I’ve heard about ductless heat pumps for home air conditioning. Are they as good as I’ve read?
Yes, ductless heat pumps are living up to their claim of providing energy-efficient cooling and heating. Unlike traditional heat pumps, ductless systems require no duct work in walls, ceilings or crawl spaces, making them ideal replacements for outdated zonal electric heating systems. They work well in new homes, too, since they offer air conditioning in summer.
All four homes in this year’s Parade of Homes in Ridgefield have ductless heat pump systems. They will be on display through July 25, as will other energy-efficient and sustainable home features.
“These units are proving to be all they’re cracked up to,” said DuWayne Dunham, Clark Public Utilities energy counselor. “They do not draw a lot of power when coming on and will use significantly less electricity than older electric zonal systems. They’re more than twice as efficient as electric zonal systems.”
Clark Public Utilities has been participating in a pilot program to test ductless heat pumps since October 2008. The program, which runs through September, offers customers a $1,500 rebate on qualifying ductless systems installed by an approved contractor.
“Since the program began, more than 850 units have been installed in Clark County,” Dunham said. “Clark Public Utilities has seen more units installed than any other utility in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.”
In addition to having ductless heat pumps, all homes in this year’s Parade of Homes are certified Energy Star, which means they’re at least 15 percent more efficient than homes built to current code. By using less energy, these homes cost less to operate.
Ryan Zygar, president of Tamarack Homes in Vancouver, estimates a homeowner will spend about $1,000 a year in utility costs to live in one of the three houses his company is featuring in the event.
“We build an extremely tight building envelope that averages .47 air exchanges an hour, compared to an average home with 5 exchanges per hour,” he said. Mechanical air exchanges bring fresh air into the house.
All homes were built with advanced framing techniques and have high-efficiency lighting, including the use of light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, and rain-sensing irrigation systems.
“These are timeless homes,” Zygar said. “Our goal is to put green features into a house and not have them come at a premium price.”
To answer questions on Energy Star and other efficiency measures, Clark Public Utilities energy counselors will be at the Parade of Homes along with Northwest Energy Star Homes representatives.
Dunham said 154 Energy Star homes have been built in Clark County this year. “These homes cost less to live in and energy-efficient green homes tend to hold their value and command a higher resale price,” he said.
The Energy Adviser is written by members of the energy counselor team of Clark Public Utilities, who provide conservation and energy use information to utility customers. Send questions to energyadviser@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA. 98668. A panel of local energy efficiency and energy product specialists will review your questions. Previous topics are available at http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
