Five Lessons from My First Year with Mini-Split Heat Pumps

Last summer I bought my first home. On the day I met my house-to-be, one of the first things I noticed was its system of ductless mini-split heat pumps. I was immediately excited. From my work at ACEEE, I knew that heat pumps are one of the most energy-efficient ways to heat and cool a home (they use less than half the energy of electric resistance heat over the course of a heating season and also provide efficient air-conditioning; rather than burning fuel to create heat, they move heat from one location to another). If the electricity that powers them comes from renewable sources, they can also help us transition away from fossil fuels. Having looked at other homes with old, inefficient heating systems and no air-conditioning, I knew I would much rather have a heat pump system (without having to go through a retrofit myself).