HVAC Home Performance Guide

For the average American homeowner, heating and cooling accounts for 40% of annual energy usage (DOE Building Energy Data Book 2009). Picking the right heating and cooling equipment can reduce this significant portion of your utility bill.

This guide provides information about energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment options to help homeowners cut their energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and increase their homes’ comfort, health, and safety. This guide will help you make informed decisions about purchasing new HVAC equipment or improving existing equipment for more efficient operation.

If you are a homeowner, use this guide to learn more about energy-efficient options in HVAC equipment. If you are a contractor, share this guide with your customers.

1.1 Building America’s Whole-House Approach

HVAC energy upgrades can improve the energy efficiency, air quality, and comfort of your home, and can save money in the long term. However, it is important to recognize that each component of the HVAC system interacts with the rest of the house. Changing one component—for example upgrading heating or cooling equipment, adding ventilation, increasing insulation or air sealing—without taking into account these system interactions could result in safety issues.

To ensure health and safety, your HVAC options should be considered within a whole-house, systems-based approach advocated by the U.S. Department of Energy Building America program.