With energy costs on the rise, several Canadian homeowners are looking more cost effective methods to heat and cool their homes. Heat pumps use compressors to transfer heat from one space to another. During the cooler months, they warm your home by drawing heat from the outside environment indoors and in the warmer months, they cool your home by pushing the warm air from the inside environment out. Because heat pumps work by transferring heat instead of generating it, they are an energy efficient alternative to furnaces air conditioners, and operate at a fraction of the cost of conventional HVAC appliances.
In cities where seasons go from one extreme to another, heat pumps offer a multitude of benefits. The majority of condominiums in Toronto use electric heating systems. Because heat pumps can reduce the amount of electricity for heating by as much as 30% to 50%, they are possibly the best HVAC option terms of energy efficiency and ease of comfort. In fact, many newer condos come equipped with heat pumps, as they create comfortable environments by maintaining a regulated temperature within the unit throughout the year while minimizing the building’s overall carbon footprint.
Whether you’re a homeowner who is looking for more cost effective ways to heat or cool your home, or a property manager of a rental or a condominium corporation, you can take control of electricity costs by upgrading your building’s HVAC equipment, learning about when and how to use electricity (peak times of the day), and streamlining operating processes.
There are programs available through the Government of Canada that benefit both homeowners and property managers by offering financial incentives for energy efficient projects. These can be used with all types and sizes of electricity saving projects including lighting system upgrades, installing new equipment controls for further savings. They can also assist you with training tools and resources for tenants. By taking control of your electricity use, owners and property managers can:
- reduce electricity consumption
- manage when and how to use electricity
- increase property and resale values
- reduce greenhouse-gas emissions
- reduce operation costs while keeping tenants happy and comfortable
To find out more information on heat pumps and their benefits, consult a government certified Red Seal HVAC technician, or visit the Government of Canada Natural Resources website.
