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Ductless Split Heat Pump
RESIDENTIAL ENERGY STAR DUCTLESS SPLIT HEAT PUMP (DSHP)
A Cool Way to Control Your Comfort and Save With Up to $500 in Instant Discounts
Need to add heat to an addition? Turning a three-season room into a year-round room? Try an ultra-efficient and quiet ductless split heat pump for your heating and cooling needs.
Reduce Heating and Cooling Costs 25 to 50 Percent
A ductless heat pump, also known as a mini-split heat pump, is a highly efficient heating and cooling system that can operate at a fraction of the cost of baseboards and wall heaters. Their superior air distribution helps make living spaces more comfortable, and they are great for homes with open floor plans.
Ductless heat pumps are very effective for electrically heated homes or areas where ductwork does not exist or cannot be installed. They are easy to install as a new primary heat source, making them a good choice for home remodel projects, additions and new construction.
Studies have shown that ductless heat pumps can reduce heating and cooling costs 25 to 50 percent. Systems are competitively priced and available from many well-known manufacturers. Because they are easy to install, installation costs are low compared to other heating and cooling methods.
How We Help
We make it affordable to install a ductless heat pump with instant discounts for qualifying units of up to $500 per home, provided by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund. Equipment should be installed by a licensed contractor that is certified by the manufacturer of the product being installed.
How Ductless Heat Pumps Work
During heating season, ductless heat pumps draw heat from outside air and move it inside. Because they tap into existing heat in the air, they use less electricity to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. In the summer, they extract heat from the air inside your home and move it outside to provide cooling.
Ductless heat pumps have three main parts:
- An indoor unit that mounts on the wall or ceiling
- An outdoor unit that typically sits on the ground
- A remote control that operates the inside unit
The indoor and outdoor units are connected by small refrigerant lines, which are installed through a very small hole in the wall. The indoor unit circulates the heated or cooled air into the room. The units are smaller than conventional air conditioning equipment and less intrusive. Because expensive and invasive ductwork isn’t necessary, installation is easy, inexpensive and less disruptive.
A cool way to stay warm!
How to Get an Instant Discount for a Ductless Split Heat Pump
Step 1 - Find an Installer
To be eligible for an instant discount, equipment should be installed by a licensed contractor that is certified by the manufacturer of the product being installed. Instant discounts are available for UI residential customers.
Step 2 - Be Energy Efficient
Make your home more energy efficient to get the most out of a new heating system. Get started with help from the Home Energy Solutions program.
Step 3 - Select Your System
Select the system you want to install. Your contractor will help you select the right manufacturer and model for your needs.
Step 4 - Receive Your Instant Discount:
- Prior to purchase, confirm your system qualifies for the discount with your contractor or by checking the minimum efficiency chart on the Who is Eligible and Qualifying Ductless Split Heat Pumps section below and at the ENERGY STAR website: ENERGYSTAR.gov/products.
- Have your Installer provide a quote for qualified equipment from a participating distributor listed on EnergizeCT.com that includes the instant discount.
- Finally have your Installer purchase and install qualified equipment from a participating distributor. It’s that easy!
Minimum Efficiency Levels / Instant Discount Schedules
| Eligible Equipment Type | Minimum Efficiency for Rebate |
Instant Discount Per Home* |
|---|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR®-certified AHRI1 Rated Ductless Heating and Cooling System of Matched Assembly Single Indoor Unit | 20 SEER2/ 12.5 EER3/ 10 HSPF4 |
$300/Home** |
| ENERGY STAR certified AHRI Rated Ductless Heating and Cooling System of Matched Assembly Multi-Indoor Unit | 18 SEER / 12.5 EER / 9 HSPF |
$500/Home** |
Equipment should be installed by a licensed contractor that is certified by the manufacturer of the product being installed.
1 AHRI – Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. All equipment must be rated in the AHRI Heat Pumps and Heat Pump Coils directory found online at www.AHRIdirectory.org.
2 SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
3 EER – Energy Efficiency Ratio
4 HSPF – Heating and Seasonal Performance Factor
* A $700 rebate is available for homes with existing electric resistance heating WITH a Home Energy Assessment prior to installation. HES Technician will provide the $700 rebate form.
** There is a maximum of two instant discount incentives per home. One incentive equals a matched assembly consisting of one outdoor unit and associated single or multi indoor units.
Qualifying Systems
To qualify for instant discounts, ductless heat pump systems must be ENERGY STAR certified with matched assemblies in which both the condenser unit and the evaporator coil are installed simultaneously. A matched assembly is a model combination that is listed in the AHRI Directory of Certified Equipment. A matched assembly shall also include the air handler, furnace, or other component that is used to determine the rating according to ANSI/AHRI STANDARD 210/240-2008. To see a list of qualifying units, visit the Consortium for Energy Efficiency HVAC Directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ductless heat pumps use variable speed compressors with “inverter technology” (AC to DC) to continuously match the heating/cooling load. This prevents the on/off cycling of conventional electric resistance and central heating systems, which are often associated with uncomfortable temperature variations and high energy consumption.
Ductless systems consist of three main parts:
- An outdoor unit that contains a condensing coil, an inverter-driven variable speed compressor, an expansion valve and a fan to cool the condenser coil
- An indoor unit that contains an evaporator and a quiet oscillating fan to distribute air into the space
- A refrigerant line set made of insulated copper tubing, which is housed in a conduit alongside a power cable, and a condensation drain
Systems also include a remote control to set the desired temperature and program nighttime settings.
Room additions – A ductless heat pump can be a good choice when a room is added to a house or an attic is converted to living space. It can provide efficient heating and cooling without having to extend existing ductwork or pipes or install electric resistance heaters.
New construction – New homes can be designed or adapted to take advantage of the characteristics of ductless heat pumps. Typically one or more systems are installed in various “zones” of a house to simplify installation and minimize refrigerant line length.
- Ductless heat pumps allow the user to control each heating/cooling zone independently, eliminating the costly over-heating and cooling common to central air systems. Why pay to heat or cool rooms that are not currently occupied? While central air systems lose as much as 30 percent efficiency through air leaks and conduction in the ductwork, ductless heat pumps distributing air directly into each zone.
- Inverter-driven variable speed compressors allow ductless heat pump systems to maintain constant indoor temperatures by running continuously at higher or lower speeds. The system can ramp up or down without great losses in operating efficiency, avoiding the energy-intensive on/off cycling common in electric resistance and forced-air systems.
- Modern ductless heat pumps have ultra-high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios (SEER) between 16 and 26 and Heating Seasonal Performance Factors (HSPF) between 8.5 and 12.
