[Greenbuilding] Ductless Heat Pump Performance - November 2011

[Paul Eldridge]

We have a forty-three year old, 2,500 sq. ft. Cape Cod and in past years 
when we heated with oil exclusively, our fuel oil consumption averaged 
about 2,000 litres a year (space heating and domestic hot water).  
Today, virtually all of our space heating needs are satisfied by two 
ductless heat pumps and our DHW is heated electrically.  Each of these 
loads is individually metered and a breakout of our consumption for 
November can be viewed at:

http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo69/HereinHalifax/HP-Nov2011.jpg

A summary of our heat pump savings for the months of October and 
November can be viewed at:

http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo69/HereinHalifax/ONHPR.jpg

For the first sixty-one days of this heating season (i.e., October 1st 
through November 30th), our heat pumps have consumed a combined total of 
498.6 kWh or an average of 8.2 kWh per day.  This is the energy 
equivalent of 0.93 litres or 0.25 US gallons of fuel oil a day at 82% 
AFUE and an indoor set temperature of 20°C.

Our goal this year is to get our total household consumption below the 
10,000 kWh mark which, if we should succeed, would put us in the range 
of 43 kWh/m2.  In an effort to further minimize our ecological impact, 
100 per cent of the electricity that we use is wind or low-impact hydro 
sourced through Bullfrog Power (http://www.bullfrogpower.com/).

Cheers,
Paul