Are they right for Haines?
Heat pumps are spreading quickly across Juneau, and some local residents are wondering whether they’re worth installing in Haines.
The units, which transfer heat inside from the ground or air outside, rather than generating heat like conventional heaters, have been touted as cost and energy savers. Recently in Juneau they have “taken off,” said Andy Romanoff, director of Alaska Heat Smart, a non-profit that works with homeowners to maximize home-heating efficiency and facilitates heat-pump installation.
“It’s going tremendously well. We’re probably now seeing one home heat-pump assessment a day, which is almost doubled from last year. We’ve probably done almost 500,” Romanoff said.
Heat pumps are powered by electricity and use a reverse refrigeration process that draws heat in from outside, using the same technology as a refrigerator but in reverse. The usual setup has two components— an outdoor device that looks like an air conditioner and draws heat in, connected to an indoor unit that distributes heat into the home.
When working optimally, heat pumps use about half as much electricity as electrical-resistance heaters and are considered more efficient than oil heaters and woodstoves, although their efficiency depends on outdoor air temperatures. They have been promoted as a budget-wise way to reduce carbon emissions, particularly in communities supplied by renewable energy, such as hydropower in Haines.
Heat pumps cost at a minimum about $5,000 to install, but prices range by type of unit and home design, said Vanessa Stevens, buildings scientist at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Fairbanks (CCHRC).
Clearwater Plumbing and Heating sells and installs heat pumps in Haines. Owner Paul Carrington said he stocks the Daikin Aurora model because it’s rated for colder weather; it can heat a house comfortably down to -13 degrees, Carrington said. It costs at least $5,000 or $6,000 to purchase and install one but pricing depends on the size, condition and location of a house.
Carrington said he has been selling them for a little over a year and has installed four or five.
In Juneau, Romanoff said, installing a heat pump usually pays off after four to seven years for residents who switch from oil heaters. The units have an expected lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
Electricity is about twice as expensive in Haines, though, so pumps here have a longer payback period, Romanoff said. He added that installing one would pay for itself after four to seven years in Haines only if heating oil rose to $7 per gallon. Right now it’s about $4.60, according to Delta Western.
Heat pumps lose efficiency as outdoor air temperatures drop, but the cold-weather models are supposed to stay efficient down to 0 degrees. “If it’s 40 above and you’re heating to 70 — that’s not going to be a huge ask,” Stevens said. But if it’s 10 below, “that’s asking a lot of that refrigeration cycle.”
Researchers suggest keeping a backup system in case of a cold snap.
Haines residents Mike and Melissa Ganey installed two heat pumps in their new home last year. “So far, so good,” Mike said. “I’m pretty happy with it. It was heating the house even when it was in the single digits.” Mike Ganey said they also have a pellet stove, which the heat pumps supplement.
There are three kinds of heat pumps — ground-source, air-source and water-source. Ground- and air-source pumps are most common in Alaska. Ground-source is more reliable than air-source because temperatures in the ground are more stable than in the air. But ground-source pumps require burying coils underground, making them harder to install and more expensive. The Ganeys’ pumps, and most of the ones in Juneau, are air-source.
“From my understanding air-source heat pumps are perfect for Southeast Alaska …because of the (warmer) climate and access to hydropower,” said Molly Rettig, communications lead at CCHRC. “They save money; they save carbon; and they ease pressure on the grid.”
Within the air-source category, there are two types of units, ducted and ductless, but countless models and system configurations. “When I was looking for (a heat pump) a few years back, I got five different quotes (from installers), anywhere from $5,000 to $9,000” for different setups, Romanoff said. “They left me completely unsure of what to do and where to go, so I didn’t do anything. And that’s very common.”
Romanoff’s goal at Alaska Heat Smart is to help homeowners figure out what kind of heat pump would suit them best and how much it would cost. “We’re trying to eliminate confusion. We’re acting as a go-between between customer and installer,” Romanoff said.
Establishing a pilot program in Juneau to reduce costs by bulk ordering and installing heat pumps, Alaska Heat Smart partnered with the CCHRC, which has been researching the devices for a decade and working with manufacturers to improve their efficiency.
Through the program, called Thermalize Juneau, residents already have installed 80 heat pumps and Alaska Heat Smart has plans for more. The organization also received federal funding to help 90 low-income Juneau families save on heating with heat pumps.
“What would be ideal for Haines if someone is interested…to get a handful of people, like six families or six houses that say, ‘Yes, we want to pursue heat pumps,’” Romanoff said, explaining that a campaign to buy and install pumps in bulk could help lower costs.
Through 2022 Alaska Power & Telephone is offering $500 rebates to customers who install heat pumps, and Sealaska said it will double that incentive for shareholders, offering them an additional $500.
Lance Caldwell, AP&T’s power operations manager in Haines, said he is aware of four heat pumps that have been installed in Haines for the rebate.
Romanoff said interested Haines residents should feel free to reach out to Alaska Heat Smart with questions.
A calculator that gives homeowners a sense of how much they could save (or not) with a heat pump can be filled out at https://heatpump.cf/.