Ductless heat pumps (also called mini splits) offer energy efficient heating and air conditioning for one room, multiple rooms, or your entire home. They’re a modern, environmentally friendly alternative to space heaters and window air conditioners that will make your home significantly more comfortable while potentially lowering your energy costs.
Why Install a Ductless Heat Pump?
Modern, energy efficient, and duct-free, ductless heat pumps are a great option for home heating and cooling.
How Ductless Heat Pumps Work
Heat pumps are basically air conditioners that can work in reverse. When set to cooling mode, a heat pump will remove heat from the air inside your home, just like an air conditioner. In heating mode, it extracts heat from the air outside and brings it in. Modern heat pumps are efficient even in sub-zero temperatures, but they work best in mild climates, which makes them perfect for California homes.
Ductless mini splits are a special type of heat pump that operates without ductwork. In a ductless system, one or more indoor air handlers connects to an outdoor unit via a conduit that runs through an exterior wall. The indoor air handlers can be installed almost anywhere in your home and you can install as many as you need.
Single-Zone Ductless Heat Pumps
A single-zone ductless heat pump has just one indoor air handler. If you have one room in your house that’s always freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer, this might be the best and most affordable option.
Multi-Zone Ductless Heat Pumps
Multi-zone ductless heat pumps have multiple indoor air handlers. If you have several rooms that are hard to heat or cool, a multi-zone system is the best option. This is also a great way to add whole-home heating and air conditioning to a house that doesn’t have central ductwork or to a home that currently relies on outdated radiator or baseboard heating.
Rebates & Incentives for Ductless Heat Pump Installation
There has never been a better time to install a ductless heat pump HVAC system! Ductless mini split heat pumps are currently eligible for tax credits and incentives that make them significantly more affordable.
Heat Pump Tax Credit
The heat pump tax credit was created as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to reduce energy costs for homeowners by making energy efficient home improvements more affordable. Ductless heat pumps qualify for a federal tax credit worth 30% of the total cost of purchasing and installing the system, up to $2,000.
Utility Rebates
Some California utilities offer rebates for heat pump installation. Depending on your utility company, you may be eligible for rebates worth anywhere from a hundred dollars to a few thousand. It’s worth noting that PG&E does not currently offer rebates for heat pump installation.
Find a Ductless Heat Pump Installer Near You in California
Deciding to install a ductless heating and cooling system is the easy part—they just make sense for California homes. The hard part is finding a heat pump installer that you can trust. The Clean Energy Connection can help. Our free directory connects California homeowners with clean energy contractors who have been carefully vetted to ensure quality workmanship and customer service.
How It Works
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Step 1 - Search the directory for free. You can filter by location, rebates, and more to find the right contractor for your ductless mini split heat pump installation.
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Step 2 - Choose a contractor and request a quote right from the directory.
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Step 3 - Schedule your heat pump installation with your chosen installer!