Install a Heat Pump for Heating and AC

Upgrading your home’s heating with a heat pump is one of the most effective ways to reduce your overall carbon footprint and make your home more comfortable. An ideal time to consider a heat pump is when you need to replace your existing heating or cooling system or when you want to add air conditioning, because heat pumps provide cooling as well as heating.

While traditional heating systems burn fuel to create heat, a heat pump instead works by “pumping” heat into or out of a home. Heat pumps can operate down to below 0℉ outdoor temperatures, and though they require electricity to operate, they typically use 2 to 4 times less energy than conventional electric or fossil-fueled heating systems. A heat pump can supplement your existing heating system or completely replace it. Heat pumps can save a lot of money over time if your home is currently heated with oil, propane, or electric baseboards.

Concord’s web site has an excellent heat pump information page about the technology and rebates available to residents. In order to qualify for some of the incentives, you should first do what you can to improve your home’s insulation and reduce drafts. We have exactly the thing for you: sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Assessment.

Steps to Take

Choosing an installer and equipment can be complicated and time consuming. But thankfully, the Concord Municipal Light Plant (CMLP) benefits from the transition to electric heat, which it promotes as an important part of the Town’s Climate Action Plan.

CMLP has contracted with Abode Energy Management to provide no-cost technical and educational resources to support our customers who wish to install heat pumps. Abode will provide sizing and design support to CMLP customers and contractors to ensure that the installed system delivers the savings and comfort expected, as well as reduces the home’s overall carbon impact.

We suggest taking the following steps:

Schedule a free energy assessment if you haven’t already done so.
Check out Concord’s heat pump information page to learn the basic information on Air-Source Heat Pumps.
Concord residents can contact Christopher Haringa (339-707-0918), Abode’s Heat Pump Specialist, for assistance about heat pumps, at no charge.
Residents (including from other towns) can reach out to a local volunteer energy coach to discuss options on heat pumps and other home energy improvements.

Deep Dive

Some details

Two basic types of heat pumps are available:

Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) exchange heat with the air outside your house and advanced models are now efficient down to sub-zero outdoor temperatures. ASHPs for homes that already have ducting are called central heat pumps, while so-called ductless “mini-splits” are suited to homes that don’t have existing ducting. All ASHPs provide energy-efficient heating and cooling for your home, using a fraction of the energy traditional electric or fossil-fuel boilers or furnaces. The Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP.org) has a lot of information on ASHPs including an Air-Source Heat Pump Buyers Guide .
Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) can provide highly efficient heating, cooling, and water heating by utilizing the nearly constant temperature underground to heat or cool your home. GSHPs are typically the most efficient type of heat pump, but installation is more complex and the initial cost is somewhat higher than ASHPs. A generous federal tax credit is available currently covering 26% of the system cost, with higher incentives for low- and moderate-income customers.

For both types of systems, Concord homes qualify for rebates from CMLP and additional incentives via the MA Home MVP program.

Testimonials

We installed a Carrier Infinity series heat pump about 4 years ago. It works seamlessly with our natural gas heat, and the air conditioning in…

Our central heat pump works great!

Submitted by: Brad Hubbard-Nelson

Our Carrier GreenSpeed central air and heat pump system heats and cools the main living space in our house. We now use oil for hot…

Heat pump and central air cut my oil deliveries by more than half and reduces carbon

Submitted by: Gordon Brockway

Hi All, Like me, many of you have had air source heat pumps installed (we love our mini split!). One of our wall units was…

Cleaning Dirty/Moldy Heat Pumps

Submitted by: Ken Hausman

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