Save With YOUR Utility
An air-source heat pump offers the perfect balance of comfort and savings – both in the hot summer and the frozen winter. The technology has advanced rapidly and is now powerful enough for the weather of North Dakota and Minnesota.
Unlike a furnace, an air-source heat pump doesn’t burn fuel to make heat. It simply uses electricity to move heat from one place to another. Think of an air-source heat pump as a heat transporter constantly moving warm air from one place to another, to where it’s needed or not needed (depending on the season).
Even cold winter air contains some heat. When it’s cold outside, a heat pump extracts this outside heat and transfers it inside. When it’s warm outside, it reverses directions and acts like an air conditioner.
A standard air-source heat pump is a self-contained system that uses existing ductwork. The system is composed of an outdoor compressor unit and an indoor air handling unit. The two units are linked with refrigerant tubing and a connected electric supply wire.
New advanced heat pumps called cold-climate heat pumps (CCHP) operate efficiently down to below-zero temperatures, making this technology a new fan favorite for the cold of Minnesota and North Dakota.
VERSATILITY
A single system delivers heat in the winter and cools your home in the summer.
EFFICIENCY
Because an air-source heat pump moves heat instead of generating it, the system delivers up to three times more energy than the electricity it consumes.
EASE
Air-source heat pumps are typically simple to install and require little maintenance.
COMFORT
Your air-source heat pump will deliver steady, automatic climate control to your home – even when switched to a backup fuel source.
STABILITY
By taking advantage of your cooperative’s low-cost off-peak program, you can protect yourself against the volatile price swings of propane and fuel oil.
SAVINGS
In addition to your low off-peak rate, you can receive hundreds in installation rebates to help cover the cost of your technology upgrade.
Check with your utility on program restrictions and additional rebates.
PLAN PROACTIVELY
You may not need your furnace or air conditioner replaced now, but have a plan for an air-source heat pump in place. There will be some research to do and calls to make before you find your most efficient upgrade.
SEEK A DEPENDABLE INSTALLER
Check in with your cooperative to see if they would recommend a heating and cooling company for your installation. It may also help to gather recommendations from friends and family.
FIND YOUR BEST PRICE AND FIT
Ask potential installers if they can provide you with an evaluation and quote for your new equipment and setup. You’ll want to discuss the pros and cons to different brands and sizes, and feel free to gather quotes/bids from more than one contractor.
CONFIRM LOAD CALCULATIONS
Bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to air-source heat pumps – they have to be sized correctly to your home to reach top efficiency. Be sure your installer completes a load calculation to assess the amount of heating and cooling you’ll need to keep your home comfortable.
Similar to an air-source heat pump, a mini-split heat pump is run by a compressor unit placed outside of your home. That unit is connected to an indoor unit by small cables and a refrigerant line. The indoor unit is typically mounted high on the wall of the room that is being heated/cooled.
VERSATILITY
A single system delivers heat in the winter and cools your home in the summer.
EFFICIENCY
The system only heats and cools the area that is necessary and transfers heat instead of generating it.
EASE
The system does not require ducts and can be installed easily in any room. It can be set to run automatically or by remote control.
SAVINGS
In addition to the money you will save in efficiency, the upfront cost of installation may be covered in part by a rebate from your utility.
Check with your utility on program restrictions and additional rebates.
A ground-source heat pump (also referred to as a geothermal heating and cooling system) is based on the physical law that energy flows from a warmer place to a cooler place. The typical system consists of a closed loop of plastic tubing installed underground and an electrically powered compressor inside the home. An environmentally friendly antifreeze solution circulates through the tubing and captures the natural heat of the earth, cycling it to the home.
EFFICIENCY
Because the system only uses electricity to move larger amounts of heat energy, the system may use up to 50% less electricity than conventional systems.
RELIABILITY
There are few mechanical components to the ground-source heat pump system, and because they are sheltered from the elements underground, you don’t have much to worry about years after installation.
RESPONSIBILITY
Ground-source heat pumps are one of the most environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems on the market today.
Check with your utility on program restrictions and additional rebates.
Electric thermal storage heaters convert off-peak electricity to heat and store this low-cost heat to keep a home comfortable 24 hours a day. The system contains electric heating elements that lie within specially designed, high-density ceramic bricks. These bricks are capable of storing vast amounts of heat for extended periods of time. The stored heat is automatically regulated in relation to outdoor temperature and the heating requirements of the user. When the room thermostat calls for heat, it is extracted from the unit’s storage core and distributed evenly in the home.
EFFICIENCY
The heater’s ability to store inexpensive off-peak energy and efficiently deliver heat makes it one of the most advanced heating systems available.
RESPONSIBILITY
In addition to being 100% efficient, the system is clean – no backup fuels are needed.
EASE
Once the system is set up, it works with outdoor sensors to maintain the correct amount of stored heat throughout each season, creating year-round, worry-free comfort. It requires no tank filling or tune-ups and is virtually maintenance free.
VERSATILITY
Electric thermal storage heating offers several applications, including a central forced-air furnace, hydronic furnace or room unit – whatever best fits your home and needs.
Check with your utility on program restrictions and additional rebates.
Underfloor heating has quickly become a favorite for those seeking ease and comfort on chilly days. The system can be installed at construction or during renovation. Warmth rises from the floor and spreads evenly through a room, garage or shop building.
The technology can be applied two ways. Hydronic floor heating is used in conjunction with an electric boiler and circulates heated water through flexible piping. The piping can be installed right below the concrete in new construction projects or mounted below the floor of existing wood construction. Electric cables or mats heat up when electric current is applied. The systems are buried 8-12 inches deep in a bed of sand under the concrete slab, which serves as a heat storage reservoir.
EFFICIENCY
The storage system efficiently stores off-peak heat and allows it to rise into a room uniformly across the floor.
EASE
Once you complete the easy installation of the system, there are no maintenance needs. You also don’t have to worry about heating vents being blocked by furniture.
VERSATILITY
The system can be used to heat an entire building or in supplement to another heat source.
RESPONSIBILITY
The system runs clean and no backup fuels are needed.
COMFORT
Not only is the system completely quiet, it also gives your feet some extra warmth on those cold winter days.
Check with your utility on program restrictions and additional rebates.
A dual-fuel electric plenum heater is one of the most common off-peak electric heating systems available. Easily adapted to an existing fuel oil or gas/propane forced-air system, a plenum heater uses your existing furnace fan to move air across the plenum heater elements to heat your home. Both your fossil fuel furnace and the electric plenum heater use the same thermostat and ductwork.
In most cases, a plenum heater can be installed in conjunction with a central air conditioning system or an air-source heat pump.
EASE
A plenum heater is one of the easiest ways to convert your existing propane or oil furnace into a dual-fuel heating system.
COST EFFECTIVENESS
The plenum is a cost-effective way to integrate reduced-rate off-peak electricity into your heating system. The technology also helps lengthen the lifespan of your gas furnace.
RESPONSIBILITY
The plenum is a safe and clean heating alternative for any home or building.
Check with your utility on program restrictions and additional rebates.