Heat pump technology is starting to gain momentum in Canada, but Alberta’s cold winters and high costs could prevent its adoption in the province.
These devices use electricity and refrigerant to transfer heat back and forth between outdoors and indoors. In cool weather, it draws warm air into the house, in summer it draws in warm air from the inside and brings it out.
“You are not producing heat, but really just concentrating and moving it around. In fact, it can be more than 100 percent more efficient,” said Sarah Hastings-Simon, an energy conversion expert and assistant professor of physics at the University of Calgary.
Installers say interest in heat pumps has increased tenfold over the past year. But in some parts of the country, such as Alberta, development has been slower.
Less expensive models of pumps are often insufficient to heat a home in Alberta winters, so they must be paired with a gas or electric stove.
“When it’s very, very cold, they don’t provide enough heat,” said Adam Sanders, HVAC sales manager for Canada.
The website of ProSolutions Inc., another heating and cooling company, states that heat pumps do not operate in Alberta due to the cooler climate.
Hastings-Simon said the technology could be used in cooler weather, but getting supplies and awareness could be a challenge.
“They don’t really work here. I think the problem is rather that we do not have enough potential installers or something like that,” she said.
“I think the biggest hurdle is that [air conditioning] is a normal practice.”
The average heat pump costs about twice as much as comparable air conditioners. Standard units can be used as space heaters down to around 0 degrees Celsius, but can also provide cooling in the summer.
BC Hydro claims that heat pumps are 50% more energy efficient than window air conditioners. A complete system can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $18,000.
The federal government provides home improvement grants to cover part of the cost of installing a heat pump. These devices must be professionally installed and included in the list of eligible models. For example, different types of units are eligible for grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. They are also eligible for an interest-free loan through the Canada Green Homes initiative with a 10-year repayment period.
New developments in technology have also made these devices more efficient in colder climates. However, such units can cost five times more than an air conditioner.
“I think there’s a lot of interest because they’re seeing $5,000 in rebates and interest-free loans,” Sanders said.
“But when homeowners actually ask about it, it’s probably more of a time when they don’t go down that path because of what we just talked about.”
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