What’s Hybrid Heat?

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Hybrid heat is a dual fuel system used to heat a building, most typically a home. Like hybrid vehicles that switch between gas and electric power, hybrid heat uses two energy sources to optimize energy efficiency. A hybrid heating system automatically switches between energy sources depending on the ambient conditions at any given time. In cold weather, it typically uses an electric heat pump, generally switching to a furnace when the weather is extremely cold.

The two main components of a hybrid heating system are typically an electric heat pump and a gas or oil fired furnace. Many existing heating systems use one of these elements and can be equipped with equipment to transform them into hybrid systems. For example, a common configuration is a split system with an internal gas furnace coupled with an external air conditioning condensing unit. By replacing the air conditioning condenser with a heat pump, the system can be upgraded to hybrid thermal technology.

Heat pumps transfer outdoor heat from the air or ground to an indoor space via a refrigerant circulating through a heat exchanger. Cold winter air can also be a source of heat that can be extracted and brought indoors. It works similar to a refrigerator that removes heat from its cold interior and transfers it back into the kitchen. The energy required by this process is only what is needed to extract heat from the external air and pump it into the internal environment. The heat taken from the external environment is otherwise free because it does not need to be produced by burning fuel.

Furnaces deliver intense blasts of heat to the interior space. They typically produce heat by burning non-renewable fossil fuels such as gas or oil. A furnace requires energy not only to distribute the heat throughout the building, but it also uses additional fuel to produce the heat in the first place.

In mild weather, a heat pump typically heats a space more efficiently because it can transfer free heat from the outdoors to the indoors quite easily. In these cases, relatively little energy is required to extract heat from the air and bring it indoors. As outside temperatures drop, however, more and more energy is needed as there is less heat in the cooler air and it is more difficult to extract. Heat pumps have to work harder in colder weather and are typically unable to meet heating demands in extreme cold conditions. A furnace is generally the most efficient heat source when the outside temperature drops to around freezing.

Hybrid systems automatically switch energy sources as external conditions change, which allows them to use the most efficient source at any given time. The initial cost of hybrid heating equipment is generally a little higher than traditional systems. The use of this technology, however, can result in significant savings on utility bills for the building owner. Equipment costs for a hybrid heating system are typically recouped quickly in regions where heat is required for 6 months or more of the year. Upfront expenses may also be partially offset in some areas by tax incentives offered for environmentally efficient equipment upgrades.

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