With the average heating and cooling system lasting fifteen to twenty years, choosing the right HVAC system for your goals is incredibly important. If it’s been a couple of decades since you’ve gotten a new system, technology has improved significantly! Now, there are countless options that are more energy efficient than ever. If cutting energy costs is a top priority for you, there are 2 HVAC systems that are a cut above the rest.
If you are looking for the best options for high efficiency systems, below are the top two most energy efficient HVAC systems in 2022.
1. Open Loop Geothermal HVAC System
Geothermal systems are by far the most energy efficient HVAC systems. They use the consistent temperature of the earth’s surface to heat and cool your home, rather than propane or fuel oil. In particular, an open loop geothermal system is one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems.
You would be hard-pressed to find a more energy efficient HVAC system than a geothermal system that uses groundwater to transfer thermal energy into your home. An open loop geothermal system is designed to use water from a well, pond, or lake to heat and cool your home.
On the other hand, a closed loop geothermal system does not use groundwater. A closed loop system consists of underground piping loops that are filled with an anti-freeze type of liquid. This liquid helps transfer the ground temperature to the geothermal heat pump to heat and cool your home.
Is There an Open Loop Geothermal System That Stands Above the Rest?
The most energy efficient and cost efficient HVAC system in Southwest Michigan is an open loop hybrid geothermal system that uses well water to heat and cool your home. Actually, we are the only HVAC company in the region that sells this system!
Using this open loop hybrid geothermal system that uses your own well water to transfer thermal energy can actually save you 50-70% in energy costs per year! You can even cool and dehumidify your home for about $50 ALL summer…without an air conditioning unit with this system! On top of that, this hybrid geothermal system is more affordable than other options!
How to Tell if A Hybrid Geothermal System is Right for Your Home?
Your home is a good fit for a hybrid geothermal system using well water for thermal energy if you have the following:
1)You have a well
2) You heat your home with propane, fuel oil, electricity or wood
3) Your home has ductwork or room to add some ductwork.
It’s as simple as that for your home to be a candidate to install this unique system.
What Makes Open Loop Geothermal Systems More Energy Efficient?
This is one of the most energy efficient HVAC systems around because you’re using a renewable resource to heat and cool your home: well water. The well water enters your home from your well, and then passes through a vapor compression process to heat and cool your home. After the thermal energy is extracted and delivered through your ducts, the water is released back into the ground. Then it filters through the soil and returns safely to underground aquifers.
Where does the “hybrid” part come in?
On extremely cold, single-digit temperature days, your home’s existing furnace is used for supplemental heating only. Fortunately, during hot summer days, your geothermal system can handle cooling your home all by itself!
Does It Cost As Much as Other Geothermal Systems?
Closed-loop geothermal systems require heavy excavation equipment to install, costing anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. However, with this hybrid open loop geothermal system, there’s no need to replace your existing heating system or to install equipment underground. So the installation of this hybrid geothermal system is faster, less invasive, and a fraction of the cost of typical geothermal systems! On top of installation savings compared to other systems, homeowners report saving well over $1,000 a year on heating and cooling their home!
Need more information about how this system could work in your home, visit this website: https://wellconnectgeo.com/
2. Ductless Mini Split HVAC System
Our second pick for the most efficient HVAC system on the market is a Ductless Mini Split HVAC system, which provides homes with what is known as zoned heating and cooling. Most homes have hot and cold spots, but with zoned heating and cooling, different areas are controlled by separate thermostats. So you can easily adapt the temperature in your home from room to room. For example, your living room area could be set at 70 degrees, while your upstairs bedroom could be set to 66 degrees.
How Do Ductless Mini Split HVAC Systems Work?
Ductless mini split systems work by using an indoor unit that is connected to an outdoor compressor. The outdoor compressor works to heat or cool the air. Then copper tubing diects this warm or cool air to the indoor air handler straight into the room, rather than being routed through ductwork.
An HVAC professional can mount these indoor units in different rooms throughout your home to create zones you want to heat. Another benefit is you can easily use wireless or wired temperature controllers to set each zoned area to your perfect comfort level. This saves up to 40% in energy costs in comparison to traditional ducted systems.
Why are Mini Splits are the One of the Most Energy Efficient HVAC Systems?
Mini split heat pumps are incredibly energy efficient because they don’t waste energy to create heat. Instead, the system gathers heat in the air and processes it with the refrigerant to deliver it into your home. Additionally, newer models now use technology that automatically adjusts the temperature to a perfect level. This lowers your energy costs by limiting excess heating and cooling to rooms that don’t need it. Moreover, forced air ducted systems lose as much as 30 percent of their energy pushing air through big ducts through an entire house.
Single-Zone or Multi-Zone Mini Split System?
There are two categories for ductless mini-split systems: single zone and multi-zone.
Single Zone: A single-zone mini split system includes one indoor air handling unit connected by refrigerant lines to a compact outdoor condensing unit or heat pump.
Single-zone systems are easier to install than multi-zone systems because you’re not running refrigerant lines from the outdoor unit to multiple units. This process is more labor intensive and invasive. Rather, you would have just one outdoor unit per indoor unit. Because it’s not as much work to install a single-zone system, they also are less expensive than multi-zone systems.
Multi-zone systems: Multi-zone mini split systems can connect up to 8 indoor air handling units to a single outdoor condensing unit or heat pump, heating and cooling the rooms used most or the entire home.
If you have a large house with many rooms, it’s more beneficial to install a multi-zone system. This way you can control the temperature of several different rooms with one outdoor unit, rather than installing an entire indoor and outdoor unit for each room. Additionally, for multi-level homes, it’s typically best to install a multi-zone system rather than numerous individual single-zone systems throughout your home.
For more information on the benefits of a ductless mini-split system, visit our webpage: https://thebossservices.com/heating/ductless-hvac/
Opportunities for Additional Savings
Indiana Michigan Power often rewards homeowners for saving energy by using more energy efficient HVAC systems. You can find these savings and more on their website here: https://electricideas.com/at-home/rebates/hvac-and-energy-saving-products-michigan/
Questions About The Most Energy Efficient HVAC System for Your Home?
We are always just a phone call away at 269-468-6682 if you have any questions about energy efficiency in regards to your HVAC system. If you live in Southwest Michigan, one of our expert HVAC technicians would be happy to come out to your home. Our professionals will assess your system to see if there is any opportunity to educate you on how you can save more energy in your home.