Heat pump Energy Star rated brands and models reviewed

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Whether you're environmentally conscious or just looking to save a buck, consider heat pump Energy Star options. Energy Star is a program that's been administered since 1982 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the effort to encourage greater energy efficiency.

One of the more successful aspects of the program has been the encouragement of new technology and updated heating and cooling strategies, including the use of heat pump air conditioning.

Get free quotes on Energy Star certified heat pumps today! 

While a traditional air conditioner uses outside energy to artificially alter the temperature inside your home, heat pumps  recruit local energy in the form of heat extracted from your home that's then cooled, or air pumped into your home that's warmed.

Efficiency is usually the overriding concern when you're considering a switch to a heat pump. Energy Star lists the Bosch-Geo 6000 series as a top brand. These heat pumps can be extremely sophisticated, with digital communication through standard DDC protocols and an internal diagnostic system that's able to spit out informative results for your technician to analyze.

The estimated lifetime cost for running one of the smaller units is $2,893, according to the EPA.

Hand in hand with energy efficiency goes total cost. Obviously, it does you little good to save almost $3,000 over the course of a heat pump's lifetime if the unit itself is substantially more expensive than the less green alternatives. Here, you're in luck as heat pump technology has been around for quite a while now and has been adapted to almost any conceivable HVAC need.

While the larger split systems will be more expensive, an acceptable heat pump can be had in the form of a wall-mounted ductless unit. Panasonic offers quite a few of these, with prices under $500, and some — notably the CS-E9NKUAW Mini Split Wall Mounted Indoor Unit — going for as low as $260.

None of the above prices covers labor or costs of installation. Get in touch with a local contractor who knows heat pump systems and request an estimate on a heat pump Energy Star-certified unit. Your contractor can help you determine the heat pump sizing and can explain your warranty to you.