At the same time the outdoor fan, which normally blows cold air over the coil, is shut off in order to reduce the amount of heat needed to melt the frost. In heating mode, the heat pump provides thermal energy to the hydronic system. Below this temperature, only the supplementary heating system operates. Stage one calls for heat from the heat pump if the temperature falls below the pre-set level. Region 5 would cover most of the southern half of the provinces in Canada, from the B.C interior through New BrunswickFootnote 1. It also replaces CAN/CSA-C273.3-M91, Performance Standard for Split-System Central Air-Conditioners and Heat Pumps. Most ducted residential single-speed heat pump systems are installed with a "two-stage heat/one-stage cool" indoor thermostat. The major benefit of using an air-source heat pump is the high efficiency it can provide in heating compared to typical systems like furnaces, boilers and electric baseboards. While an undersized system will still operate efficiently, you may not get the anticipated energy savings due to a high use of a supplemental heating system. However, in other regions, varying utility rates can extend this period. Stage two calls for heat from the supplementary heating system if the indoor temperature continues to fall below the desired temperature. Sometimes a low-cost financing plan or incentive is offered for approved installations. Heat pumps are a proven and reliable technology in Canada, capable of providing year-round comfort control for your home by supplying heat in the winter, cooling in the summer, and in some cases, heating hot water for your home. Relative savings will depend on whether you are currently using electricity, oil or natural gas, and on the relative costs of different energy sources in your area. It turns on various stages of heaters as the outdoor temperature drops progressively lower. Ground-source heat pumps generally have a life expectancy of about 20 to 25 years. However, this calculation is typically limited to a single region, and may not fully represent performance across Canada. The compressor is the critical component of the system. They are unaffected by chemicals found in soil and have good heat-conducting properties. For variable speed systems, setbacks may allow the system to operate at a lower speed, reducing wear on the compressor and helping to increase system efficiency. The performance testing standards for ground-source systems are CSA C13256 (for secondary loop systems) and CSA C748 (for DX systems). In the heating cycle, the ground water, the antifreeze mixture or the refrigerant (which has circulated through the underground piping system and picked up heat from the soil) is brought back to the heat pump unit inside the house. Determining the right size of heat pump to maximize seasonal efficiencies is critical. If you have an air-based distribution system, you can also support more efficient operations by replacing or cleaning your filter every 3 months. Installation costs vary depending on the type of ground collector and the equipment specifications. Not all heat pumps, however, have an accumulator. This liquid returns to the expansion device and the cycle is repeated. Here are some common terms you may come across while investigating heat pumps.