Carrier's Bradley Hemmick answers Green Builder Media CEO Sara Gutterman's questions about what a heat pump actually is, why current models heat reliably in cold climates down to -15 degrees, and how Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and local utility rebates offset the upfront cost for builders and homeowners.
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Sara Gutterman: I think that there's still a lot of ambiguity and a lot of questions around heat pump technology. So can you please tell us what a heat pump HVAC system is and what makes it so efficient?
00:00:13:00 - 00:00:32:02
Bradley Hemmick: A heat pump is, you know, part of a standard heating and cooling system that you'd see in your house if you have an air conditioner and a furnace installed in your house today. It's basically the same. It's going to look exactly the same on the outside as an air conditioner, and it performs the same function during the summer months.
00:00:32:02 - 00:00:49:20
Bradley Hemmick: So it's going to cool your house just like an air conditioner. The difference with a heat pump is that when it gets cold, it can be used for heating your house. That same system essentially just reverses how it functions, and it's going to operate as as a heater for your house, which is why it's called a heat pump.
00:00:49:22 - 00:01:00:11
Bradley Hemmick: And it just pulls the heat from the air. Even when it's cold outside, there still is some heat in the air, and it pulls the heat from the air. And it uses that to eat your house when it gets pulled outside.
00:01:00:13 - 00:01:17:22
Sara Gutterman: Newer heat pump technologies for HVAC are able to perform well in cold climates. So can you bust the myth for us? That I think came from older technologies that's no longer applicable, that heat pumps can function function in those colder.
00:01:17:25 - 00:01:50:08
Bradley Hemmick: We have products that can heat down to -15 degrees, and our standard models can go down to zero degrees. Now it's not necessarily going to provide the same level of heating as a furnace will when it gets that cold. But on your standard winter days it is going to provide heating to your house. And as I mentioned, you know, we have high efficiency, variable speed heat pumps that are going to heat your house just as well as a furnace when it gets very cold out.
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Sara Gutterman: Why should builders encourage homeowners and home buyers to put heat HBC HVAC systems into their homes? And why should homeowners consider putting them into their homes?
00:02:02:21 - 00:02:34:27
Bradley Hemmick: It's going to, you know, save you a lot on your on your energy bill. And then just from an electrification standpoint, you know, transitioning from a standard gas furnace to a electric heat pump is also going to help you, as we're trying to transition away from, from more of the fossil fuels. And then the other thing is, you know, because of all those benefits, the government has started offering a lot of incentives for purchasing heat pumps.
00:02:34:28 - 00:03:00:13
Bradley Hemmick: So the Inflation Reduction Act that came out in 2022 has incentives around high efficiency heat pumps. And using those incentives, you can, you know, get up to $8,000 in tax credits when you file your taxes. So, you know, when you see that initial cost of a heat pump, especially the higher efficiency ones, you're going to be able to get quite a bit back from the government.
00:03:00:14 - 00:03:18:00
Bradley Hemmick: And that's not to mention local benefits, whether it's through Energy Star, your local utility. Many states have rebates that are also going to be tied to, you know, more high efficiency heat pumps as well.
00:03:18:02 - 00:03:30:02
Sara Gutterman: Talk about how builders and homeowners can access more information, both about heat pump technology itself, as well as those funding opportunities and incentives and rebates.
00:03:30:03 - 00:04:01:20
Bradley Hemmick: Specifically for carrier. We have a lot of information out on carrier. You'll be able to find a lot of information about our specific products, and we also have a lot of information out there about the Inflation Reduction Act. You know which of our products are going to qualify. And it also depends on where you live. So if you live in a northern state versus a southern state, there actually are different requirements for the efficiency levels that you need to have for a heat pump to be.
00:04:01:21 - 00:04:28:21
Bradley Hemmick: So there there's a lot to keep track of. And then the other thing that I would recommend, we can connect you to a carrier dealer who should have the most up to date local information for you. For again, for those local rebates making aware of of what they offer locally and then how you can best maximize whether it's a tax credit or a local utility rebate.
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Bradley Hemmick: Those incentives.
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Sara Gutterman: Tell us a little bit about the carrier system and your heat pump technology. What makes it unique and special?
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Bradley Hemmick: Our highest efficiency product is the infinity with green speed intelligence. We have the the 24 Seer heat pump. As I mentioned, it operates at temperatures down to -15°F, which means this is a more high, high technology, advanced product and what many people are used to seeing. And, you know, if it does get colder than that, we also offer high efficiency furnaces as well.
00:05:08:08 - 00:05:50:26
Bradley Hemmick: So you can do in the very cold climates, you can do what's called a dual fuel application, where you can have a heat pump as well as a furnace. So in addition to the variable speed, we also offer two stage heat pumps. And that's kind of the next step down. So that's going to still give you some of the same benefits which is you know around the higher efficiency improved dehumidifier and longer run times which may not on the surface sound like the best thing, but longer runtimes means you're getting more consistent humidity, removal and airflow in the home throughout the day.
00:05:50:26 - 00:06:03:10
Bradley Hemmick: So that's really what you're you're looking to get. So our you variable speed heat pumps, as well as our two stage and also single stage heat pumps are are really the the best in the industry.