Syracuse, NY
Square Footage: 3000+
Year Built: 1939
The homeowner says the system was “exactly what I had hoped for”. With a growing concern about the environment and the need to replace an aging natural gas boiler. The homeowner chose to install an air source heat pump to heat and cool his home. A solar photovoltaic array had been installed a year earlier. The homeowner was concerned about the environment and wanted to move away from fossil fuels. He also wanted to install an efficient system which would utilize the solar PV system which he had installed a year earlier.
An air source heat pump allowed him to fully utilize his solar photovoltaic array and to add air conditioning to the house. Now the entire house is heated and cooled through the use of the solar panels totaling around 11.6 kW in energy production from the rooftop array installed in 2016. Net zero is the next step for the homeowners which they hope to achieve with the soon to be added insulation. They are only roughly 20% away from net zero as of right now, with a renovation of insulation the goal of net zero is securely in position.
Installation and Energy Details
Prior Energy system: Natural gas forced air. No A/C.
New Energy System: Geothermal/ground source heat pump providing air heating and cooling. Solar thermal domestic hot water.
New Insulation or Sealing: Blown in cellulose insulation.
System Specifications:
- Ground source heat pump: Water to air whole house, horizontal loop. 4 ton water furnace. Designed and installed by VanHee
- Solar PV: 8kW installed in 2010
Net Zero? Not quite. The solar photovoltaic system is undersized for the winter heating load.
Results
- As a result of the insulation, outside noise was reduced significantly.
- When heating with geothermal, they had to get used to sleeping in a warmer house as they were accustomed to setting back the thermostat to 55 degrees at night which is not customary with a geothermal heat pump.
- They were surprised by the amount of electricity required to operate the GSHP during the winter, and are considering adding more solar panels.
- They noticed improved health from the air being not as dry during the winter.
Motivation for Heat Pump Technology
- Environment/climate change was our primary motivation in switching from natural gas to a GSHP.
- Additional reason for installing a GSHP included addition of cooling for our home.
- Although the tax credits and rebates were helpful in reducing the overall cost, overall cost savings were not part of the motivation.
Expenses
| Cost Category | Initial Cost | Incentives | Final Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Source Heat Pump | $22,800 | NYSERDA rebate: $2,200 30% federal tax credit: $6,836 | $13,764 |
| Insulation | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Solar Thermal | $8,200 | NYSERDA Rebate: $800 NYS Tax Credit: $2,050 20% federal tax credit: $2,464 | $2,886 |
| Solar PV System | $45,780 | NYSERDA rebate: $17,860 30% federal tax credit: $8,376 NYS tax credit: $5,000 | $14,544 |
| Grand Total | $76,780 | $45,586 (59% of total) | $31,194 |