The short answer is yes, they are. For a more detailed demonstration on the efficiency of ductless heat pump systems, I point you to a case study we started over a year ago. Muddy Creek Charter School is a small elementary school on the outskirts of Corvallis, Oregon. They were suffering through winters at the school with their heating system, which was an oil boiler with air handlers that served the classrooms, library, office, and gym areas. Not only was this heating system very inefficient, but it also provided little to no ventilation for the school, and they had no air conditioning when the warmer weather would set in. We installed Mitsubishi ductless heat pump systems for each of the 7 classrooms and the library. For the gym, we installed a Rheem roof top package heat pump system to heat and cool, and provide fresh air ventilation. For the classrooms we also installed an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) to provide very efficient fresh air, making the classrooms a much healthier environment.
Recently I met with Mr. Hayes, the Principal at Muddy Creek, and he shared with me his utility cost savings over the previous year. Comparing 2011 to 2012, the electric bill for the school actually went down a nominal amount. The kicker here is the savings they are realizing by not having to purchase heating oil. The school was budgeting a whopping $12,000 to $16,000 per year for heating oil, and now that burden is lifted. As you can imagine this will do great things for the school in terms of their budgeting for the future; and they now have a healthier, more comfortable environment for the children to learn in.
As a disclosure, the roof top heat pump system for the gym was not running during the comparison period, and we have not yet installed the ductless units to feed the office area. I can assure you though, that these variables will not make that much of a dent in their savings. The school plans on hopefully finishing up the project around the end of the school year.
This is an example of what ductless heat pump systems can do on a larger scale. Ductless heat pumps, also known as mini splits, are great heating and cooling systems for residential applications as well. There are also some great incentives from utilities and tax credits that are available for residential applications. If you would like to learn more about how a ductless heat pump system could save you money on your heating and cooling costs, then please give Clean Energy Comfort a call, and let us show you. Additionally, Mr. Hayes gave his blessing on this article, and added that he would be happy to speak with anyone who would like to hear more about their story.