Do heat pumps work in Alberta? The hot air on home-heating tech

It is an increasingly hot item in a climate war, dividing our country by both geography and politics. But do air-to-air heat pumps work in Alberta?

The humble heat pump is a fairly simple concept. And for the Bailey family, it was a fairly simple decision — all part of downsizing and reducing their environmental footprint after their kids moved out.

They had explored the idea of installing air conditioning for their new Calgary infill home, but learned, for a few thousand dollars more, a heat pump would also provide savings in colder months.

“It was clear that it was going to pay off very quickly,” said Kirk Bailey, a long-time Calgarian, now retired after a life-time career in the energy industry.

Air-to-air heat pumps are the most common type used in Alberta, especially in cities where digging into geothermal energy is generally more complicated.

Instead, air-to-air heat pumps use thermal energy from the air, capturing it with the help of a refrigerant: compressing it for heat and expanding it to cool.

The system can reverse in the summer months — a big benefit in places where climate change is quickly turning air conditioning from a luxury item to a necessity.

Justin Giroux, the owner of Calgary-owned HVAC company Airology, worked in Eastern Canada before moving to Calgary and had plenty of experience with installing heat pumps before moving here.

“There’s been a big push for them in the last five years or so,” said Giroux. But the systems are much less popular on the prairies.