Heat pumps are a smart and energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home—even in Canada’s chilly winters and warm summers. In this post, we’ll break down exactly what a heat pump is, how it works, and why it might be the right choice for your home.
What Is a Heat Pump?
Simply put, a heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one place to another. Unlike traditional furnaces or air conditioners that generate heat or cool air by burning fuel or using separate systems, a heat pump moves heat energy using a refrigeration cycle. Unlike fossil-fuel based heating & cooling systems, heat pumps keep Canadians comfortable in both the winter and the summer:
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Winter: To heat, a heat pump extracts heat from the outside air (yes, even cold air contains some heat!) and moves it indoors.
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Summer: To cool, the process is reversed, with the heat pump removing heat from inside your home and releasing it outdoors. This is a similar process to traditional air conditioners (except they traditionally only cool).
This dual functionality means one system can handle both your heating and cooling needs, which can simplify maintenance and potentially save energy.
How Does a Heat Pump Work?
At its core, a heat pump works similarly to your refrigerator, using a refrigerant and a cycle of evaporation and condensation to move heat.
The International Energy Agency breaks down a simplified look at the technical process of a heat pump (with the process that occurs inside of the heat pump occurring in the grey box):
The heat source most commonly used in Canadian residential heat pumps is air. Heat is first extracted from the outside air and pulled into the heat pump.
Once inside the heat pump, the following four steps occur:
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Evaporation: The refrigerant absorbs heat as it changes from a liquid to a gas.
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Compression: A compressor increases the pressure of the refrigerant gas, raising its temperature.
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Condensation: The hot refrigerant releases its heat when it condenses back into a liquid—this is where your home gets warmed up.
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Expansion: Finally, the refrigerant expands, cooling down and getting ready to absorb more heat from the outside.
Following this final step, the process repeats again.
Modern heat pumps are designed to work efficiently in many climates, including cold climates, making them a viable all-year temperature control option for many Canadian homes.
Benefits of Heat Pumps in Canada
Choosing a heat pump can offer several advantages, especially in a country with diverse weather conditions like Canada.
Other Considerations
If you’re thinking of getting a heat pump installed, here are a few points to keep in mind:
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Upfront Costs: The initial investment can be higher than traditional systems, but the long-term energy savings often justify the expense. The Dawn Energy Roadmap Tool can help you understand the upfront and ongoing costs to implement a heat pump specifically in your home.
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Incentives & Rebates: Given how good Heat Pumps are for the environment, the Government of Ontario is offering rebates of up to $7,500 for Canadians to adopt a Heat Pump in their homes.
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Supplementary Equipment: While Heat Pumps alone are often beneficial to reducing energy costs, increasing your home’s insulation, and adding other equipment such as a battery + solar panels, can help you reduce them even further.
Dawn Energy are not the only ones who love the benefits of heat pumps!
Natural Resources Canada notes“Heat pumps are a proven and reliable technology in Canada, capable of providing year-round comfort control for your home by supplying heat in the winter, cooling in the summer, and in some cases, heating hot water for your home.”
CBC outlines “By installing a cold-climate air-source heat pump, Canadian households switching from an electric furnace would save an average of $700 to $1,900 a year in utility bills, and those with furnaces that run on heating oil would save $1,000 to $3,500 a year.”
Canadian Climate Institute’s Research Demonstrates “Heat pumps are the lowest-cost option for heating and cooling most homes in Canada.”
Heat pumps are the lowest-cost option for heating and cooling most homes in Canada.
