Clean, quiet home heating comfort has never been easier to find.
From solar and ductless systems to heat pump Energy Star-rated products, newer systems are gaining ground in home heating and cooling by providing consumers with more features and product options.
While many homeowners would consider air conditioning a must-have feature, in fact it’s the heat in HVAC — the acronym for heating, ventilation and air conditioning — that is a legal requirement for livable home spaces, according to Leigh Nunno, a Realtor and associate broker at Melissa Healy Group at Keller Williams Real Estate in Doylestown.
“In real estate, heat is a mandatory element to be able to call a space a living space,” Nunno said.
Gone are the days where heating was limited to radiators, or ducted systems.
Ductless systems are an option for construction, home renovations and additions or even home heating system replacements.
“When outfitting an addition or home renovation, ductless split and mini-split systems offer significant advantages over upsizing or replacing an existing home HVAC system,” said Jaimie Meehan, a Realtor at Melissa Healy Group at Keller Williams Real Estate in Doylestown.
Ductless systems do not require interior vents and ductwork. Instead they rely on systems mounted on a wall or ceiling with access to a partner outdoor unit. Larger units have multiple interior units powered by the outside units to serve more than one room. Mini-split systems are meant to function as single room systems.
“And it’s a lot more cost effective than upsizing the entirety of a heating system for the new space,” she said of adding HVAC to a home addition.
A mini-split system can be installed in an attic, for example, to air condition second floor spaces without the cost and hassles of installing ductwork or the need to install window units to cool bedrooms spaces during the summer months.
“They are pretty efficient because you can condition spaces separately and not have the HVAC running all of the time” throughout the entire house, Meehan explained.
Whether the home is older, or a property owner is looking for cost-effective options, split systems can target specific rooms or areas in a home and provide climate control with ease.
Adding ductwork is more invasive — and expensive — than installing a ductless system, Meehan said.
“There are so many limitations to having ductwork installed,” she said.
Tax credits are available to property owners who purchase and install new Energy Star-rated appliance systems from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2032, according to EnergyStar.gov.
A combination of home improvements with Energy Star-rated products is covered under the program, which offers as much as $2,000 in home improvement tax credits, the website said.
The average homeowner can expect to save about $450 per year on utility costs with Energy Star-rated products, the website said.
“When we are working with a seller we gather as much information as we can to promote those (energy savings) features,” Nunno said.
Nunno recommends homeowners save appliance receipts, warranty information as well as any other relevant records, which can be valuable to proving the system’s authenticity to prospective buyers.
Meehan said buyers of properties under construction or homeowners who are renovating a property will look at these systems among their climate-control options.
“We have found the lack of certain elements” to be a deterrent to a home sale, Meehan explained, when it comes to HVAC system and fuel types.
“Some buyers are fearful of adding an oil furnace and maybe natural gas is not close by or an option for them,” she said.
Cost, efficiency and monthly utility bills are among home heating and cooling factors home buyers consider.
“On the rare occasion, we’ll have buyers looking for only a top-rated Energy Star-efficient home. Conversely we have listed or been at properties that would have some type of alternate green or high-rated energy efficient homes that would be driving that listing,” Meehan said.
Meehan noted solar energy has become more prevalent across Bucks County as well as alternative resources aimed at reducing utility bills and a homeowner’s carbon footprint.
“I think in the next five to 10 years there could be a whole new movement for why buyers seek those options out more,” Meehan said.
Energy Star is recognized by about 90% of American households with about 45% of homeowners intentionally sought out and bought Energy Star-rated products during the past 12 months, according to EnergyStar.gov.
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