There are several factors that come into play when choosing the right heat pump for your home. One of those factors is how much energy savings you are looking for. The amount of potential energy savings depends on the heat pump efficiency ratings—also known as steady-state metrics—including SEER, COP, and HSPF.
Many Daikin heat pump models are equipped with variable-speed inverter technology. The technology enables the heat pump to remain at peak efficiency at all times by staying on and self-regulating to the current temperature.
Steady-state metrics determine how efficient a heat pump is when running in an optimal (steady) state:
Did you know your region will only allow heat pumps to be sold that will function properly in the respective climate? Canada has energy efficiency regulations for air-source heat pumps that require a minimum HSPF of 7.1 and a minimum SEER of 14.
Cold climate heat pumps are designed to maximize heating capacity in colder temperatures. These models often have very high heat pump efficiency ratings including HSPFs up to 13 and SEERs up to 30.
When a heat pump is too small for your home, it will run at full speed in an effort to reach the desired temperature. It can trigger defrost mode more than necessary if it’s constantly running at full speed—also, it may not heat enough of your home, triggering your back-up heating source more often than you’d like. The energy you’d be saving with your undersized heat pump would be counteracted by using both heating sources at the same time.
Whereas a heat pump that is too large for your home will reach the desired temperature quickly and begin short cycling. This puts added pressure on the motor, prevents the heat pump from achieving optimal temperature, and can even shorten the lifespan of the system.
We can assess your home to recommend the best size heat pump based on Btu. You can learn more about recommended Btu by square footage in our article here.
Now that you have a better understanding of how heat pump efficiency ratings impact energy savings, you can make an informed decision on how efficient you want your heat pump to be.