Air Conditioners vs heat pumps

Heat pumps can be interesting alternatives to air conditioners. They are both electric-powered products but heat pumps use less electricity.

There are, anyway, other elements to consider besides the price of the electricity: the initial investment, the efficiency, the installation costs and the differences between air heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps.


Air Heat Pump form Carrier: Carrier presents this air heat pump as an air conditioner that can also heat homes Air heat pumps vs. air conditioners

Air heat pumps and air conditioners are very similar products. The energy source (electricity) is the same, the prices are basically the same, and the installation requirements and the basics of the technology do not differ significantly.

The primary differences between air conditioners and air heat pumps is that heat pumps can both cool and heat and are more energy-efficient at heating, allowing higher energy savings...

But there is also a trade-off: air heat pumps are slightly less energy efficient at cooling, which can be a a disadvantage in colder climates. Besides, when outdoor temperatures are below 40ºF (4ºC) heat pumps lost their efficiency...

And it is these opposing features that determine the final choice.

Air heat pumps can be a good and advantageous choice in moderate climates, namely in climates with hot summers and mild springs and autumns. In such climates, heat pumps may provide inexpensive electric heat during the mid-seasons, lower energy costs in the summer and good response to winter heating needs.
Energy efficient products

Obviously, the air conditioner vs. air heat pump option should also consider the different models and their different efficiency. In other words: there are high and low efficient air conditioner units, and high and low-efficient air heat pumps, and it's the high efficient units that you should consider and compare.

Buying an energy efficiency product will be more expensive up front but the difference of cost will be largely paid back over time through energy savings...
Air Conditioners vs. Geothermal Heat Pumps

Air heat pumps are the most common and the most versatile type of heat pumps. They do not pose the installation constrains and high costs of geothermal heat pumps. See: Installing a Geothermal Heat Pump

But it is the geothermal heat pumps that provide higher electricity savings: according to EPA, savings up to 72% (when compared to central air-conditioning), while air heat pumps electricity savings are less than half of that value, even in the best climate conditions.
Geothermal heat pumps versus air conditioners/Furnaces Systems

Other elements that you may want to consider is the costs. Air heat pumps and air conditioners are very similar in their prices. But geothermal heat pumps demand a much higher initial investment...

A geothermal heat pump system may cost you twice the price of a standard central air conditioning system.

The trade-off is that, according to the Energy Savings Trust geothermal heat pumps may can provide very high electricity savings ($1,300-$1,500 per year compared to central air conditioners, in colder climates) and about 4-5 tonnes of CO2 less per year - 100 tonnes of CO2 over the lifetime of the heat pump.
Geothermal Heat Pumps Choice

The bottom line about the geothermal heat pumps vs. air conditioners alternative?

Geothermal heat pumps only make sense in homes with very high energy bills (in colder climates, where geothermal heat pumps can overcome the disadvantages of air heat pumps). The electricity savings, in such conditions, can easily amount to $1,000 or more per year, making the payback of the extra initial investment relatively short (6 years or less).