At AirZone HVAC Services we specialize in everything and anything that keeps your home comfortable. We are industry leaders in helping Canadian homeowners balance comfort and operational costs all while reducing their carbon footprint. With a major uptick in heat pump purchases we have seen hundreds of Ottawa homeowners pushing towards energy efficient measures and receiving large rebates to do so.
This article focuses on hybrid heating, what it is, how it works and why it is an incredibly popular choice for Ottawa are homeowners.
What is a Hybrid Heating System?
Hybrid Heat (also known as dual fuel) is the combination of two different heating sources. In Ottawa, we pair an air source heat pump with a gas back up furnace (either natural gas, propane or oil) to create an efficient hybrid heating system. These two systems work in tandem to ensure you have a comfortable home environment while reducing carbon emissions.
How does Hybrid Heating Work?
Hybrid heating combines a typical fuel burning furnace with an air source heat pump. An air source heat pump is a device that transfers energy from one place to another. This equipment generally looks almost identical to the typical central air conditioner we are all used to seeing. In the summer it transfers heat from your home to the outdoors (air conditioning), while in the winter it transfers energy (in the form of heat) directly into your dwelling.
Why Choose a Hybrid Heating System?
There are many reasons to consider moving to hybrid heating! Below we summarize the reasons we believe hybrid heating is one of the best and most popular heating styles for Ottawa in 2022.
- Operational Cost: Utilizing a cold climate heat pump can save you money on your heating bill! Furthermore, these units are generally much more efficient in cooling mode than a standard air conditioner. Finally, current costs of natural gas are substantially lower that electricity. Meaning you can still utilize a heat pump for much of the year but do not need to worry about high bills in the coldest months of the year.
- Environmentally Friendly: Decreasing your reliance on fossil fuels is a huge win for the environment. By operating a cold climate heat pump, you can drastically reduce your carbon footprint. When you choose to install a heat pump on your existing gas furnace or with a new gas furnace, you are taking massive strides in doing your part to hinder climate change.
- Best of Both Worlds:A hybrid system can give you the best of both worlds. You may be able to keep your existing gas furnace and not shell out a large sum to replace the entire system. Furthermore, you get the cost savings of a heat pump without the large costs of electric back up heat.
- Peace of Mind with Redundancy: Many homeowners in Ottawa love the reliability of their gas furnaces. Lots of these people want to do their part to lower Canada’s carbon footprint as well, with a hybrid gas system you can do just that. If we have emergencies and prolonged power outages, homeowners can run a gas furnace on a generator much more feasibly than a fully electric heat pump system. Finally, if the heat pump has a failure, the furnace can still create heat to keep your family cozy and safe!
- No Need to Upgrade Panel:When homeowners opt to go with a heat pump, many times the electric backup heat consumes a lot of power. This forces many to upgrade their electrical service or panel. Utilizing a gas furnace as a back up source may negate the need for costly upgrades!
- Rebates: Hybrid systems are an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump. We have multiple systems in stock that qualify for $4000 or $5000 rebates through the Greener Homes program. This means you can lower your utility bill, help the environment and also received great incentives to do so!
Most Popular Hybrid Heating System in Ottawa in 2022-2023
The 2022-2023 heating season in Ottawa is underway and we have found that our most popular hybrid heating system this year is the Bosch BOVA 2.0 package. This amazing furnace/heat pump system is reliable, qualifies for rebate and we carry the components in stock (no 6 month wait times like other vendors!).
We have also seen a massive number of homeowners opting to pass on the rebates and install a Boreal by Enermaxx (Also known as a Gree Flexx) heat pump on their existing gas furnace. This system is incredibly efficient and has an attractive price point.
If you are looking to help the environment but aren’t ready to move completely off of natural gas, then a hybrid system is the perfect option for you! Simply request a hybrid heating system quote and our friendly team will reach out to discuss your individual heating and cooling needs. We look forward to hearing from you!
**Note: We do not wish to deter anyone who is looking to make the move to a fully electric heat pump system. We install tons of fully electric heat pumps as well and believe it is the way of the future! We simply want to let people know they have options and everyone can participate in lowering our carbon emissions, regardless of their homes infrastructure!
