A Rise of Electric Solutions for Heating

America is preparing for a new era of energy. Due to innovation and higher efficiency
requirements, the future of heating and cooling is changing swiftly. A greater focus will be on
electric solutions such as Heat Pumps for heating and cooling in the coming years.

A Change in Focus

In recent years, legislators around the country have proposed natural gas bans to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. An increasing number of cities are adopting these bans or are
putting a greater emphasis on higher efficiency systems.
In 2021, several initiatives involving decarbonization took place. In August of that year,
California adopted new regulations that heavily encourage electric heat pumps over gas
alternatives beginning in 2023.
In December 2021, New York City passed legislation banning natural gas lines on new buildings
under seven stories starting in 2024 and new buildings seven stories or taller beginning in 2027.
Similar policies have been adopted nationwide in many Northern European countries like
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. As a result, heat pump ownership in those regions, and other
parts of Europe at large, has skyrocketed.

How Heat Pumps Work

When it comes to home comfort in the Missoula area, air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are an
amazing solution since they provide both electric heating & cooling. Here’s how the process
works:

Heating

Heat pumps can heat your home efficiently. Instead of creating warmth through combustion like
furnaces, a heat pump’s outdoor coil absorbs warmth from the outside air using refrigerant.
From there, the refrigerant travels to the indoor coil. Here air circulates over the coil allows the
air to warm and an air handler system moves the now warm air and transfers it throughout your
home.
Due to our cold Montana winters, we recommend additionally installing a backup heat strip to
your air handler to assist warming your air quicker in times of extreme cold.

Cooling

When the weather gets hot here in Montana, switch your thermostat to “cool,” and your heat
pump operates like an air conditioner. The process works in reverse—the indoor coil extracts
heat and humidity from the air inside your home and transfers it outside via the refrigerant,
creating cool air.

Looking to Upgrade? Call Us Today.

Design Air is pleased to bring high-efficiency solutions in electric and traditional systems to our
neighbors in Missoula, MT. Call our team today at 406-251-7997 or request an estimate online.