Abstract

Contemporary air-source heat pumps have great potential to reduce space-conditioning loads, especially when installed in houses built with low thermal loads. These heat pumps are sensitive to installation quality, and problems may not always be identified quickly and repaired. Electric utilities in t he Pacific Northwest have provided incentives to HVAC installers to ensure system installation quality, and regional energy planners have paid increasing attention to heat pump performance. This study looked at a small number of heat pumps in great detail, monitoring energy usage for a year. After initial evaluation and repair (as needed), most sites performed up to the label specifications (HSPF). Even at sub-performing sites (measured on basis of climate-adjusted HSPF), annual kWh usage for heating mostly met expectations (in part because of very efficient thermal shells).

Panels of

Market Transformation: Taking Efficiency Mainstream

Utility Regulation, Strategies, and Policies

Residential Buildings: Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Visions of the Future: Big New Ideas for Energy Efficiency

Energy and Environmental Policy: Planning for Greater Impacts

Sustainable Communities: Systems Integration at the Community Scale

Residential Buildings: Technologies, Design, Performance Analysis, and Building Industry Trends

Commercial Buildings: Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Human and Social Dimensions of Energy Use: Trends and their Implications

Strategies for Appliances, Lighting, Electronics, and Miscellaneous End–Uses

Commercial Buildings: Technologies, Design, Performance Analysis, and Building Industry Trends